In The living Dead world, age is really just a number. It doesn’t matter, because nobody really celebrates birthdays, and most people don’t even know what day of the year it is at any given time, nor do they care. When it comes to children, those who are older may already be beginning to forget what it was like to live in the world before, while younger children don’t even know what it was like.
But with more and more kids growing up in the apocalypse, it’s important to give them some semblance of normalcy. And that includes celebrating various events and occasions, such as birthdays. However, with time jumps, spin-offs, and the group that is constantly on the move, it’s hard to keep up. For example, how old is Judith Grimes? Interestingly, while the actor playing her is already 14, the character is much younger. And how old is Lydia? The living Dead? Is she technically still a child? The ages of the characters may be surprising.
Updated on February 9, 2022 by Christine Persaud: The kids of The Walking Dead have shown tremendous courage and managed to get through the most difficult circumstances imaginable. They literally have to fight for their lives day in and day out. Many of them do it with grace, and knowing how young they are while performing makes them all the more admirable.
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Judith Grimes is 11 years old
How old is Judith Grimes? While she started the show in her mother Lori’s womb and grew up to three years old, the time jump in season 9 saw her turn nine quite quickly. In the current season, Judith is 10 years old, although she is wise beyond her age, as evidenced by some of Judith Grimes’ best quotes about The living Dead†
Proud, independent, strong and confident, Judith grew up ignorant of the world prior to the apocalypse. Still, she has a sense of wonder and hope you wouldn’t expect from a child who never had the chance to enjoy childlike innocence. Interestingly, the actor who plays the current version of Judith, Cailey Fleming, is actually 14.
Beth Greene was 18 years old
Beth is often not considered one of the “children” as she was already a teenager by the time the group met her, Hershel and Maggie in Season 2. But she was actually only 16 years old when she was first seen , which is technically still a child.
When Beth Died in Season 5, Perhaps the Saddest Death of Season 5 of The living Dead, she was 17 or 18 years old, depending on how much time had passed and when her birthday was. At such a crucial age in a young woman’s life, Beth had to grow up quickly and never really had the kind of adulthood experiences she should have. As a result, she struggled to cope with what was going on in a way that others might not relate to.
Hershel Rhee is about 9
Named after his grandfather, the adorable Hershel Rhee is the spitting image of Glenn, with his fashion sense, not to mention the same fun and outgoing personality. Technically, little Hershel was first seen at age one in Season 9.
Maggie left the crew to join another crew because she was unable to cope with Negan’s closeness after the way he brutally killed Glenn in Season 7. She was probably only a few weeks pregnant when he died. During that time, much of which was due to the time jump, Hershel grew into a sweet young boy who would have made his late father proud. It is unclear how old actor Kien Michael Spiller, who plays the current version of Hershel, is in real life as he is new to the acting scene as this is his first major role. But by Season 11, Hershel would be 9 or 10, based on the time jump.
Henry was 17 years old
Before being brutally murdered by the Whisperers in Season 9 (Episode 15), with his reanimated head posted on a stick with his other friends, Henry was a 17-year-old boy on the brink of becoming a man. When Henry first appeared, he was only 10 years old.
An interesting fact is that in Season 7-9 Henry was played by Macsen Lintz, the brother of Madison Lintz who played Carol’s daughter Sophia. From the latter part of Season 9 and into Season 10, the character has been played by Matt Lintz, yet another Lintz kid from the same family of talented actors. Unfortunately, Henry is one of the many main characters on The living Dead who have died so far.
Carl Grimes was about 16
Carl Grimes died in Season 8 Episode 9 “Honor”, although it’s unclear exactly how old he was at the time. Interestingly, he is the only child character that fans have seen grow from a young boy of just 12 to a young man. He was confirmed to be 14 in Season 4.
Based on that knowledge doing some math, and taking into account that Carl’s half-sister Judith was about three years old when he died, and she was born when he was 12 or 13, Carl would have been about 15, possibly 16 when he died. His death was a surprise in the show, as the character played such a big part in the comics the show is based on.
Lydia is 17 or 18
Lydia was 16 when she first appeared on the series in Season 9, which was after the time jump. How old is Lydia? The living Dead now? This would make her about 17 in the present day, possibly 18 depending on her birthday.
Lydia, the only main character from the series still alive, has big shoes to fill. She forged a strong bond with Henry, although she never met Carl. Like the other children, she was naturally attracted to Carol, although their relationship fell apart after Alpha’s death. Should Lydia’s birthday be and turn 18 before the end of the show, then technically she’s not a kid on the show anymore.
Enid was 23
Another character from the series whose life was cut short by Alpha, Enid’s decapitated and reanimated head was placed atop a pole to mark the Whisperer’s territory. Enid first appeared before the time jump, so by the time she died in season 9, episode 15, she was already in her twenties. By doing some math, fans can conclude that she was 23, to be exact.
But when Enid first met the group, a frightened and orphaned teenager, she was only 16 years old. That would make her the same age, or possibly a year older, than Carl, with whom she was close. After her tragic death, she is one of the characters from The living Dead which fans feel deserved more.
Sophia Peletier was 12 years old
One of the first child characters in the series, and the one who experienced one of the most heartbreaking deaths, Sophia was Carol’s biological daughter. She was only 12 when she died, which would have happened a long time ago when the group found her resuscitated body hidden in Hershel’s shed with other walkers in the second season.
As Sophia’s life was cut short, it was partly her death that prompted Carol to become the fighter she became, when she had nothing left to lose. For fans of the show, the image of Sophia’s undead body strolling out of the shed remains one of the most heartbreaking ever on the show.
Lizzie Samuels was 12 years old
It’s hard to imagine that Lizzie was the same age as Sophia when she died because the two girls seemed so different. Lizzie, who had taken Carol under her wing as if she were her own daughter, began to show signs of serious mental illness. Whether she had it before or something caused her behavior in the apocalypse, Lizzie was an obvious danger and a threat to everyone around her, as proven when she killed her own sister.
Lizzie was executed by Carol in one of the most emotional scenes ever on the show. Knowing she was only 12 years old makes the scene even more disturbing. Lizzie was one of the best characters on The living Dead who had the least screen time.
Mika Samuels was 10
Innocent and sweet, but totally not made for this world, Mika looked up to her big sister, totally oblivious to how deeply entrenched Lizzie was. Ultimately, this led to her death when Lizzie sacrificed Mika, believing she was helping her rather than harming her.
At just 10, Mika was one of the youngest kids to die on the show, if not the youngest protagonist. She was also one of many children who died under Carol’s supervision. It was Lizzie killing Mika that led Carol to do the unthinkable and kill Lizzie before she inevitably hurt more people, including baby Judith.
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