A Zombie Apocalypse is a subgenre of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction concerning a villainous event in which the dead (or infected living) rise and rapidly overwhelm civilization, usually spreading via bites, scratches, or airborne contagion. This scenario is often triggered by a catastrophic event — such as a viral outbreak, supernatural curse, alien parasite, or interdimensional breach — and is marked by societal collapse, scarcity of resources, and constant threat of infection.
This trope spans across genres, from gritty survival horror to absurd comedy, and can feature any combination of mindless hordes, intelligent undead, or mutated variants.
Overview[]
A zombie apocalypse typically begins with a “patient zero” event — the first infection — followed by exponential spread. Survivors must contend not only with the undead but also with hostile human factions, dwindling supplies, and the psychological toll of isolation and loss.
Tone can vary from grim and nihilistic (The Walking Dead) to stylized action (Highschool of the Dead) to satirical (Shaun of the Dead).
Common Causes:
- Bio-Weapon Gone Wrong – A man-made virus accidentally (or intentionally) unleashed.
- Ancient Curse or Necromancy – The dead rise through supernatural means.
- Extraterrestrial Parasite – Alien lifeform infects humans and reanimates corpses.
- Failed Medical Cure – Treatment mutates into a global plague.
- Environmental Disaster – Spores, toxins, or radiation cause reanimation.
Examples[]
Multimedia Franchises[]
- Resident Evil: A long-running bio-weapon outbreak series across games, movies, and novels. While Paul W.S. Anderson's films being actual zombie apocalypse since the series saw the collapse of civilization, the mainstream series downplayed it by showing various biological outbreaks which thankfully consistently contained, if not completely undone by protagonists yet just as catastrophic owing to casualties from them.
- The Last of Us: Cordyceps fungus mutation devastates civilization.
Anime/Manga/Manhwa[]
- Highschool of the Dead: Students navigate an outbreak in Japan.
- Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: Steampunk Japan battles steam-powered trains and kabane (zombie-like creatures).
Comics[]
- Marvel Zombies: Alternate-universe Marvel heroes are infected with a zombie virus.
Film[]
Animation[]
- Seoul Station: The film details early days of zombie apocalypse prior to the events of Train to Busan.
Live-Action[]
- 28 Days Later: The film and its sequels concerns about Rage virus outbreak in the UK.
- Night of the Living Dead series: This franchise is among firsts to feature zombies as flesh-eating, shambling reanimated corpses capable of transmitting whatever triggered their reanimation through bite or scratch.
Literature[]
- World War Z: Oral history of a global zombie war.
TV Series[]
- The Walking Dead: This long-running survival drama concerns about the live of survivors during zombie apocalypse in which zombies are major threats as much as those who either crazed or took advantage of the ongoing disaster for their own gain.
Folklore/Mythology[]
- Haitian folklore’s zombies: Corpses reanimated via magic.
Tabletop/RPG Campaigns[]
- All Flesh Must Be Eaten: RPG entirely about surviving zombie outbreaks.
Video Games[]
- Dying Light: Parkour-based survival in a quarantined city.
- Dead Rising: Mall outbreak with a dark conspiracy.
- Zombie Night Terror: A zombie appcalypse kickstarted by a chemical compound brewed by a mad scientist where some samples got sold on purpose as recreational drugs while others as explosives as powerful as TNT.
Web Animation[]
- Eddsworld: “Zombeh Nation” parody episodes.
Western Animation[]
- Adventure Time: Two of the series' episodes, "The Creeps" and "From Bad to Worse" features magical zombie-like candy people as major threat.