Hunter Zombie

Hunter Zombie is the fifth zombie encountered in Frostbite Caves in Plants vs. Zombies 2. He throws chilling snowballs at the player's plants, freezing them in frozen blocks after three hits, with the exception of Pepper-pult, Fire Peashooter, Torchwood, Lava Guava, Jack O' Lantern, Wasabi Whip and Cold Snapdragon. After shooting, he will continue moving towards the player's house, and then repeat the process again and again if there is any plant in front of him, as long as it is not a low plant like Spikeweed. Hunter Zombie cannot throw snowballs at plants behind a frozen plant, but he can throw snowballs if the plants are behind a frozen zombie. He is an environment modifier.

Almanac entry
TOUGHNESS: Hardened SPEED: Creeper

Zombie that can throw snow balls at range to cool down plants until they freeze into blocks.

Shhhhh ... Hunter Zombie didn't actually kill that sabertooth tiger. He found the skin at a thrift store. Also, he's a vegetarian. Tell no one.

Overview
Hunter Zombie absorbs 33.5 normal damage shots. His appearance changes upon absorbing 17 normal damage shots before dying at 33.5 normal damage shots.

Encounters
Player's House: Piñata Party

Far Future: Piñata Party

Frostbite Caves: Days 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, Icebound Battleground, "Rescue the Gold Bloom" Epic Quest - Step 3, and Piñata Party

Modern Day: Days 9, 10, and 34

Strategies
This is a dangerous zombie, especially since Hunter Zombies come in groups in later levels (and in Icebound Battleground). He uses his disadvantage, which is his speed, as an advantage against your defenses. This allows him to "hide" behind other, stronger zombies, protecting him from damage while he freezes your plants. Therefore, thawing plants are vital to prevent these zombies from overrunning your defenses. Kill him quickly, as he can freeze the frontmost plants. This could result in the plants being frozen and many other zombies passing through frozen plants causing either your brains to be eaten or you having to use countless coins to thaw plants. These zombies are especially deadly if the first plant in the Hunter Zombie's row is not protected by a Pepper-pult or is crucial to your setup (e.g. a Chard Guard planted to prevent zombies from using a slider). When combined with the freezing winds of the Frostbite Caves, this zombie can cause entire swaths of plants to be frozen and disabled.

You can use Guacodiles against this zombie. However, you need at least two Guacodiles to do this. It is crucial that you plant the Guacodiles close to a Hunter Zombie, as if you do not, the Hunter Zombie may freeze it.

Among the introduced plants in Frostbite Caves, use the Pepper-pult or Fire Peashooter and Hot Potato against this zombie, as they are immune to snowballs. You can also use Pepper-pult to deal splash damage against him. Placing the Pepper-pult at the front of your defenses is a smart idea, as it blocks everything behind it from being frozen by Hunter Zombies, this idea you can also apply it with Fire Peashooters. When in a pinch, use Plant Food on the Pepper-pult. Napalm Torchwoods and peashooting plants like the Split Pea and the Repeater can do fast and high damage to this zombie. Lava Guavas are also effective against this zombie. Since Lava Guavas are immune to their snowballs and can cause much damage to the zombies that are behind the Hunter Zombie.

Cold Snapdragon, despite not being a thawing plant, is immune to the snowballs thrown by the zombie. Placing them in front will also render their snowballs useless and protect the plants behind.

If you are going to beat this zombie without his weaknesses, it is recommended to use Plant Food on an Infi-nut. Its barriers can block snowballs from hitting your plants, similar to how it can stop the Fisherman Zombies from pulling plants. If you are playing Icebound Battleground, try to have it boosted in the Zen Garden so that none of your plants will get frozen. Also, you can stall the zombie by placing a Wall-nut or Tall-nut in front of him.

Trivia

 * Even if the plant in front of him is already frozen, he will continue to throw snowballs at the damaged frozen block to regenerate his health.
 * He is the fourth zombie in Plants vs. Zombies 2 that possesses an ability to disable plants. The other three are Wizard Zombie, Archmage Zombie, and Octo Zombie.
 * He is also the only one of the four that can eat plants (not including Infi-nut's barrier, Lily Pads, and hypnotized zombies).
 * He is also the only one of the four that needs multiple hits on the plant.
 * If one looks closely under his saber-tooth tiger skin, he has the same forehead that most of the Frostbite Caves zombies have.
 * If Hunter Zombie is hypnotized by a Hypno-shroom, he will still throw his snowballs to the left, and will still hit plants. This trait is shared with the Peashooter Zombie and Gatling Pea Zombie.
 * When throwing a snowball, his right arm gets separated from his body.
 * He throws snowballs four squares away from the plant.
 * It used to be three squares away.
 * According to Hunter Zombie's Almanac entry, he is a vegetarian. However, he will still attempt to eat the player's brains.
 * He is the second zombie who does not eat meat, first one being Pumpkin Browncoat.