History Characters / PlantsVsZombiesZombies

* TookALevelInBadass: He appears in the sequel's final world, this time with more health, a ''much'' tougher newspaper, and a much higher moving and eating speed when he's angry.

* TacticalRockPaperScissors: Sure, that screen door is a good shield, but it's completely ineffective against catapult plants. Granted, he stops appearing long before you get them, but he does get deployed by Dr. Zomboss during his fight, and you can see just how quickly he goes down.

* ZergRush: The Zombie Bobsled Team always appears as a group of four, allowing them to eat plants more quickly.

* OneHitKill: If his box opens, he'll blow up a 3x3 area of plants, including Spikerocks, something that even the Gargantuar cannot do!

* AirborneMook: The only zombie in the first game who can actually fly in midair.

* OneHitKill: Can instantly abduct any plant he targets, no matter how tough it is.

* OneHitKill: His vehicle has the ability to crush plants whether he is moving or in idle animation to throw basketballs.

* FastballSpecial: As mentioned, he throws an Imp out of the trash can on his back once he's hit about half health. You can kill him before he throws the Imp, but only if you're really, really quick or lucky.

* OneHitKill: Almost every single plant dies in one hit when he attacks. It also works against your plants that kill in a single hit; they have to hit him TWICE to kill him, and being hit once is usually enough for him to toss his Imp.

* SuperToughness: Is incredibly durable, being able to survive most attacks and an instant kill at full health!

* FairPlayVillain: During the boss fight, if all the lawnmowers except one are used (specifically ''used'', not destroyed by a fireball/iceball), Zomboss will start sending zombies solely on the lane with the last remaining lawnmower, allowing you to take out the enemies easier with Jalapeños and other plants. Be careful though: if the last lawnmower is spent or destroyed, Zomboss will spawn zombies on all lanes as usual afterwards.

* WhiteFlag: Raises a white flag after the Zombot is destroyed.

As the FinalBoss of the first game, Dr. Zomboss takes matters into his own hands and pilots the Zombot to ensure the zombies can eat your brains personally.

* RecurringBoss: In the second game, he's facing you at the end of each world with multiple Zombot at his disposal.

[[folder:Football Zombie]]

[[folder:Dancing Zombie (and Backup Dancers)]]

* BewareTheSillyOnes: The zombies might looks silly with their googly eyes and often find themselves into slapstick antics in addition of their intellect are varies, to say the least. But they're still dangerous with their multiple methods to invade your house and some games outright have them taking over Neighborville with ease.

* WhiteFlag: Raises a white flag after the Zombots is destroyed.

* OhCrap: Dr. Zomboss freaks out the moment his Zombot starts to fall apart.

* WhiteFlag: Raises a white flag on defeat in the first game.

The FinalBoss of the first game, Dr. Zomboss takes matters into his own hands and pilots the Zombot to ensure the zombies can eat your brains personally.

* VillainDecay: Towards the end of the first game, he's introduced as a threatening and mysterious villain who manages to kidnap Crazy Dave (the {{Player Character}}'s only ally besides the plants) moments before he could reveal his Zombot's weakness. By the second game, he's not as threatening (most notably in later worlds) and more so comedic rather than intimidating. It doesn't help that he gets foiled far more than in the first game, especially in the second game (though part of it is that he's a RecurringBoss).

* FatBastard: He is noticeably overweight.

* OneHitKill: His vehicle has the ability to crush plants whether he is moving or in idle animation to throw basketballs.

* TacticalRockPaperScissors: The Peashooter Zombie and the Gatling Pea Zombie can't actually hit short plants like Spikeweed, Spikerock, Potato Mine, Puff-Shroom, and Sea-Shroom so they can defeat them without getting hit by the peas.

* TheJuggernaut: While Gargantuars can be slowed down by Snow Pea or Kernel Pult, [[KungfuProofMook he won't be stopped by defensive plants]] and can just [[BarrierBustingBlow pound them flat]].

* SmashMook: He attacks by smashing a plant with his melee weapon.

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Despite how massive Zombot is, the roof tiles are strong enough to hold said robot's weight, let alone an RV being thrown at them.

