Jester Zombie


 * For the version in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes, see Jester.

Jester Zombie is the fifth zombie encountered in Dark Ages in Plants vs. Zombies 2. He has the ability to reflect physical projectiles such as peas, lobbed-shots, coconuts, plasma balls, bulbs, and many others. He is known as the Dark Ages counterpart of Hammer Zombie and Nunchaku Zombie, but being more powerful than both of them as he can deflect lobbed-shots and can deflect anytime.

However, there are projectiles that the Hammer Zombie can deflect but the Jester Zombie can't, such as Iceberg Lettuce's projectiles (if the plant is leveled up), Oak Archer's arrows and Acid Lemon's droplets (only applicable in the Chinese version, also can be deflected by the Nunchaku Zombie). To defeat him, the player must use area-of-effect plants, instant-kill plants, or splash damage plants.

Description
Jester Zombie wears a brown-colored eccentric jester hat with yellow circles serving as tips. The left portion of the eccentric hat is bent downwards, the right one is slightly bent down, and finally the back one upward. The eccentric hat he wears extends up to his neck. His attire presents a simultaneous shift of two colors, blue and yellow to be specific. Jester Zombie is also cross-eyed since the right eye looks at the upper left while the left one looks downward.

The left sleeve of Jester Zombie is colored in blue that extends only up to the left wrist as it is tattered while the right is yellow and is purely intact. The chest portion presents a vertical placing of colors in a simultaneous manner also with two red buttocks attached to the middle portion of it and a red colored strap is attached to his tummy line.

The pants, much like the sleeves of his torso counterpart also presents the same designing of colors. However, the yellow color is now on the left side and blue on the right. The pants are torn up since the right leg only extends up to his thigh while on his left leg has only the knee portion of it torn up. Finally, the shoes he wears also present the same color with his eccentric hat especially the circular portion that serves as tips.

Jester Zombie is dressed as a chef in the Food Fight parties. He wears a white toque, white double-breasted jacket, and a gray colored checkered pants. He holds a frying pan with brains on it in his right hand and a dish that contains rice, chicken, and vegetables that is ready to serve in his left hand. For his footwear, he simply wears a pair of brown leather shoes.

Jester Zombie is dressed like a birthday clown, complete with a cupcake hat and cake in the Birthdayz event.

Jester Zombie can deflect projectiles shot by these plants:


 * Peashooter
 * Cabbage-pult
 * Bloomerang (foward)
 * Repeater
 * Snow Pea
 * Kernel-pult
 * Coconut Cannon
 * Threepeater
 * Split Pea (forward)
 * Pea Pod
 * Melon-pult
 * Winter Melon
 * Citron
 * Starfruit (northeast and southeast)


 * Puff-shroom
 * Pea-nut
 * Magnet-shroom (Plant Food)
 * Bowling Bulb
 * Homing Thistle
 * Guacodile
 * Pepper-pult
 * Fire Peashooter
 * Rotobaga
 * Red Stinger
 * A.K.E.E.
 * Strawburst (small berry)
 * Cactus (spike)
 * Spore-shroom


 * Grapeshot (grapes)
 * Primal Peashooter
 * Nightshade (powered)
 * Blooming Heart
 * Dusk Lobber
 * Apple Mortar

Almanac entry
TOUGHNESS:  Protected

SPEED:  Hungry

Returns projectiles that are shot at him.

Oh sure, everyone loves to laugh at Jester Zombie's clownish routines. But what no one knows is that he has a Master of Fine Arts from the Chewliard Performing Arts School. Heck, he's been on stage with some of the finest classical theatre companies this side of the lawn. But sometimes you just gotta go where the paycheck is.

