I have always wondered that if there is such a small percentage of humans alive during a zombie apocalypse and so many zombies on the hunt for human brains then wouldn't be easier just to hold out in a bunker with enough food for a month till the undead starve to death? Maybe some of you have read more materials or watched enough movies to be able to give me an explanation. I just would like to know if they eat anything else like animals brains, each other, or if they actually eat the entire humans like depicted in some movies and not just the brain? Just give me some examples from movies, books, ect.
What do Zombies Eat Exactly?
- Thread starter marfin_
- Start date
You need to read the survival handbook. Zombies don't eat because they have to eat to survive, they eat because it's a base instinct, which is all they have left.
Seriously though this [http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Survival-Guide-Complete-Protection/dp/1400049628] is a great read for zombie stuff.
Seriously though this [http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Survival-Guide-Complete-Protection/dp/1400049628] is a great read for zombie stuff.
Lets Ask
Gardener Zombie: Graaaains
Plumber Zombie : Draaaaains
Physicist Zombie : Braaaaaanes
oh....
Gardener Zombie: Graaaains
Plumber Zombie : Draaaaains
Physicist Zombie : Braaaaaanes
oh....
The "serious" zombie movies have zombies eating flesh, not brains. Zombies eat brains in Return of the Living Dead, which is very silly and not taken as canon by zombie fans. Depending who you ask, the zombies might also attack and eat animals, but animals instinctively avoid zombies much like humans.
If you've read the Zombie Survival Guide, it's says that zombies don't need to eat, since they're already dead their internal organs shut down and no longer function. Yet, they do it as a way to infect others. They will go after animals, but animals tend to avoid being anywhere near an area infested with zombies.
If you're the only person in the area, I hate to say it, but you're zombie chow, sorry.
If you're the only person in the area, I hate to say it, but you're zombie chow, sorry.
The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z are my sources.
Base instinct? Probably the only instinct, is the hunt for food. The thing is, zombie organs are non-vital and most are non-functioning, including the stomach. Zombies do not require flesh or brains to survive, they go after them just because.
The problem is their main source of food is also the only way for them to bolster their ranks (via infection) and their top predator.
Base instinct? Probably the only instinct, is the hunt for food. The thing is, zombie organs are non-vital and most are non-functioning, including the stomach. Zombies do not require flesh or brains to survive, they go after them just because.
The problem is their main source of food is also the only way for them to bolster their ranks (via infection) and their top predator.
28 days/ weeks later about covers this bit. The problem is the lore and mythos of zombies changes between each movie or each retelling. Resident evil the zombies survive when most of humanity is eaten away, and there are animal zombies. 28 days later they are rage virus zombies and they die out when starved. In the "of the dead" series they consume human flesh but seem to be able to survive with out it in later movies where humans cage themselves off.marfin_ said:
So i guess its less what sustains them, and more do they need to be sustained.
ED: am i the only person that doesnt take the survival guide as the be all end all of zombie canon? Yeah it was a funny little survival guide and what not, but its just polluted the genera. I hate discussions where the guide is brought up constantly "the guide says use a shaolin spade" "the guide says a prison is the safest place to be" "the guide says don't use guns". It's a guide, not a rule book, but people treat it like the zombie survival bible. I dono, i liked the days of silly humans firing mass ammount of ammo into crowds of zombies and slowly being swarmed.
Well it very much depends on what kind of zombie we are talking about.
Theres the hell zombie, the kind which comes back because theres no room left in hell. Ya know. That kind is supernatural in nature so they probably dont need to eat, they only attack people and eat them to stave off the pain of being dead.
The magical zombie, zombies revived by necromancers to do their bidding, probably dont need to eat either since their life is sustained by magic.
And finaly our favourite virus zombie, the contagious ones from resident evil, dead rising and just about every video game since the great zombie singularity emerged. That kind is not supernatural, so logicaly they need to eat in order to have energy and be able to move. And as experience indicates, they are carnivores.
