Attention! Please be aware that spoilers are not allowed on the wiki and a violation of this policy may result in a ban. Information (character deaths/fates, screenshots, etc.) from episodes released early on AMC+ may not be added to the wiki until the episode officially airs at 9pm EST on the Sunday it is scheduled for. Thank you.
We're gonna gut these things. Cover ourselves with the insides. It'll mask our smell, make them think we're like them. I've done it before. We stay calm, we don't draw attention, we can move right through them.
Camouflage, sometimes known as the Walker Guts Trick or Gut Up, is a rare technique used throughout The Walking Dead Universe. Occasionally, more conventional methods of camouflage are used by characters.
For the most part, the TV Universe and Comic Universe use of walker camouflage are the same, although there are some differences due to different methods of camouflage occasionally seen being used in each universe.
It involves living humans disguising themselves to avoid being attacked by zombies, usually by masking their scent with rotting walker remains. The trick works by disguising a person's smell so that to walkers, they smell dead and can pass as fellow zombies. However, a downside is that if a person makes a noise or otherwise draws attention to themselves, the walkers surrounding them will see through the trick and attack. In addition, if rain begins washing off the guts, it washes off the smell and it loses its effectiveness.
Another camouflage tactic used in both universes is walker "pets," a method that was discovered by both TV and comic Michonne. People employing this method are able to use this to fool herds into thinking that they were also walkers without actively disguising themselves using walker guts. Masking with "pets" works on the principle that if walkers see that you are not touched by your walkers, then walkers think that you are also a walker.
In both universes, theWhisperers are able to disguise themselves by creating masks and clothing out of walker skin. It is incredibly effective as it allows them to more easily blend in and guide herds. However, it has the same weakness as the walker guts trick, namely that making noise will draw the attention of the surrounding walkers to the fact that the person in question isn't one of them.
TV Universe[]
If walker guts dries on the skin and isn't washed off, it can be effective for days as seen with Magna and Connie using it to walk with a herd while trapped. Connie in particular spent an extended period of time trapped walking with a herd before she was finally able to break free. Aaron, Lydia, Jerry, Elijah, Luke and Jules were able to walk with a herd for a couple of days as well.
Camouflaging oneself in this manner can be incredibly dangerous if the person using the walker guts isn't careful as noted by both Negan Smith and June Dorie who have both witnessed people getting sick from getting walker remains on them. As a result, it is a rarely-used trick, usually only done when it's the only option left as a method of escape. A person getting sick from using the trick may depend on the person in question as Gabriel Stokes got sick from covering himself in walker guts, leading to an infection that blinded him in one eye, but Negan, who used the same walker at the same time, remained perfectly healthy. While talking with the sick Gabriel, Eugene Porter suggests that he probably contracted influenza or cryptococcosis and it is likely airborne. According to Eugene, if the infection was bloodborne, Gabriel would already be dead. Notably, Rick Grimes and his group typically take the precaution of wearing a covering of some kind that is smeared in the walker guts rather than smearing it directly onto their bodies. When Rick first figured out this trick, he specifically ordered those with him to be careful not to get the blood and guts onto their skin or into their eyes. Only under extreme circumstance when there is no other option but to apply it directly to the skin is it shown to be used like that. On another occasion, Alicia Clark told Will that if he got it into his eyes or mouth, he could get really sick from it and die.
On one occasion, when Connie used the walker guts trick to protect herself and Virgil while letting in a herd in order to deal with the Ferals, she did not apply the walker guts to Virgil. Instead, Connie standing in a corner and covering Virgil behind her with her body was enough for the walkers to ignore him even though he was left completely clean by Connie.
On the first occasion that she used the walker guts trick, Alicia made the unique move of gutting the zombified Senator Elias Vazquez without putting him down and then following Vazquez in an attempt to find a way out of the bunker that she was trapped in. In this case, her camouflage only broke when the nuclear detonations collapsed part of the tunnel's celling and Alicia drew Vazquez's attention with all of the noise that she was making. Later, she and Morgan Jones used this method to follow Vazquez around and, after their guts were washed off by jumping into water, they were able to apply more later and continue their search. Despite being their prisoner for this entire period, Vazquez did not appear to notice or react to the sudden change aside from no longer being hostile towards Morgan and Alicia while they were covered in walker guts.
