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For other uses, see Imitater (disambiguation).

Imitater is a plant in Plants vs. Zombies, Plants vs. Zombies: Journey to the West, and Plants vs. Zombies: Great Wall Edition. His special ability is that he can copy any plant and its abilities, except upgrade plants and itself. He can be used to effectively cut the recharge time of plants in half, in exchange for taking up another seed slot.

History[]

0Imitater

Animated Imitater

The Imitater is one of three last plants obtainable in the game. He costs $30,000 to purchase the seed packet from Crazy Dave's Twiddydinkies, making him the most expensive plant in the game.

After purchasing the Imitater, he appears on the lower right part of the plant selection screen in a new added box on the side when choosing your seeds. Selecting it brings up an overlay, asking which plant it shall imitate for the round. After selecting, he will take up a slot as the imitated plant in a melancholy gray or shaded green (depending on version).

Suburban Almanac entry[]

Imitater-Almanac
Imitater
Imitaters let you use two of the same
plant during a level!
"I remember the Zombie Wars back in '76," says Imitater in a raspy, old-man's voice. "Back then, we didn't have all these fancy peashooters and jalapenos. All we had was guts. Guts and a spoon."

Usage[]

The Imitater, when planted, will appear as himself, but after 3.2 seconds (1.5 seconds in the DS version) he will transform into his copied form, and also has the disadvantage of being defeated while transforming. The copied form costs as much and behaves just like the original plant. On most versions of the original Plants vs. Zombies, the plant will appear monochrome (silver) colored. On the iOS and Android versions, the Imitater version is the same color as the regular plant. Imitated explosives will explode, and an Imitater Tall-nut has the same health as a regular one (but can be jumped over before turning into the imitated Tall-nut, and can be eaten by the zombies at the same rate as eating regular plants).

Note: The Imitater cannot copy upgrade plants such as the Gloom-shroom or the Cob Cannon without hacking. He is also unable to imitate more than one plant at once or himself.

In Plants vs. Zombies, it is recommended to choose the original seed packet as well or to use the original version of the plant before using the Imitater version. There is no clear benefit to having only the Imitater, as it requires time to transform but is otherwise identical to the original plant. Therefore, an Imitater can be eaten, crushed, or smashed by a zombie while transforming, ruining the player's advantage to copy the plant. So planting imitated plants like a Cherry Bomb should be planted further than a normal one from zombies.

Strategies[]

The Imitater can be used to effectively half the recharge time for the selected plant, assuming the copied plant was also selected. At the starting of a Survival: Endless level, use the Imitater to imitate a Sunflower to make your sun production faster.

Good candidates for imitation:

The only disadvantages to the Imitater are that he can only imitate one plant in a level, the time he takes to transform, and that the Imitaters consume one seed packet if one wishes to use him effectively. When placed right in front of zombies, they may eat him before he finishes transforming. This is mainly a problem when using him to imitate explosives which are placed right into the middle of the group of zombies they are intended to destroy. He also creates a problem when trying to use him as a last minute defensive plant, as he takes a regular amount of bites to eat him while he is transforming.

Related achievements[]

Morticulturalist
Morticulturalist
Collect all 49 plants.
Book Learner

Gallery[]

Plants vs. Zombies Wiki has a gallery for Imitater.
Imitater1
Visit this page to see it.
Imitater1

In other languages[]

Please note that only official translations are used.

Language Name Description
United States of America English Imitater
China Simplified Chinese 变身茄子
复制豆 in the mall in Plants vs. Zombies: Journey to the West[1]
lit. "Transforming Eggplant"
lit. "Copy Bean" in the shop in Plants vs. Zombies: Journey to the West
Taiwan Traditional Chinese 變身茄子 lit. "Transforming Eggplant"
The Netherlands Dutch Napieper
France French Imitateur
Germany German Imitator
Italy Italian Clone
Japan Japanese イミテーター
Brazil Brazilian Portuguese Imitador
Russia Russian Имитатор
Spain Spanish Imitadora


Trivia[]

  • When he spins without any plant copied, he crashes the game.
  • In his Suburban Almanac entry, it says that he remembers the Zombie Wars of '76 (1976, to be exact), obviously meaning there was more than one battle that zombies kept losing, since there are still humans.
  • His statistics can be shown on the top left hand corner of the Suburban Almanac, where there is a small picture of itself that is only found when it is bought. This can be hard for players to find on their own, so the Tree of Wisdom will tell them it is there.
    • In iOS and Android versions, it will have a regular seed packet icon in the Almanac since the Tree of Wisdom does not appear in those versions.
Imitater photo

