History Main / TheUndead

* Death, a.k.a. TheGrimReaper: The big guy himself, usually portrayed as an ImplacableMan in a BlackCloak carrying a SinisterScythe. But [[ComicBook/TheSandman not]] [[Series/DeadLikeMe always]]. [[AC:[[Literature/{{Discworld}} MAY SPEAK IN]] [[PaintingTheMedium ALL CAPS]]]]. Is a very diligent worker, who truly [[DeathTakesAHoliday deserves some vacation time]] every now and then. He might ask you nicely to GoIntoTheLight or he might try to send you there [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} himself]]. Or he might just fancy [[ChessWithDeath a nice game of chess]]. There are also variations that look similar to TheGrimReaper but aren't unique beings, yet still more dangerous and rare than your run-off the mill skeleton.

* Death, a.k.a. TheGrimReaper: The big guy himself, usually portrayed as an ImplacableMan in a BlackCloak carrying a SinisterScythe. But [[ComicBook/TheSandman not]] [[DeadLikeMe always]]. [[AC:[[Literature/{{Discworld}} MAY SPEAK IN]] [[PaintingTheMedium ALL CAPS]]]]. Is a very diligent worker, who truly [[DeathTakesAHoliday deserves some vacation time]] every now and then. He might ask you nicely to GoIntoTheLight or he might try to send you there [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} himself]]. Or he might just fancy [[ChessWithDeath a nice game of chess]]. There are also variations that look similar to TheGrimReaper but aren't unique beings, yet still more dangerous and rare than your run-off the mill skeleton.

* [[RaisingTheSteaks Zombie Animal]]s: Take everything previously mentioned about the undead, and now apply it to all forms of life. As it turns out, [[EverythingsBetterWithPenguins not everything is better with penguins]].

For the RogerCorman film riffed [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E06TheUndead by]] Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000, go [[Film/TheUndead here]].

In ScienceFiction or ScienceFantasy, the undead may have a [[ArtificialZombie technological origin]] instead of a mystical or viral one. This type can range from a downplayed form of {{Cyborg}} reviving an organic body using an , or they may be the work of a ma

* [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghosts]]: Walking corpses without the corpses, most are understandably ticked off about this. Other than that, they have little in common, varying nearly as much as the rest of the undead put together. Depending on the genre, they can be anything from harmless pranksters to [[EldritchAbomination Lovecraftian horrors]]; you'll know which one yours is once he starts smearing things on the wall. If it's crayon, you're generally okay; if it's blood, you are so horribly screwed it's not even funny. Unless you [[TomatoInTheMirror realize]] that you're [[DeadAllAlong already one of them]]... but hey, most people who run into them know who they're [[Film/{{Ghostbusters}} gonna call.]] Unlike most forms of undeath, ghosts can be friendly. They may return to protect a loved one, or reward someone who arranged their burial, or the like. Ghosts also come in many flavors. In a lot of works, various words for ghost, such as phantom, spectre, wraith, etc. usually mean different varieties of ghost.

* [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Zombies]]: Just ordinary, run-of-the-mill walking corpses. They come in a variety of types [[ZombieGait Slow]] (usually...), weak (comparatively...), mostly blind ([[TheDeadHaveEyes unless they aren't]]), and stupid (at first...). [[MadeOfPlasticine Surprisingly squishy]], but they don't really notice. Made with HollywoodVoodoo in older works, and TheVirus in newer ones. Don't get bitten by [[PlagueZombie the latter form]]. Some of them [[KillItWithFire die quickly when burned.]] Others... [[InfernalRetaliation don't]]. However, most, if not all zombies, can be quickly taken down by RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain...except when they aren't. The ParasiteZombie can be highly resilient and adaptable and mutate its host in exotic ways. Know the characteristics of your local zombies to avoid embarrassing mistakes!

* {{Zombie Animal}}s: Take everything previously mentioned about the undead, and now apply it to all forms of life. As it turns out, [[EverythingsBetterWithPenguins not everything is better with penguins]].

