Kernel-pult

The Kernel-pult is an offensive lobbed-shot plant available in Roof levels. It launches either small light-damage kernel or bigger double-damage butter which immobilizes zombies for five seconds. Like other lobbed-shot plants, the Kernel-pult fires at half the rate of a Peashooter, meaning that the light or normal damage is relative to a Peashooter's damage per second. Kernels do the same damage as peas, whereas butter does two damage while simultaneously paralyzing the target. Its odds of firing butter is approximately 25%. As with other lobbed-shot plants, the Kernel-pult can hit Snorkel Zombies while underwater. It also damages every variety of Shield Zombies directly. The Kernel-pult along with its kernels are the species of zea mays or maize. Two Kernel-pults placed next to one another horizontally can be upgraded into a Cob Cannon.

Plants vs. Zombies
Kernel-pult

Kernel-pults fling corn kernels and butter at zombies.

Damage: light (kernel), normal (butter)

Range: lobbed

Special: butter immobilizes zombies

Kernel-pult is the eldest of the Pult brothers. Of the three of them, Kernel is the only one who consistently remembers the others' birthdays. He bugs them about it a little, too.

Cost: 100

Recharge: fast

Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time
Sun cost: 100

DAMAGE: Light

RANGE: Lobbed

RECHARGE: Fast

Kernel-pult flings corn kernels and butter at zombies.

Damage Details: light (kernel), normal (butter)

Special: butter immobilizes zombies

While working as an usher at the local movieplex, he saw "Fried Green Tomatoes" and found his higher calling. He packed up his husks, his kernels, his butter, and enlisted.

Plant Food upgrade
Launches several butter at once, hitting every zombie and tombstone onscreen.

Level upgrade: (Chinese version only)
Level 2: Every five projectiles lobbed, a high damage corn rocket gets lobbed, attack and health +50%.

Level 3: The corn rocket now fires after every three projectiles lobbed, attack and health +50% again (total +100%=2x).

Costumed (Chinese version only)
When given Plant Food, Kernel-pult now shoots fire butter which deals more damage.

Strategies
The Kernel-pult is best used in conjunction with other lobbed-shot plants (including other Kernel-pults), since it does not do a good amount of damage reliably. They are also good when used in conjunction with Spikeweeds or Spikerocks, since if they freeze the zombie while it is standing on the Spikeweed or Spikerock, the zombie will take large amounts of damage from the Spikeweed or Spikerock.

A Kernel-pult requires a bit of luck, as the only reason why it can be useful is it has the chance to stun with butter, while a kernel does hardly any damage. If you need consistency, you will be better off with a Cabbage-pult.

This lobbed-shot plant is more useful than the Cabbage-pult overall, since it can stun, but if you want a better one, go for the Melon-pult. This plant is best used to increase the effective damage output of other plants; it can slow the zombies, giving your plants more time to deal damage. At the beginning of a level, plant a Cabbage-pult and then two Kernel-pults; when two or three are used in a single row, the zombies get buttered much more frequently.

It is also recommended to have multiple rows, to increase the butter chance and to overall deal more damage. If you combine this with Melon-pults, you have a dangerous combo.

Plants vs. Zombies
It is especially important during Roof levels as the incline of the Roof will upset the firing of peas, spores, etc. It can also hit Screen Door Zombies and Ladder Zombies over their doors and ladders, and Snorkel Zombies while they're underwater.

It is best to use a combination of Cabbage-pults, Kernel-pults, then Melon-pults. It is a good idea to eventually replace Cabbage-pults with Melon-pults, and then with Winter Melons.

I, Zombie
Because of the inconsistency of Butter throwing frequency, it is easy to underestimate or overestimate the power of a Kernel-pult. One Kernel-pult near the back would prove to be very hard to deal with, especially if Digger Zombies cannot eat it. Consider either doubling up your zombies or using a stronger Zombie (Football Zombie, Dancing Zombie, Buckethead Zombie) instead in rows with Kernel-pults. In rows with more than one Kernel-pult, consider the Digger Zombie, instead of head-on assault.

Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time
Kernel-pult once again is useful with Spikeweed, Spikerock and also Bonk Choy and Snapdragon due to their short range and dealing heavy damage if it butters the zombies in the right time.

