What is a tupilak? The Walking Dead’s new zombie name explained

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What is a tupilak? The Walking Dead’s new zombie name explained

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol Episode 2.

The Walking Dead Has revealed many names for zombies over the years, however Daryl Dixon Just introduced one of the most interesting labels yet. Zombies have been an iconic part of the franchise since it began in 2010, but although Walkers has become the most famous title for the undead in AMC’s flagship series, it is not the only one that has been mentioned. Bitters, roamers and the infected are just some of the names used since The Walking Deads zombie outbreak began, however Daryl DixonThe Tupilaq reference is the latest to hit the franchise, and it works perfectly.

During Carol and Ash’s visit to Greenland, the duo face an unexpected zombie attack and are rescued by two Greenland natives. As the group began to chat, one of the new additions explained why their landing spot was so poor, claiming “HThe field is full of tupilak.” Granted Daryl Dixon Having heavily explored zombie variants, it would be fair to assume Tupilaq is the name of another type; However, this is not the case. instead, The Greenland natives revealed that it is the name commonly used in Greenland for the undeadAnd Tupilaq’s real-life origins make the title entirely fitting.

The real-life myth of the Tupilaq explained

Tupiklak are supposedly summoned monsters to destroy enemies


Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon lives a zombie with planet Earth in the background
Custom image by Ana Nieves

While The Walking Dead Has all different types of zombies, the Tupilaq of Greenland did not seem to be a new variant despite their new name. Instead, their origin comes from the actual myth surrounding the Tupilak, which stems from the Inuit religion. Tupilak are believed to be creatures that were given life with the purpose of seeking out and destroying their maker’s enemy. But the summoning of Tupilak was considered as a great risk, as If they are not able to successfully hunt the enemy in question, the Tupliak instead returned to kill their makerHighlighting how dangerous these mythical creatures are.

They are supposedly made of animal parts and sometimes the corpses of children, giving them a disturbing appearance. The Tupilak are also synonymous with the people of Greenland, hence why The Walking Dead Uses this word while featuring the distant country. Although it’s a pretty obscure reference, using real-life religion and culture helps make Greenland stand out as a place the same way France does. Daryl DixonAnd with the spinoff moving to Spain for season 3, the show will hopefully continue to explore this direction in order to keep it fresh.

Why the Greenland Survivors Call Zombies “Tupilak” (And Why It’s an Appropriate Name)

The walking dead zombies kill their maker, just like a tupilak

Daryl DixonThe survivors of Greenland referred to zombies as Tupilaq since they also technically turned on their makers, just like the mythical creatures. The Walking Dead World NextThe post-credits scene heavily hinted at the human-made zombie virus in France, which Daryl Dixon continued to support. Although it is not certain whether the people of Greenland know this or not, Humans coming back to life to kill other humans still seem to fit the Tupilak’s behavior. The survivors even mention the origins of Tupilak, claiming they were meat-eating animals, making the connection even more obvious.

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Whether humans are supposed to be the enemy or the makers of the zombies is up for debate, but they are arguably both, which makes the Tupilaq title entirely fitting. Given how deadly zombies are supposed to be at The Walking DeadTying them into the Inuit mythos feels like one of the most layered and inspired names for the undead in the entire franchise, adding to how interesting Carol and Ash’s Greenland detour has been. Daryl Dixon Season 2.

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