Imitater in the Suburban Almanac

  • This is the only plant that can be bought with coins in Plants vs. Zombies: Journey to the West.
  • When flattened, he will turn into the flat version of the copied plant with its original color, even before transforming.
  • In iOS and Android versions, he turns into an exact replica without the black and white color, although the seed packet appears greenish.
  • He cannot copy upgrade plants, although the imitated plant can be upgraded. If an imitated plant is upgraded, it returns to the "normal" color of the upgrade.
    • Gray-scaled textures for upgrades do exist, though; one would just need to hack them into the game.
  • Imitated plants are gray, yet the projectiles they fire are exactly the same color as the original projectile.
  • Since the copied plants of the Imitater are not monochrome in the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad versions, the seed packets for the copied plants are different from the PC and Mac version. In the iPod Touch and iPhone version, the seed packets are shaded by a green square. In the iPad, the seed packet is shaded by a yellow square.
  • His transforming animation is not shown on the DS version. Instead, he stands for a while, then spins quickly once and turn into the imitated plant with soil under it and a planting sound.
  • In the DS version, when an Imitater transforms into a Torchwood, it won't be grayscale but instead will be green with blue flames.
  • When he copies a plant, the copied plant is in full health, even if he was damaged before it transforms.
  • In the Xbox Live Arcade version of Plants vs. Zombies, in Co-op Mode, the game will never let the player pick him when there are already three seeds or more selected.
  • His seed packet says "Bloom and Doom" instead of the full "Bloom and Doom Seed Co."
  • He is the only plant that can be planted on any environment since his properties depend on the plant he is supposed to imitate.
  • When an imitated Chomper eats a zombie, the zombie's arm turns black and white, because the zombie arm is considered as the Chomper's sprite.
  • In the iPad version, if you choose the original plant first, then open the Imitater overlay, the seed packet will darken as if it were not recommended for the level.
  • In an update to the Android version of the game, his seed packet changed color when in the seed selection screen to gray, but in-game, it is still green and imitated plants are still full-colored.
  • If the player uses the Android imitating upgrade plants glitch, and imitates Imitater, he will keep imitating himself over and over again.
  • It is the only plant in the entire game who does not have a specific sun cost.
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Plants (Tower defense)
L · G
Plants vs. Zombies
Day Peashooter · Sunflower · Cherry Bomb · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Snow Pea · Chomper · Repeater
Night Puff-shroom · Sun-shroom · Fume-shroom · Grave Buster · Hypno-shroom · Scaredy-shroom · Ice-shroom · Doom-shroom
Pool Lily Pad · Squash · Threepeater · Tangle Kelp · Jalapeno · Spikeweed · Torchwood · Tall-nut
Fog Sea-shroom · Plantern · Cactus · Blover · Split Pea · Starfruit · Pumpkin · Magnet-shroom
Roof Cabbage-pult · Flower Pot · Kernel-pult · Coffee Bean · Garlic · Umbrella Leaf · Marigold · Melon-pult
Upgrades Gatling Pea · Twin Sunflower · Gloom-shroom · Cattail · Winter Melon · Gold Magnet · Spikerock · Cob Cannon
Others Imitater · Explode-o-nut · Giant Wall-nut · Reverse Repeater · Giant Sunflower · Giant Marigold · Sprout · Tree of Wisdom
Plants vs. Zombies: Endless Edition
Heroes Iron Man Nut · Wukong Pea · Pig Squash · Nut Wujing · Monk Flower · Nezha Shooter