Encounters
Player's House: Piñata Party

Wild West: Piñata Party

Dark Ages: Nights 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (pre 2.7), 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, Arthur's Challenge, "Rescue the Gold Bloom" Epic Quest - Step 5, "Beghouled Blitz" Epic Quest - Step 2 and Piñata Party

Frostbite Caves: "Electrical Boogaloo" Epic Quest - Step 6

Modern Day: Days 6, 7, 31, 33, 41, 44, and Highway to the Danger Room (portal only)

Overview
The Jester Zombie absorbs exactly 20 normal damage shots. His appearance changes upon absorbing 10 normal damage shots before dying at 20 normal damage shots.

Weaknesses

 * Plants that can stop deflection completely: Iceberg Lettuce, Chili Bean, Stunion
 * Plants that do splash damage: Coconut Cannon, Melon-pult, Winter Melon, Pepper-pult, Dusk Lobber
 * Plants that shoot non-deflectable projectiles: Snapdragon, Lightning Reed, Laser Bean, Magnifying Grass, Fume-shroom, Banana Launcher, Dandelion, Jack O' Lantern, Cold Snapdragon, Witch Hazel
 * Plants that does not shoot projectiles: Bonk Choy, Spikeweed, Spikerock, Chomper, Ghost Pepper, Toadstool, Lava Guava, Endurian, Electric Blueberry, Phat Beet, Celery Stalker, Shadow-shroom, Grimrose, Electric Currant, Wasabi Whip, Kiwibeast, Parsnip, Hot Date
 * Plants that can defeat Jester Zombie under certain conditions:
 * Guacodile (pit will be deflected but will immediately rush when hit by it)
 * Strawburst (if the berry size is either medium or large)
 * Cactus (if the plant is hiding or if plant food was given)
 * Nightshade (Not powered. Powered if close-up)
 * Split Pea, Starfruit (if projectile was shot backwards)
 * Chinese-exclusive: White Radish (if leveled up), Fire Gourd, Bamboo Shoot, Oak Archer, Acid Lemon, Small Lotus, Rafflesia, Whirlwind Acorn, Asparagus, Saucer, Anthurium, DJ Morning Glory, Primal Rafflesia, Dinosaur Roar Grass, Sugarcane Master, Flame Mushroom, Freeze Mushroom, Vigorous Broccoli, Lord Bamboo, Small Chestnut Team, Rose Swordsman, Magic Mushroom, Pumpkin Witch, Snow Cotton, Agave, Kiwifruit, Pitaya, Angel Starfruit, Match Flower Boxer, Flame Flower Queen, Cob Cannon

General
Jester Zombie's main weakness is Fume-shroom, but he can be damaged by area-of-effect attacks like Lightning Reed and Laser Bean. Snapdragon and Magnifying Grass work because they do not have projectiles to throw at Jester Zombie. Two Spikerocks adjacent to your plants will also defeat the Jester Zombie. Bonk Choys can be used, but keep a Tall-nut or Wall-nut adjacent to it or you will risk the Bonk Choy getting eaten because of its minimal range. If you are having trouble with Jester Zombie because of the lack of area-of-effect attacks, you can use instant kills. Beware, however, when the Jester is spinning, he is immune to Shadow-shrooms, Chili Beans, and Hypno-shrooms. If combined with at least five to ten Wizard Zombies, Zombie Kings, Knight Zombies, and Dark Ages Gargantuars, they can cause a massive mayhem to your plants, emptying everything. If you did not break all the remaining Graves, these zombies can be spawned during Necromancy, crowding the true threats of Dark Ages.

Because a Ghost Pepper does not shoot projectiles, Jester Zombie will be affected by its screams. Use it, because its explosion can deal some damage. This is also useful against these and the other true threats of Dark Ages. It is best to use Plant Food on it.

Iceberg Lettuce and Stunion can stop the Jester from deflecting the projectiles, so using it with Winter Melon is a good idea, especially its Plant Food upgrade in Arthur's Challenge. However, Winter Melon's projectiles will be thrown back, so a Wall-nut or any other defensive plant should be used as well.

Hot Date, can attract him to its lane (so 2 hot dates in the 2nd and 4th lane are enough) and if he reflected enough projectiles it will explode.