There is another way to disguise this covered your body a corpse, the walkers do not catch your scent. This method was once used by Daryl, Theodore Douglas and Rick when it was necessary to hide quickly from a herd. Dee once used this is combination with covering herself and Lydia in walker blood to protect them from a herd.
While the primary method of camouflaging oneself involves using walker guts, two other methods are known to exist: wearing walker skins and using walker "pets". In the case of the former, this is the primary method used by the Whisperers and is incredibly effective as it allows them to more easily blend in and guide herds. However, it has the same weakness as the walker guts trick, namely that making noise will draw the attention of the surrounding walkers to the fact that the person in question isn't one of them. Dr. Chauncey Everett was able to use a variation of this method by covering himself with a jacket made out of walker skin that allowed him to freely walk amongst the undead. In the case of using walker "pets", Michonne Grimes and briefly Andrea Harrison were able to use this to fool herds into thinking that they were also walkers without actively disguising themselves using walker guts. Masking with "pets" works on the principle that if walkers see that you are not touched by your walkers, then walkers think that you are also a walker. To keep herself safe, Michonne cuts off the arms and jaws of her "pets" so that they are rendered effectively harmless to her. In Michonne's case, she was unaware of the walker guts trick until she accidentally discovered it. However, she continued to prefer using walker "pets".
When a survivor is suffering from a septic or gangrenous wound, the smell of the wound will mask their scent from walkers. This causes walkers to ignore them, until they cause too much noise or become noticeable to the walkers. This method, however, is not safe due to the fact that the survivor is risking blood poisoning and further necrosis of their flesh due to the nature of the septic/gangrenous wound. Morgan Jones used this method of disguise when he contracted gangrene.
Camouflage is shown to work against even the more intelligent variant zombies. Although one nearly saw through Glenn's camouflage, he managed to fool it in the end. Despite a massive herd containing a number of variant walkers, their only reaction to Aaron, Lydia, Elijah, Jerry, Luke and Jules traveling through it was to pick up a knife that Lydia had dropped.
It's possible to break the camouflage and have it later regain its effectiveness. Daryl, Carol, Rosita and Mercer's camouflage was broken to the walkers inside of Cooper's House to the point that they had to eliminate them all instead once it was broken. However, the ones outside completely ignored them as they left. Aaron, Lydia and Jerry broke it to the point of Lydia getting bitten and walkers surrounding the abandoned RV that they were hiding in. However, Jerry was able to slip back out into the herd without any issues and reach the Commonwealth. Aaron and Lydia similarly exited and passed through the herd unharmed a short time later. Despite still being covered in walker guts, Luke and Jules ended up being attacked and killed, but they had already purposefully broken their camouflage in order to fight alongside their friends and thus it was no longer effective in hiding them.
An unintended side effect of camouflaging oneself is that occasionally, survivors using this method can be mistaken for walkers by other survivors. Nicholas Clark moving with a herd in this manner so confused and unnerved members of La Mañas that they failed to react to the herd in time and most were eaten. A devastated Yumiko nearly shot Magna upon seeing her as part of a herd, before realizing that her girlfriend was only disguising herself and was not actually a walker. Luke and Jules and Aaron and Lydia later received this same reaction from their friends before someone noticed that they were actually just disguising themselves.
Bruegel and the Silk Stockings develop a unique form of camouflage, but in reverse where they disguise walkers as humans by pouring fresh blood and meat on them. This causes the walkers to attack each other in gladiator fights, with the winner even trying to devour the loser.
Comic Universe[]
Jane, an experienced user of the walker guts trick, also makes occasional use of a variant of the walker "pets" method. While using walker guts to move through a herd, Jane creates a walker "pet" by cutting off their jaw to use as a "cowcatcher." By crouching behind the walker and moving forward, Jane is able to use it to shove her way through particularly dense parts of herds without drawing unwanted attention to herself through her more forceful actions. Clementine, AJ and Louis/Violet use a variant of this method during their attack on the S.S. Stewarts Fitzgerald, getting behind walkers while traveling with a herd and using them as shields against bullets.