* [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Zombies]]: Just ordinary, run-of-the-mill walking corpses. [[ZombieGait Slow]] (usually...), weak (comparatively...), mostly blind ([[TheDeadHaveEyes unless they aren't]]), and stupid (at first...). [[MadeOfPlasticine Surprisingly squishy]], but they don't really notice. [[KillItWithFire Burn 'em if you can]], and [[TheVirus don't get bitten]]. Made with HollywoodVoodoo in older works, and TheVirus in newer ones. Some of them die quickly when burned. Others... [[InfernalRetaliation don't]]. Know the characteristics of your local zombies to avoid embarrassing mistakes! However, most, if not all zombies, can be quickly taken down by RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain...except when they aren't.

Not all undead rise from humans. See RaisingTheSteaks for undead animals, NonHumanUndead for other types, and {{Dracolich}} for when dragons return from the grave.

[[caption-width-right:330:[-[[TotalAnnihilationKingdoms Do not despair in front of this army of the undead. Remember: These are victims, not victors.]]-] ]]

->''From every graveyard pour the hordes to strike before the dawn\\
A thousand years of death's carnage gathered 'fore the morn,\\
Their vengeance turned against mankind's unsuspecting head\\
There's no defense, there's no escape, you cannot kill the dead!''

* [[OurLichesAreDifferent Liches]]: Popularized in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' and common in modern {{Fantasy}}, a lich is an EvilSorcerer who retains his or her magical powers after death -- basically a revenant with a little something extra. In ''D&D'', the lich becomes undead by placing its soul in a SoulJar, and can only be permanently destroyed by destroying said Soul Jar; in other fictions, the Soul Jar is optional. A lich's physical appearance can range from near-normal to zombie-like to completely skeletal, which usually depends on the lich's age. Because of their skill at magic, liches tend to be among the most powerful and dangerous type of undead (if not ''the'' most powerful and dangerous) in settings where they exist.

* [[BlackKnight Death Knights]]: What liches are to sorcerers, these guys [[WarriorHeaven are to]] [[HellIsWar warriors]]. They rarely appear unless the undead are an organized army, and when they do, they function either as its generals, [[EliteMooks shock troopers]], [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking or both]]. They are nearly always found on horseback ([[HellishHorse either skeletal or pitch black]]), their weapon of choice often is a one-handed bastard sword with a skull on the hilt, and their armor is [[SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset richly decorated with skulls, bones, distorted faces, and other heraldry related to death]]. Their actual appearance varies between [[UndeathlyPallor a pale human]], a [[DemBones skeleton]], and completely spectral, relying on a [[AnimatedArmour possessed suit of armor]] instead. Popularized by Lord Soth of ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'', though the UrExample is probably the Nazgûl from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''.

* [[OurWightsAreDifferent Wights]]: More or less the mummy's northerly cousin, associated with MedievalEuropeanFantasy. Tolkien popularized them as wights [[note]]more properly a barrow-wight, meaning a "barrow man", with "wight" being simply an antiquated word for "man"[[/note]] and established the modern interpretation, [[OlderThanYouThink but they appear in Norse Oral tradition]] [[note]]as ''haugbui'', which is essentially old Norse for "barrow-man". -bui (pronounced "bwIgh") is related to wight etymologically[[/note]]. The first ''written'' appearances are OlderThanPrint, but these are only the first formal recordings of an oral tradition OlderThanDirt, probably a part of European folklore since the first kid dared another kid to spend the night next to a burial mound. The wight is an old, buried, usually desiccated or naturally mummified corpse[[note]]Some traditional stories also include reanimated drowning victims[[/note]] that rises up to guard its tomb or place of death from intruders. More eldritch and drier than a zombie, but fresher and much less powerful than a lich.

For the RogerCorman film riffed [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E06TheUndead by]] MysteryScienceTheater3000, go [[Film/TheUndead here]].

The remaining undead may be little more than puppets of a necromancer, or they may be powered by magic alone, but they have no animating spirit (at least, not a sentient one).

* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampires]]: Like zombies, only faster, stronger, and smarter. They suck blood, and may spend a lot of time angsting about it. Usually highly attractive, and both genders tend to be somewhat... [[HoYay festive]]. Dislike [[TurnUndead holy stuff]], [[WeakenedByTheLight bright light]], and pointy sticks. [[LostInImitation Originally]] they were not attractive, at all[[note]]Even the original Dracula, well, LooksLikeOrlok, except when he was well fed, then he looked very good. For most of the novel, he is quite handsome. After all, Bram Stoker modeled him after a man he had a boycrush on, Sir Henry Irving, who was a handsome actor. Stoker wanted Irving to portray the count in his theater. Besides that, look at Varney the Vampire, who looked like Lord Byron.[[/note]], and they also tended to have ruddy complexions (from all the blood) rather than [[UndeathlyPallor pale ones]].

