Is it considered canon for zombies to use weapons?

Recommended Videos

Brawndo

New member
Jun 29, 2010
2,165
0
0
I'm not talking about edged weapons and guns like in that terrible Land of the Dead movie. I'm merely referring to simple blunt objects like rocks and pieces of wood. If my memory serves me right, the original Night of the Living Dead featured a close up scene of a zombie hand picking up a rock. If you look at zombies as extremely stupid humans or animals, it's not so far fetched to have them using blunt objects as weapons - we humans are not the only species that uses tools.

Furthermore, if it's okay for zombies to use blunt objects, is throwing them going too far? What about zombie riot police using their batons and shields as bashing weapons?

Captcha: chasons schedule (who is this Chason you speak of?)
 

lulztaco

New member
Apr 19, 2011
22
0
0
if the person died holding the weapon then it would only make sense that when they become a zombie they still hold onto the weapon. However they would be too brain dead to realize that if they pick up that object over there they can crack your skull open and feast upon your delicious brain. So edged weapons would not even be out of the question, and only zombie pirates use guns. As for throwing... I do not think that zombies have the strength to throw anything more than a foot, let alone having the thought to do it.
 

twistedmic

Elite Member
Legacy
Sep 8, 2009
2,542
210
68
I think the original 'Day of the Dead' (by George Romero) had a zombie eventually learn how to pick up and use a handgun, though I could be wrong.
And I think that some zombies in The Walking Dead (t.v. show) were able to pick up and use simple bludgeoning weapons (i.e. random pieces of heavy/solid crap)
 

smearyllama

New member
May 9, 2010
3,292
0
0
Yes. Depends, somewhat. World War Z's ghouls were mindless drones, whereas Romero's horde was smart enough to use basic stuff.

I believe that if they're reanimated people, then they'll possess at least some basic brain function.
 

godofallu

New member
Jun 8, 2010
1,663
0
0
In my opinion zombies don't use weapons. They rip you apart en mass and eat you alive.

Then again people are free to do as they choose, so if you want zombies with guns and rock throwing powers go for it. Just keep balance in mind.
 

SilentCom

New member
Mar 14, 2011
2,417
0
0
A regular mob of weapon-wielding maniacs are much scarier than any less-than-dim horde of zombies, even if they can pick up rocks.
 

Owyn_Merrilin

New member
May 22, 2010
7,370
0
0
twistedmic said:
I think the original 'Day of the Dead' (by George Romero) had a zombie eventually learn how to pick up and use a handgun, though I could be wrong.
And I think that some zombies in The Walking Dead (t.v. show) were able to pick up and use simple bludgeoning weapons (i.e. random pieces of heavy/solid crap)
I haven't seen Day of the Dead, but I wonder if you're thinking of the scene in the original Dawn of the Dead where a guy gets turned while holding a handgun. If so, he never learned how to use it; it was just loose in his hand. <spoiler=spoilers for Night of the Living Dead>However, I'm pretty sure the little girl in Night of the Living Dead used a sharp implement as a weapon after she turned; either a knife or a hand shovel, if I remember correctly. Of course, that movie had quite a few differences in mythology compared to later Romero movies, so that may not really fit in with the rest of it. Night of the Living Dead reminds me more of a serious version of Night of the Comet than it does Dawn of the Dead

Captcha: (because entemen

Uh, Inglip, I didn't ask you a question; I'm afraid to ask what question I could have asked that would be answered with a brand of bagels.
 

twistedmic

Elite Member
Legacy
Sep 8, 2009
2,542
210
68
Owyn_Merrilin said:
twistedmic said:
I think the original 'Day of the Dead' (by George Romero) had a zombie eventually learn how to pick up and use a handgun, though I could be wrong.
And I think that some zombies in The Walking Dead (t.v. show) were able to pick up and use simple bludgeoning weapons (i.e. random pieces of heavy/solid crap)
I haven't seen Day of the Dead, but I wonder if you're thinking of the scene in the original Dawn of the Dead where a guy gets turned while holding a handgun. If so, he never learned how to use it; it was just loose in his hand.
No. I haven't seen the original 'Dawn of the Dead'. But I clearly remember a zombie in 'Day of the Dead' being taught, by a scientist, to pick up the handgun, though I can't remember if he fired it or not.
 