In a unique case, Minerva is disguised by the fact that she's both covered in walker blood from slaughtering a number of walkers in a mad rage and the fact that she's been bitten several times and is already in a deep state of infection. This combination allows her to not only blend in with a herd, but to have it ignore her even as Minerva fires a gun from within the herd, albeit at Clementine and not at any of the walkers. However, Minerva's camouflage is broken when Clementine shoots her, the fresh blood from her wound causing the walkers to turn on her and devour Minerva.
Michonne travels with a pair of walkers, Mike and Terry, on a leash, which allows her to move through large groups of walkers more or less unmolested. (Issue 19)
Rick, Carl, Jessie, and Ron attempt to sneak through the herd in Alexandria by rubbing walker remains on themselves. (Issue 83)
Lance Hornsby mentions that one of the Commonwealth residents used to cover himself with walker guts all the time prior to arriving to their community. (Issue 173)
In a fit of determination and frustration, Lee goes on a killing spree, walking through a horde of walkers to get to The Marsh House and rescue Clementine. He manages to go undetected, as during the rampage, he gets covered in more and more zombie blood and innards. (No Time Left)
After saving Clementine from her mysterious captor, Lee is ignored by a walker that turns its attention on Clementine before Lee shoots it. After Clementine comments on how Lee is covered in walker guts, he realizes that it's what protected him, and cuts open the walker to smear its guts on Clementine. This allows them to depart from the Marsh House undetected and make their way through the herd out of Savannah. However, Lee collapses from his infection soon afterwards and Clementine drags him into a jewelry store. After Lee's death, Clementine is able to safely make her way through the herd and escape from Savannah. (No Time Left)
Reggie mentions that Jane was caught covered in walker guts and sneaking around. Jane later states that she used to walk through herds all the time using the walker guts trick. (In Harm's Way)
While Clementine, Kenny, Sarita and the surviving members of the Cabin Group plan their escape from Howe's Hardware, they get stuck while trying to figure out how to get through the incoming horde, to which Jane informs them about the walker guts trick as a possible solution. Clementine can back her up about how she and Lee used it to escape from the Marsh House after Lee figured it out too. (In Harm's Way)
After killing William Carver, the cabin group goes through with their plan, smearing themselves in guts and moving through the herd successfully at first. However, Carlos is shot in the neck by Carver's Group and devoured and Sarah's screams break the camouflage, causing the herd to attack the group, biting Sarita(Determinant) and killing her if Clementine chops her arm off. After putting down several walkers, Clementine manages to reestablish her camouflage by applying more walker blood while on the ground and encounters Rebecca whom the walkers have started ignoring again as well. Jane aids the two by cutting off a walker's jaw so that they can use it as a "cowcatcher," the walker adding another layer of camouflage that allows them to escape. After making it out, Clementine, Rebecca and Jane discover that the others had made it too, although Sarah's panic causes her, Luke and Nick (Determinant) to get into trouble that costs Nick his life. (In Harm's Way, Amid The Ruins)
If Clementine decides to leave on her own after the Kenny/Jane fight, she will rub walker guts on herself and AJ. as they approach a walker herd. (No Going Back)
In order to get through a herd and escape from the pursuing Monroe Colonists, Michonne creates two walker pets for herself, Samantha Fairbanks and Pete. (Determinant) Although Michonne is briefly distracted by a hallucination of herdaughters, she manages to get the group through the herd using her walker pets. However, once they reach the woods on the other side, the two walkers are put down by Randall as he shoots at the group. (Give No Shelter)
After reuniting with Javier's Group outside of Richmond, Clementine mentions that there were so many walkers in the area that she had to cover herself in walker guts just to get away. (Determinant)(Above The Law)
As Javier tries to figure out a way to get to a generator in order to turn it on and create a distraction at the City of Richmond Public Works, Clementine suggests Javier covering himself in walker guts to sneak through, surprising Javier that that actually works. Putting down a walker and smearing himself in its guts, Javier manages to sneak through the herd to the generator and turn it on, creating a distraction that allows his group to reach the nearby garage and the vehicles there. However, his camouflage is broken by Javier and David's fight which draws the herd's attention to the group. (From The Gallows)
At James' request, Clementine dons his walker mask in order to move about the herd kept inside of his barn so as to see the walkers as he does. (Broken Toys)