* GlowingEyesOfDoom: When Zombot's eyes glow red or blue, it means that it's about to unleash either a fire ball or ice ball to roll down your defenses. [[FinalExamBoss You have to counter it with Ice-Shroom or Jalapeno quickly.]]
* HumongousMecha: The Zombot is about the size of your house.

* TacticalSuicideBoss: Zombot is usually immune to attack, becoming vulnerable only when its head lowers to deploy a fire or ice ball.

* AffablyEvil: They even send you notes, although they turn up a little late, and when you win the first game, they declare a temporary truce so they can make a music video with you.

* FriendlyZombie: Played with. For most of the games they seem like stereotypical, hostile, brain-eating zombies. But there are scenes that show they are not only intelligent but capable of getting along with the humans, even willing to declare a ceasefire. They're also the player's main allies in the "I, Zombie" puzzle mode and don't make any attempt to attack the player and eat his brains during this mode (although it's possible that since the player and Crazy Dave are placing brains at the end of the yard, they're merely satisfied with accepting those brains as payment rather than eating the player's). They also formed their own working society in ''Garden Warfare'' and are quite civilized.

* IncongruouslyDressedZombie: Everybody aside from the Basic Zombie. And even him in the sequel.

* NightOfTheLivingMooks

* FairPlayVillain: During his boss fight in the first game, if all the lawnmowers except one are used (specifically ''used'', not destroyed by a fireball/iceball), Zomboss will start sending zombies solely on the lane with the last remaining lawnmower, allowing you to take out the enemies easier with Jalapeños and other plants. Be careful though: if the last lawnmower is spent or destroyed, Zomboss will spawn zombies on all lanes as usual afterwards.

* FinalBoss: He's the final hurdle in the first two games.

* HumongousMecha: His Zombot in the first game is about the size of your house.

* PromotedToPlayable: Not Zomboss himself, but his Zombot from the first game. In ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombiesHeroes'', the Zombot, here named as the "Zombot 1000" became a Legendary playable unit on the Zombies' side.

[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zombot.png]]
-> ''Edgar George Zomboss achieved his Doctorate in Thanatology in only two years. Quickly mastering thanatological technology, he built his fearsome Zombot and set about establishing absolute dominance of his local subdivision.''
--> '''''Plants vs. Zombies'' almanac entry'''

An undead MadScientist who leads the zombie hordes. He is the FinalBoss of the first game, and returns to haunt several time periods in the sequel. He always fights by piloting "Zombot" machines that can [[FlunkyBoss summon huge waves of zombies]].
----
* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Despite how massive his Zombot is, the roof tiles are strong enough to hold said robot's weight, let alone an RV being thrown at those roof tiles.

* DamageSpongeBoss: There isn't much things for you to do once the Zombot's head is lowered down, but to wait for your plants to hammer it repeatedly. Oh, and countering his attacks.
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: After you hit the Zombot enough, it explodes and falls apart. Zomboss himself isn't killed by the explosion, though.

* GlowingEyesOfDoom: When Zombot's eyes glow red or blue, it means that it's about to unleash either a fire ball or ice ball to roll down your defenses. [[FinalExamBoss You have to counter it with Ice-Shroom or Jalapeno quickly.]]

* PromotedToPlayable: Not Zomboss himself, but his Zombot from the first game. In ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombiesHeroes'', the Zombot, here named as the "Zombot 1000" became a Legendary playable unit on the Zombies' side.

* TacticalSuicideBoss: The first game's Zombot is usually immune to attack, becoming vulnerable only when its head lowers to deploy a fire or ice ball.

The zombies introduced in the Roof levels are the Bungee Zombie, Ladder Zombie, Catapult Zombie, Gargantuar, Imp, and finally Dr. Zomboss.

!!Other Zombies
Zombies that aren't introduced in Adventure Mode.

[[folder:Zombotany Zombies]]
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hd_peashooter_zombie.png]]
Appearing only in the "Zombotany" mini-games, these zombies have plant heads that give them the capabilities of those plants.

