->'' "The undead require very little maintenance and rarely demand a salary or benefits. What they lack in speed and agility they more than make up for in persistence and can-do attitude. You won't hear any sass or whining from the undead! Since the victims themselves are transformed into walking undead, these henchmen are a smart investment that will grow your organization even when you are busy with other tasks." ''
-->-- '''How to Be a Villain''', Neil Zawacki

''The undead don't kill. They recruit.''

[[TheUndead Undead]] mooks are a staple of video games, TabletopGames and live-action alike, and the entire point of the ZombieApocalypse. May be [[ZombieApocalypse zombies]], {{skeletons}} or even [[{{Mummy}} mummies]]. An extreme form of FacelessGoons, in that while it's pretty hard to identify with someone with no face, it's basically impossible to sympathise with a corpse. [[hottip:*:Well, a mindless corpse at least. Free-willed undead, while they can be evil, can also be good, in which case they come off as mostly tragic, if a bit creepy.]]

May be spawned from {{Clown Car Grave}}yards, which act as {{Mook Maker}}s. They may [[ReviveKillsZombie need to be killed in a certain way]], or may even be completely unkillable, getting back up every time.

If you really want to find these guys, look in the designated BigBoosHaunt. RaisingTheSteaks can be considered a SubTrope of this.

Compare EverythingsDeaderWithZombies.
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!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* [[AudioAdaptation Sound Stage X]] of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha [=StrikerS=]'', which is [[TimeSkip set 3 years after the anime]], features the Mariages, [[LostTechnology mass-production humanoid weapons from Ancient Belka]] that are also known as Corpse Weapons, being artificial soldiers reanimated from corpses that [[TheVirus continue to reproduce itself from the corpses in the area as an instant weapon]].
* The standard mooks in {{Hellsing}}.
* The revived dolls in ''FullmetalAlchemist'', fuelded by Philosopher stones. Though when they activated, [[ItGotWorse they didn't behave]] [[ImAHumanitarian like they expected....]]
* The "cultivated humans" used by early villain Suzaku against Yusuke and his friends in ''YuYuHakusho'' are basically this. They groan, stumble and don't ask questions about their motivation with the best of them.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''[[EvilDead Army of Darkness]]'' features, well, an army of these that Ash accidentally released unto the world when he takes the Necronomicon without doing the chant properly.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

