Dark Ages


 * For the Chinese version, see Dark Ages (Chinese version).

Dark Ages is the fifth world in Plants vs. Zombies 2. It is the first world in Plants vs. Zombies 2 to be in a night time setting. The mushrooms make their debut here.

As it namesake says, Dark Ages takes during the tenth century where culture and economy slowly deteriorates mankind that follows the decline of the Roman Empire. Also, the use of Black Magic like Necromancy became the center of usage for evil purposes.

Like in Ancient Egypt, tombstones appear in Dark Ages. However, they can now occasionally spawn by themselves and summon zombies through an ambush called "Necromancy!". Certain tombstones marked with a sun or Plant Food icon reward players with sun (100 sun) and Plant Food when destroyed, respectively. Sun does not fall from the sky in Dark Ages as it is set during the night. If a grave spawns where there is a plant, that plant and all plants in front or behind it will move forward one column. Sunflowers and Twin Sunflowers still do produce Sun in these levels, but it is still recommended to use Sun-shrooms due to their lower cost.

Game description
''Bring out your undead to the year 948! Harvest mushrooms in the dark of knight and get medieval on zombies from the days of yore!''

Order of events
The player uses a World Key, giving them access to the Dark Ages, when the player defeats Night 9's wave, a medieval scroll is shown, saying "By decree of Lord Zomboss: Please leave your brain on your stoop". On the tenth night, Dr. Zomboss writes a note before the huge wave attacks. The wave with the Dark Ages Gargantuar is defeated, leaving a World Key behind. On the twentieth night, Zomboss reveals that Plant Food is made out of zombies before attacking the player in his Zombot Dark Dragon, when the Zombot is destroyed, Penny reveals that Plant Food contains no zombies or zombie byproducts, Zomboss then retreats.

Levels
There is a total of 19 levels and 1 boss battle to play as well as introducing five new plants (four were returned) and eleven new zombies.

Main levels
+ The plant next to it is boosted, even if the player does not have it boosted.


 * Prizes that are not money bags are unlocked only for the first time.

Goals for success
These levels' layouts are same as their original ones. One or two mission objectives are added. The player needs to complete all the missions; however, failure to do so will force the player to restart the level. Meeting all the criteria in a level will award the player either a costume, new plant, or money and will proceed to the next level.

Night 6 Night 8 Night 9 Night 10 Night 12 Night 14 Night 15 Night 17 Night 18 Night 19
 * Plan your defense and defeat the zombies
 * Survive the zombie attack with the given plants
 * Survive while evil potions boost zombies
 * Survive a massive attack in the Dark Ages
 * Survive without any lawn mowers
 * Survive and keep the Puff-shrooms alive
 * Produce at least 5000 sun
 * Plan your defense and defeat the zombies
 * Survive while evil potions boost zombies
 * Survive the zombie attack with the given plants
 * Survive and protect the endangered plants

Dark Alchemy
Dark Alchemy is Dark Ages's exclusive Brain Buster. These levels layouts are exactly the same as the normal levels, but potions will rise from the ground over time and boost zombies if they're stepped on. The potions will bring different effects to the zombies such as increasing their health and speed. While they are being vested by speed and strength boost, the zombies also grow big.

Arthur's Challenge
Arthur's Challenge is Dark Ages' Endless Zone. Grave Buster is exclusive to this and Pyramid of Doom. This Endless Zone is very difficult as Winter Melons and other strong plants will be useless against Gargantuars because of Jester Zombies. The former combined with Zombie Kings, Knight Zombies, and Wizard Zombies further add to this Endless Zone's difficulty.

Zombot Dark Dragon
Zombot Dark Dragon is the boss of Dark Ages and is encountered at the final level. It can shoot fireballs that can hatch Imp Dragon Zombies and those fireballs can also damage plants and zombies. The fireballs also create scorched tiles that cannot be planted on. Fortunately, they only last for a few seconds.

Walkthrough

 * See Dark Ages/Walkthrough.