Clementine, AJ, and Louis/Violet cover themselves in walker guts to get into the S.S. Stewarts Fitzgerald, using a horde lured by James. The group are able to grab the walkers from behind and use them as shields from the Delta's gunfire until Ruby and Willy's distraction splits the Delta's attention. However, the guts are washed off when they get into the river to swim up to the ship, leading to several walkers attacking them. (Broken Toys)
After killing numerous walkers and getting covered in their blood, as well as being bitten multiple times, and being left in a deep state of infection, Minerva inadvertently disguises herself in a walker horde. The walker blood combined with her deep state of infection allows her to take cover in the herd even as she shoots at Clementine and makes a great deal of noise. However, after Clementine shoots Minerva, the fresh blood from her wound breaks her camouflage and Minerva is devoured by the herd. (Take Us Back)
Clementine mentions that one of the first lessons that she ever taught AJ was how to use walker guts to disguise his smell. (Take Us Back)
After becoming trapped in James' barn by a herd, AJ is instructed by Clementine to cover himself in walker guts in order to escape as she suffers from a bitten leg. After amputating Clementine's leg, (Take Us Back) and cauterizing the stump, AJ uses the wheelbarrow to reach and dispatch the walkers around the barn before putting Clementine in the wheelbarrow and covering her in walker guts to protect her as AJ pushes Clementine back to the school. (How I Protekted Clem)
In order to escape from the thousands of walkers outside of the Pendragon Theater, Lilly Caul drapes herself and a zombified and bound Raymond Nalls in a witch's robe, one of the theater's costumes. Although her stumbling stride would be enough to draw the attention of a human, the smell Nalls gives off of someone who had died and turned only hours earlier is enough to fool the herd. Using this disguise, Lilly is able to pass through the herd to the massive culvert under Interstate 20, but her occasional coughing from the horrible smell and stopping to look up at the sign that was left for her on the Interstate 20 bridge break Lilly's camouflage, and she's forced to abandon it and flee on foot. (Search and Destroy: Chapter 22)
With a massive herd approaching, Clementine's Group hides in an old shed and covers themselves in walker guts to cover their smell and make it less likely that they'll be found as the herd passes. In addition, they bring the body of the walker that they had gutted into the shed with them. (Book Two: Chapter One)
Ricca manages to escape from the destruction of the island community by covering herself in walker guts and making her way through the herd to safety. (Book Two: Chapter Seven)
Rick and Glenn use walker guts in order to cover their smell to walk through a horde and help the group escape from Atlanta. A sudden rainstorm washes the guts off, but the two men are able to reach the Atlanta construction site, steal a cube van and escape. (Guts)
Rick kills a walker and covered himself with his corpse so that the herd that came out of the building through Shane's fault did not smell him. (18 Miles Out)
When Andrea joins Michonne, the two women continue to protect themselves for months using Michonne's pets until they find Woodbury. (Seed, Walk With Me, Prey)
While fighting a walker, Michonne accidentally causes its guts to spill onto her, leading to other walkers subsequently ignoring her. Previously unaware of the effects of walker guts as a form of camouflage, Michonne correctly deduces that they had been responsible. The walker guts allow Michonne to make her way through the Red Zone to the fence of the prison which has a number of walkers outside that continue to ignore her. (Hounded) However, fresh blood from Michonne's injury and her groans of pain break the walker guts' effectiveness shortly after her arrival. (When the Dead Come Knocking)
Andrea catches a walker, cuts off his hands and jaw so that he becomes non-aggressive and uses him as a "pet" in order to get through a group of walkers in the prison. (I Ain't a Judas)
After the fall of the prison, Michonne acquires two more walker pets as camouflage, before eventually changing her mind. (After)
Carol covers herself in walker guts in order to discreetly help the group escape from Terminus, destroying the place in the process. (No Sanctuary)
Rick and various residents of Alexandria cover themselves in walker guts in order to travel around safely while a horde invades the town. However, Sam, Jessie and Ron Anderson are consumed after a frightened Sam attracts attention and Ron attempts to murder Rick. (Start to Finish-No Way Out)
Negan and Father Gabriel use walker guts to escape from a trailer that they are stuck in. Although the walkers see through it quickly, the two men manage to reach the Sanctuary safely. However, Gabriel ends up getting sick later on as a result. (The Big Scary U)
The Whisperers routinely disguise themselves as walkers by wearing masks made out of walker faces. Like the walker guts trick, this camouflage is not perfect and can be broken by a person drawing attention to themselves. (Season 9-Season 10)
While evading a Whisperer-led herd, Eugene and Rosita hide in a ditch and cover themselves in mud in order to help block their scent which keeps the herd from finding them. (Who Are You Now?)