* ActionBomb: Jalapeno Zombies will automatically detonate after a short time on the lawn, incinerating all plants in a row.
* AquaticMook: Because "Zombotany 2" takes place in the Pool, all of them have Ducky Tube versions except the Squash Zombie.
* GlassCannon: The Gatling Pea Zombie can rip through non-defensive plants very quickly from a distance and even do a number on defensive ones, but has only the durability of a basic Zombie.
* IncrediblyDurableEnemies: Wall-Nut Zombies have roughly the health of a Buckethead but without the weakness to Magnet-Shroom, forcing the player to chip it down slowly. The Tall-Nut Zombie is even ''tougher'', enough to take a hit from a Squash or Potato Mine and keep going.
* PlantMooks: Well, part-plant at least.
* SuicideAttack: The Squash and Jalapeno Zombies have powerful OneHitKill attacks, but they don't survive using them.
* TacticalRockPaperScissors: The Peashooter Zombie and the Gatling Pea Zombie can't actually hit short plants like Spikeweed, Spikerock, Potato Mine, Puff-Shroom, and Sea-Shroom so they can defeat them without getting hit by the peas.

[[folder:Zombie Gravestone]]
Appearing only in the console-exclusive Versus Mode, Zombie Gravestones generate Brains, the resource used by the Zombie team to place Zombies.

* DeployableCover: Zombie Gravestones are reasonably durable and cheap, letting them shield against plant attacks for the Target Zombies that the Zombie team has to protect.
* LogicalWeakness: They're gravestones that can be [[OneHitKill instantly destroyed]] by Grave Buster, a plant who's whole gimmick in the main story mode is eating gravestones.
* WorkerUnit: Like Sunflowers for the plants, these generate the resources needed for the Zombies in Versus to mount their offense.

[[center:[-[[Characters/PlantsVsZombies Main Character Index]] | ''Plants vs. Zombies 1'' - [[Characters/PlantsVsZombiesPlants Plants]] - '''Zombies''' | ''Plants vs. Zombies 2'' - [[Characters/PlantsVsZombies2ItsAboutTimePlants Plants]] - [[Characters/PlantsVsZombies2ItsAboutTimeZombies Zombies]] | ''[[Characters/PlantsVsZombiesGardenWarfare Garden Warfare]]'' (''[[Characters/PlantsVsZombiesBattleForNeighborville Battle for Neighborville]]'') | ''[[Characters/PlantsVsZombiesHeroes Heroes]]'' ([[Characters/PlantsVsZombiesHeroesTeammates Teammates]])-]]]

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Despite how massive his Zombot is, the roof tiles are strong enough to hold said robot's weight.

* BadBoss: One of his most recurring traits is his tendency to mistreat his minions. Not only can he insult them, a couple of trailers to the first game suggest he has no qualms [[PlayingWithSyringes using them in experiments]]. Several of his attacks during his boss fights are also capable of killing his own zombies as much as the plants do. Moreover, Zombot Hot-Rodicus' Almanac entry in the second game suggests he's even blown through food budgets. He also suggests in ''Plants vs. Zombies 3: Welcome to Zomburbia'' that [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking he doesn't let his zombies have vacations either]].

!!Day Levels:
The zombies introduced in the Day levels are the Browncoat Zombie, Flag Zombie, Conehead Zombie, Buckethead Zombie, and Pole Vaulting Zombie.

[[folder:Browncoat Zombies]]
!!General
These are the most recurring enemies found in all areas of both games. They are all variants of the Browncoat Zombie, a slow and weak zombie without any special abilities.

In the first game, all of these zombies looked the same (bald heads, white shirts, red ties, brown coats, blue pants, and brown shoes). In the second game, there are many different variants of the Browncoat Zombies, dressed for different time periods.

[[folder:Dr. Edgar George Zomboss (and Zombots)]]
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zombot.png]]
-> ''Edgar George Zomboss achieved his Doctorate in Thanatology in only two years. Quickly mastering thanatological technology, he built his fearsome Zombot and set about establishing absolute dominance of his local subdivision.''
--> '''''Plants vs. Zombies'' almanac entry'''

An undead MadScientist who leads the zombie hordes. He is the FinalBoss of the first game, and returns to haunt several time periods in the sequel. He always fights by piloting "Zombot" machines that can [[FlunkyBoss summon huge waves of zombies]].