* {{Warhammer}}'s Tomb Kings and Vampire Counts are entire armies of these.
* Similarly, the Necrons of ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' are [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Undead Robot Skeleton Mooks.]]
** And then there's [[ZombieApocalypse what happens if you make Nurgle angry...]]
*** Oh, no. Grandfather Nurgle [[BodyHorror smiles on his children]][[BlessedWithSuck , bestowing his many gifts with beneficience]] [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting and joy]].
* The undead often show up in games built on the D&D rules, where they have a host of special rules. They're immune to mind-affecting spells (preventing many of the better spells from working), immune to death magic, (preventing the ''best'' spells from working), immune to sneak attacks (making the Rogue more or less useless), and to top it off, skeletons resist piercing damage since there's nothing ''to'' pierce.
** The latest edition (4th) removes all of these restrictions. Undead now simply have resistance to one specific type of damage. Sneak attacks work just fine on them, and there's no longer any such thing as "mind-affecting spells", "death magic", or "piercing damage".
** On the other hand, the two "holy" classes (Clerics and Paladins) can mow through them with ease - both get spells and abilities whose sole purpose is to kick undead hiney.
*** An old DM observation goes: "The number of undead encounters in a campaign is exponentially disproportional to the number of clerics in the party."
** The Undead are immune to normal mind-control, but there is a Necromancy spell called "Control Undead". However, since it only works on the Undead few Wizards/Sorcerors bother to take it unless they know ahead of time that they will be encountering a lot of Undead. Same goes for the spell "Undeath to Death", which is the only way to bypass their immunity to Death magic.
***Untrue! All the good undead creation spells are high-level/create standard zombies/skeletons. If necromancers want decent undead horrors at their beck and call, they have to go out and "catch" them. Being a necromancer is alot like being a pokemon trainer...
****Actually, the art of zombies was trading up. Weaker zombies plus your magic and good planning let you take out and then zombify successively more powerful targets. And there were midrange spells that let you create the weaker infectious undead.
** Subverted by ''Van Richten's Guide to the Walking Dead'', a {{Ravenloft}} supplement which helps DMs equip ordinary zombies, skeletons, and other corporeal undead with an un-Mookish diversity of powers.
* [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=129529 Drudge Skeletons]] and [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=21093 Scathe Zombies]] are just a few of many undead mook armies a Black using player can summon in ''MagicTheGathering''.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* Damn near everything in ''{{Castlevania}}''.
* The Dry Bones (undead Koopas) and Boos from ''SuperMarioBros 3''. ''Super Mario World'' added undead versions of Buzzy Beetles and Cheep-Cheeps, as well as several new types of ghosts (Eeries, Fishin' Boos, Big Boos, etc.).
* The skeletons (stalfos), ghosts (poe), mummies (gibdo) and zombies (redead) of TheLegendOfZelda.
** And the Undead Rats! Don't forget about ''Twilight Princess'' [[GoddamnedBats Undead Rats]]!
* Undead bunnies in the [[ScrappyLevel Meat Circus]] of {{Psychonauts}}.
* ResidentEvil.
* Ghosts appear in several SonicTheHedgehog games, first in Sandopolis Zone of ''Sonic & Knuckles'', then the desert stages of ''Sonic Adventure 2'', and finally some hooded pumpkin-head phantoms in ''Sonic Heroes'' and ''Shadow the Hedgehog''. They're usually an annoyance, not an actual enemy, but there was a memorable boss battle with the gigantic King Boom Boo in ''Adventure 2''.
* ''The House of the Dead'' - It's an on-rails shooter. Guess who gets blasted into paste a million times over.
* The headcrab zombies in HalfLife.
* The flood in ''{{Halo}}''. They originated as “Fungal Zombies” in ''{{Marathon}} 2'', the result of Pfhor infected with an ancient S'pht bioweapon, but were cut from the shipping game because “While it sounded really cool, in retrospect, a weapon that turns your enemies into ravenous zombies doesn't make much sense.”
** Most of the armies of The Fallen Lords in ''{{Myth}}''.
* The underlings of a necromancer [[PlayerCharacter PC]] in ''{{Diablo}}'', hey, the bad guys can't have all the fun!
* ''MetalSlug 3'' has quite a bit of these: You have to deal with zombified civilians and soldiers in mission 3, and later on you fight off legions of zombified clones of your previous player character while trying to escape from an exploding spaceship. You can even become a zombie and vomit acidic blood that can take out damn near anything in one shot.
* The zombies in ''Nox'' who don't die unless you deliver the final blow with a fire-enchanted weapon or a fire spell and regenerate to full health otherwise.
* {{Warcraft}} III, campaigns 1 (destroy them) and two (control them).
** The expansion also had undead versus undead fights.
** Unsurprisingly, there are a large variety of undead monsters in ''WorldOfWarcraft'', from the Blood Elf and Undead starting zones to the high level plaguelands. The first expansion is rather tame on them, but considering the plot of the second one, they'll be back in full force soon... not to mention you get to play a new class which is a mix of a warrior and a necromancer.
*** The new expansion, ''Wrath of the Lich King'' quite obviously (note the capitalized ''Lich'') has an undead theme to it. Undead minions of the Lich King are the main enemies in ''WotLK''.
* The skeleton in level 3 of the original ''PrinceOfPersia'' is unkillable. The only way to get rid of it (and finish the level) is to keep pushing it back into a very deep pit. The skeletons in the sequel ''Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame'' are also unkillable, but after beating them they fall to the ground, then rise again shortly afterwards.
* The zombies in ''Quake'' cannot be killed by conventional means, as they rise again after a few seconds. The only way to get rid of them permanently is to destroy their body completely using grenades or rockets (cue LudicrousGibs).
** "Thou canst not kill that which doth not live, but you can blow it into chunky kibbles" :)
* DeadRising