* [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Werewolves]]: They are ''occasionally'' considered undead in older myths, but generally, modern werewolves are not undead, being people who ''survive'' a werewolf attack, as those who die usually do not return as werewolves. Sometimes they're just [[Literature/{{Discworld}} lumped in the same category]] of "creepy things", regardless of the level of truth to it. To quote one [[Literature/Discworld Ankh-Morporkian]]: "They're big and scary, come from {{Uberwald}}, and don't die when you stick a sword in them. What more do you want?"

* FrankensteinsMonster: Or anything else made from human corpses and brought back with technology. The original was big, a quick learner, and very, very pissed at his creator. The modern type is a bit more pitiable. Usually the stitches show, so you can tell them apart from zombies. The intelligence level varies. They seem to have universal SuperStrength, so don't challenge one to arm wrestling. Also note that, depending on the work, these may not be "technically" undead, and hence not vulnerable to holy power and tricks like the TropeNamer of ReviveKillsZombie.

* {{Mumm|y}}ies: The mummy shambles towards the archaeologists who have defiled its tomb. Luckily for them, it doesn't move fast due to sleeping for three thousand years (although there are [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy exceptions]]). The classical depiction is wrapped in white bandages, and no one wants to see what's underneath them. Sometimes they can be easily defeated by simply pulling off their bandages, but if they possess magical abilities, then it is unlikley that this tactic will be of any effect. In those cases you can count on them to be about as mighty as the Liches.
* [[OurWightsAreDifferent Wights]]: More or less the mummy's northerly cousin, associated with MedievalEuropeanFantasy. Tolkien popularized them as wights [[note]]more properly a barrow-wight, meaning a "barrow man", with "wight" being simply an antiquated word for "man"[[/note]] and established the modern interpretation, [[OlderThanYouThink but they appear in Norse Oral tradition]] [[note]]as ''haugbui'', which is essentially old norse for "barrow-man". -bui (pronounced "bwIgh") is related to wight etymologically[[/note]]. The first ''written'' appearances are OlderThanPrint but these are only the first formal recordings of an oral tradition OlderThanDirt, probably a part of European folklore since the first kid dared another kid to spend the night next to a burial mound. The wight is an old, buried, usually desiccated or naturally mummified corpse[[note]]Some traditional stories also include reanimated drowning victims[[/note]] that rises up to guard its tomb or place of death from intruders. More eldritch and drier than a zombie, but fresher and much less powerful than a lich.

* [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Werewolves]]: They are ''occasionally'' considered undead in older myths, but generally, modern werewolves are not undead, being people who ''survive'' a werewolf attack, as those who die usually do not return as werewolves. Sometimes they're just [[Literature/{{Discworld}} lumped in the same category]] of "creepy things", regardless of the level of truth to it. To quote one Ankh-Morporkian: "They're big and scary, come from {{Uberwald}}, and don't die when you stick a sword in them. What more do you want?"

For the RogerCorman film riffed [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E06TheUndead by]] MysteryScienceTheater3000, go [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/TheUndead here]].

* [[OurWightsAreDifferent Wights]]: More or less the mummy's northerly cousin, associated with MedievalEuropeanFantasy. Tolkien popularized them as wights [[note]]more properly a barrow-wight, meaning a "barrow man", with "wight" being simply an antiquated word for "man"[[/note]] and established the modern interpretation, [[OlderThanYouThink but they appear in Norse Oral tradition]] [[note]]as ''haugbui'', which is essentially "barrow-man" -bui (pronounced "bwIgh") is related wight etymologically[[/note]]. The first ''written'' appearances are OlderThanPrint but these are only the first formal recordings of an oral tradition OlderThanDirt, probably a part of European folklore since the first kid dared another kid to spend the night next to a burial mound. The white is an old, buried, usually desiccated or naturally mummified corpse[[note]]Some traditional stories also include reanimated drowning victims[[/note]] that rises up to guard its tomb or place of death from intruders. More eldritch and drier than a zombie, but fresher and much less powerful than a lich.

