Why The Walking Dead's Zombie Virus Is Called The Wildfire Virus & Who Named It

The Wildfire virus is responsible for The Walking Dead's devastating apocalypse, but despite being such a crucial part of the franchise, many aspects of its origins have been kept fairly quiet. When Rick first awakened from his coma in season 1, the world had already turned upside-down, creating a mystery about the origins of The Walking Dead's zombie virus, which has been explored over the years through numerous projects. Over time, the franchise has offered some slight insight into how the outbreak first started alongside how the world reacted, but the virus has maintained an element of mystery.

While it seems like it was accidentally created by French scientists and spread worldwide, The Walking Dead has intentionally limited details about Wildfire's history to focus more on the human side of the apocalypse as well as the horror that comes with society falling. Concentrating less on how the zombie uprising started and instead on how it impacted people has allowed the franchise to become so popular, and fortunately, The Walking Dead has also explained how the zombie virus got its name, even provided some clues as to who titled it "the Wildfire virus".

The Walking Dead's Wildfire Virus Is Named After How Fast It Spreads

Civilization Fell Just Weeks After The Wildfire Virus Was Deemed A Pandemic

As the name suggests, the Wildfire virus was coined because of how fast it spread, with society falling shortly after it became a pandemic. Although the outbreak didn't happen until months after its discovery, once it went airborne, it quickly took over the world's population, with civilization collapsing after just two weeks. The Walking Dead has teased the UK surviving the outbreak better than most areas, but despite some locations potentially being more equipped to face Wildfire than others, it has had a huge impact on areas all across the globe, such as the United States, France, and Greenland.

An edited image of Rick in The Walking Dead and Jim in 28 Days Later with zombies in the background.

The Walking Dead's Implied Virus Origin Would Copy 28 Days Later For The Second Time

The origin of the virus in The Walking Dead has always been a mystery, but this hint implies that it's very similar to what was seen in 28 Days Later.

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Despite theories and hints that specific survivors could be immune to Wildfire, from what we understand, the Earth's entire population has been infected, meaning everyone will turn when they die unless their brain is destroyed. Therefore, the fact that it managed to move so fast is undeniably the reason it earned its name, even if it's never explicitly stated. Interestingly, it seems like very few survivors are even aware of the Wildfire virus' real name due to how quickly everything happened, which also explains why different groups have unique names for zombies since there is no official term.

When The Walking Dead Names The Virus "Wildfire"

Dr. Jenner First Mentions The Name "Wildfire" In Season 1, Episode 5

Noah Emmerich as Dr. Jenner on a video in The Walking Dead: World Beyond. — Noah Emmerich as Dr. Jenner on a video in The Walking Dead: World Beyond

Many fans may have never heard of the name Wildfire as it is used so sporadically throughout the series, but it's not a new term and has been around since the very first season. During season 1, episode 5, Dr. Jenner made his debut appearance through a broadcast to his fellow scientists over in France, claiming "It's Day 194 since Wildfire was declared." His transmission also featured a screen with text that read, "WILDFIRE MSB3417 ACTIVE", suggesting that it was the official term used by the scientists working on a cure, which is when Wildfire was originally mentioned.

Noah Emmerich reprised his role as Dr. Edwin Jenner in The Walking Dead: World Beyond season 2's finale in a post-credits scene.

To further emphasize the name, season 1's fifth episode was titled "Wildfire", proving the term has been around for a while in The Walking Dead. Surprisingly, the series rarely brings up Wildfire again after this, with Robert Kirkman even claiming he regrets making the CDC episode as it gave away too much information. However, given The Walking Dead still has unanswered zombie variant questions as well as mysteries around the virus' origins, those early reveals from Dr. Jenner inside the CDC remain crucial to understanding the lore of the franchise, and it would look completely different without them.

Who Named The Walking Dead's Virus "Wildfire"

It's Likely Jenner & The Other Scientists Working On Nullifying The Virus Came Up With The Name

Noah Emmerich as Jenner and fast zombie in Walking Dead World Beyond

Given there are still so many questions surrounding the Wildfire virus, it's no surprise that The Walking Dead hasn't revealed who came up with the name, but the evidence points towards the scientists being responsible. From what we have learned so far, Wildfire initially started in a French lab before becoming airborne, and while scientists within the country and abroad tried to find a cure, they only ended up making it worse. With Jenner being the first character to use the term, it's possible he is the one who came up with it, but this hasn't been confirmed.

The most likely scenario is that the name was coined by whoever was leading work on the Wildfire disease, with the public never being provided an official title to use.

The most likely scenario is that the name was coined by whoever was leading work on the Wildfire disease, with the public never being provided an official title to use. It's also plausible that the term was confidential, hence why so few survivors seem to know about it, as even in France - where the virus originated - characters don't seem to refer to Wildfire. Considering how long it has been, The Walking Dead is unlikely to reveal who specifically came up with the name, making the theory that it was named in a laboratory our best guess.