Octo Zombie


 * For the version in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes, see Octo Zombie (PvZH).

Octo Zombie is the twelfth zombie encountered in Big Wave Beach and an environment modifier in Plants vs. Zombies 2. He can throw octopi at plants to disable them. The octopi will occupy the tile until they are destroyed. He prioritizes the plants in his lane, and then moves on to the ones in other lanes. If there are no plants to bind, he will then proceed to the player's house.

Description
Octo Zombie has five octopi strapped on to different parts of his body. The first one is a large, blue octopus on his head, next on his shoulder is an big orange one. The orange octopus is attached to his shoulder and it covers his chest with its two tentacles, with the third tentacle wrapping up the arm of Octo Zombie, and its remaining tentacles on his back. The third one is a pink-colored octopus, found on his left wrist, entangled, while the fourth one is a violet-colored octopus strapped on to his right wrist. Finally, the fifth octopus flashes a vibrant orange like color that entangles the left leg of Octo Zombie. The blue-colored octopus on Octo Zombie's head has eight white circles on it. Both of its eyes move in different directions as seen in his in-game renders. Octo Zombie also is a muscular type of zombie as he has slight muscles and abs showing on his body. He simply wears an orange brief-shaped swimming trunks with black colors for design.

Overview
Octo Zombie absorbs 870 damage per shot before its head falls off and stops attacking. He degrades upon absorbing 440 normal damage shots before dying at 870 normal damage shots. An octopus absorbs 420 damage per shot and does not degrade.

Encounters
Player's House: Piñata Party

Big Wave Beach: Days 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, Tiki Torch-er, and "Beghouled Blitz" Epic Quest - Step 3

Jurassic Marsh: "Rescue the Gold Bloom" Epic Quest - Step 10

Modern Day: Days 2, 7, 19, 21, 23, 33 and Highway to the Danger Room (portal only)

Battlez: Gold Bloom's Garden Party Tournament

General
Octo Zombie is a very dangerous and difficult zombie, especially if many come in groups. He also uses his disadvantage, which is his speed, to his advantage in order to keep on bombarding your plants with octopi, ensuring that faster zombies, such as Surfer Zombies or Deep Sea Gargantuars, absorb all of your offensive plants' projectiles, like Wizard Zombie. Keep in mind that he targets plants in his lane first. Therefore, instant-kill plants such as Cherry Bombs or Tangle Kelp are more likely vital for stopping them from binding plants. Using a Kernel-pult may also help. Using Plant Food on it will ensure he gets buttered. Kill him quickly, as he can bind up an unlimited number of plants. This could result in all plants being bound up and lead to you using tons of coins for Power Ups and Plant Food to kill the Octo Zombie and remove the octopi. If possible, keep all your instant kill plants at your disposal. This zombie can be a major pain when he is combined with Fisherman Zombies, Surfer Zombies, and Deep Sea Gargantuars. This zombie should be killed with as few octopi thrown as possible; without plants that can shoot anywhere on the lawn or backwards, you are going to have a very difficult time clearing the octopi and defending your house. If none of the above techniques work correctly, resort to Power Ups.

Of all the types of plants, Magnifying Grass can kill him the fastest with two shots, costing 100 sun, and is useful for freeing other bound plants. However, sun can be in short supply in the levels this zombie appears in, especially if other zombies get in the way. If this happens, use an instant kill on him quickly before he ensnares too many plants. Split Pea and Bonk Choy are useful for both attacking the Octo Zombie from behind (he cannot bind plants behind him) as well as clearing out octopi. A group of Snapdragons or Cold Snapdragons can destroy bound octopi around themselves quickly, and more can be planted to flank Octo Zombies from their sides.

Of the plants introduced in Big Wave Beach, Tangle Kelp and Banana Launcher are most effective. Banana Launcher can kill one or more Octo Zombies in one blast no matter where they are, making it especially useful if he appears in ambushes, as well as destroy bound octopi and zombies trying to pass through at the same time.

Starfruit, Rotobaga and Phat Beet are also useful against Octo Zombies; a lawn full of Starfruits, Rotobagas, or Phat Beets can easily get rid of octopi thrown due to their rapid, multi-directional attacks.

Since Octo Zombie always targets the plant in the lead position first, you can stall him by planting sacrificial plants in the front when he appears, such as Puff-shrooms or even extra Sunflowers or Sun-shrooms. You can also dig up a plant that is about to get hit with an octopus, causing Octo Zombie to miss and waste an attack; this can be looped using plants with fast recharge times like Puff-shrooms. Like Wizard Zombie, he will retaliate against plants he encounters within biting range with an immediate octopus binding, but he will otherwise stop to eat anything he cannot bind, such as Lily Pads in his way, or Infi-nut's Plant Food effect. Iceberg Lettuce cannot be bound by octopi and simply freezes the zombie upon contact.