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Despite how massive his Zombot is, the roof tiles are strong enough to hold said robot's weight.
* BaldOfEvil: He's bald, and he's also the BigBad of the series.
* BadBoss: One of his most recurring traits is his tendency to mistreat his minions. Not only can he insult them, a couple of trailers to the first game suggest he has no qualms [[PlayingWithSyringes using them in experiments]]. Several of his attacks during his boss fights are also capable of killing his own zombies as much as the plants do. Moreover, Zombot Hot-Rodicus' Almanac entry in the second game suggests he's even blown through food budgets. He also suggests in ''Plants vs. Zombies 3: Welcome to Zomburbia'' that [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking he doesn't let his zombies have vacations either]].
* BigBad: He's the mastermind behind the zombie invasion, with him being the FinalBoss of the first game, and the guy also causing the trouble in the sequel.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In the first game and early on in the second, he is a calm yet cunning individual. As more worlds were being added for the latter game, Dr. Zomboss becomes more arrogant, brash, and over-the-top.
* CreepyCrossdresser: In Neon Mixtape Tour's boss stage, he dresses up in a dress and a wig during the Pop Jam.
* DamageSpongeBoss: There isn't much things for you to do once the Zombot's head is lowered down, but to wait for your plants to hammer it repeatedly. Oh, and countering his attacks.
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: After you hit the Zombot enough, it explodes and falls apart. Zomboss himself isn't killed by the explosion, though.
* {{Determinator}}: He just won't quit trying to TakeOverTheWorld and defeat the plants.
* DressedToPlunder: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. In the world "Pirate Seas", he wears an eyepatch while piloting Zombot Plank Walker (which resembles a {{pirate}} ship). Its Almanac entry also suggests he was [[InvokedTrope intentionally "getting into this whole pirate thing"]].
* EvilCannotStandCuteness: {{Implied|Trope}}; he's the main villain of the franchise and he describes Solar Flare as "disgustingly adorable" in ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombiesHeroes''. In "Mini-Golf Standoff", he even suggests he has no issue with kicking "small and cuddly" things.
* EvilGloating: Not initially, but he loves to gloat when in the villainous mood and when he feels things are going his way.
* EvilLaugh: Especially in the sequel, in which he laughs ''very often'' during his boss fights.
* FairPlayVillain: During his boss fight in the first game, if all the lawnmowers except one are used (specifically ''used'', not destroyed by a fireball/iceball), Zomboss will start sending zombies solely on the lane with the last remaining lawnmower, allowing you to take out the enemies easier with Jalapeños and other plants. Be careful though: if the last lawnmower is spent or destroyed, Zomboss will spawn zombies on all lanes as usual afterwards.
* FantasticRacism: A zombie who hates plants, or at least sapient ones.
* FauxAffablyEvil: At least in the first game, despite his minions being more AffablyEvil. He writes you a note about how he plus his zombies will "be forced to take extreme action" unless you give them your brain (which he initially refers to as "our rightful claim") and also requests you hand over your house to them. While it has a fairly polite tone, it helps highlight how much of a threat he is and his note still sounds malicious. Not so much later on, in which he often has no issue [[InsufferableGenius talking down]] to other characters.
* FinalBoss: He's the final hurdle in the first two games.
* FlunkyBoss: In his boss fights, Zomboss fights mainly by summoning other zombies, but he has a few attacks of his own.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: When Zombot's eyes glow red or blue, it means that it's about to unleash either a fire ball or ice ball to roll down your defenses. [[FinalExamBoss You have to counter it with Ice-Shroom or Jalapeno quickly.]]
* GracefulLoser: He seems to accept being defeated just fine, given that [[spoiler:he joins the rest of the Zombies in their dance party in "Zombies On Your Lawn." He also doesn't take advantage of this opportunity to eat your brains during this truce.]] Not that it stop him from attacking you once more in the sequel.
* GreaterScopeVillain: Zomboss is the one who responsible for all the zombie invasion you're facing throughout the game before he personally show up himself to fight you.
