Wizard Zombie

The Wizard Zombie is a zombie encountered in Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time. It uses Black Magic to transform plants into sheep. It is the ninth zombie that is encountered in Dark Ages. If there are no plants nearby, it will then proceed to the Player's House.

Almanac Entry
TOUGHNESS:  Protected

SPEED:  Creeper

Transforms plants into passive sheep.

All the zombies agree, Wizard Zombie's powers of transmutation are impressive. But what they don't get is ... why sheep? Everyone knows it would be more helpful if the Wizard used his powers to turn plants into, say, more zombies. But yeah, no one is going to say that to his face.

Overview
Wizard Zombie absorbs 24 normal damage shots and its appearance changes at 12 normal damage shots before dying at 24 normal damage shots.

Appearances
Dark Ages: Night 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and  Arthur's Challenge.

Strategies
This is a very dangerous zombie if many Wizard Zombies come in groups. Unfortunately, this zombie does not have a weakness. Therefore an instant-kill plant is the only way to stop them from transforming plants. Do not let it live on, as it can transform an unlimited number of plants. This could result in all plants being transformed into sheep and lead to the player losing the level. To make its special ability useless, keep planting more plants until it dies. But the only plant that doesn't have problem against it, it is the Split Pea as the Wizard Zombie can't transform plants backwards, so it is a good idea to have it boosted for Arthur's Challenge's levels.

Note: The Wizard Zombie never eats plants, meaning Hypno-shrooms and Chili Beans are totally useless against it. Boosting Iceberg Lettuce will also help you halt a horde of Wizard Zombies. Use it instead.

Wizard Zombies and Dark Ages Gargantuars are considered to be very dangerous in the Arthur's Challenge and are very troublesome to your plants. While the Dark Ages Gargantuar crushes your plants, the Wizard Zombie turns all your plants into sheep. You must have Cherry Bomb and Iceberg Lettuce for your disposal to prevent this from happening. Otherwise, you will risk spending coins on Plant Food or Power Ups. Combining these with Jester Zombies can cause you a lot of troublesome.

Trivia

 * This is the only zombie that can transform a plant through magic.
 * When it lifts up its rod it groans heavily even though it has no lungs.
 * It plays a sound as it is about to transform a plant into sheep.
 * If a plant is right in front of it, it will just turn it into sheep instead of eating it.
 * Before the release of the 2.3 update, the Wizard Zombie was going to shoot projectiles at the plants, just killing them, but as of the 2.3 update, its ability is to turn plants into sheep. The deflecting part was then bestowed to the Jester Zombie.
 * This zombie, the Camel Zombies, and the Pianist Zombie are the only zombies that have creeper speed, which means they are the slowest zombies in Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time.
 * It has the legs of a Mummy Zombie. This is because in medieval times, people would bandage their limbs to protect themselves from the plague. However, it is unusual that none of the other zombies have bandaged up limbs.
 * The sheep does not eat plants, they just block a tile for planting. However the sheep will turn back into plants when the Wizard Zombie is killed. The sheep cannot be dug by using the shovel, but they will not be eaten by any zombie.
 * Transforming plants will not be counted as losing plants.
 * Its magic may sometimes save your endangered plant. Transforming "sheep" plant promptly becomes invulnerable and cannot be eaten by other zombies. It only lasts until the Wizard Zombie dies, though.
 * The only thing it eats is Infi-nut's plant food barrier. All other plants are transformed into sheep and it also eats hypnotized zombies.
 * When Magnet-shroom attracts a bucket or knight helmet and then is transformed into sheep, the sheep looks like it is wearing a bucket or knight helmet.
 * Sheep will not be tossed by graves, meaning it will still stand on them.
 * The Wizard Zombie resembles Gandalf the Grey from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit as both are wizards and have similar appearances and scepters.
 * When a Wizard Zombie is about to turn a Power Lily into a sheep, it will give the player Plant Food before being turned into one. When that Wizard Zombie is killed, the sheep will turn back into a Power Lily and will give the player another Plant Food.
 * Plants given Plant Food can't be transformed by it.
 * There is a glitch were if the Wizard Zombie is eating a plant, and is missing an arm, it's hand from the missing arm will still be visible while eating, resulting in a floating hand!