The Zombies Are Coming Peashooter · Sunflower · Cherry Bomb · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Snow Pea · Chomper · Repeater
Nightfall Puff-shroom · Sun-shroom · Fume-shroom · Grave Buster · Hypno-shroom · Scaredy-shroom · Ice-shroom · Doom-shroom
Backyard Emergency Lily Pad · Squash · Threepeater · Tangle Kelp · Jalapeno · Spikeweed · Torchwood · Tall-nut
Fog Sea-shroom · Plantern · Cactus · Blover · Split Pea · Starfruit · Pumpkin · Magnet-shroom
Roof Battle Cabbage-pult · Flower Pot · Kernel-pult · Coffee Bean · Garlic · Umbrella Leaf · Marigold · Melon-pult
Fight the Sea Demons Oxygen Algae · Sea Starfruit · Bramble Sea Grass
Brave the Dragon's Palace Water Gun Grass
Upgrades Gatling Pea · Twin Sunflower · Gloom-shroom · Cattail · Winter Melon · Gold Magnet · Spikerock · Cob Cannon
Others Imitater · Explode-o-nut · Giant Wall-nut · Electric Anemone · Strong Cauliflower · Machine Gun Pomegranate · Carrotillery · Oak Archer · Ghost Pepper · Laser Bean · Dandelion · Snapdragon · Bonk Choy
Plants vs. Zombies: Social Edition
Normal Peashooter · Sunflower · Cherry Bomb · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Chomper · Repeater · Puff-shroom · Scaredy-shroom · Snow Pea · Sun-shroom · Fume-shroom · Grave Buster · Lily Pad · Squash · Spikeweed · Tangle Kelp · Torchwood · Sea-shroom · Jalapeno · Coffee Bean · Tall-nut · Pumpkin · Magnet-shroom · Blover · Melon-pult · Cactus
Premium Pickled Pepper · Icy Fume-shroom · Fire-shroom · Flamewood · Vine-nut · Gatling Pea · Twin Sunflower · Gloom-shroom · Winter Melon · Super Chomper · Future Star · Calm Chuck
Plants vs. Zombies Adventures
>Normal Peashooter · Sunflower · Aspearagus · Wall-nut · Cherry Bomb · Popcorn · Beet · Snow Pea · Jalapeño · Magnet Plant · Flaming Pea · Shamrock · Bamboo Shoot · Repeater · Chilly Pepper · Twin Sunflower
VIPs Sweet Pea · Beeshooter · Hard-nut · Acespearagus · Power Flower · Beetboxer · Ice Queen Pea · Shamrockstar · Bamboom
Others Trees
Plants vs. Zombies 2
Player's House Peashooter · Sunflower · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Cabbage-pult
Ancient Egypt Bloomerang · Iceberg Lettuce · Grave Buster · Bonk Choy · Repeater · Twin Sunflower
Pirate Seas Kernel-pult · Snapdragon · Spikeweed · Spring Bean · Coconut Cannon · Threepeater · Spikerock · Cherry Bomb
Wild West Split Pea · Chili Bean · Pea Pod · Lightning Reed · Melon-pult · Tall-nut · Winter Melon
Frostbite Caves Hot Potato · Pepper-pult · Chard Guard · Stunion · Rotobaga
Lost City Red Stinger · A.K.E.E. · Endurian · Stallia · Gold Leaf
Far Future Laser Bean · Blover · Citron · E.M.Peach · Infi-nut · Magnifying Grass · Tile Turnip
Dark Ages Sun-shroom · Puff-shroom · Fume-shroom · Sun Bean · Magnet-shroom
Neon Mixtape Tour Phat Beet · Celery Stalker · Thyme Warp · Garlic · Spore-shroom · Intensive Carrot
Jurassic Marsh Primal Peashooter · Primal Wall-nut · Perfume-shroom · Primal Sunflower · Primal Potato Mine
Big Wave Beach Lily Pad · Tangle Kelp · Bowling Bulb · Guacodile · Banana Launcher
Modern Day Moonflower · Nightshade · Shadow-shroom · Dusk Lobber · Grimrose
Premium
Money Snow Pea · Power Lily · Imitater · Chomper · Toadstool · Strawburst · Cactus · Electric Blueberry · Jack O' Lantern · Grapeshot · Cold Snapdragon · Escape Root · Gold Bloom · Wasabi Whip · Apple Mortar · Witch Hazel · Parsnip · Missile Toe · Caulipower · Electric Peashooter · Holly Barrier
Gems Squash · Jalapeno · Hypno-shroom · Pea-nut · Homing Thistle · Ghost Pepper · Sweet Potato · Sap-fling · Hurrikale · Fire Peashooter · Lava Guava · Shrinking Violet · Electric Currant · Kiwibeast
Mints Fila-mint · Pepper-mint · Winter-mint · Reinforce-mint · Bombard-mint · Ail-mint · Enchant-mint · Contain-mint · Enforce-mint · Arma-mint · Conceal-mint · Spear-mint · Appease-mint