* [[OurWightsAreDifferent Wights]]: More or less the mummies' northerly cousins. A wight (more properly a barrow-wight, meaning a "barrow man", with "wight" being simply an antiquated word for "man") is an old, buried, usually desiccated or naturally mummified corpse that rises up, acquiring some magical or necromantic powers in the process. Unlike mummies, who are thoroughly Egyptian, barrow wights are associated with MedievalEuropeanFantasy since Tolkien. More eldritch and less fresh than a zombie, but fresher and way less eldritch than a lich. The original Barrow-wights of Middle-Earth were usually guardians of their tombs, a trait many of their imitations share.

While not invariably, Undead often bring EvilIsDeathlyCold into play, since they are, in fact, deathly, and corpses are naturally cold.

For the RogerCorman film riffed by [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E06TheUndead by]] MysteryScienceTheater3000, go [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/TheUndead here]].

* [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Zombies]]: Just ordinary, run-of-the-mill walking corpses. [[ZombieGait Slow]] (usually...), weak (comparatively...), mostly blind ([[TheDeadHaveEyes unless they aren't]]), and stupid (at first...). [[MadeOfPlasticine Surprisingly squishy]], but they don't really notice. [[KillItWithFire Burn 'em if you can]], and [[TheVirus don't get bitten]]. Made with HollywoodVoodoo in older works, and TheVirus in newer ones. Some of them die quickly when burned. Others... [[InfernalRetaliation don't]]. Know the characteristics of your local zombies to avoid embarrassing mistakes!

* Death, a.k.a. TheGrimReaper: The big guy himself, usually portrayed as an ImplacableMan in a BlackCloak carrying a SinisterScythe. But [[ComicBook/TheSandman not]] [[DeadLikeMe always]]. [[AC:[[Literature/{{Discworld}} MAY SPEAK IN]] [[PaintingTheMedium ALL CAPS]]]]. Is a very diligent worker, who truly [[DeathTakesAHoliday deserves some vacation time]] every now and then. He might ask you nicely to GoIntoTheLight or he might try to send you there [[VideoGame/{{Castlevania}} himself]]. Or he might just fancy [[ChessWithDeath a nice game of chess]]. There are also variations that look similar to TheGrimReaper but aren't unique beings, yet still more dangerous and rare than your run-off the mill skeleton.

* {{Mumm|y}}ies: The mummy shambles towards the archaeologists who have defiled its tomb. Luckily for them, it doesn't move fast due to sleeping for three thousand years (although there are [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy exceptions]]). The classical depiction is wrapped in white bandages, and no one wants to see what's underneath them.

* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampires]]: Like zombies, only faster, stronger, and smarter. They suck blood, and may spend a lot of time angsting about it. Usually highly attractive, and both genders tend to be somewhat... [[HoYay festive]]. Dislike [[TurnUndead holy stuff]], [[WeakenedByTheLight bright light]], and pointy sticks. [[LostInImitation Originally]] they were not attractive, at all[[hottip:*:even the original Dracula, well, LooksLikeOrlok, except when he was well fed, then he looked very good. For most of the novel, he is quite handsome. After all, Bram Stoker modeled him after a man he had a boycrush on, Sir Henry Irving, who was a handsome actor. Stoker wanted Irving to portray the count in his theater. Besides that, look at Varney the Vampire, who looked like Lord Byron.]], and they also tended to have ruddy complexions (from all the blood) rather than [[UndeathlyPallor pale ones]].

* [[BlackKnight Death Knights]]: What liches are to sorcerers, these guys [[WarriorHeaven are to]] [[HellIsWar warriors]]. They rarely appear unless the undead are an organized army, and when they do, they function either as its generals, [[EliteMooks shock troopers]], [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking or both]]. They are nearly always found on horseback ([[HellishHorse either skeletal or pitch black]]), their weapon of choice often is a one-handed bastard sword with a skull on the hilt, and their armor is [[SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset richly decorated with skulls, bones, distorted faces, and other heraldry related to death]]. Their actual appearance varies between [[UndeathlyPallor a pale human]], a [[DemBones skeleton]], and completely spectral, relying on a [[AnimatedArmour possessed suit of armor]] instead. Popularized by Lord Soth of ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'', though the UrExample is probably the Nazgul from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''.