Octo Zombie

*Throws octopi at your plants to bind them up.*

### Special

Throws octopi every 11-14 secondsBound plants are passive until their octopus is destroyed

## In-game statistics

### First seen

BWB-VII

It started innocently enough. One day, Octo Zombie decided to get a pet octopus. But he loved that octopus so much, he got another and another... and another. Next thing you know, he was volunteering at an octopus rescue shelter. And now, well, no one wants to tell him, but he's pretty much the undersea equivalent of a cat lady. You should see how many are living at his house. It's quite startling.

**Octo Zombie** is the fifth special zombie encountered in Big Wave Beach in *Alternate UniverZ*. He can throw octopi at plants to disable them. The octopi will occupy the tile until they are destroyed. He prioritizes the plants in his lane, and then moves on to the ones in other lanes. If there are no plants left to bind, he will then proceed like a normal zombie.

## Almanac entry

**Octo Zombie**

TOUGHNESS: Dense

SPEED: Creeper

Throws octopi at your plants to bind them up.

Health: 910
Octopi Health: 320
Speed: 0.65
Special Ability: throws octopi every 11-14 seconds
Extra Ability: bound plants are passive until their octopus is destroyed

 It started innocently enough. One day, Octo Zombie decided to get a pet octopus. But he loved that octopus so much, he got another and another... and another. Next thing you know, he was volunteering at an octopus rescue shelter. And now, well, no one wants to tell him, but he's pretty much the undersea equivalent of a cat lady. You should see how many are living at his house. It's quite startling.

## Overview

Octo Zombie absorbs a total of 910 damage. His appearance changes upon absorbing 455 damage (when his arm falls off) before dying.

## Encounters

* Player's House: Piñata Party

* Big Wave Beach: BWB-VII, BWB-IX, BWB-X, BWBX-III, BWBX-IV, BWBX-VI, BWBX-V, BWBX-VI, BWBX-VIII, BWBX-IX and BWBX-X

* Green Gold Rush: GGR-VIII

* Fright Theater: FT-III

* Plant Showcase: Grassy Predator, Gardened Guillotines and Mid-Lane Crisis

* Invaded Levels: Invaded FCX-II

* Endless Zones: Tiki Torch-er

## Strategies

Octo Zombie is a very dangerous and difficult zombie, especially if many come in groups. He also uses his disadvantage, which is his speed, to his advantage in order to keep on bombarding your plants with octopi, ensuring that faster zombies, such as Surfer Zombies or Deep Sea Gargantuars, absorb all of your offensive plants' projectiles, like Wizard Zombie. Keep in mind that he targets plants in his lane first. Therefore, instant-kill plants such as Cherry Bombs or Tangle Kelps are more likely vital for stopping them from binding plants.

Kill him quickly, as he can bind up an unlimited number of plants. This could result in all plants being bound up, leaving you vulnerable to the zombies. If possible, keep all your instant kill plants at your disposal. This zombie can be a major pain when he is combined with Fisherman Zombies, Surfer Zombies, and Deep Sea Gargantuars, so he should be killed with as few octopi thrown as possible; without plants that can shoot anywhere on the lawn or backwards, you are going to have a very difficult time clearing the octopi and defending your house.

Toadstool or Chomper can destroy octopi without chewing, making them an ideal counter, though they should be dug up or fed Plant Food if either of them eats a zombie. Hot Potato can also remove an octopus where she is planted, making her a good choice against Octo Zombies. An alternate way to remove octopi is to simply shovel up plants when octopi are heading for them. You will need to pay close attention, however, and this strategy becomes less viable the more they appear.

A group of Snapdragons can destroy bound octopi around themselves quickly, and more can be planted to flank Octo Zombies from their sides. Starfruit, Rotobaga and Phat Beet are also useful against Octo Zombies; a lawn full of Starfruits, Rotobagas or Phat Beets can easily get rid of octopi thrown due to their rapid, multi-directional attacks. Establish an early Rotobaga/Starfruit defense for maximum potential against octopi. Manual plants such as Banana Launcher and Boom Balloon Flower are effective as well, since they can kill Octo Zombies no matter where they are, making it especially useful if he appears in ambushes, as well as destroy bound octopi and zombies trying to pass through at the same time.

Since Octo Zombie always targets the plant in the lead position first, you can stall him by planting sacrificial plants in the front when he appears, such as Puff-shrooms or even extra Sunflowers or Sun-shrooms. You can also dig up a plant that is about to get hit with an octopus, causing Octo Zombie to miss and waste an attack; this can be looped using plants with fast recharge times like Puff-shrooms. Like Wizard Zombie, he will retaliate against plants he encounters within biting range with an immediate octopus binding, but he will otherwise stop to eat anything he cannot bind, such as Lily Pads in his way, Gumnut's gum, or Infi-nut's Plant Food effect. Iceberg Lettuce cannot be bound by octopi and simply freezes the zombie upon contact.