History Main / DeadWeight

* Fat zombies in ''VideoGame/{{Doom}} 3'' can predictably take more lead before going down. Surprisingly enough, a great number of them carry [[WrenchWhack wrenches to use as clubs]]. Also, they are the only type that is found being chewed on by other {{mooks}}.

* ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead'' features the StoneWall, bullet-sponge variety. Frequently chuck barrels at you and hold open gates for their rotting, angry friends.

** ''Overkill'' also has the Lobber, the boss of level 5 ("The Fetid Waters"), who, like the Boomer pictured up top, is not only fat but covered in swollen, pustulant boil-tumors. Though thankfully not shown, it's implied his projectiles are pus-filled boils he's tearing off of his body and throwing at you.

* The Boomer from ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' (pictured). His special attack is to [[{{Squick}} vomit]] a strange bile on surviving humans, which summons a sizable swarm of the speedy regular Infected to attack the afflicted humans. The vomit also [[InterfaceScrew messes up the Survivor's vision]] temporarily. When destroyed, the Boomer explodes in a shower of bile with an effect essentially the same as its vomit for anyone too close to it. Ironically, it has the least health ([[OneHitKill one shot offs them]]) of any of the special Infected as the result of being an undead goo balloon. Notably, the Boomer appears to be stretched out and inflated, implying it wasn't so obese before it got infected. Oh, and its "outie" bellybutton is really just [[{{Squick}} its guts bursting out]].

** Bloaters are, as the name implies, zombies with grossly-distended stomachs filled with a noxious gas that is lethal to humans and harmless to zombies. Their threat is mitigated by the fact they can be killed with a single hit from a ranged weapon, but if a bloater manages to sneak up on you or if you accidentally run one over, your survivor is in for a world of pain.

** Juggernauts are practically the king of this trope, being massively obese zombies weighing several hundred kilograms who shake the ground with their steps. They exhibit SuperStrength and are surprisingly fast given their massive girth. Downed survivors in the presence of a juggernaut are in considerable danger, as the juggernaut can perform a FinishingMove where they take a massive bite out of the survivor's neck before [[HalfTheManTheyUsedToBe tearing them in half.]]

[[folder:Film]]
* Tor Johnson in ''Film/Plan9FromOuterSpace''. Well, technically...
* Lampshaded in ''Film/{{Zombieland}}'', where Columbus notes that the fat ones were the first to go for not being able to outrun zombies. He makes "Cardio" his number one rule. Unlike most other examples though, these aren't really any different from a regular zombie, aside from their weight.
* An obese undead woman in the ''Film/DawnOfTheDead2004'' remake
* There was an obese man in a bathing suit in the original ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978''.

* The first zombie the protagonists fight hand-to-hand in ''Film/DeadHeat'' is a chunky one dressed like a biker.
* Onionhead / Slimer in ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}''. In the [[Film/GhostbustersII second one]], doubly so.

* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' has Gluttonous Zombie, a 3/3 creature with the Fear ability (''"Greed and gluttony led him to death. Now they are his greatest assets."'') and Corpulent Corpse, a ContinuityNod from the [[NostalgiaLevel Nostalgia Set]].
* ''TableTopGame/YuGiOh'' has the Plaguespreader Zombie, a blob-like BodyOfBodies; Il-Blud, which has a giant, disfigured BellyMouth on its paunch; the Three-Legged Zombies, a FatAndSkinny pair; the [[EvilClown Clown Zombie]]; and a great many others.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'''s Golarion setting has Zutha, the Runelord of [[SevenDeadlySins Gluttony]]: an obese [[TheHedonist Hedonist]], he maintained his undead body with secret magics so that he could continue to experience mortal pleasures

* ''VideoGame/SurvivalCrisisZ'' features particularly warped-looking fat zombies of the ActionBomb variety.
* The Abominations from the ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' [[Franchise/WarcraftExpandedUniverse franchise]] fit this description, although they are more similar in origin to the monster from ''Franchise/{{Frankenstein}}'' (pieced together from multiple corpses). They are massive (definitely bigger than a human), hideous (putrid and decaying with internal organs visible), and misshapen (extra limbs abound), and fill a heavy infantry role for Undead forces. They also can emit poisonous fumes.
* The Flash game series ''VideoGame/TheLastStand'' has lots of fat zombies, of the {{Kevlard}} variety. Since the only thing that separates them from regular zeds is their health (some can sprint just as easily as the thin ones), they fill in the role of EliteMooks along with [[HeavilyArmoredMook the ones in riot gear]].

* One of the Ancient's zombies fit this mold in ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness''. In this case it's stated to be due to internal gasses, as described in the RealLife section below.
* ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' has the Pregnant, a swollen Necromorph that carries a hoard of mini-Necromorphs called Swarmers in its stomach. Shooting it in the center of mass results in the Swarmers getting loose and attacking the player.
* ''VideoGame/{{Myth}}: The Fallen Lords'' featured an enemy that was a bloated corpse that would explode [[ActionBomb when it got close enough]] or was killed and temporary paralyze everyone within it's radius. Using archers killing them at a distance you could avoid the nasty side effects while possibly setting off a chain reaction if there were more than one close enough together.
* Fat zombies exist in ''VideoGame/DeadRising'', which take slightly more hits to die. They all resemble Ronald, a notable {{scrappy}} fat survivor.

* ''VideoGame/MetalSlug 3'' and ''4'' feature fat zombies among regular zombies. They usually take more hits to die than a regular zombie (although less than a soldier zombie, curiously).
* The masked, [[ChainsawGood chainsaw-wielding]] and green-tinted slime-spitting zombies in ''VideoGame/GunGirl2''.
* Fat zombies in ''VideoGame/{{Doom}} 3'' can predictably take more lead before going down. Surprisingly enough, a great number of them carry [[WrenchWhack wrenches to use as clubs]]. Also, they are the only type that is found being chewed on by other {{mooks}}.
* Fat zombies appear frequently in ''VideoGame/DeadNation''. They are typically [[{{Acrofatic}} faster than most normal zombies]], and will take any opportunity to charge at you to try to take you out.
* The Flood Carriers in ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' are walking gasbags that explode when they're either shot or near an enemy, releasing more Infection forms.
* The Guard Zombies in ''VideoGame/MediEvilResurrection''.
* ''VideoGame/LollipopChainsaw'' features a few fat zombies, including one of the bosses, Killabilly.
* ''VideoGame/DragonsDogma'' gives us Stout Undead. They are larger than regular undead, and when struck with fire they swell up and explode.
* The recruitable zombies in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic V'' are drawn as being quite corpulent.
* One of the enemies in ''VideoGame/DarkWatch'' called Oozers.
* In ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'', the Bloated Creepers that spawn during the Tequatl fight are depicted as large male Risen norn. They explode on contact.
* Dunwich in ''VideoGame/CthulhuSavesTheWorld'' features fat zombies described by their blurb as "suffering from a bad case of gastrophageal reflux disease". Their main method of attacking is through poisoning their enemies.
* ''VideoGame/JudgeDreddDreddVsDeath'': Some of the zombies are necrotized obese citizens.

* ''VideoGame/DeadFrontier'' has variants of fat zombies, all of which tend to have more health than non-fat counterparts.
** One of the early game zombie types are male and female versions of fat zombies, they have more health than the regular ones but are slower.
** The Bloat and its smaller variant are these, due to a buildup of methane gas inside them, which causes them to [[ActionBomb explode when killed]].
** The Brute is an obese zombie who attacks via vomiting and has a great amount of health thanks to a [[{{Kevlard}} protective layer of fat]].

* ''VideoGame/TeenageZombiesInvasionOfTheAlienBrainThingys'': Finnegan "Fins" [=MaGee=] is a fat, undead kid with tentacles sticking out of various parts of his body.
* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' has the Gluttonous Husk, a former member of Hallownest's upper class that became obese from a life of luxury and comfort. Notably, it is the toughest of the common enemies styled as undead aristocrats (Husk Dandies try to hit you by [[WimpFight wildly flailing its arms]] at you with very short range, and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Cowardly Husks]] have a random chance of just ''running away''), and it attacks by throwing it's massive body at you. In a similar fashion, some enemies are described as being "swollen with infection", and are almost always [[GiantMook larger and stronger variants of other creatures.]]

The Vrykolakas, a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire]] from Greek folklore, is consistently described as bloated (which isn't surprising consider they prefer eating people, especially their livers, to drinking their blood like a conventional vampire).

The Vrykolakas, a vampire from Greek folklore, is consistently described as bloated (which isn't surprising consider they prefer eating people to drinking their blood like a conventional vampire)

For whatever reason, fat zombies tend often to be [[ActionBomb kamikaze attackers]] in video games, usually detonating in a shower of gibs and toxic fluids upon termination; as if, rather than having had an actual excess of adipose tissue in life, the zombie in question was just so overinflated with said toxic fluids that they ''looked'' fat. Alternately, they may be prone to [[ZombiePukeAttack vomiting nasty substances]] onto the hero; this may be a further use of VillainousGlutton, ala the ([[CommonKnowledge false]]) belief that ancient Romans at a feast would deliberately make themselves puke to make room for more food, or it may be [[{{Handwave}} attributed]] to their rotting digestive tract.

Since zombies are reanimated corpses, and since there'd likely be obese people amongst the casualties in a zombie outbreak (if not for their reduced ability to [[FastZombies outrun]] the zombies, then for the simple reason that there's no reason they should be any ''less'' susceptible to undeath), this is sensible. It's often used, though, to combine the disgusting factor of [[VillainousGlutton extreme corpulence]] with the hideousness of zombification. Also, from a practical film making standpoint, "fat" zombies allow the stuntman to wear padded clothing and take a beating from the heroes.

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For whatever reason, fat zombies tend often be [[ActionBomb kamikaze attackers]] in video games, usually detonating in a shower of gibs and toxic fluids upon termination; as if, rather than having had an actual excess of adipose tissue in life, the zombie in question was just so overloaded and ready-to-burst with said toxic fluids that they ''looked'' fat. Alternately, they may be prone to [[ZombiePukeAttack vomiting nasty substances]] onto the hero; this may be a further use of VillainousGlutton, ala the ([[CommonKnowledge false]]) belief that ancient Romans at a feast would deliberately make themselves puke to make room for more food, or it may be [[{{Handwave}} attributed]] to their rotting digestive tract.

For whatever reason, fat zombies tend often be [[ActionBomb kamikaze attackers]] in video games, usually detonating in a shower of gibs and toxic fluids upon termination. [[{{Squick}} Eeeeew.]] Alternately, they may be prone to [[ZombiePukeAttack vomiting nasty substances]] onto the hero.

Since zombies are reanimated corpses, and since there'd likely be obese people amongst the casualties in a zombie outbreak, this is sensible. It's often used, though, to combine the disgusting factor of [[VillainousGlutton extreme corpulence]] with the hideousness of zombification. Also, from a practical film making standpoint, "fat" zombies allow the stuntman to wear padded clothing and take a beating from the heroes.

* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' has the Gluttonous Husk, a former member of Hallownest's upper class that became obese from a life of luxury and comfort. Notably, it is the toughest of the common enemies styled as undead aristocrats (Husk Dandies try to hit you by [[WimpFight wildly flailing its arms]] at you with very short range, and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTine Cowardly Husks]] have a random chance of just ''running away''), and it attacks by throwing it's massive body at you. In a similar fashion, some enemies are described as being "swollen with infection", and are almost always [[GiantMook larger and stronger variants of other creatures.]]

* Also present in the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' games. ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' has special [[TechnicallyLivingZombie Majini]] to impede your progress, as they block your shots and [[CaptainObvious soak up more damage]].

Not to be confused with TheLoad, who's only dead weight from a figurative/narrative standpoint.

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/Left4Dead http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fat_zombie_boomer.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Boom, baby.]]

* The Abominations from the ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' [[WarcraftExpandedUniverse franchise]] fit this description, although they are more similar in origin to the monster from ''Franchise/{{Frankenstein}}'' (pieced together from multiple corpses). They are massive (definitely bigger than a human), hideous (putrid and decaying with internal organs visible), and misshapen (extra limbs abound), and fill a heavy infantry role for Undead forces. They also can emit poisonous fumes.

For whatever reason, fat zombies tend often be [[ActionBomb kamikaze attackers]] in video games, usually detonating in a shower of gibs and toxic fluids upon termination. [[{{Squick}} Eeeeew.]]

* Fatty zombies from ''TabletopGame/{{Zombicide}}''.

* ''TableTopGame/YuGiOh'' has the Plaguespreader Zombie, a blob-like BodyOfBodies; Il-Blud, which has a giant, disfigured BellyMouth on its paunch; the Three-Legged Zombies, a FatAndSkinny pair; the [[EvilClown Clown Zombie]]; an a great many others.

* ''TableTopGame/YuGiOh'' has the Plaguespreader Zombie, a blob-like BodyOfBodies; Il-Blud, which has a giant, disfigured BellyMouth on its paunch; the Three-Legged Zombies, a FatAndSkinnyPair; the [[EvilClown Clown Zombie]]; an a great many others.