Neo10101

New member
Sep 7, 2009
316
0
0
Not right away, possibly if the zombie in question have been "zombified" for a while they may acquire some mental abilities.
 

Owyn_Merrilin

New member
May 22, 2010
7,370
0
0
twistedmic said:
Owyn_Merrilin said:
twistedmic said:
I think the original 'Day of the Dead' (by George Romero) had a zombie eventually learn how to pick up and use a handgun, though I could be wrong.
And I think that some zombies in The Walking Dead (t.v. show) were able to pick up and use simple bludgeoning weapons (i.e. random pieces of heavy/solid crap)
I haven't seen Day of the Dead, but I wonder if you're thinking of the scene in the original Dawn of the Dead where a guy gets turned while holding a handgun. If so, he never learned how to use it; it was just loose in his hand.
No. I haven't seen the original 'Dawn of the Dead'. But I clearly remember a zombie in 'Day of the Dead' being taught, by a scientist, to pick up the handgun, though I can't remember if he fired it or not.
Interesting. Sounds like you and I both have a bit of a zombie movie backlog.
 

bluebomber138

New member
Apr 18, 2011
35
0
0
I would think so... it depends. I think of zombies as "re-learning" things through trial and error, so if they figured out that Heavy pipe + back of man's head = brains faster, then they'd start using weapons, and if other zombies saw it... then youve got a lot of zombies with weapons. Plus, they could learn about that from watching survivors, too.
 

FalloutJack

Bah weep grah nah neep ninny bom
Nov 20, 2008
15,489
0
0
We're missing a severe point here. No matter what the source, it's canon within that world. There is no One Rule of zombies until the real ones show up.
 

Thaluikhain

Elite Member
Legacy
Jan 16, 2010
19,538
4,128
118
FalloutJack said:
We're missing a severe point here. No matter what the source, it's canon within that world. There is no One Rule of zombies until the real ones show up.
Exactly...and not even then. Movie about X was based around the premise that Y did Z, which isn't actually true.
 

StormShaun

The Basement has been unleashed!
Feb 1, 2009
6,948
0
0
Frankly if a zombie was charging towards me with a sword or an axe I would say "CRAP, CRAP, CRAAAAAP!!!" if it was a zombies shooting me with guns I would be like WTF how can they do this...F*CK YOU RESIDENT EVIL 5!!
 

Gaiseric

New member
Sep 21, 2008
1,625
0
0
I know they can use guns in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games though poorly.

I hope that if the zombie menace materializes that they wouldn't be able to use weapons or tools.
 

WolfThomas

Man must have a code.
Dec 21, 2007
5,292
0
0
I think writers can do whatever they want with zombies. In the crappy remake of Day of the Dead everyone reverted to their basic instincts, but soliders having been trained so much did fire their weapons albeit poorly.

Honestly these days I use Crossed as the standard to plan my zombie surivival scenario, anyone whose read the comic would know they're prefectly normal except extremely sociopathic.
 

BonsaiK

Music Industry Corporate Whore
Nov 14, 2007
5,635
0
0
Oh wow, a zombie thread on The Escapist that actually has discussion value. It's been a good six months or so since I've seen one of these.

Brawndo said:
If my memory serves me right, the original Night of the Living Dead featured a close up scene of a zombie hand picking up a rock.
Yes.

twistedmic said:
I think the original 'Day of the Dead' (by George Romero) had a zombie eventually learn how to pick up and use a handgun, though I could be wrong.
Also correct, although the zombie did have a bit of assistance there.

Zombies use whatever their limited intelligence allows them to use. They want to eat your brains, they don't really care how they do it. Most of the zombie listerature that is considered canon does in fact have zombies using weapons of some sort on occasion, when they are available.