In the Chinese version of the game, Oak Archer is an effective choice here. You can also use Plant Food on costumed Peashooters or Snow Peas, since they only shoot giant peas.

Guacodile is a good way to damage Jester Zombies as well. Although Jesters can deflect Guacodiles' pits, Guacodiles will rush immediately when the pits hit them, and their rush attack can deal great damage on Jester Zombies, ultimately penetrating their deflection cyclone.

Dandelion is a good option against this Jester Zombie, as its bombs explode on contact and can not be reflected by Jester Zombie.

Lava Guava can be also a good idea against Jester Zombie, as it can deal great damage against him. This also applies to Ghost Pepper. Endurian can be also an effective way.

Phat Beets don't use solid projectiles, so they can kill Jesters with ease with their shockwaves.

Do not use Plant Food on the projectile-based plants when Jester Zombie is approaching. It will only compound your problems, as Jester Zombie will deflect them all. Exceptions are Cabbage-pult's big cabbages, Melon-pult and Winter Melon's big melons, Split Pea, Pea Pod's giant pea, Citron's big plasma ball, Coconut Cannon's big bomb, Bowling Bulb's explosive projectile, Pepper-pult's big peppers, Fire Peashooter's fire trail, Red Stinger's laser, Strawburst's giant exploding strawberry, and Dusk Lobber's projectile; in other words, he cannot deflect projectiles exclusive to Plant Food abilities.

Do not use Bowling Bulb or Grapeshot in any level with this zombie (unless fed with Plant Food or if he is caught in the explosion) as its projectiles, when deflected, can deal damage to multiple plants, especially the orange bulb or grapes, making most of your plants die easily. In addition to that, avoid using Torchwoods against Jester Zombie, as the flaming peas (including the napalm ones) can deal so much damage to your plant that even an armored Tall-nut will not be able to absorb all the projectiles. Iceberg Lettuce's effect will be removed by the defrosting, unless the Jester Zombie is constantly hit by butter, the first one while not spinning during the time the Iceberg Lettuce froze him. Placing Grapeshot near Jester Zombie where it will insta-kill him is a must in order to prevent him from deflecting the grapes.

Do not use the Horse Bean against this zombie in the Chinese version because he will deflect the peas just like any other pea, and they will plow straight through your plants due to the Horse Bean's high damage output.

Arthur's Challenge
Jester Zombie serves as among the biggest threats due to his constant reflecting projectiles from powerful plants, leaving you no other choices than using others that do not shoot projectiles such as Magnifying Grass to deal him. If this zombie is compared with large numbers of Knight Zombies, Zombie Kings, Dark Ages Gargantuars, Wizard Zombies, and the surprise attacks, these zombies can cause an extremely massive havoc on your lanes. If you see Jester Zombies along with other Dark Ages zombies in large numbers, these combinations will cause you to lose the game, thus, causing you to risk spending money on Power Ups and Plant Food. You will need to have Cherry Bombs, Jalapenos, Iceberg Lettuces, Power Lilies, and their Imitater versions.

If you use Winter Melons, ensure that Winter Melons attack and slow Jester Zombie by splash damage, particularly from stronger zombies, such as Buckethead Peasants, Knight Zombies, and Dark Ages Gargantuars. Iceberg Lettuce and Stunion will significantly help here, especially with Plant Food. Cherry Bombs and Jalapenos are also effective against Jester Zombies, although Imp Dragon Zombies may minimize the effectiveness of such plants. If dealt with properly, Jester Zombies may be less of a threat than other zombies types, particularly Wizard Zombie and Dark Ages Gargantuar.

