Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol episode 1.
Zombie experiments have been a big part of Genet's plan in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and the franchise has hinted at why she needs American walkers rather than using the undead from France. The spinoff's first season emphasized how dangerous Genet and her army are, as it highlighted her control over France alongside her mysterious experiments on zombies, that seemed to turn them into variants. Not only was she able to create stronger versions of the undead, but Genet even had zombies attacking each other in Daryl Dixon season 1, making her modified variants extremely deadly.
Given The Walking Dead's zombie virus originated in France, it's understandable that Genet may have more knowledge of how walkers and variants work compared to the American survivors. As a result, her team of scientists has been able to construct a substance that turns regular zombies into stronger, out-of-control variants through a simple injection. However, these experiments don't seem to work on every walker, as Genet has sent ships to the US in order to round up the undead, creating confusion over why she needs American zombies. Thankfully, the franchise seems to have already provided the answer.
American Zombies Are Different To French Zombies In The Walking Dead
France Seems To Have More Variants Than The US
Genet's need for American zombies over French ones is quite simple - each location has distinct infected. While the franchise isn't crystal clear on exactly what makes them different, The Walking Dead World Beyond's post-credit scene explained that France had variants right from the beginning of the outbreak, whereas America hadn't seen anything like them. Naturally, as the years progressed, variants began popping up in the US, but it seems like they were much more common in France, suggesting the DNA and biology of the undead are different in both countries, hence Genet's need for American walkers.
Season 1 already highlighted that France had burners, and World Beyond showed off fast zombies in France. Now Daryl Dixon season 2 has teased glowing variants, confirming that while France still has normal walkers, there are also a lot of mutations in the country. In comparison, America seems to have many more standard zombies, which appears to be key to Genet's experiments. Her ships traveling all the way to the US indicates that the rest of Europe may also contain variants, which hints at American zombies actually being special, despite how common they have seemed for the past decade.
Genet's Need For American Zombies Sets Up A Battle Against The Walking Dead's Survivors
Genet & Her Army's Presence In America Could Start A War With The Franchise's Central Characters
With Genet needing American zombies, her presence in the United States looks destined to increase, setting up a battle with the franchise's main survivors. Given she has already crossed paths with Daryl, and it looks inevitable that she will meet Carol as well, her mission may get more personal. Alongside creating strong variants, Genet is also trying to rule France but has faced opposition. Daryl has only made things harder for her, meaning the villain won't have any problems causing trouble for him back in the US by potentially sparking a war with Alexandria or the Commonwealth.
Equally, it could be the main group that strikes the first blow, as they may attempt to stop Genet and Pouvoir from rounding up zombies if Daryl and Carol warn them about the damage she is doing in France. Either way, her connections to America create the possibility of a war beginning in the US, which could make Genet the franchise's next overarching villain. While her conflict mainly stems with Daryl for now, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 could easily escalate things, especially if Laurent returns with Daryl to America, teasing a potentially devastating war in the future.