* HumongousMecha: His Zombot in the first game is about the size of your house.
* InformedAttribute: One Almanac entry states he's allergic to mammoth fur and thus brings allergy meds when using Zombot Tuskmaster 10,000 BC (which resembles a giant wooly mammoth). However, none of this is shown, besides him using said Zombot.
* InsufferableGenius: He's smart enough to create various inventions and is a fine schemer, and he won't stop talking about his intellect (namely after the first game).
* IronicAllergy: In the sequel, one of his Zombots strongly resembles a giant wooly mammoth. However, [[InformedAttribute at least according to one Almanac entry]], he has an allergy to mammoth fur.
* LastNameBasis: He often referred with his last name "Zomboss" despite having a full name.
* MadScientist: He builds a lot of advanced technology for his {{evil plan}}s, including various robotic vehicles, and even a {{time machine}}.
* MeanBoss: When he's not [[BadBoss abusing his minions]], he's often rudely yelling at them instead.
* MookChivalry: Same deal as Bungee Zombies.
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: He has a doctorate in thanatology (the study of death). Considering that zombies are dead, their creation might be a product of his "thanatological technology". Supplementary material reveals he got his degree for “promising to take his giant killer robot and never come back.”
* MrExposition: He often provides {{exposition}} to his zombies (and the player) in ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombiesHeroes''.
* MyBrainIsBig: His brain is massive, and he comes with the intellect too.
* OhCrap: Dr. Zomboss freaks out the moment his Zombot starts to fall apart.
* OneHitKill: Dr. Zomboss always has an attack that can one-shot all plants ([[BadBoss and even his own zombies]]) on one or more lanes.
* PhlebotinumKilledTheDinosaurs: In Day 32 of Jurassic Marsh in the second game, it's revealed that ''he's'' the one who sent the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs.
* PromotedToPlayable: Not Zomboss himself, but his Zombot from the first game. In ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombiesHeroes'', the Zombot, here named as the "Zombot 1000" became a Legendary playable unit on the Zombies' side.
* PunnyName: His name is combination of "Zombie" and "Boss", which fits his status as the BigBad of the series.
* ShorterMeansSmarter: He's one of the smallest zombies around, second only to the Imp (and variants) in diminutiveness. He's also the smartest zombie of them all.
* SupportPartyMember: His boss fights technically fall under this trope, as he can't directly cause a GameOver. His attacks just clear the way for other zombies to enter your house.
* SurroundedByIdiots: He's one of the ''very few'' smart zombies around, the only other Zombies coming close being [[VideoGame/PlantsVsZombiesHeroes Professor Brainstorm]] and the [[VideoGame/PlantsVsZombiesGardenWarfare Scientist classes]]. Unsurprisingly, the Zombies' general idiocy tends to annoy him very often.
* TacticalSuicideBoss: The first game's Zombot is usually immune to attack, becoming vulnerable only when its head lowers to deploy a fire or ice ball.
* VillainDecay: Towards the end of the first game, he's introduced as a threatening and mysterious villain who manages to kidnap Crazy Dave (the {{Player Character}}'s only ally besides the plants) moments before he could reveal his Zombot's weakness. By the second game, he's not as threatening (most notably in later worlds) and more so comedic rather than intimidating. It doesn't help that he gets foiled far more than in the first game, especially in the second game (though part of it is that he's a RecurringBoss).
* VillainousBreakdown: Once you defeat him in ''Jurassic Marsh'', Zomboss decides that he doesn't have any other choice but to enact his Project Paradox, and spend the entire '' Modern Day'' level told Crazy Dave (and the player) to give up.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: ''If'' his words were indeed true at the end of the second game (and that's a huge ''if''), it means that [[spoiler:he was trying to stop Crazy Dave from re-eating his taco as it would cause a TimeParadox]].
* WhiteFlag: Raises a white flag on defeat in the first game.
* WickedCultured: Unlike the other zombies, Zomboss can write letters very neatly and elegantly. Though in the sequel, he tends to write with [[SophisticatedAsHell slang or mannerisms appropriate for a specific time period]], which produces some odd results.
* YellowEyesOfSneakiness: He's often depicted with yellowish sclerae, befitting of an underhanded villain like himself.

