Summary
The Walking Deadhas had its fair share of tragedy across its 11 seasons, but when it came to the deaths of the show’s children, it always seemed to sting that little bit more with its viewers. More so than other groups of people living through the horrific events of the post-apocalypse, children on the hit AMC serieshave had a rough time. Whether they were innocent souls or murderous monsters,The Walking Dead’s kids reminded many of the show’s fans that bringing youngsters into a zombie-fuelled world might not be the best idea.
Poor Carol, played by Melissa McBride, seemed to unconsciously gravitate towards children who were about to meet a grisly end. Not only did the once meek homemakerlose her own child, Sophia, due to her getting lost in the forestand then winding up zombified in Hershel’s barn, but the same curse followed her when she wasentrusted to look after Mika and Lizzie, where viewers saw one turn into a psychopath and kill her sister, leaving Carol to shoot her and giving fans her famous “Look at the flowers” line. Apparently, giving birth to one also seems to be a death sentence, but that’s a topic for another day. Staying on the subject ofThe Walking Dead’s children, some fans are only just realizing that Sophia, the actor who plays older Henry, and the actor who plays younger Henry all share an “in your face” connection.
Carol’sWalking Deadarc hasn’t been the happiest out of all the characters in the series, althoughMaggie’s does take some topping. However, the real-world connection between her child Sophia and Henry, who is introduced in season 7, is far more wholesome. InThe Walking Deadseasons 1 and 2, Sophia, played by Madison Lintz, and Madison’s younger brother Henry, played by Macsen Lintz, are real-life siblings. AsThe Walking Deadfast-forwards by 6 years in season 9, an older-looking Henry is welcomed in, and, you’ve guessed it, he too is a sibling. Looking at the three of them, it seems more than obvious that they are related, but some fans are only figuring it out now and are blown away that they didn’t see it before.
“Slap to foreheadOmg! Now that you mention it!” exclaimed one user on Reddit in response to a post showcasing an image of the threesome. “Here’s me learning that young Henry and older Henry are played by different actors. I just thought puberty hit him hard,” said another, with one commenter finally realizing how much they look like each other side by side. “Seeing them together like that, uncanny!.” One user pointed out that it was smart thinking byThe Walking Deadto use the siblings for one specific area as it would “add a layer of physical resemblance, so that Henry would remind Carol of Sophia, because they do look a lot alike.”
Although Sophia never returned to the series through any flashbacks or dreams for Carol,The Walking Deaddid have a callback to her character with her real-life brother. Talking to Henry at The Kingdom, Carol said, “Do you know what happens to kids when they go wandering around in the woods? They never get seen again, and if they do, they’re monsters." Madison Lintz said in an interview at the time that she was “really touched that they’re still tying back to my character who was all the way back in Season 2. I thought it was really, really cool that Macsen, my brother, got to be in that scene and be a part of it.”
The Walking Deadis currently streaming on Netflix, with season two ofThe Walking Dead: Dead Cityairing onMay 4, 2025.
