One of the biggest mysteries throughout The Walking Dead and its various spinoffs has always been exactly how the zombie outbreak started in the first place.
That's by design, of course. Series creator Robert Kirkman has repeatedly said in the past that the "how" of it all is irrelevant. What matters is that it happened, and the characters we follow as they struggle to survive in a terrifying new world are the focus. Still, fans are a curious bunch, and they've spent the past decade or so putting together their own theories and ideas as to how those pesky dead started walking.
There are some great theories out there, too! Alien pathogens. Failed experiments. People refusing to get vaccinated and wear facemasks on trains. Some really wild stuff. But now, it seems, The Walking Dead universe is ready to lift the lid on its origins. I guess that's what happens when you're 11 years into it and start running out of ideas.
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The Walking Dead: World Beyond is a spinoff series focused primarily on the young adults who essentially grew up in the zombie apocalypse. A post-credits scene tucked away at the end of the second season's recently aired finale provides us with some answers about where all these darn zombies came from. Spoilers ahead, obviously.
The final scene of the show takes viewers to an abandoned biomedical facility in France. A former researcher at the lab has returned in an attempt to find a cure, but is assaulted by another survivor. When the scientist explains she's trying to end the zombie scourge, her attacker spits back: "End this? You started this."
We then see the words "Les Morts Sont Nés Ici", which translates to "The Dead Are Born Here". The implication is clear: this facility is where the outbreak began.
It's unclear why or how whatever these scientists were working on became a zombie virus, but we finally have pretty solid confirmation that The Walking Dead's initial outbreak was man-made. Whether or not future seasons/spinoffs continue to explore this aspect of the universe remains to be seen, but for now we have some answers.
Featured Image Credit: AMCTopics: TV And Film