In a flashback, Alpha and Lydia, covered in walker blood, travel with a herd unnoticed, Alpha even growling like a walker to add to the effect. However, when a walker bumps into Lydia and knocks her earmuffs off, she notices the screams from a woman being torn apart and screams, drawing attention to herself and her mother. The two are forced to hide out in a mental hospital where they meet an aggressive Beta, but he allows them to stay. After killing a dead friend of Beta, Alpha advises Beta to remove the skin from his friend, so that part of him remains with him. Alpha was previously in a group, the Whisperers, that use masks made of the skin of the dead as a disguise, that's why he suggested doing this to Beta. Beta cuts off his friend's face and creates a walker mask. Alpha decides to adopt the name Alpha. The trio returns to the Whisperers and Alpha kills Hera, makes a mask of her face for herself and becomes the new leader of this group. (We Are the End of the World)
Daryl snaps a walker's neck and then guts it, covering himself in its innards in order to disguise himself from both the walkers and the Whisperers. (Bonds)
After getting trapped by the collapse of part of Alpha's Cave, (Squeeze)Magna and Connie manage to escape by covering themselves in walker guts and walking amongst the Whisperers' giant horde. However, they get separated, leaving Magna unsure if Connie made it out. Magna is able to blend in with the herd for days, eventually making her way to the Hilltop with it during the Whisperers' destruction of the community. (Walk With Us) Connie also survives, eventually getting free of the herd and collapsing near Oceanside where she is found by Virgil. (A Certain Doom) When Kelly finds her sister's notebook, she learns that Connie had walked with the herd for days before eventually managing to get free. (On the Inside)
After leaving Bloodsworth Island in search of the missing Rick, Michonne once again uses walker "pets" as a form of camouflage while she's traveling. After meeting twosurvivors, Michonne decapitates her pet walkers and, along with her two new companions, joins a large caravan of survivors. (What We Become)
Daryl, Magna, Kelly, Jules, Jerry, Luke, Carol and Beatrice use walker guts to get through the horde led by Beta and the Whisperers in order to get to the wagon and draw them away. The camouflage proves to be incredibly effective and long-lasting, later allowing them to infiltrate the herd once again and assassinate the Whisperers one by one. Carol is then able to lead the herd over a cliff with Lydia's help. (A Certain Doom)
The Attacker wears a camouflage outfit covered in leaves in order to take out Maggie's entire group in the forest. (Home Sweet Home)
Daryl once again covers himself in walker guts while on the run from the Reapers, presumably to avoid attracting the attention of any walkers that he might run into. (Rendition)
While trapped by the Ferals, Connie covers herself in the blood of a dead walker and then lets a herd in while shielding the uncamouflaged Virgil behind her. The herd ignores Connie and Virgil completely and eats the Ferals. (On the Inside)
In order to defeat the Reapers, Maggie has Negan make herself, Gabriel and Elijah walker masks while Negan still owns the mask that he'd used as a Whisperer. At one point, Negan has to adjust Maggie's mask due to it not fitting her properly, being someone else's face. After Negan gives the others Whisperer training, the group blends in with a massive herd and leads it to Meridian. (Promises Broken) When Paul Wells tries to lead the herd away, Maggie and Negan are able to wound him and leave Wells to be devoured without breaking their cover. The group led the herd close to Meridian where Maggie and Gabriel broke off to sneak in with Daryl's help while Negan and Elijah continued leading the herd. Knowing that his friends are amongst the herd, Daryl reveals their presence to Leah in an effort to get her to not fire the hwacha at the herd. After Maggie smashes the gate open, Negan and Elijah lead the herd inside. (For Blood) By the time that Maggie links up with Negan and Elijah after the hwacha destroys the herd, both men have shed their camouflage. (No Other Way)
In order to get the money stored in Cooper's House which is surrounded by a massive herd, Sebastian Milton forces Daryl and Rosita to cover themselves in walker guts using a walker that he provides them with and sneak in through the herd. In the process, they discover that he had forced 30 to 40 other innocent people to do the same, the only survivor of which is April Martens. When Daryl repairs the house's generator, he makes enough noise to draw the attention of several walkers that he puts down. When the group is joined by Carol and Mercer who don't have enough ammunition to fight their way back out, Daryl has the two cover themselves in walker guts as well using a walker that he drags into the panic room so that they can escape by sneaking out. However, on the way through the walkers in the house, April panics when she gets caught on one and puts it down, causing the walkers to turn on them, killing April. The group manages to put the walkers down and successfully sneak out through the herd surrounding the house. (The Rotten Core)
