Kernel-pult

Kernel-pult is an offensive lobbed-shot plant appearing in both main series Plants vs. Zombies games. While it normally lobs kernels that deal one normal damage shot at a rate equal to Cabbage-pult, it has a 25% chance to fire a butter projectile that deals two normal damage shots to its target, as well as immobilizing the victim for a short period of time.

Origins
Kernel-pult is based on the crop maize, also known as corn. His name is a portmanteau of kernel, the term for a seed or grain of corn, and catapult, a ballistic device used to hurl larges stones for warfare purpose in ancient times.

Plants vs. Zombies
Kernel-pult is unlocked after completing Level 5-2. His butter attack can stun the target for 5 seconds. Two Kernel-pults placed adjacent to another horizontally can be upgraded into a Cob Cannon.

Plants vs. Zombies 2
Kernel-pult is obtained by finishing Pirate Seas - Day 1. Its butter effect can now stun zombies for 7.5 seconds, and can also instantly defeat the following zombies, regardless of health:
 * Seagull Zombie
 * Zombie Parrot
 * Bug Zombie (Adventurer Zombie will still be released)

Defeating a Seagull Zombie with Kernel-pult's butter will get the player the Pat the Birdy achievement.

In Plants vs. Zombies
Kernel-pult

Kernel-pults fling corn kernels and butter at zombies.

Damage: light (kernel), normal (butter)

Range: lobbed

Special: butter immobilizes zombies

Kernel-pult is the eldest of the Pult brothers. Of the three of them, Kernel is the only one who consistently remembers the others' birthdays. He bugs them about it a little, too.

Cost: 100

Recharge: fast

In Plants vs. Zombies 2
Sun cost: 100

DAMAGE: Light

RANGE: Lobbed

RECHARGE: Fast

Kernel-pult flings corn kernels and butter at zombies.

Damage Details: light (kernel), normal (butter)

Special: butter immobilizes zombies

While working as an usher at the local movieplex, he saw "Fried Green Tomatoes" and found his higher calling. He packed up his husks, his kernels, his butter, and enlisted.

Plant Food effect
When fed Plant Food, Kernel-pult hurls butter that hits every zombie and obstacle on-screen, dealing 2 normal damage shots and paralyzing them for 7.5 seconds.

Costumed
When given Plant Food, Kernel-pult shoots flaming butter which deals more damage.

Strategies
Kernel-pult is a rather fickle plant, as its performance is highly inconsistent and heavily dependent on the random number generator. While its damage per second potential is normally ranked amongst the lowest in the player's arsenal, its butter attack can prove to be highly devastating against high-health target, especially when Kernel-pult is aided by other more powerful offensive plants. Therefore, Kernel-pult will find most of its use as an early- to mid-game support plant to bolster others' performance, rather than a conventional offensive one.

Certain plants with limited attack radius, such as Spikerock, Spikeweed, Ghost Pepper, Lava Guava and Chomper (for inedible zombies) will benefit significantly from Kernel-pult. The latter's stunning effect can occasionally stun zombies and force them to stay on the former's attack range for a longer amount of time and allow the plants to deal more damage.

Plants vs. Zombies
Kernel-pult is highly important in the Roof levels, as the incline of the Roof will upset the firing of peas, spores, etc. It can also bypass Screen Door Zombies' and Ladder Zombies' shield and hurt them directly, as well as hit submerged Snorkel Zombies.

I, Zombie
Because of the inconsistency of butter throwing frequency, it is easy to misjudge the power of a Kernel-pult in I, Zombie. One Kernel-pult near the back could prove to be very hard to deal with, especially if Digger Zombies cannot eat it. Consider either doubling up zombies or using a stronger one (Football Zombie, Dancing Zombie, Buckethead Zombie) instead in rows with Kernel-pults. In rows with more than one Kernel-pult, Digger Zombies and Bungee Zombies should be considered, instead of a head-on assault.

Plants vs. Zombies 2
Kernel-pult has received a noticeable buff both in its offensive and supportive capability: Firstly, the butter's stunning duration has been effectively tripled due to the normal duration increase combined with the change in general gameplay, massively increasing Kernel-pult's support capability. Secondly, Kernel-pult can now also instantly kill several flying enemies, and will prove to be even more effective than other offensive plants at combating Zombie Parrots.

Kernel-pult's Plant Food ability reflects the plant's supportive nature, as while it does very low damage for a Plant Food effect, it can temporarily disable all enemies on the field. Therefore, it should only be used if the player needs more time to react, or when there are great amounts of Seagull Zombies, Bug Zombies and/or Zombie Parrots present on the screen. Compared to Iceberg Lettuce's Plant Food effect, Kernel-pult's can deal damage, affect flying threats and work in tandem with fire-based plants, but does not affect off-screen enemies and has a shorter stun time.

Aside from the enemies that can be instantly neutralized by butter, Kernel-pult can also prove to be particularly effective against the following targets:
 * Swashbuckler Zombie (kills it instantly only when it is raiding)
 * Pirate Captain Zombie (prevents it from releasing the Zombie Parrot to steal plants)
 * Chicken Wrangler Zombie and Weasel Hoarder (preventing them from releasing their Zombie Chickens and Ice Weasels, even if they are killed)
 * Disco-tron 3000 (prevents it from summoning Disco Jetpack Zombie)
 * Dodo Rider Zombie (will instantly make it drop from the sky)

Kernel-pult should not be used against zombies that can block or reflect lobbed shots, such as Shield Zombie, Jester Zombie and Parasol Zombie.

General

 * Kernel-pult is one of the five plants based on corn, the others being Kernel Corn, Popcorn-pult, Cob Cannon, and Popcorn.

Specific to Plants vs. Zombies

 * An eyebrow-less and catapult-less Kernel-pult could be seen in the Character Menu on the original official Plants vs. Zombies website.
 * In the old iPod Touch and iPhone versions of the game, there is also an image of an eyebrowless Kernel-pult on the seed packet. However, the actual Kernel-pult does have eyebrows. However, it still does not have them on the seed packet in the iPad version.
 * Like with other catapult plants, if a zombie is directly in front of a Kernel-pult, the kernel or butter will hit the zombie instantly instead of flying up in the air.
 * If a zombie has butter on his head while one enters the code "dance", it will not dance but instead pose in a frame of the dance until the butter wears off.
 * If a Kernel-pult is about to lob butter, but is squashed, the squashed Kernel-pult will have a kernel in it instead of butter.
 * When choosing where to plant Kernel-pult in the Xbox Live Arcade version, butter can be seen on its basket.

Specific to Plants vs. Zombies 2

 * After the 2.7.1 update, Kernel-pult can immobilize Pharaoh Zombie while in its sarcophagus.
 * However, this is still not the case in the Chinese Version.
 * In the Chinese version, if a zombie gets buttered, then a Cuke goes off, the zombie's head will float in mid-air, but the rest of the body will disappear.
 * Kernel-pult has the most used costumes in the entire game.
 * Fried Green Tomatoes, mentioned in its Almanac entry, is a movie about a housewife who is unhappy with her life, and she befriends an old lady who her tells her stories of people she used to know.
 * As stated in one of Kernel-pult's costumes, it's favorite color is red.

Specific to Plants vs. Zombies Online

 * It was formerly unlocked after beating Pirate Seas - Level 3-1.
 * The basket is now made of metal. It can also be customized to be other various things, such as a net or baseball glove.