Zombie
Zombie · The Reanimated Corpse — Mindless Man-Eating Hordes of the Dead
An undead that, dead and reanimated, loses reason and craves the living. Moving slowly (or swiftly) with a rotting body, it spreads infection by bite or scratch. Rooted in the Vodou tradition of slave corpses raised by sorcery, it became in the modern era the symbol of apocalypse — hordes that topple civilization.
Origin
Derived from the Haitian Vodou tradition of corpses whose souls are stolen and controlled by a bokor (sorcerer). After the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, it was redefined as a swarm monster multiplying by infection, becoming central to modern horror.
Features
- Rotting body, slow or swift movement
- Craves only the living, without mind or self
- Spreads infection by bite or scratch
- Swarms in hordes
Stories
Appears as a symbol of civilization's collapse and the terror of endlessly surging hordes. A central being of apocalyptic narratives that test survival, social breakdown, and humanity.
Weakness
Stopped by destroying the head (brain). Slow and unable to use tools or strategy; individually weak, but their number and infection are the threat.
Related
Ghost
Ghost · The Wandering Spirit — A Soul Bound to the World by Attachment and Unfinished Story
Gremlin
Gremlin · The Machine-Breaking Yokai — A Prankster of the Modern Technological Age
Mummy
Mummy · The Bandaged Dead — A Cursed Corpse Guarding the Tomb
Ghoul
Ghoul · The Corpse-Eater — A Desert Monster That Digs Up and Devours the Dead
Wraith
Wraith · The Vengeful Specter — A Dark Spirit That Lost Its Form, Leaving Only Hatred
Vampire
Vampire · The Bloodsucker — Night's Aristocrat Living Immortal on the Blood of the Living
Skeleton Warrior
Skeleton Warrior · Undead Soldier — A warrior risen from death and granted unlife
Revenant
Revenant · The Vengeful Returned — A Corpse Risen From the Grave for One Purpose
Wight
Wight · The Barrow Dead — A Cursed Corpse Guarding the Tomb's Treasure
Banshee
Banshee · The Wailing Death-Herald — Lament of Celtic Lore
Dullahan
Dullahan · The Headless Horseman — Ireland's Death-Bringing Envoy
Lich
Lich · The Undying Mage — An Archmage Who Refused Death by Sealing the Soul