April and at least some of the people that Sebastian sent into the house also used walker guts to get through the herd outside. The clothes of at least one of the men that Rosita puts down appears to be covered in walker blood beyond that which came from his fatal wounds. April herself is also covered in blood when Daryl and Rosita find her, but they have to add more when they flee as April doesn't have enough on her for it to be successful anymore. (The Rotten Core)
Negan dons his old Whisperer mask in order to blend in with a herd and sneak up on and kill a Commonwealth soldier. Negan removes his mask again before stealing the soldier and his partner's vehicle and driving to the Commonwealth. (Lockdown)
With Commonwealth soldiers searching for them, Lydia comes up with the idea of herself, Aaron, Jerry, Elijah, Luke and Jules covering themselves in walker guts in order to hide in a nearby herd. As the group moves with the herd, Lydia drops her knife which is picked up by a variant walker and the herd is led in another direction by Commonwealth soldiers in two jeeps, forcing the four to move with them in order to keep up their camouflage. (Faith) As the herd gets close to the Commonwealth, the group attempts to break away and hide in an abandoned RV, but Luke, Jules and Elijah are swept away while Lydia, trying to pull Elijah inside, draws attention to herself and is bitten in the left arm. The herd surrounds the RV, but Jerry's camouflage still remains intact to the point that he is able to exit into the herd without any apparent challenge. Luke and Jules' camouflage remains intact to the point that they are able to move with the herd into the Commonwealth itself, finally breaking cover upon reuniting with their friends who at first mistake them for walkers. (Family) Aaron and Lydia later succeed in using it to reach the Commonwealth with the horde. After initially being missing, Jerry and Elijah eventually emerge from the herd unharmed near the Estates. (Rest in Peace)
Nicholas Clark inadvertently discovers this trick after killing a walker and getting covered in its blood. After rescuing his sister, Alex, Daniel Salazar and Christopher Manawa, Nick discovers that being covered in the walker blood allows him to interact with the herd unmolested during this occasion. Interestingly, even though Nick breaks his camouflage by attacking walkers, the herd does not attack him once he starts moving away as usually happens when a person's walker camouflage is broken with Nick even sharing growls with a walker. (Ouroboros)
Nick covers himself in walker blood in order to lure a zombified Luis home. He later uses this to sneak out and then to blend in with the herd overrunning the burning villa. (Shiva)
Days later, while traveling, Nick covers himself in walker blood again and travels with another herd. When the herd encounters the La Mañas gang, seeing Nick walking with a herd in this manner greatly disturbs the gang, distracting them and causing most of the gangsters to get devoured by the herd. (Grotesque)
In order to safely pass through the La Colonia wall of walkers, Luciana Galvez captures a walker, pins him to a wall and slits his throat. Luciana directs Nick to "put on your makeup. I can smell you from here." The two then cover themselves in walker blood and pass through the herd unharmed. (Los Muertos)
In order to escape from La Colonia, Francisco puts down a walker and pulls it into the La Colonia bus. Gutting the walker, Francisco covers himself, his wife and daughter in its guts, allowing them to safely pass through the wall of walkers protecting the community. (Pillar of Salt)
The residents of La Colonia cover themselves in walker guts in order to protect themselves from the dead, particularly the walker wall around their community, while crossing the United States Border. (North)
In Tijuana, a walker grabs an injured Daniel Salazar, but leaves him alone in favor of a stray dog. Later, another walker stands right next to the car that Daniel is hiding under for an unknown period of time without noticing him. Efrain Morales suggests that the smell of Daniel's rotting leg caused the walkers to ignore him. (100)
