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- For other uses, see Kernel-pult (disambiguation).
Kernel-pult is a recurring character within the Plants vs. Zombies franchise. Kernel-pult lobs weak corn kernels, but has a chance to fire butter instead, which stuns zombies. Like other pults, he can avoid zombie shields. Kernel-pult is always the second of the recurring "-pults" to be obtained in the mainline games.
Kernel-pult is mentioned to be the eldest of two siblings, with his younger brothers revealed to be Melon-pult and Cabbage-pult. He is shown to be the more responsible of his siblings, remembering their birthdays and having a mentioned career prior to enlisting in the cause to fight zombies. Character descriptions and quotes also reveal a love for "corny" jokes and puns.
As of Plants vs. Zombies 3, Kernel-pult has appeared in five mainline games and minor appearances in Chinese spinoffs.
Origins
An example of maize (corn), the plant Kernel-pult is based on
Kernel-pult is based on the crop maize (Zea mays), also known as corn, a type of large grain plant. His name is a portmanteau of "kernel", the term for the fruit of corn which is what he is, and "catapult", a ballistic device used to hurl larges stones for warfare purpose in ancient times, referring to his ability to hurl corn and butter, which are used together in many dishes in real life.
His ability to be able to hurl butter might be a reference to buttered popcorn, one of popcorn's flavor variants.
History
Plants vs. Zombies
- Main article: Kernel-pult (PvZ)
In the original Plants vs. Zombies game, as well as most Chinese spin-off games based on it, Kernel-pult is the third Roof plant obtained. He costs 100 sun and lobs corn kernels at zombies at half the rate of Peashooter's firing speed, but these kernels only deal 20 damage per shot unlike Cabbage-pult's 40 dps.
However, there is a 25% chance that Kernel-pult will instead lob butter at zombies, which deal twice as much damage as the kernels he lobs and stuns the target for 5 seconds. Repeat butterings stack the stun time.
Kernel-pult appears alongside Cabbage-pult and Melon-pult as the main offenses against Dr. Zomboss in the final Adventure Mode level and the the final mini-game.
Kernel-pult can be upgraded into Cob Cannon, costing $20,000 to obtain at Crazy Dave's Twiddydinkies and 500 sun to plant. Unlike other upgrade plants, Cob Cannon requires two Kernel-pults to be side-by-side in order to be planted.
Cob Cannon works completely different compared to Kernel-pult, being a manually controlled plant that fires cobs at a selected location, which act like Cherry Bombs when they land, then taking 36.41 seconds to recharge.
Plants vs. Zombies 2
- Main article: Kernel-pult (PvZ2)
Kernel-pult returns in Plants vs. Zombies 2, being unlocked after beating the first day of Pirate Seas. His ability is the same in this game, but his kernels deal slightly more damage compared to the first game, 30 damage as opposed to 20, and his butter's stun time is 8 seconds rather than 5.
Alongside these upgrades, Kernel-pult's butter is also able to instantly defeat flying zombies such as Seagull Zombies, Pelican Zombies, Zombie Parrots, and Bug Zombies, but not the zombies that Bug Zombies carry.
Cob Cannon returns, but only in the Chinese version and acts the same as it did in the previous game, to the point where they still need to be upgraded from two side-by-side Kernel-pults to be planted while other former upgrade plants no longer have this requirement.
Plants vs. Zombies: All Stars (China only) (Archived content)
- Main article: Corn line
Kernel-pult's next appearance was in the Chinese-exclusive turn-based game Plants vs. Zombies: All Stars as the first plant in the Corn line, evolving into Popcorn-pult and then again into Cob Cannon. Like other games, Kernel-pult attacked by lobbing kernels at zombies and specialized in stunning enemies.
Kernel-pult's ability was Corn Shelling, which dealt damage to 3 random enemies with a chance to stun them for a turn, stunning Seagull Zombies for 2 turns instead.
His soulmates included members of the Flytrap line for a damage boost, members of the Watermelon line for a health boost, and members of the Radish line and Dragon line together for a damage boost.
Plants vs. Zombies Heroes
- Main article: Kernel-Pult (PvZH)
Kernel-Pult reappears in the turn-based mobile card game Plants vs. Zombies Heroes as a Colossal Uncommon Corn plant in the 
Solar class. He costs 1
, has 1
/1
and the Team-Up trait, allowing another plant to be planted in the same column as him.
When played on heights, Kernel-Pult will give a selected zombie -1/-1. Kernel-Pult isn't much on his own, but his Team-Up ability is also a reference to his appearance in Plants vs. Zombies, as Cob Cannon also returns in this game, requiring Team-Up Evolution to use its secondary ability.
Plants vs. Zombies 3
- Main article: Kernel-Pult (PvZ3)
Kernel-Pult also appeared in the pre-2021 version of Plants vs. Zombies 3, once again lobbing kernels and stunning butter as as a Common Lobber plant who costed 5 sun.
Kernel-Pult's attack damage had been reverted back to his Plants vs. Zombies stats, 20 damage per kernel and 40 damage per butter. Along with this, while he had the same 25% chance to fire butter, the butter's stun time has also been reverted back to its Plants vs. Zombies time, being 5 seconds.
A similar plant, Caramel Popcorn, also appeared in this game, costing 6 sun and being obtained after Kernel-Pult. Caramel Popcorn's attack was identical to Kernel-Pult's, but instead of stunning butter, Caramel Popcorn lobbed blobs of sticky caramel that created slowing puddles which affected all zombies on a tile in a similar manner to Sap-fling's sap puddles from Plants vs. Zombies 2.
Talkweb mini-games
In Plants vs. Zombies 2: Summon, Kernel-pult is the 13th plant to be unlocked and has a 14% chance of slowing his target by 1 second, having 24392 points of damage.
In Plants vs. Zombies 2: League, Kernel-pult is first Turret class plant to be unlocked, being a level 2 plant, having 104 points of health, 7 for damage and 200 for range. He has two upgrade variations, namely Guy Kernel and Mr. Kernel.
Gallery
Plants vs. Zombies Wiki has a gallery for Kernel-pult.
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Trivia
- In a Q&A stream hosted by Laura Shigihara, she revealed how she made the sound of the Kernel-pult's butter hitting a zombie. She first tried throwing butter into oatmeal, and when that didn't work she asked George Fan if she could throw butter at him. He agreed, and Laura then spent 10 minutes throwing butter at George to produce the sound she needed.
- According to a costume description in Plants vs. Zombies 2, Kernel-pult's favorite color is red.
- A customization for the Kernel Corn in Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2, Noodle Nester, resembles Kernel-pult's pult.
- Currently Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is the only game where Cob Cannon appears but not Kernel-pult.
See also
- Cabbage-pult
- Melon-pult
- Lobber plants
- Cob Cannon
- Seagull Zombie
- Caramel Popcorn
- Buttercup
- Butternut Squash
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