Also Kernel-pult is an excellent choice against these zombies: And of course, do not use this plant to deal with Jester Zombies, cause they can deflect butters and corns too, and Zombie Chickens cause to their speed.
 * Gargantuar variants (temporarily stuns them)
 * Seagull Zombie (kills it instantly with butter)
 * Swashbuckler Zombie (kills it instantly only when it is raiding)
 * Barrel Roller Zombie (prevents it from crushing other plants)
 * Pirate Captain Zombie (prevents it from releasing the Zombie Parrot to steal your plants)
 * Zombie Parrot (kills it instantly)
 * Pianist Zombie (makes the dancing zombies stop dancing and prevents it from crushing plants)
 * Disco-tron 3000 (prevents it from summoning Disco Jetpack Zombie)
 * Mecha-Football Zombie (prevents it from pushing plants to the left)


 * Try to avoid using its Plant Food's ability unless the plant itself is boosted, because the damage is low and simply stuns all the zombies on the lawn, except when there are a lot of Seagull Zombies or Zombie Parrots. Its Plant Foods ability is still better than Iceberg Lettuce as it does a bit of damage. However, it will not blow out the Prospector Zombie's dynamite or the Explorer Zombie's torch.

General

 * This is one of the three plants based on corn, the others being Cob Cannon and Popcorn.
 * Kernel-pult is the eldest of the pult brothers, Melon-pult is the middle child and Cabbage-pult is the youngest.
 * Kernel-pult is the only plant in Plants vs. Zombies series that its name starts with letter K.

Specific to Plants vs. Zombies

 * An eyebrow-less and catapult-less Kernel-pult could be seen in the Character Menu on the original official Plants vs. Zombies website.
 * In the old iPod Touch and iPhone versions of the game, there is also an image of an eyebrowless Kernel-pult on the seed packet. However, the actual Kernel-pult does have eyebrows.
 * However, it still does not have them on the seed packet in the iPad version.
 * A zombie with butter on its head appears in the promotional music video Zombies on Your Lawn.
 * The Kernel-pult is the only plant that fires two different kinds of projectiles.
 * The Kernel-pult has the weakest projectile of all lobbed-shot plants.
 * Like with other catapult plants, if a zombie is directly in front of a Kernel-pult, the kernel or butter will hit the zombie instantly instead of flying up in the air.
 * If a zombie has butter on its head while one enters the code "dance", it will not dance but instead pose in a frame of the dance until the butter wears off.
 * The Kernel-pult is the only lobbed-shot plant which looks different than its projectile.
 * All lobbed-shot Plants have a different stem from each other. The Kernel-pult has a zigzag stem.
 * The Kernel-pult has different leaves than the Cabbage-pult and Melon-pult. Instead of having regular leaves, Kernel-pults have corn stalks.
 * In the Mini-game Invisi-ghoul, the Kernel-pult tends to shoot more butter than kernels.
 * In the Nintendo DS version of the game, the Kernel-pult's butter sometimes sticks to the zombie's hair or jaw, rather than its head.
 * If there is a zombie that bites a Garlic and the Kernel-pult throws butter at it, the zombie will show the disgusted face while it is paralyzed by the butter.
 * It is the only freezing plant which does not use ice, making a good choice with flaming peas as they will not remove the freeze effect, although butter can melt easily.
 * The butter, except in Invisi-ghoul, is only thrown when a zombie gets near a plant, which means that it can still survive when a zombie is right in front of it and it is the only attacking plant in the row.
 * The Butter is the only projectile that remains visible after hitting the Zombie, not counting fumes.
 * If a Kernel-pult is about to lob butter, but is squashed, the squashed Kernel-pult will have a kernel in it instead of butter.
 * The Kernel-pult in the Nintendo DS version of the game has thicker eyebrows than in other versions.
 * The Kernel-pult the player uses seems to have a slim chance for it to lob butter, but the Kernel-pult in I, Zombie, has a greater chance to lob butter.
 * Kernel-pults seem to throw butter at stronger zombies more than weaker ones.
 * This is the only lobbed-shot plant in I, Zombie.
 * When choosing where to plant it in the Xbox Live Arcade version, butter can be seen in the basket.

Specific to Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time

 * Like Melon-pult and Cabbage-pult, Kernel-pult's basket has changed from the top of an acorn to a green cup-like basket.
 * The butter seems to get bigger after it is hurled.
 * The Kernel-pult is one of the four plants that can be used before their seed packet is obtained (excluding Piñata Party plants), the others being the Threepeater, the Coconut Cannon, and the Melon-pult.
 * Now the butter will be on the zombie's face instead of the head. Also, the butter now looks like a soap bar.
 * Kernel-pult and Seagull Zombie are required to earn the achievement Pat the Birdy.
 * Kernel-pult's butter can instantly kill Seagull Zombies and Zombie Parrots and make Swashbuckler Zombies fall into the ocean.
 * It is the only pult plant not to deal over ten damage during its Plant Food ability.
 * When Jetpack Zombie is buttered, it is still standing in mid-air.
 * So far, it is the only plant to be used in a boss level outside of the world the player gets it in. (the Zombot Dark Dragon battle, to be exact.)
 * After the 2.7.1 update, Kernel-pult can immobilize Pharaoh Zombie while it is still in its sarcophagus.