Explorer Zombie


 * For the Chinese variant, see Torch Kung-Fu Zombie or Torch Monk Zombie.


 * For the forms in Plants vs. Zombies: All Stars, see Explorer Zombie (PvZ: AS) or Torch Kung-Fu Zombie (PvZ:AS).

Explorer Zombie is a zombie in Plants vs. Zombies 2, and Plants vs. Zombies Online. He is the third zombie to be encountered in Ancient Egypt. He holds a torch that burns any plant upon contact. He moves slightly faster than regular zombies. Iceberg Lettuces, Snow Peas, Winter Melons, Hurrikales, Freeze Mushrooms, Power Snow, and Cold Snapdragon can extinguish the torch. However, fire plants can relight it.

Description
He wears a pith helmet and a pair of pince-nez eyeglasses (the left lens is visibly cracked.) He has a red mustache and sideburns that wrap around his head and he holds a torch that eliminates any plant that get in his way until it is extinguished. Explorer Zombie wears a camper's attire that is composed of a yellow handkerchief that is tied similarly to how a person is being signified as a Boy Scout. The sleeves are totally torn as the right sleeve appears to have been cut by scissors and the left one appears to have been soaked in sweat as the edge appears to be more brown. The back is also torn, exposing a portion of his skin. He wears a light red colored belt and dark green cargo shorts. Finally, he wears brown colored boots for his footwear.

Almanac entry
TOUGHNESS: Solid SPEED: Hungry

Carries a torch that can instantly destroy your plants.

Special: torch destroys plant on contact Weakness: cold attacks extinguish torch

His impressive friendly mutton chops has always kept food in them for weeks, making sure his explorations are filled with snacks.

Overview
Explorer Zombie absorbs exactly 11.75 normal damage shots. Its appearance changes upon absorbing 6 normal damage shots before dying at 11.75 normal damage shots.

Encounters
Player's House: Piñata Party

Ancient Egypt: Days 9, 17, 19, 20, 24, 25, Pyramid of Doom, Freeze 'Em and "Beghouled Blitz" Epic Quest - Step 1

Dark Ages: Piñata Party

Modern Day: Days 2, 9, 31, 32, and Highway to the Danger Room (portal only)

Strategies
Alone, this zombie does not pose much of a threat. However, this zombie is very dangerous in huge waves, especially if they are protected by Buckethead Mummies, Pharaoh Zombies, or Mummified Gargantuars. If you are going to use Iceberg Lettuce, Winter Melon, Snow Pea, or Hurrikale, remember that Snapdragons, Torchwoods, and Pepper-pults can relight his torch. Wall-nuts, Tall-nuts, and Infi-nuts are useless against them, as they simply burns them, even if they have been upgraded by Plant Food. In the worst case scenario, using two Plant Foods on a Cabbage-pult will kill every Explorer Zombie on the screen and deal damage to other zombies. Iceberg Lettuce's Plant Food upgrade is a good method, especially on Ancient Egypt - Day 20, as it extinguishes all torches on the game screen.

Using Snapdragons in the same lane (or in the upper or lower lane) against Explorer Zombies is a very bad idea, since the Snapdragon's attack is close-ranged, meaning he will not have enough time to damage the zombie before it is burned or out of the range. Additionally, Snapdragons can unfreeze him and relight his torch.

Trivia

 * If Explorer Zombie meets an unarmed Potato Mine with his torch still alight, he will walk past it without burning it. Otherwise, he dies.
 * If timed correctly, Explorer Zombie will not burn the plant when relighting his torch but will eat the plant close to him instead.
 * Explorer Zombie, Zombie Parrot, Glitter Zombie (during the Pop jam) and Gargantuar are the only zombies in Plants vs. Zombies 2 that can take down a Tall-nut and Infi-nut immediately.
 * However, in the case of Gargantuar, if Tall-nut (or Wall-nut for that matter) is fed with Plant Food, it will take another smash in order to kill it, yet Gargantuar Prime can overkill it by smashing it twice.
 * If Explorer Zombie is buttered, his flame will freeze, but still be lit.
 * If the player extinguishes the torch, he or she will get the achievement, No Smoking.
 * Explorer Zombie is the only zombie to not have Pirate or Cowboy variants, but has a Chinese variant.
 * His torch will be immediately extinguished at the moment of his death.
 * Explorer Zombie cannot burn Infi-nut's force field. It will, however, chew it from a space away if his torch is still lit.
 * Explorer Zombie cannot eat hypnotized zombies or Pepper-pult.
 * Explorer Zombie is the only entirely paradoxical zombie in Plants vs. Zombies 2, because he appears in Ancient Egypt, more than 2000 years before the first Explorers appeared.
 * Explorer Zombies can use Sandstorms, but only during Piñata Parties.
 * He can burn Torchwood, despite the fact that the Torchwood does not burn itself.
 * Besides Dr. Zomboss, Explorer Zombie is the only Ancient Egypt zombie that is not mummified.
 * He is an archaeologist, yet he can also be counted as an Egyptologist.
 * After the 2.7 update, he cannot burn instant-kill plants.
 * He can burn Guacodile in its idle position and Lava Guava before it explodes.