* In CityOfVillains, a Mastermind player character with the Necromancy powerset gets their own set of undead mooks.
** There are also two enemy factions in CityofHeroes - the Vazhilok and the Banished Pantheon - that are almost entirely made up of undead mooks.
*** And come Halloween, the special event ensures where the city is overrun with zombies, ghosts, witches and werewolves...
* The Hell chapters of TheDarkness game are filled with zombified souls of soldiers consumed by the titular quasi-demonic entity during World War I. Particularly horrible as the Brits cannot die no matter how badly their bodies are mutilated. Fortunately, the {{Narm}} of an arm-less, leg-less face-less moper in the village hospital cheers things up a bit. ...what?
** The German zombie soldiers are the mooks, obviously.
* Every so often, ''Left4Dead'' will send a massive horde of zombies at you. Unfortunately, the timing and the location of the MookMaker are more-or-less ''randomized'', so one never knows precisely when a pack of them will come running around the corner.
* ''CallOfDuty: World at War'' features Zombie mode. You and some friends vs. hordes of zombie Nazis.
* The zombies in ''EternalDarkness''. Range from Mantorok zombies (who catch fire) to Xel'lotath zombies (who take "phantom limb" to whole-new levels) to Chattur'gha zombies (who regenerate) to Ulyaoth zombies (who explode).
* The game ''{{Overlord}}'' features an area infested with zombies, as a mysterious and agonizing plague turns its victims into the living dead. [[spoiler: In a twist keeping with its tone and sense of humor, it's caused by the proximity of a slutty, disease-ridden [[HornyDevils Succubus Queen]]; apparently, what's a harmless STD to a demoness is a virulent ZombieApocalypse-inducing epidemic for humans.]]
* The normal enemies in the ''Siren'' series are all Undead Mooks called Shibito (literally "dead person" or "corpse"). They get more monstrous as time passes from their conversion... and simply can't be killed -- they can be put out of action for a while, but the red water in their bodies will revive them. Generally, it's best to save resources and energy by sneaking past them instead of fighting them.
* Inverted in ''StubbsTheZombie,'' where the infected are instead a RedshirtArmy.
* ''[[Wolfenstein3D Return to Castle Wolfenstein]]'' had a whole set of missions pitting you against the undead, and quite a few could be found in the last couple of levels as well.
** Second Episode of the original Castle Wolfenstein had combined this trope by the hands of an [[MadScientist evil professor]] [[MechaMooks upgrading corpses]] into [[ZombieApocalypse a virtual army]] [[MoreDakka of gun-toting zombies]].
** The newest installment, ''Wolfenstein'', has the Despoiled, dead Nazis brought back to life as superpowered zombie monsters by the Elite Guards' dark magic.
* Various kinds of undead are a staple of the ''{{Wizardry}}'' games, though they tend to only be common in certain areas.
* In the fifth stage of the ''{{Touhou}}'' game ''Subterranean Animism'', the player is introduced to Orin's army of zombie ''[[NinjaPirateZombieRobot fairies.]]'' Shooting them down will only result in them coming back to life and then trailing after you, spewing bullets in their wake. It's one of the many reasons why that stage [[ScrappyLevel isn't very liked.]]
* Whenever [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Neclord]] appears in a ''{{Suikoden}}'' game, expect these to appear.
* In ''{{CommandAndConquer}} 3: Kane's Wrath'', the Nod vanilla faction is given the support power, redemption. For a limited time, every militant squad (Basic Nod Mooks, weakest infantry in the game) killed in a certain area will be resurrected as a squad of Awakened (Zombie cyborgs). It's really more of a UselessUsefulSpell, because militants are useless, and Awakened aren't all that much better.
* Every ''{{Heroes of Might and Magic}}'' game features an undead faction.
*In ''{{Plants Vs Zombies}}'', your army of plants fight nothing but an army of zombies. Zombies that do pole vaulting, play football, ride dolphins, go bobsledding and bungee jump amongst other things. Even the final boss is a zombie in a huge ''[[NinjaPirateZombieRobot zombie]]'' ''[[HumongousMecha robot.]]'' [[spoiler: The only exception here is the Zomboni, which is actually a space ogre mistaken for a zombie in a Zamboni.]]
* {{Earthbound}}: Zombie Mooks are used by Master Belch to overrun the city of Threed. And they come in two flavors: Urban Zombies and Rural Zombies.
** And in {{Mother 3}}.
* ''{{Madworld}}'' had an entire zombie stage. The zombies were basically your everyday Mooks, but out of ALL the ways you could kill them, giving them horizontal cuts kept them alive.
** Though, when grabbed by a zombie in the first arena, Death would come in and give you five seconds to escape the zombie's grip, less you get an automatic death.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* The CharacterBlog of ''GirlGenius''' [[http://twitter.com/Othar?page=1 Othar Tryggvassen]], GentlemanAdventurer! includes an entry on his battle against a [[MadScientist Spark]] named Huffnagle and how his second line of defense was a [[EverythingIsMessierWithPigs horde of undead stoats]]. Tedious, yet unnerving. It did not help that they sang.
*"Crawler" zombies in TheZombieHunters - slow, shambling, and practically harmless. But they attack in massed groups of several hundred, and their bulk provides an opportunity for faster, more dangerous zombies to get close without being seen.
* K'Z'K's army of "Deadles" from ''SluggyFreelance''.
* Undead mooks crop up a lot in the armies of Xykon in ''OrderOfTheStick''. In the early strips, he [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0037.html kills his own followers and raises them as zombies to stop them complaining]]; during the battle for Azure City, Redcloak orders the clerics [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0433.html to zombify the fallen rather than healing anyone]] (at least prior to his epiphany that Hobgoblins Are Goblins Too); and more recently they have [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0513.html Tsukiko the Mystic Theurge and her army of wights]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* Phase got a faceful of this trope in the WhateleyUniverse in "Boston Brawl", when Team Kimba faced The Necromancer and Phase had to take down a couple hundred zombies. In the dark.

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