Power Ups

Power Ups are items in Plants vs. Zombies 2 which are used to kill zombies. They are often only used when the player is overwhelmed and as a last-ditch effort. There are nine Power Ups in the international version and four in the Chinese version.

Types

Power Snow

Description: Hold your finger down on a zombie to throw chilling snowballs at it!
Cost (International): 1150 coins
Duration: Six seconds
Replaced Power Pinch in the 1.9 update.
Replaced with Power Flame in Frostbite Caves levels.

Power Toss

Description: Swipe a zombie to toss it around. Swipe it twice to send it off the screen!
Cost (International): 950 coins
Cost (Chinese): 8 diamonds
Duration: Six seconds

Power Zap

Description: Hold your finger down on a zombie to electrocute it!
Cost (International): 800 coins (1000 pre.- 5.8.1)
Cost (Chinese): 8 diamonds
Duration: Four seconds

Power Flame

Description: Hold your finger down to thaw ice and burn zombies in Frostbite Caves!
Cost (International): 1200 coins
Duration: Four seconds.
Exclusive to Frostbite Caves levels in place of the Power Snow.

Power Reveal Vase

Description: Tap to reveal the contents of one vase in Vasebreaker!
Cost (International): 200 coins
Cost (Chinese): 8000 coins
Duration: Instant after tapping a vase

Power Butter Zombie

Description: Tap to butter a single Zombie in Vasebreaker!
Cost (International): 300 coins
Cost (Chinese): 8000 coins
Duration: Eight seconds (defeats Seagull Zombie and Zombie Parrot instantly)

Move Vase

Description: Tap to select a vase, tap again to relocate to an empty tile in Vasebreaker!
Cost (International): 400 coins
Cost (Chinese): 8000 coins
Duration: Instant after tapping a vase

Shuffle

Power Shuffle

Description: Use Power Shuffle in Beghouled to shuffle plants for more matches!
Cost (International): 200 coins
Duration: Instant

Power Shovel

Description: Use Power Shovel in Beghouled to remove plants and fill in craters!
Cost (International): 100 coins
Duration: Instant after tapping a plant or crater

Power Pinch

I think I've seen that cloud before.

This section is about content that is no longer available. It has therefore been archived.

Description:* Pinch a zombie to destroy it!
Cost (International):* 800 coins
Cost (Chinese pre.-1.1.0):* 8 diamonds (15 in 1.0.0)
Duration:* Six seconds
Removed in the 1.9 update in favor of Power Snow.*

Nuclear Cucumber (China only)

黄瓜炸弹（中文版） — Tactical Cuke in Power Up Lab

Description: Explodes dealing 7200 damage per shot to all zombies (1800 to Zombots) on the screen.
Cost: 15 diamonds x The number you used
Duration: Instant

Update history

Originally there were three Power Ups: Power Pinch, Power Toss, and Power Zap.
In the 1.9 update, Power Pinch was replaced by Power Snow.
In the 2.7 update, three new Power Ups were introduced, usable only in Vasebreaker. These were the Reveal Vase, Butter Zombie, and Move Vase.
In the 3.1 update, Power Snow was switched with Power Flame in levels exclusive to Frostbite Caves.
In the 4.4.1 update, two new Power Ups were introduced, usable only in Beghouled. These were Power Shuffle and Power Shovel. Power Zap is also usable on this type of level.
In the 5.8.1 update, the Power Ups cost are reduced (the price used to be 1500 coins for Power Flame, 1400 coins for Power Snow, 1200 coins for Power Toss and 1000 coins for Power Zap).

Gallery

Normal Power Ups

Chinese

Vasebreaker Power Ups

Beghouled Power Ups

Free Power Ups (pre:5.3.1)

Once the player failed a level continuously, an advertisement would appear with a zombie hand reaching out from the sky and handing the player a power up. The player could also exploit this feature by saving and quitting a level over and over again (it happened randomly, but if the player was lucky enough, it can take only one save and quit). If it continued for a long time, the player will get one of the three power ups.

On very rare occasions, the player may get 3 free Power Zaps.

Trivia

ATLASES LEVELCOMMON2 1536 00 PTX — Power Up container sprite with various items

In the older versions of Plants vs. Zombies 2, Power Ups and Plant Food could only be used once per level in Endless Zones.
In Ancient Egypt - Day 5, the player cannot use any plants. Instead, they play with Power Ups for free.
Power Ups are free in Ancient Egypt - Day 5 only.
- However, the player can earn free Power Ups in Piñata Parties and Endless Zones.
The Cuke is quite similar to the Doom-shroom.
Zombies tossed by Power Toss can be blown away by Blover or Hurrikale.
The Power Toss does not work on Gargantuars, but they can be moved by it, and it can kill them when accompanied by a Blover or a Shrinking Violet. It does not work at all on Imp Cannons, Zombie Kings, and Fisherman Zombies.
- Additionally, they also don't work on Dr. Zomboss and his Zombots for balancing purposes.
Power Toss can be used to toss hypnotized zombies, but they cannot be tossed off screen.
Butter Zombie is the only Power Up in Vasebreaker that affects the zombies. However, it does not deal any damage except to Seagull Zombies and Zombie Parrots.
Before version 1.8.0, Cuke could be accidentally pressed very easily. Even if the player slid their finger across it, it would activate. It was also impossible to upgrade the plant nearest to the Cuke in Fright Theater. This mistake made wasting gems more easier.
- In 1.4.3 update, Cuke moved near "Buy Plants Food" button.
- This was fixed in the 1.8.0 version. It lets player make sure they want to use it.
- In 1.8.2 update, Cuke moved to the middle of the screen.
- This also occurred to Beghouled power-ups.
The player cannot plant on flames created by Power Flame.
If the player accidentally activates a Power Up but does not use it to attack yet, the timer will not start, and no coins will be lost. If the timer has not started, the player can cancel using the Power Up by tapping the Power Up that was accidentally activated.
When the Nuclear Cucumber explodes, the player's device will automatically vibrate.