While high to the point of insanity from the effects of drugs from El Bazar, Nick and Troy Otto climb over the fence of the settlement and spot an approaching herd. Putting down a walker trapped in a nearby truck, Nick smears his and Troy's faces with the walker's blood and tells him to smear it on as much as he can and that they have to walk quiet and "stare at the space between atoms." Nick walks into the middle of the herd and stops, staring as the walkers pass around him, Troy joining his friend a moment later after seeing the herd completely ignore them both. (El Matadero)
After Morgan Jones' shoulder wound becomes gangrenous, the rotting smell that he emits causes walkers to ignore him, allowing the injured and weakened Morgan to move through herds unharmed. Morgan later tries to sneak through the herd outside of Valley Town with medical supplies for Rachel, but he collapses in pain, drawing a walker's attention to him. Isaac kills the walker who proves to be the only one to have noticed that Morgan wasn't undead, but Morgan chooses to draw attention to himself and help Isaac take down the herd after noticing that his friend's in trouble. Isaac removes the bullet and treats the gangrene shortly thereafter, saving Morgan's life but ending his inability to be detected in this manner. (The End Is the Beginning)
In order to get her through a herd surrounding The Grapple Chapel Wrestling Club, Sherry covers Mickey's protective suit in walker guts. However, after Mickey can't get through the door, she accidentally draws attention to herself, causing the camouflage to lose its effectiveness. (Till Death)
In order to safely follow the zombified Elias Vazquez to PADRE, Alicia and Morgan cover themselves in walker guts. After they jump off of a cliff into water, the guts are washed off of them. Alicia later guts another walker so that they can continue following Vazquez. The two use it to follow Vazquez until he is drawn to Strand's Tower and ends up in the moat. (PADRE)
In a flashback, while trying to follow Vazquez out of the Franklin Hotel's bunker, Alicia guts Vazquez and covers herself and Will in his guts so that they can more safely follow him. Alicia warns Will not to get any in his eyes or mouth as it can make him really sick. After the nuclear detonations partially collapse the tunnel, Alicia and Will's shouting breaks their camouflage, causing Vazquez to turn back around and attack Alicia, ultimately biting her in the arm. (PADRE)
As John Dorie Sr. prepares to carry baby Mo through the walker moat outside of Strand's Tower, Wendell asks if they are going to cover him in walker guts. However, John states that they don't have time for that and that it's too dangerous for Mo. Instead, John relies on his makeshift armor alone. (Sonny Boy)
With a herd surrounding them and pinned down by a walker's corpse, Dee cuts open the corpse and covers herself in its blood before pulling Lydia under the corpse with her and smearing walker blood on her daughter's face. The two remain successfully hidden until the herd wanders off after killing all of the remaining steamboat survivors. After Lydia broke her disguise when she ran away from her mother, and after she was scared of walkers, Dee breaks her disguise when she screams at Lydia, trying to teach her how to kill them. Next, Dee decides to kill herself and her daughter when she falls asleep so as not to live in this terrible world, but they are found by wandering Whisperers led by Hera, who wears masks made of walkers' skin and Hera accepts Dee into her group. (Dee)
Dr. Chauncey Everett is able to walk freely amongst the undead of the Dead Sector by wearing a jacket made out of walker skin that his colleague gave to him. By pulling the jacket over Amy as well, Everett is able to shield her from detection, too, temporarily. (Amy / Dr. Everett)
Bruegel and the Silk Stockings use a unique form of camouflage on their walker gladiators. By pouring fresh blood and meat over the walker combatants, they disguise the walkers as living people rather than living people being disguised as walkers. This causes the walkers to fight each other to the death, even trying to devour each other. (Power Equals Power, Feisty Friendly)
At Gen-Klor Chemicals, Rick encounters a young girl amongst a herd of walkers who has gone undetected because she is covered in walker blood. Later, Peral Thorne reveals that the walkers were the girl's parents and group and she had gotten covered in their blood and organs while hiding from them. Two days later, when the girl emerged to die, the herd had ignored her because of the blood and she had walked with them, keeping silent to avoid drawing attention, because the girl didn't have anywhere else to go. (Years)
It... it didn't bite you." "Yeah... I know, it... must've..." "You're covered in all that gross stuff." "I had to get through a bunch of them to get here. That's how we'll get out of Savannah.