Trivia

 * All Dark Ages plants are in the preview, plus Pea-nut, which is a premium plant.
 * While Pea-nut is not unlocked in the world it is featured in several levels with pre-selected plants.
 * Dark Ages was the first world to be released in parts.
 * Dark Ages, Pirate Seas, Frostbite Caves, and Big Wave Beach are currently the only worlds that contain zombies that do not move, which are Zombie King, Imp Cannon, Fisherman Zombie, and Zombot Tuskmaster 10,000 BC.
 * It is the only area in the whole series that introduces two sun-producing plants.
 * Dark Ages, Player's House, Big Wave Beach, Frostbite Caves, and Lost City are currently the only areas that have no upgrades.
 * Sun Bean is the only non-mushroom plant obtainable in this world which is also the only non-returning plant in this world.
 * It is also the only plant from Dark Ages without a hyphen.
 * The Necromancy ambush is a reference to the magic of communicating with the dead, coming from the Greek words nekros meaning "dead body" and manteia meaning "prophecy".
 * Dark Alchemy refers to how alchemy was used for evil purposes.
 * On the little river in front of the zombies' castle, there is an array of Lily Pads.
 * Left to the zombies' castle, there is a sword that's stuck in a rock. It is a reference to Arthur's Challenge and Excalibur, a legendary sword with mystic powers. It would proclaim the one who pulled it out of the rock the king of England.
 * In the front of Dark Ages Player's House, there is a present day mailbox.
 * The drawbridge on the castle is opening into nothing.
 * It is the second world to have a background that is always animated, the first being Pirate Seas.
 * The player's house in this world has a weather vane with a Peashooter's head.
 * Dark Ages' main theme music is similar to Moongrains and Zen Garden, the Brainiac Maniac (Demonstration Mini-Game) and Ultimate Battle has slight touch to Ancient Egypt and Pirate Seas with Medieval-styled drumbeats and effects remix along with Tambourines and Epic Soundfont.
 * Dark Ages Zombie growls have Ancient Egypt and Pirate Seas mashed up growls.
 * Like Weapon Stands from Kung-Fu World, tombstones grow from the ground at times, even on squares occupied by plants. If this happens, the plant will be tossed away or forward one square but unlike the Weapon Stands, they cannot make the plants fly off-screen upon doing so. Sometimes, When the tombstones rise, the plants will disappear.
 * Before Part 2 was released, the Imps on the logs over Night 11 seemed to be loafing, slacking, and playing around. One of them is even lunching a sandwich with brains. The other just holds a wrench.
 * The same Imps appeared for all worlds following Dark Ages before their respective second parts were released.
 * The sky on the world map is a purple color compared to the faded blue of daytime maps. However, a glitch in the update makes the map sky turn blue when loading up the game. To fix this, just leave and come back.
 * It is currently the shortest world in the game with only 20 levels, unless Player's House is included.
 * Penny states that a plague recently swept the area, a reference to the black plague. The Wizard Zombie also alludes the plague, since its legs are bandaged.
 * After Dark Ages - Night 10, the map changes to a castle design, but the lawn does not.
 * This trait is shared also in Big Wave Beach and Frostbite Caves.
 * It is the first world in the international version of the game to introduce two new Imp variations: the Imp Monk Zombie and Imp Dragon Zombie. However, if counting the Announcer Imp, that makes three variations.
 * Kung-Fu World and Lost City also share this similarity.
 * The player can see part of a stone wall in its map before Night 10.
 * There is a moon in the background of the castle with a face possibly referencing the moon from Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
 * While not originally present in the world selection screen, said moon has been later added into the world selection screen as of 3.6.1 update.
 * Because of that, Lost City is currently the only world that has no zombie face in the world selection screen.
 * The torch near the castle started burning after the 2.7.1 update.
 * In the preview screen, the player can see the Zombot Dark Dragon coming out of the castle door. This is the only time when a player can see an extended part of its body that is not usually visible during the fight.
 * According to the beta screenshots, Dark Ages' lawn was planned to be colored purple and be much brighter.
 * Fire Peashooter was originally going to be released in this world.
 * Dark Ages, Far Future, Big Wave Beach, Lost City and Neon Mixtape Tour are currently the only worlds that do not introduce pult plants.
 * However, Lost City and Neon Mixtape Tour introduce lobbed-shot plants.
 * This and Neon Mixtape Tour are the only two part worlds to not have two plants only in Part 2.
 * This is the only world to introduce a new zombie (Imp Dragon Zombie) solely in a boss level and Endless Zone.

Dev Diaries
What's your favorite Dark Ages plant? Puff-shroom Sun-shroom Fume-shroom Sun Bean Magnet-shroom