For the longest The Walking Dead fans have wondered about Walkers having long hair especially after S9 and we can think of 3 reasons.

Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard’s novel series The Walking Dead is based on AMC’s post-apocalyptic horror drama The Walking Dead. Developed by Frank Darabont, the series that features a large ensemble cast received critical appreciation upon release and concluded after eleven seasons.

There are numerous reasons why The Walking Dead was one of the most beloved shows, including the fact that it had some of the strongest women characters. The fact that villains are as complex as heroes makes one want to watch it. The most fascinating aspect of the show has been the character struggling to cope with extraordinary circumstances. Fans have, however, been curious about one unusual thing on the show: the Walkers’ hair.

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead | Credits: AMC

Fans wonder why the Walkers on The Walking Dead have long hair post S9

The Walking Dead, along with having villainous characters, also has walkers as the universal antagonists who serve as the primary catalyst for the events within The Walking Dead universe. These walkers do not appear to feel or respond to pain and can survive even the most brutal injuries. Over the seasons, the walkers have decayed in their appearance.

Some suggest that walkers in The Walking Dead are Robert Kirkman’s version of George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead zombies. Ardent fans of the show have pointed out and wondered why the walkers appearing in season 9 and post that have had long hair.

Walkers with long hair in The Walking Dead | Credits: AMC

A Reddit user explained that there might be 3 reasons why audience gets to see Walkers with long hair.

1. Walkers Were Humans with Long Hair

Every season, The Walking Dead introduces the audience to more walkers who only continue to grow gruesome. Their appearance has also changed, and fans have noticed that they have long hair. One of the most valid reasons why walkers in season 9 and post-season appeared with long hair is that they were humans who survived for some amount of time after the outbreak and didn’t think of cutting their hair.

2. Virus Keeps the Body in Some Sort of Reanimation

Secondly, the walkers are indeed dead people, and they cannot grow their hair, but some have argued that it’s the virus inside their bodies. They explained that the virus inside the bodies could act or keep the body in some sort of reanimation that kept the walkers’ hair growing slowly. And by the time audience reached Season 9 and post-seasons, they had long hair.

3. It Looks Cool & Scary at the Same Time

Lastly, it may or may not be a valid reason, but from a viewer’s perspective, it’s so much cooler and good to look at the walkers with long hair even if it’s dirty and fallen off from some part. Also, some fans believed that the makers might have thought that a walker walking with long, dirty hair gives a scary and gory feel to the show.

Executive producer and makeup supervisor Greg Nicotero, while speaking to Allure, was asked about the walkers’ hair, to which he said that they spend a lot of time eliminating anything that would make a walker look like she/he was at a salon. He added that they use conditioner to make it look flat, greasy, and matted.

Scott M. Gimple addressed the future of The Walking Dead

During an interview with The Direct at Multicon, the Chief Content Officer of The Walking Dead, Scott M. Gimple, was asked about the franchise’s future. Gimple was asked if the studios still have hopes in the movie realm, especially after the fact that The Rick and Michonne Show was teased as a movie but was later shifted into a show format.

The Walking Dead | Credits: AMC

To which he said,

I mean, I would just say different formats. They’re always in our minds, and you know, is it a six-hour, is it a two-hour, is it a… My dream would be another 16-hour-a-year series. We’re talking about that. Feature films…probably less likely. But different ways that we do the show, we have to do it, and we will.

The CCO was also asked about Tales From The Walking Dead, to which he shared that he’s desperate to create more of those shows, adding that they don’t have imminent plans to do it, but he’s constantly bringing those up.

Gimple noted that it’s a challenging show because of the variety and the fact that one will start from ground zero. He also addressed that he wants to see some of the past characters making a comeback, and he knows that the audience wants to see some of them too. There is a huge possibility, but nothing can be said as of now.