Dodo Rider Zombie

Dodo Rider Zombie is a zombie introduced in Plants vs. Zombies 2 encountered in the Frostbite Caves. Dodo Rider Zombies can glide over sliders. The Dodo Rider Zombie will glide whenever it encounters certain plants, like Wall-nuts or Spikeweeds, or a slider. Otherwise, it will proceed normally. A Hurrikale or Blover can kill Dodo Rider Zombie instantly, as long as it is gliding, and a Hurrikale can kill it if it blows the Dodo Rider Zombie back onto a slider.

Description
The Dodo Rider Zombie is based on the Dodo bird or otherwise known by its scientific name, Raphus Cucullatus itself, an extinct type of bird that lived during the time period known as the Ice Age. In the game, Dodo Rider Zombie's feathers are colored completely in violet while the face and wings are yellow colored. Its feet are orange and the nails and beak are all black.

The Dodo is ridden by an Imp that wears a brown-colored sweater with gray fur linings, black gloves, and pants.

Almanac Entry
TOUGHNESS: Hardened SPEED: Creeper

Dodo bird with an imp rider. The dodo can flap and jump over barricades as well as troublesome plants.

Dodo Rider believes dodos are the future of transportation. He believes a public dodo-riding system is not only a wise expenditure of tax dollars but would help the vast majority of zombies get where they need to go more efficiently. Everyone keeps telling him there's no future in dodos, but he refuses to listen.

Overview
Dodo Rider Zombie absorbs 24.5 normal damage shots and degrades upon an absorption of 9 and 16 normal damage shots before dying at 24.5, and dies in a similar fashion to Zombie Parrots and Zombie Chickens. On land, it moves slightly faster. Small yellow spots appear on the dodo when it degrades.

Appearances
Player's House: Piñata Party

Frostbite Caves: Days 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and Icebound Battleground

General
Compared to Seagull Zombies, Jetpack Zombies, and Zombie Parrots, the Dodo Rider Zombie can bypass sliders. However, unlike the three previous zombies that fly, this one will land on the ground for countless times after gliding. Use a Blover or Hurrikale quickly, because Dodo Rider Zombies are a bit harder to blow away than Seagull Zombies. If paired with Hunter Zombies, Blockhead Zombies, Sloth Gargantuars, the Snowstorm ambush, and the frosty wind effect, they can cause massive mayhem on your defenses.

Guacodiles are good ideas to use against this zombie. It is recommended to plant a Guacodile on a tile where a Dodo Rider Zombie will land on so that it will start rushing immediately to kill the Dodo Rider Zombie and some zombies that are about to step on the sliders.

Magnifying Grasses can instantly kill this zombie as long as you have enough Sun. The use of the shot to destroy and Blover both cost 50 Sun to kill a Dodo Rider Zombie, though. Coconut Cannons and Banana Launchers are also very good ideas to destroy this zombie, but keep a Pepper-pult or Torchwood adjacent to them or you will risk having them being frozen before you tap on the Coconut Cannon to destroy Dodo Rider Zombies. It is recommended to have a Sweet Potato to do this though, along with a Hot Potato to prevent it from being frozen.

Split Peas and Starfruits are quite useful once the Dodo Rider Zombie has bypassed the sliders. This is to prevent them from approaching your house.

Trivia

 * In the almanac, the phrase "Everyone keeps telling him there's no future in dodos" is an allusion to their extinction in the year 1681 due to human hunting.
 * While gliding, Dodo Rider Zombies are slower. Also, when hit by butter thrown by Kernel-pult, they will land.
 * If they land (after getting hit by butter) on a slider, they will change lanes, then will be paralyzed.
 * Dodos will try to glide over Spikeweeds and Spikerocks, but if they rest, they will take damage.
 * It is one of the few zombies to vocalize, saying "Whoop" when walking on land once every second. It also makes a specific sound before entering the lawn.
 * Its rider is the only zombie riding another that does not appear separately in the whole franchise.
 * The dodo is the fourth bird in the series while the others being Seagull, Zombie Parrot, and Zombie Chicken.
 * Out of these it is the only one that is extinct.
 * The Imp disappears when this zombie is killed. Also, like the Seagull Zombie, the Imp does not lose its arm or its head when it is damaged because it does not have a degrade form.
 * If Dodo Rider Zombie is hypnotized and the dodo starts gliding, the dodo will not land. It will keep gliding to the right, and eventually go off screen.
 * Electrocuting a Dodo Rider Zombie will make the player see the Imp and the Dodo share a bone.
 * This proves that both the Imp and the Dodo do not have skulls.
 * This might be the reason why it cannot release its Imp.
 * The Imp Rider is the second type of Imp that cannot be faced on its own, the first being the Announcer Imp.
 * When dying, it releases its feathers, similar to the Zombie Parrot and the Zombie Chicken.
 * Before it dies from Chili Bean, it will look behind itself, then blow up into feathers.
 * If it eats a Chili Bean, it sometimes does not release gas.
 * It is the second zombie whose almanac stats were changed, with the first being Pharaoh Zombie.

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