Zombie

Zombies are common surface enemies that appear at night, and are a primary reason newer players will want to build a shelter before night arrives. Along with Demon Eyes, they are generally among the first enemies a player will encounter, as they appear nightly in areas a player first spawns. Multiple NPCs living in the area will reduce or prevent local enemy spawns, including Zombies and other nightly enemies.

Zombies walk towards the player in order to make contact and deal damage. They can jump and navigate Platforms. Zombies will kick closed Doors in their path repeatedly, and can successfully open them during a Blood Moon event.

In Expert mode, some Zombies carry disembodied arms. These deal more damage on contact than other zombies and will stop to perform a 'slashing' animation when near the player, extending the range at which they can damage the player. These arm-wielding zombies are unable to open or interact with doors.

Ordinary variants

Zombie
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	14 / 28 (50)   35 (62)   (claw attack)
Max Life	45 / 90 (198)
Defense	6
KB Resist	50% / 55%
Banner	Zombie Banner
Drops
Coins	60
Item (Quantity) Rate Shackle  2% Zombie Arm  0.4%
Internal NPC ID: 3 / 430

Zombie (Bald Zombie)
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	15 / 30 (54)
Max Life	40 / 80 (176)
Defense	5
KB Resist	50% / 55%
Banner	Zombie Banner
Drops
Coins	65
Item (Quantity) Rate Shackle  2% Zombie Arm  0.4%
Internal NPC ID: 132

Zombie (Pincushion Zombie)
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	16 / 32 (56)   40 (70)   (claw attack)
Max Life	50 / 100 (220)
Defense	8
KB Resist	55% / 60%
Banner	Zombie Banner
Drops
Coins	65
Item (Quantity) Rate Wooden Arrow  • 1-9 100% Shackle  2% Zombie Arm  0.4%
Internal NPC ID: 186 / 432

Zombie (Slimed Zombie)
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	13 / 26 (46)   32 (57)   (claw attack)
Max Life	40 / 80 (176)
Defense	6
KB Resist	45% / 50%
Banner	Zombie Banner
Drops
Coins	55
Item (Quantity) Rate Slime Staff  0.01% / 0.014%   Gel  • 1-3 100% Shackle  2% Zombie Arm  0.4%
Internal NPC ID: 187 / 433

Zombie (Swamp Zombie)
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	13 / 26 (46)   32 (57)   (claw attack)
Max Life	45 / 90 (198)
Defense	8
KB Resist	55% / 60%
Banner	Zombie Banner
Drops
Coins	80
Item (Quantity) Rate Shackle  2% Zombie Arm  0.4%
Internal NPC ID: 188 / 434

Zombie (Twiggy Zombie)
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	16 / 32 (56)   40 (70)   (claw attack)
Max Life	45 / 90 (198)
Defense	4
KB Resist	45% / 50%
Banner	Zombie Banner
Drops
Coins	70
Item (Quantity) Rate Shackle  2% Zombie Arm  0.4%
Internal NPC ID: 189 / 435

Zombie (Female Zombie)
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	12 / 24 (64)   30 (80)   (claw attack)
Max Life	38 / 76 (250)
Defense	4
KB Resist	40% / 46%
Banner	Zombie Banner
Drops
Coins	65
Item (Quantity) Rate Shackle  2% Zombie Arm  0.4%
Internal NPC ID: 200 / 436

Biome/Event variants

Raincoat Zombie
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Rain
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	16 / 32 (56)
Max Life	50 / 100 (220)
Defense	8
KB Resist	55% / 60%
Banner	Raincoat Zombie Banner
Drops
Coins	70
Item (Quantity) Rate Rain Hat  5% Rain Coat  5% Shackle  2% Zombie Arm  0.4%
Internal NPC ID: 223

Zombie Eskimo
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Snow Biome
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	16 / 32 (56)   40 (70)   (claw attack)
Max Life	50 / 100 (220)
Defense	8
KB Resist	55% / 60%
Banner	Zombie Eskimo Banner
Drops
Coins	80
Item (Quantity) Rate Eskimo Hood  0.67% Eskimo Coat  0.67% Eskimo Pants  0.67% Shackle  2% Zombie Arm  0.4%
Internal NPC ID: 161 / 431