Theres the hell zombie, the kind which comes back because theres no room left in hell. Ya know. That kind is supernatural in nature so they probably dont need to eat, they only attack people and eat them to stave off the pain of being dead.
The magical zombie, zombies revived by necromancers to do their bidding, probably dont need to eat either since their life is sustained by magic.
And finaly our favourite virus zombie, the contagious ones from resident evil, dead rising and just about every video game since the great zombie singularity emerged. That kind is not supernatural, so logicaly they need to eat in order to have energy and be able to move. And as experience indicates, they are carnivores.
I always felt that the undead eating the flesh of the living was less about the need for bodily nutrition (which is a curse only the living have to suffer) and more about the assimilation of 'soul' for want of a better word, in order to attain, presumably some higher state of being.
If we accept the argument that each human has the power of free will and self actualisation, and somehow the consumption of living flesh will allow the consumer to gain some or all of that spiritual power (primitive cultures would sometimes consume parts of animals they hunted - or the flesh of their ancestors, or enemies to gain their strength) then it could go along way to explain the preoccupation of zombies (and other undead) with consumption of the sentient living, rather than consumption of animals (nutritionless snacks - perhaps a bit like squeezy cheese).
Zombies are consuming humans to grow, spiritually. Perhaps even to attain a higher level of intelligence and capability - perhaps going up levels to become ghouls, ghasts, wights, vampires... hang on. Sorry I've drifted off into D&D.
My bad.
If we accept the argument that each human has the power of free will and self actualisation, and somehow the consumption of living flesh will allow the consumer to gain some or all of that spiritual power (primitive cultures would sometimes consume parts of animals they hunted - or the flesh of their ancestors, or enemies to gain their strength) then it could go along way to explain the preoccupation of zombies (and other undead) with consumption of the sentient living, rather than consumption of animals (nutritionless snacks - perhaps a bit like squeezy cheese).
Zombies are consuming humans to grow, spiritually. Perhaps even to attain a higher level of intelligence and capability - perhaps going up levels to become ghouls, ghasts, wights, vampires... hang on. Sorry I've drifted off into D&D.
My bad.
True but how would the zombies have energy to move if they dont eat? Unless they are supernatural in nature.Feylynn said:
It honestly depends on what zombies you are referring to.
Romero[Slow, Dumb, Classic]: I think it had been establish in some Romero movie that zombies just ate people because they were in pain. They would eat only the brains I think. In later movies they seem to eat the whole human. These zombies won't starve.
Max Brooks Zombies[Same as Romero]: In the the "Zombie Survival Guide", Brooks says that while zombies prefer to eat humans, and will always go after them, but will consume animals such as dogs,cats, and etc. These zombies won't starve.
28 Days Later [Fast,Crazy,Newer]: To me this is the most plausible thing that could happen in real life. These zombies or "infected" are really just full of rage that drives them insane. They don't really want to eat you, they just want you dead. They will just happen to bite you sometimes, the virus spreads through blood and saliva so you probably going to be infected. These zombies will starve eventually.
Romero[Slow, Dumb, Classic]: I think it had been establish in some Romero movie that zombies just ate people because they were in pain. They would eat only the brains I think. In later movies they seem to eat the whole human. These zombies won't starve.
Max Brooks Zombies[Same as Romero]: In the the "Zombie Survival Guide", Brooks says that while zombies prefer to eat humans, and will always go after them, but will consume animals such as dogs,cats, and etc. These zombies won't starve.
28 Days Later [Fast,Crazy,Newer]: To me this is the most plausible thing that could happen in real life. These zombies or "infected" are really just full of rage that drives them insane. They don't really want to eat you, they just want you dead. They will just happen to bite you sometimes, the virus spreads through blood and saliva so you probably going to be infected. These zombies will starve eventually.
They just asked the rest of the Council, who shrugged and shuffled forwards with their arms out-stretched.Zantos said: