[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zombiewarning.GIF]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[RulesOfTheRoad Watch out!]] Undead Ahead!]]

->''"You know, it's an interesting thing when you consider: the Earth people, who can think, are so frightened by those who cannot: the dead."''
-->-- '''Eros''', ''Film/Plan9FromOuterSpace''

Zombies fall precisely into the UncannyValley. That's why they're so scary and so fun to kill. This is an index of tropes about them.

''Braaaaains...''

Compare MummyTropes, SkeletalTropes, and VampireTropes.

Ironically, TheLivingDead is [[ThisIndexIsNotAnExample not an example]].

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!!Tropes:
[[index]]
[floatboxright:
'''Main tropes:'''
* OurZombiesAreDifferent

'''Related index:'''
* ZombieStories
]
* ArtificialZombie: A corpse that's re-animated by (or {{for|science}}) science.
* AttractiveZombie: A zombie who is beautiful and attractive in spite of being undead.
* BewareTheLiving: When there are zombies running amok, humans are more a danger to themselves than the zombies are.
* BrainFood: Zombies eat brains.
* BurnTheUndead: When fire is effective at destroying the undead.
* CavalryOfTheDead: Summoning an army of undead soldiers to fight a mutual enemy.
* ClownCarGrave: An absurd or limitless number of enemies spawning out of a disproportionately smaller area.
* CreepyCemetery: An unusually scary cemetery with zombies, and maybe other monsters, abound.
* TheDeadHaveEyes: The undead either still have functioning eyes or are able to see without eyes.
* DeadlyLunge: Sudden zombie leaping attack.
* DeadWeight: Obese zombies.
* DevouredByTheHorde: When a character is EatenAlive and/or torn apart by multiple parties.
* ElementalZombie: Zombies with elemental powers or an elemental theme.
* EliteZombie: Superpowered zombies.
* EpisodeOfTheDead: A chapter, episode, level, or stage dedicated solely to zombies in a work that is often otherwise about something else.
* EverythingsDeaderWithZombies: When flesh-eating zombies are added to a story just for the sake of coolness.
* FearlessUndead: When the (re)animated dead have no concept of self-preservation.
* FleshEatingZombie: A zombie that feeds on the bodies of the living.
* FriendlyZombie: A zombie who's nice and friendly.
* GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath: Undead creatures depicted with glowing eyes.
* HemoErotic: The biting, cutting, and/or drinking of blood for sex appeal.
* HorrorHunger: When a character feels a supernatural and irresistible hunger for other humans.
* IncongruouslyDressedZombie: A zombie wears clothes that makes them stand out more than the other undead corpses seen.
* TheJaywalkingDead: Zombies are dumb enough to walk into traffic and get run over.
* MarionetteMotion: When someone or something moves like a puppet.
* MistakenForUndead: When a character thought to be dead is accused of being undead despite not actually being so.
* NaziZombies: Undead Nazis.
* NightOfTheLivingMooks: The villain uses the undead as their foot soldiers.
* NoFEMAResponse: When earthquakes, terrorist attacks, and/or stranger events don't elicit a response from authorities, and the survivors are left to fend for themselves.
* NotAZombie: It takes a while for someone to realize a zombie is a zombie in spite of the obvious clues.
* NotUsingTheZWord: A zombie isn't directly called a zombie.
* NoZombieCannibals: Zombies don't eat each other.
* ParasiteZombie: A zombie produced or controlled by a PuppeteerParasite.
* PatientZero: The first person who got infected by the zombie plague.
* PerpetualMotionMonster: Zombies who don't need to eat, drink, or rest.
* PickyPeopleEater: Zombies only eat specific parts of people.
* PlagueZombie: A zombie created by TheVirus or TheAssimilator.
* PossessingADeadBody: When a dead body is reanimated by a spirit inhabiting it.
* PretendWereDead: If you act like zombies, real zombies won't attack you.
* RaisingTheSteaks: Zombie animals.
* RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain: When the only way to kill something is by destroying or removing its head.
* RevenantZombie: A zombie that is more intelligent and aware of how they were in life than most depictions of the walking dead.
* RidiculouslyAliveUndead: Despite being undead, these zombies act similar to or just like us living people.
* RiseFromYourGrave: When a person who is dead and buried turns out to be undead and has to claw their way out of their own grave.
* RoboticUndead: Zombie-bots.
* RoomFullOfZombies: When a locked room turns out to be storing dozens, or a hoard, of zombies.
* SlidingScaleOfUndeadRegeneration: The different forms of healing for the undead.
* [[SoYouWantTo/WriteAZombieApocalypse So You Want To.Write a Zombie Apocalypse]]: Instructions for how to write a zombie apocalypse story.
* SpringLoadedCorpse: When an undead character or enemy is FakingTheDead only to rise up and attack.
* StagesOfMonsterGrief: The human-to-monster version of the FiveStagesOfGrief.
* TechnicallyLivingZombie: A monster that has everything in common with the typical depiction of a zombie except for the fact that they are not undead, i.e., rabies victims or possessed people.
* TitleOfTheDead: Titles including the phrase "of the [Living] Dead".
* UndeadBarefooter: Zombies that don't wear shoes.
* UndeadLaborers: Using undead as servants or workers.
* UndeathIsCheap: Zombification or vampirism that is easily cured.
* UndeathlyPallor: Undead creatures portrayed with pale skin.
* ViralTransformation: A transformation that can be spread virally and physically changes humans to non-humans.
* TheVirus: A creature causes other beings to turn into creatures like itself.
* VoodooZombie: The original zombies of Caribbean Voudon folklore.
* YouCantKillWhatsAlreadyDead: When the dead are nearly indestructible.
* YourBrainWontBeMuchOfAMeal: Zombies aren't interested in eating the brains of stupid people.
* ZombieAdvocate: A human character who fights for the moral rights of zombies and/or other non-humans.
* ZombieApocalypse: The world gets overrun by zombies.
* ZombieApocalypseHero: Someone who shows a particular talent for killing zombies.
* ZombieGait: Zombies move slowly.
* ZombieInfectee: Someone gets infected by a zombie and turns into a zombie themselves.
* ZombiePukeAttack: Zombies with deadly, projectile vomit.
* ZombifyTheLiving: Using necromancy on those still living.
[[/index]]

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