!!Other Zombies
Zombies that aren't introduced in Adventure Mode.

[[folder:Zombotany Zombies]]
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hd_peashooter_zombie.png]]
Appearing only in the "Zombotany" mini-games, these zombies have plant heads that give them the capabilities of those plants.

* ActionBomb: Jalapeno Zombies will automatically detonate after a short time on the lawn, incinerating all plants in a row.
* AquaticMook: Because "Zombotany 2" takes place in the Pool, all of them have Ducky Tube versions except the Squash Zombie.
* GlassCannon: The Gatling Pea Zombie can rip through non-defensive plants very quickly from a distance and even do a number on defensive ones, but has only the durability of a basic Zombie.
* IncrediblyDurableEnemies: Wall-Nut Zombies have roughly the health of a Buckethead but without the weakness to Magnet-Shroom, forcing the player to chip it down slowly. The Tall-Nut Zombie is even ''tougher'', enough to take a hit from a Squash or Potato Mine and keep going.
* PlantMooks: Well, part-plant at least.
* SuicideAttack: The Squash and Jalapeno Zombies have powerful OneHitKill attacks, but they don't survive using them.
* TacticalRockPaperScissors: The Peashooter Zombie and the Gatling Pea Zombie can't actually hit short plants like Spikeweed, Spikerock, Potato Mine, Puff-Shroom, and Sea-Shroom so they can defeat them without getting hit by the peas.

[[folder:Zombie Gravestone]]
Appearing only in the console-exclusive Versus Mode, Zombie Gravestones generate Brains, the resource used by the Zombie team to place Zombies.
----
* DeployableCover: Zombie Gravestones are reasonably durable and cheap, letting them shield against plant attacks for the Target Zombies that the Zombie team has to protect.
* LogicalWeakness: They're gravestones that can be [[OneHitKill instantly destroyed]] by Grave Buster, a plant who's whole gimmick in the main story mode is eating gravestones.
* WorkerUnit: Like Sunflowers for the plants, these generate the resources needed for the Zombies in Versus to mount their offense.
[[/folder]]

* BadBoss: One of his most recurring traits is his tendency to mistreat his minions. Not only can he insult them, a couple of trailers to the first game suggest he has no qualms [[PlayingWithSyringes using them in experiments]]. Several of his attacks during his boss fights are also capable of killing his own zombies as much as the plants do. Moreover, Zombot Hot-Rodicus' Almanac entry in the second game suggests he's even blown through food budgets.

* NonMaliciousMonster: Compared to the other zombies, anyway. If you don't have a Magnet-Shroom or take him out with a Potato Mine, he'll just eat your plants and walk away. According to "Zombie On Your Lawn", he likes the pink tricycle in your yard.

The zombies introduced in the Day levels are the Basic Zombie, Flag Zombie, Conehead Zombie, Buckethead Zombie, and Pole Vaulting Zombie.

[[folder:Common Zombies]]

These are the most recurring enemies found in all areas of both games. They are all variants of the Basic Zombie, a slow and weak zombie without any special abilities.

In the first game, all of these zombies looked the same (bald heads, white shirts, red ties, brown coats, blue pants, and brown shoes). In the second game, there are many different variants of the Common Zombies, dressed for different time periods.

Another Common Zombie variant, although not listed with the others, due to not returning in the second game. He carries a screen door which acts a shield. If the screen door is destroyed, he will become a Basic Zombie.

A Common Zombie wearing an inflatable pool ring.

* TelephonePolearm: Some of the improvised weapons they can wield include a telephone pole, a lamp post, and a road sign.

* AquaticMook: All of them, except for Zomboni and Zombie Bobsled Team, can only spawn on water.

The zombies introduced in the Pool levels are the Ducky Tube Zombie (who is just any Common Zombie wearing an inflatable pool ring), Snorkel Zombie, Zomboni, Zombie Bobsled Team, and Dolphin Rider Zombie.

* FriendlyZombie: Played with. For most of the games they seem like stereotypical, hostile, brain-eating zombies. But there are scenes that show they are not only intelligent but capable of getting along with the humans, even willing to declare a ceasefire. They also formed their own working society in ''Garden Warfare'' and are quite civilized.