Spore Zombie (Mushroom Zombie)
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Mushroom Biome
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	40 / 80
Max Life	180 / 360
Defense	10
KB Resist	60% / 64%
Banner	Spore Zombie Banner
Drops
Coins	10
Internal NPC ID: 254

Spore Zombie (Mushroom Zombie Hat)
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Mushroom Biome
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	38 / 76
Max Life	220 / 440
Defense	16
KB Resist	70% / 73%
Banner	Spore Zombie Banner
Drops
Coins	12
Internal NPC ID: 255

Doctor Bones (Rare Jungle Variant)
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Jungle – Underground Jungle
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	20 / 40
Max Life	500 / 1000
Defense	10
KB Resist	50% / 55%
Banner	Doctor Bones Banner
Drops
Coins	10
Item (Quantity) Rate Archaeologist's Hat  100%
Internal NPC ID: 52

The Groom (Rare Blood Moon Variant)
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Blood Moon
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	14 / 28 (24)
Max Life	200 / 400 (440)
Defense	8
KB Resist	50% / 55%
Banner	The Groom Banner
Drops
Coins	10
Item (Quantity) Rate Top Hat  90% Brain    75%
Internal NPC ID: 53

The Bride (Rare Blood Moon Variant  )
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Blood Moon
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	14 / 28 (24)
Max Life	200 / 400 (440)
Defense	8
KB Resist	50% / 55%
Drops
Coins	10
Item (Quantity) Rate Wedding Veil   100% Wedding Dress   100%
Internal NPC ID: 536

Blood Zombie (Blood Moon Variant  )
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Blood Moon
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	20 / 40 (36)
Max Life	75 / 150 (164)
Defense	8
KB Resist	60% / 64%
Banner	Blood Zombie Banner
Drops
Coins	1  50
Item (Quantity) Rate Shark Tooth Necklace   0.67% / 1.33%   Money Trough   0.5% / 1%
Internal NPC ID: 489

Zombie (Nurse Zombie (Halloween Variant 1))
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	20 / 40 (72)
Max Life	40 / 80 (176)
Defense	6
KB Resist	40% / 46%
Drops
Coins	85
Internal NPC ID: 319

Zombie (Superher Zombie (Halloween Variant 2))
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	15 / 30 (54)
Max Life	60 / 120 (264)
Defense	8
KB Resist	50% / 55%
Drops
Coins	1  5
Internal NPC ID: 320

Zombie (Pixie Zombie (Halloween Variant 3))
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	20 / 40 (36)
Max Life	34 / 68 (74)
Defense	14
KB Resist	70% / 73%
Drops
Coins	1  20
Internal NPC ID: 321

Zombie (Santa Zombie (Christmas Variant 1  ))
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	14 / 28 (50)
Max Life	45 / 90 (198)
Defense	6
KB Resist	50% / 55%
Drops
Coins	60
Internal NPC ID: 331

Zombie (Sweater Zombie (Christmas Variant 2  ))
Statistics
Type	Undead Enemy
Environment	Surface
AI Type	Fighter AI
Damage	14 / 28 (50)
Max Life	45 / 90 (198)
Defense	6
KB Resist	50% / 55%
Drops
Coins	60
Internal NPC ID: 332

Achievements

	Archaeologist • "Kill Doctor Bones."
	Defeat Doctor Bones for the first time.

	Til Death... • "Kill The Groom."
	Defeat The Groom for the first time.

Notes

• Zombies sometimes spawn as either larger or smaller than normal; larger zombies have more health, damage, defense, and knockback resistance, while smaller zombies are faster.
• Zombies attempt to leave the screen at dawn, but may still end up attacking the player, especially if their path off-screen is blocked. They will despawn immediately once off-screen.
• A Zombie will leave if it can't find a clear path to the player. They will not consider Doors to be blocking their path, even if it is not a Blood Moon.
• Blood Zombies will move faster the closer they are to you.