Toadstool or Chomper can destroy octopi without chewing, making them an ideal counter, though they should be dug up or fed with Plant Food if either of them eat a zombie.

Hot Potato can remove an octopus where she is planted, when she is up to level 5. If you are in trouble dealing with octopi, melt one of them to earn some time.

Tiki Torch-er
Octo Zombies, along with Deep Sea Gargantuars and Fisherman Zombies, are very dangerous when in large numbers. However, unlike Pirate Captain Zombies, Octo Zombies cannot use their abilities off the game's screen, making this zombie easier to deal with. This zombie is especially deadly when paired with Fisherman Zombies and Surfer Zombies. You will need to have powerful plants like Ghost Pepper at your disposal to prevent these zombies from eating your brains.

Trivia

 * His character design seems to have been inspired by two beach-themed references.
 * His physique and leopard-print swimming trucks is based on 1950's bodybuilder Charles Atlas, especially his appearance in his famous comic strip advert "The Insult That Made a Man out of Mac."
 * Octopi are a common trope in beach-themed cartoons and comics, especially in the 20th century, as either antagonists or as a visual gag in where a character becomes entangled in one and struggles to get free.
 * So far, he is the only zombie without visible eyes, as the blue octopus covers them.
 * It is also the only octopus that has moving pupils.
 * He is similar to Wizard Zombie as both can immobilize the player's plants. Unlike the sheep that the Wizard Zombies use, the octopi can be destroyed. But the octopi will not revert into plants when the Octo Zombie dies.
 * Octopi can bind up Tall-nuts, despite them being bigger than the octopus.
 * The dying animation of the octopi is very similar to the sheep, as they both seem to "poof" when they disappear.
 * After an octopus is destroyed, it will turn into what appears to be an octopus sushi.
 * This is similar to Zombie Chicken's death animation, as it appears to transform into a bucket of fried chicken.
 * The sushi may also be calamari.
 * The sushi looks similar to the sushi that Wasabi Whip cuddles in its Zen Garden animation.
 * Despite having different colored octopi strapped to his body, this zombie will always throw the orange one.
 * Also, despite his animation showing only one orange octopus on his shoulder, he can throw an unlimited amount of octopi, binding an unlimited amount of plants, actually 45 since that is the highest amount of plants on the field.
 * Just as he throws the orange octopus, another one will grow back.
 * He shares his animations with Troglobite, Arcade Zombie, Jurassic Bully, Jurassic Rockpuncher and All-Star Zombie.
 * Additionally, each of them have the longest dying animation.
 * Also, Octo Zombie, Troglobite, Arcade Zombie and Jurassic Bully use the same zombie model. However, Octo Zombie and Troglobite are encountered on Day 17 in their respective worlds, while Arcade Zombie and Jurassic Bully are encountered on Day 21 of their respective worlds. In fact, Octo Zombie's connection with Troglobite is referenced in the latter's Almanac entry. It is unknown whether there is a connection of Octo Zombie and Troglobite with Arcade Zombie and Jurassic Bully.
 * The only things Octo Zombie eats are Lily Pads, Infi-nut's and Moonflower's barrier, the player's brains, and hypnotized zombies.
 * Similar to Pianist Zombie, his toughness is listed as Hardened in his Almanac entry, but it is actually Dense.
 * Despite the fact that the octopi can be destroyed, it cannot be blown away in midair by Blover
 * If the player dig ups a plant before an octopus covers it, the octopus will disappear without binding anything.
 * Octopi will not survive underwater when being indirectly moved by Fisherman Zombie, despite being aquatic animals.
 * However, the octopi will survive in water if it is binding an aquatic plant, like Guacodile or Tangle Kelp.
 * When his octopus is on a Lily Pad that is eaten by the zombies, the octopus will disappear and the bound plant will disappear as well.
 * If there is an octopus behind an Infi-nut's force field, when a Surfer Zombie uses his surfboard to crush, both the octopus and the bound plant will be killed.
 * In the soft release of the 3.0.1 update, Octo Zombie absorbed 24 normal damage shots, and the octopi absorbed 16 normal damage shots. After the soft release, the Octo Zombie absorbs 44 normal damage shots and the octopi absorb 21 normal damage shots.
 * Octo Zombie was featured on the 3.0 update's icon.
 * As of the 4.1.1 update, Octo Zombie (along with Troglobite, Arcade Zombie, Jurassic Bully and All-Star Zombie) has a unique burnt and zapped animation.
 * As of the 3.8.1 update, he can no longer throw octopi when outside the lawn.
 * He can still throw octopi off screen in the current version of the Chinese version.
 * An Octo Zombie shrunken by Shrinking Violet will still throw normal-sized octopi.
 * Octopi, Dodo Rider Zombie and dinosaurs are the only living creatures in the whole game. Any other animal, like the Zombie Parrot or Zombie Bull, are either zombies or robots.
 * This does not factor in the seagull and pelican that carries Seagull Zombie, Pelican Zombie respectively.