Seed packets Torchwood · Starfruit · Dandelion · Blooming Heart · Bombegranate · Explode-O-Nut · Aloe · Hot Date · Solar Tomato · Enlighten-mint · Shadow Peashooter · Goo Peashooter · Sling Pea · Snap Pea · Zoybean Pod · Electrici-tea · Dazey Chain · Blastberry Vine · Pokra · Imp Pear · Pyre Vine · Pumpkin · Ice Bloom · Dartichoke · Ultomato · Gumnut · Shine Vine · Tumbleweed · Olive Pit · Puffball · Explode-o-Vine · Murkadamia Nut · Turkey-pult · Headbutter Lettuce · Boingsetta · Stickybomb Rice · Hocus Crocus · Gloom Vine · Draftodil · Boom Balloon Flower · Pea Vine · Inferno · Solar Sage · Power Vine · Noctarine · Heath Seeker · Iceweed · Tiger Grass · Teleportato Mine · Blockoli · Buttercup · Bramble Bush · Rhubarbarian · Mega Gatling Pea · Levitater · Tomb Tangler · Vamporcini · Meteor Flower · Chilly Pepper · Bun Chi · Bzzz Button · BoomBerry · MayBee · SeaFlora · Scaredy-shroom · Bamboo Spartan · Sundew Tangler · Bean Sprout · Nightcap · Cran Jelly · Bud'uh Boom · Ice-shroom · Dragon Bruit · Electric Peel
Others Marigold
Plants vs. Zombies 2 (Chinese version)
Ancient Egypt Peashooter · Sunflower · Wall-nut · Cabbage-pult · Bloomerang · Iceberg Lettuce · Grave Buster · Bonk Choy · Repeater · Twin Sunflower · Snow Pea · Cherry Bomb · Torchwood
Pirate Seas Kernel-pult · Snapdragon · Power Lily · Spikeweed · Spring Bean · Coconut Cannon · Spikerock · Lightning Reed · Tall-nut
Wild West Threepeater · Squash · Split Pea · Chili Bean · Jalapeno · Pea Pod · Melon-pult · Winter Melon · Imitater
Kongfu World Resistant Radish · Fire Gourd · Heavenly Peach · Bamboo Shoot
Far Future Laser Bean · Blover · Citron · E.M.Peach · Infi-nut · Magnifying Grass · Tile Turnip · Starfruit
Dark Ages Hypno-shroom · Sun-shroom · Puff-shroom · Fume-shroom · Sun Bean · Pea-nut · Magnet-shroom · Oak Archer · Coffee Bean · Plantern
Big Wave Beach Acid Lemon · Lotus Pod · Lily Pad · Bowling Bulb · Banana Launcher · Guacodile · Tangle Kelp · Homing Thistle
Frostbite Caves Hurrikale · Fire Peashooter · Hot Potato · Pepper-pult · Chard Guard · Stunion · Rafflesia · Whirlwind Acorn
Sky City Rotobaga · Loquat · Asparagus · Saucer · Horsebean · Groundcherry · Anthurium · Pineapple
Lost City Lava Guava · Red Stinger · A.K.E.E. · Stallia · Gold Leaf · Toadstool · Jackfruit
Neon Mixtape Tour Morning Glory · Phat Beet · Thyme Warp · Celery Stalker · Spore-shroom · Garlic · Intensive Carrot · Cactus
Jurassic Marsh Primal Peashooter · Primal Wall-nut · Perfume-shroom · Primal Sunflower · Primal Potato Mine · Primal Rafflesia · Dino-Roar Grass · Timid Thorns · Sugarcane Master
Modern Day Shadow-shroom · Caulipower · Moonflower · Grimrose · Nightshade · Dusk Lobber · Blooming Heart
Steam Age Gold Bloom · Flat-shroom · Maypop Mechanic · Lotus Shooter · Wind-Blowing Vanilla · Lily of Pharmacy · Mulberry Blaster
Renaissance
Age
Aloe · Bearberry Mortar · Wax Gourd Guard · Oily Olive · Jeweler Pomegranate · Dartichoke
Heian Age Dripping Diphylleia · Stephania · Tupistra‎ Stalker · Dendrobium Windbreak · Chef Cypripedium‎‎ · Boophone Geigi‎
Fairytale Forest Ents · Heath Seeker · Hat Mushroom · Hocus Crocus · Princess Spring Grass · Bamboo Trooper