Trivia

 * Jester Zombie is the second zombie to throw back plants projectiles in Plants vs. Zombies 2, with the first being Hammer Zombie and the third being Nunchaku Zombie from Kongfu World. He could be compared to his Chinese counterparts as Jester Zombie is stronger, as he can deflect lobbed shots, but Jester Zombie is a little weaker in terms of health since it has 20 HP compared to the Hammer Zombie's 22 HP.
 * He gains a slight speed boost while spinning.
 * Jester Zombie does not deflect projectiles from behind him.
 * Although he can deflect Homing Thistle's projectiles from behind.
 * If Jester Zombie deflects a boomerang shot by Bloomerang, it will not return to the Jester Zombie. It will attack the whole row of plants but the Bloomerang will grab it, nullifying its damage.
 * If the plants are attacked by Snow Pea or Winter Melon, they will not be chilled (slowed down).
 * However, he can be chilled and damaged by the splash of a Winter Melon. Also, they can be chilled by Snow Pea's Plant Food ability.
 * Jester Zombie cannot deflect giant peas shot by Repeater, Split Pea and Pea Pod's Plant Food ability.
 * In the Almanac, Jester Zombie had a bone sticking out of his arm prior to the 2.5.1 update.
 * If Jester Zombie is damaged enough (after absorbing at least 10.5 normal damage shots), the player can see the bone while he is spinning.
 * When spinning, he is slightly translucent.
 * The Thanksgiving costume of Jester Zombie has a different spinning appearance.However,Its Birthdayz Costume uses the same as the normal Jester Zombie.
 * There is an achievement called "All in Jest" where the player must complete a level without letting a Jester Zombie deflect even a single projectile.
 * Unarmed Potato Mines are unaffected by projectiles deflected from Jester Zombies, but armed Potato Mines get hit.
 * While spinning, Jesters can destroy a Hypno-shroom without being affected by it. However, he can be hypnotized when he is not spinning. This is also true to Chili Bean, Sun Bean and Shadow-shroom.
 * In the Almanac, he appears to do the backstroke, a swimming move. This makes him the only zombie that has an unusual standing animation and when he moves, he just jumps. Also, when he is not spinning, his eyes appear to be spinning in circles.
 * Like Zombie Bull, Zombie Chicken, Bug Bot Imp and Punk Zombie, he cannot be blown away by the Blover while jumping.
 * A bell's sound will be played when just one Jester Zombie enters the lawn.
 * All projectiles deflected by Jester Zombie can damage zombies.
 * If he deflects a projectile to a hypnotized Jester Zombie, the projectile keeps going back and forth between them until they get close enough to damage each other.
 * He can deflect metallic objects thrown by Magnet-shroom's Plant Food upgrade.
 * Jester Zombie and Archer Zombie are currently the only cross-eyed zombies.
 * Besides the Plant Food upgrades and backward projectiles, Magnifying Grass', Banana Launcher's, Dandelion's and Strawburst's (medium and big) projectiles are the only ones that the Jester Zombie cannot deflect.
 * In the 3.2 update, he could not deflect Pepper-pult's projectiles.
 * Infi-nut is the only plant that can survive Jester Zombie's projectiles, even when the hologram is off. It resets the regenerating time of the Infi-nut.
 * Spring Bean and Chard Guard are the only plants that can cancel all of Jester Zombie's projectiles. They do this when knocking him back.
 * Sometimes, he may not deflect the bulbs shot from Bowling Bulbs correctly, making them not hit any plant.
 * So far, it is the third non-variant zombie to have more than one event costume (the first being the Thanksgiving costume and the second being the Birthdayz costume) with Poncho Zombie and Camel Zombies being the first and second.
 * Stallia does not stall spinning Jester Zombies when they encounter them.
 * Prior to the 4.7.1 update, when a Jester Zombie is hit by Dusk Lobber's projectile, he will reflect it off of the lawn, and do no damage to any plants.
 * Chewliard is a pun on Julliard, which is a real school in New York City.
 * Chewliard is also mentioned in Backup Dancer's Almanac entry.
 * At some points of development, he could not deflect Blooming Heart's projectiles.
 * This is because its projectiles would break upon impact, similar to Sap-fling.
 * If one looks very closely during Jester Zombie's walking/jumping animation, his right leg detaches from the rest of his body for a split second.