I figured out what your problem is...you don't think this stuff through. If the end of the plan is just to stroll through a herd of walkers, then you should know from the jump that there's no way it's ever going to work." "Actually... I do it all the time." "First words I ever hear you say, and it's just some crazy, stupid shit." "Hush. What do you mean exactly?" "When you cover yourself in their smell, rub the walker guts all over you. They can't tell you from one of them." "Now I don't know who's crazier." "Trust me, I've walked through herds before. It works. You just have to keep calm, and make sure you're good and covered.
I've done it too." "What?" "It's how we got out of the Marsh House. Lee covered me, and we walked right through." "Really? Holy shit. Good one, Lee.
―Clementine and Kenny discuss Clementine using walker guts in the past. (Determinant)[src]
”
“
Lee figured that out." "What?" "It's how we got out of the Marsh House. Lee covered me, and we walked right through." "Really? Holy shit. Good one, Lee.
―Clementine and Kenny discuss Clementine using walker guts in the past. (Determinant)[src]
We still gotta get to the generator somehow." "Cut a walker open and cover yourself with its guts. Then you can slip right through them. What?" "That's a great idea. Gross idea, but great. I could've saved my water bottle!
We still gotta get to the generator somehow." "Cut a walker open and cover yourself with its guts. Then you can slip right through them. What?" "Please, tell me you're kidding. (Clem shakes her head) I said please.
We still gotta get to the generator somehow." "Cut a walker open and cover yourself with its guts. Then you can slip right through them. What?" "That works? You can do that? Learn something new every day.
Holy fucking God, ugh. God. Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick. Oh, this sucks, this sucks, this sucks, this sucks... Do you just literally eat shit all day long? Is that why you smell so bad? Okay, that better be enough.
―A disgusted Javier covers himself in walker guts.[src]
”
“
The mask will disguise your scent. But be gentle, and be quiet.
Ugh, we're not doing what I think we are?" "That depends. What do you think we're doing?" "Oh, god, we are..." "It'll help us blend in with the walkers.
Get back to the school." "I don't know how." "Sure you do. One of the first things I ever taught you. You need to make sure they can't smell you. So... Grab that axe. You know what to do with it. There's a fresh, juicy walker just waiting to be gutted." "I know how to do it, Clem.
Get back to the school." "I don't know how." "Sure you do. One of the first things I ever taught you. You need to make sure they can't smell you. So... Grab that axe. You can use the axe to open it up. Cover yourself in walker guts." "I know how to do it, Clem.
We're gonna gut these things. Cover ourselves with the insides. It'll mask our smell, make them think we're like them. I've done it before. We stay calm, we don't draw attention, we can move right through them.
Sucks, Gabe, but it looks like we gotta risk eatin' it... by eatin' it." "I don't understand." "You ever done this trick with the guts before?" "Mm-hmm." "These are putrid, decaying organs, dead blood, piss, and shit that have been cooking all day in the Virginian sun. None of your people ever gotten sick from this?" "We're from Georgia." "Look at you lucky shits.
―Negan and Gabriel discuss the dangers of using the walker guts trick.[src]
”
“
Trapped with dead. Walked with them for days. No light. No food. Little water.
Oh, God! What the hell are you doing?" "We don't have a choice. Just don't get it in your eyes or in your mouth." "Why? What happens?" "It could make you really sick. You could end up like him.
Should we do the thing?" "What thing?" "You know, pull in a skinbag, and gut him up, spread the nasty to throw them off the scent." "We don't have time, and it wouldn't be safe for Mo. I got this.
You know what this is?" "Mm, a bear rug that you turned into a jacket?" "My friend who I used to research with gave me this." "Oh. Yeah, I kind of think he doesn't like you very much." "It's made out of homo mortuus skin. It's how I can get so close to the herd and be left alone. As long as I'm careful, I'll be safe." "That's why they didn't follow us, huh?" "Right.