Tips

• While they may move slowly, they are surprisingly good jumpers. They also have a fair amount of health and cause significant damage to newer players. It is advisable that new players remain indoors at night until they gain better Weapons and Defenses.
• The Swamp Zombie is the fastest zombie as well as having very high knockback resistance towards newer players.
• A simple Wooden Sword swung repeatedly is enough to keep one or two zombies at bay. Three or more Zombies will likely be able to get past the sword and cause damage. Weapons that can hit multiple enemies work best. To kill zombies easily, build the Lava traps. The Spear or Vilethorn are ideal for this job. Ranged weapons also work well, like the Bow; Shuriken and Throwing Knives are ranged weapons that also pierce through multiple enemies, making them good candidates as well.
• To increase the chance of Doctor Bones spawning, you can place a Water Candle, or you can hold a Water Candle and use a Battle Potion on the Jungle Surface during the Night. It will greatly increase the chance of him spawning. For better results, it is suggested that you do this during a Blood Moon. Doctor Bones has a higher spawn rate if the world has not entered Hardmode yet. This is because the new enemies spawning in larger amounts during Hardmode will decrease Doctor Bones' spawn chance, just like any other rare creatures.
  • Doctor Bones can spawn at any depth on Jungle Grass blocks, only during the night.

Blood Moon

• If one wishes to avoid Zombies entirely during a Blood Moon, blockading doorways with any Block type will stop Zombies from entering your home. Placing a Wood Platform, Wooden Beam, or a piece of Furniture next to the door on the inside will prevent doors from swinging inward, which is the only way Zombies can enter.
• Placing doors above ground level or digging a trench two blocks wide and deep forces Zombies to jump at the doors, during which they can't open these doors.
• Another strategy is to place two doors parallel to each other, allowing NPC movement to be uninhibited by blockades. Doors won't open for Zombies during a Blood Moon, any Skeletons underground, or hard mode enemies that can open up single doors by bashing on them, as the other door will block them from opening them inward. If the outer door is already open, though, this will not work.

Trivia

• Doctor Bones is a parody of Indiana Jones, also known as Doctor Jones, who is an archaeologist known to always retrieve his hat.
• The Nurse Halloween variant is a possible reference to the Joker in The Dark Knight.
• The achievement Til Death Is a reference to the phrase "Till death do us part" from the marriage liturgy.
• An internal constant name, that corresponds to expert variant of female zombie, is called "ArmedZombieCenx", a reference to Cenx.
• Occasionally, when a Pincushion Zombie takes damage, broken Wooden Arrow shafts will fall from their body which cannot be retrieved.

History

 Desktop version

• Desktop 1.3.5: Sprites updated for the following variants:
  • Doctor Bones, The Groom
  • Regular, Pincushion, Swamp, Twiggy Zombies
  • Eskimo and Raincoat Zombies
  • Expert mode Variants
  • Halloween and Christmas Variants

• Desktop 1.3.2: Slimed Zombie and Bald Zombie sprites updated.

• Desktop 1.3.0.8: Zombie names now display their types instead of just saying "Zombie".

• Desktop 1.3.0.1:
  • Added The Bride and Blood Zombie to the Blood Moon.
  • Some zombies now appear to carry Zombie Arms in Expert mode.

• Desktop 1.2.2: Added Santa and Sweater Zombie variants, which only spawn during the Christmas season.

• Desktop 1.2.1.2: Costumed Zombies will not open doors when there is no Blood Moon.

• Desktop 1.2.1: Added Nurse, Superhero, and Pixie Zombie variants, which only spawn during the Halloween season.

• Mobile 1.2.6508: The Groom now has a chance to drop Brain.

• Console 1.02: The Groom now has a chance to drop Brain.

• Desktop 1.2.0.3: Can now drop its own respective banner.

• Desktop 1.2: New variants introduced: Pincushion Zombie, Slimed Zombie, Swamp Zombie, Twiggy Zombie, Rain Coat Zombie, Female Zombie, Zombie Eskimo, Spore Zombie, and Mushroom Zombie.

• Desktop 1.1: Bald Zombie variation added.

• Desktop 1.0.5:
  • The Groom fixed so that he actually spawns.
  • Doctor Bones can now only spawn in the Jungle and Underground Jungle.

• Desktop 1.0.4: New variants introduced: The Groom, Doctor Bones.

• Desktop-Release: Introduced.

 Console version

• Console-Release: Introduced.

 Mobile version

• Mobile-Release: Introduced.

 3DS version

• 3DS-Release: Introduced.