Monthly special Pyro-shroom · Carrotillery · Cryo-shroom · Dandelion · Strong Broccoli · Machine Gun Pomegranate · Chomper · Sweet Potato · Landlord Bamboo · Sap-fling · Ghost Pepper · Chestnut Squad · Bamboo Bro · Rose Swordfighter · Magic-shroom · Electric Blueberry · Mischief Radish · Endurian · Pumpkin Witch · Sunflower Singer · Snow Cotton · Agave · Kiwifruit · Pretty Plum · Dragonfruit · Angel Starfruit · Gatling Pea · Banksia Boxer · Flame Flower Queen · Cattail · Grapeshot · Cold Snapdragon · Shrinking Violet · Cob Cannon · Apple Mortar · Witch Hazel · Escape Root · Electric Currant · White Melon Sumo Wrestler · Wasabi Whip · Explode-O-Nut · Parsnip · Missile Toe · Kiwibeast · Electric Peashooter · Hot Date · Icy Currant · Tulip Trumpeter · Eggplant Ninja · Banana Dancer · Dual Pistol Pinecone · Narcissus Shooter · Alarm Explosive Arrowhead · Holly Barrier · Shadow Peashooter · Snap Pea · Crystal Orchid · Sling Pea · Thunder Snapdragon · Electrici-tea · Imp Pear · Strawburst · Egret Flower Plane · Goo Peashooter · Elaeocarpus-pult · Water Chestnut Brothers · Pokra · Dollarweed Drummer · Ultomato · Shadow Vanilla · Splendens Blade · Stickybomb Rice · Gumnut · Olive Pit · Earthstar Nuclear Silo · Headbutter Lettuce · Dazey Chain · Boom Balloon Flower · Celebration Soda Palm · Claw Gloriosa · Impatiens Shooter · Turkey-pult · Hammer Flower · Fishhook Grass · Mangosteen · Inferno · Tigerstool · Gardener Grass · Draftodil · Buttercup · Byttneria Meteor Hammer · Laser Crown Flower · Zoybean Pod · Orchid Mage · Jack O' Lantern · Twin Year of the Rabbits · Pea Pharmacist · Pike Hoya · Vamporcini · Burdock Batter · Pumpkin · Capaci-cone · Cranesbill Fencer · Meteor Flower · Gorgon Pitcher · Power Vine · Parkour Mandrake · Abyss Anemone · Abyss Devil's Claw · Hoya Heart · Pea Vine · MayBee · Oilseed-pult · Leaf-Blade Dracaena · Bamboo Spartan · Shine Vine · Sunshine Leek · Nightcap · Pyre Vine · Gluttonous Snapdragon · Bun Chi · Heliconia Gunner
Others Potato Mine · Flower Pot · 8-Bit Peashooter · Tactical Cuke
Removed Rotten Red
Plants vs. Zombies Online
Player's House Sunflower · Peashooter · Wall-nut · Potato Mine
Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Bruce Bamboo · Carrot Rocket · Pomegranate · Dandelion · Venus Flytrap · Wax Gourd · Sod
Ancient Egypt Bloomerang · Bonk Choy · Grave Buster · Iceberg Lettuce · Cabbage-pult
Pirate Seas Snapdragon · Spikeweed · Spring Bean · Kernel-pult · Coconut Cannon · Narcissus · Endurian · Spikerock · Pineapple-pult · Threepeater
Far Future Laser Bean · Blover · Citron · E.M.Peach · Tile Turnip · Ganoderma · Banana Tree · Nitro-shroom · Infi-nut · Magnifying Grass
East Sea Dragon Palace Oxygen Algae · Garlic · Bubble Flower · Electric Sea Pine
Upgrades Twin Sunflower · Repeater
VIPs Winter Melon
Power Ups Cherry Bomb · Jalapeno
Premium Squash · Snow Pea · Tall-nut
Adventure Mode only Magic Vine · Split Pea · Chili Bean · Lightning Reed · Pea Pod · Melon-pult · Starfruit · Chomper · Fire Peashooter · Cattail · Rose Swordfighter · Clivia · Sap-fling · Acid Lemon · Magic-shroom · Ghost Pepper · Guacodile · Hurrikale · Plantern · Oak Archer · Homing Thistle · Pepper-pult · Resistant Radish · Toadstool · Blooming Heart · Red Stinger · Electric Blueberry · A.K.E.E. · Moonflower · Agave · Asparagus · Pumpkin Witch · Mine Fruit · Sea Anemone · Lychee Drill · Sea Starfruit
Plants vs. Zombies 3
Neighborville Sunflower · Wall-Nut · Bamboo Shoots · Peashooter · Bonk Choy
Lost Keys Lake Lily Pad · Tangle Kelp · Squash
Mt. Quesogrande Chili Bean · Silversword · Cabbage-Pult
Power-Ups Grapes of Wrath · Chilly Pepper · Jalapeño · Cherry Bomb · Blover
Pre-2021 Puff-Shroom · Buttercup · Garlic · Potato Mine · Pushywillow · Chard Guard · Spikeweed · Kernel-Pult · Caramel Popcorn · Lightning Reed · Melon-Pult · Shuffle Truffle · Blockbuster · Butternut Squash · Ragweed · Sawgrass · Fire Peashooter · Pine Needler · Snow Pea · Night Cap · Aloe Vera · Sweet Potato · Hydrangea · Dogwood · Chomper · Flak Seed · Gravitree · Gloom-Shroom · Lemon-Aid · Starfruit · Snapdragon · Fairy Ring Mushroom · Kalestorm · Star Tree · Magic Beans
  1. Screenshot of Imitater in Mall in JttW
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