Are the White Walkers just zombies? North of Westeros, beyond The Wall in The Land of Always Winter, a terrible evil lies. Known as the White Walkers, these creatures hold nothing in their hearts but icy hatred of the living and an impulse to kill.
The Targaryen family spent centuries guarding the realm against this threat, but in the fantasy series‘ final season, they finally came south, bringing with them a terrible storm and an army of the undead. Yet despite their importance to the story, some fans get a little confused about the White Walkers. So are the White Walkers just zombies?
Are the White Walkers just zombies?
No, the White Walkers are not just zombies. The White Walkers are a sort of artificial magical being created by the Children of the Forest to serve as foot soldiers in the war against the First Men.
To do this, the Children used their magic to push dragon glass into the heart of captured men. These men were then transformed into icy, deathless warriors who felt nothing but hatred for the living.
The first of these White Walkers became known as the Night King, and he eventually rose up against his creators. During the Battle for the Dawn, the Children of the Forest and First Men came together and defeated the White Walkers, but they did not vanquish the Night King.
Fans occasionally confuse the zombies that the White Walkers create with the White Walkers themselves. They’re a separate thing called “wights”. Yes, it’s confusing. The easiest way to remember is that the blue ice guys are the White Walkers, while the ragged corpse-looking creatures are the zombies.
If you love Westeros, then check out our article on the House of the Dragon season 2 release date. If you love the dragons at the heart of this fantasy series, check out our articles on Balerion the Black Dread, Vhagar, Seasmoke, and Meraxes.