Nazi Zombies are a type of zombie seen throughout various forms of media, including in Call of Duty, Dead Snow, Shockwaves and Outpost. They are usually depicted as having been created by the Schutzstaffel during World War 2 and vary in abilities.
Appearances
Shock Waves (1977)
In the film "Shock Waves", Germany had experimented with elements of the supernatural. It was said these kind of zombies gained power from within the Earth itself. None were captured but it was said that they used no armaments and used only their bare hands, though their possible use of weapons wasn't eliminated. These zombies don't speak and are very strong and need no food, oxygen or sleep and they cannot die of old age or being drowned. They are also known to have the ability of camuflauge despite their uniform's color, they can blend in with the help of water as well as darkness.
Despite being nearly unstoppable, they are not truly invincible which was seen in the film. When Booke Adams' character Rose was under attack by one of these things, she went to defend herself and managed to pull off the soldier's goggles. This was in total daylight which caused the creature to die right away.
Call of Duty
Nazi Zombies were first seen in the Call of Duty game "Call of Duty: World At War". The last map to feature these type would be Kino Der Toten. They were created as a result of experimentation with a mysterious substance called Element 115 or "Ununpentium". These type are depicted of wearing various Nazi uniforms, ranging from Wehrmacht to Schutzstaffel and use no weapons against their foes, just their bare hands. They vary in terms of durability, example being in the first few rounds, they don't last long if impaled, hit in the head with precision rifles or blasted to bits with shotguns or grenades. After several rounds, they become more resilient to weapons fire and knives and even begin running. No matter what, hiding from them is futile as they will come after the player wherever they go and in greater numbers.
Outpost
In the film series "Outpost" Germany had conducted occultistic experimentation to shift reality and reanimate dead soldiers in order to create an invincible army for the Third Reich. They proved to be absolutely unstoppable against conventional small arms and explosives. Even though they can be shot, stabbed and hit by shrapnel, knives, bullets, shotgun shells and claymore mines have no effect on them. They demonstrated that even if they are shot in the head, they will not die, no matter how accurate the shooter aims. They also don't die of old age despite their decomposing bodies nor require oxygen or sustenance to survive. Also unlike other Nazi Zombies, these follow orders and are intelligent enough to utilize anything at their disposal to kill. They demonstrated their use of firearms as well as the use of spades, knives and even hand grenades as melee weapons.
These zombies demonstrated the ability to use the darkness to teleport and even appear out of nowhere to take down their prey. This was scene in the first film which showed a zombie appearing out of nowhere and killing one of the mercenaries they had surrounded in the bunker. They use the darkness to their advantage as well and show extremely remarkable stealth which even the US Navy SEALS couldn't perfect. The only way to take them down is by stripping them of their powers via electromagnetic pulse which would sever them from their powers, but not kill them. They then can be killed by conventional arms.
Dead Snow
The film "Dead Snow" showed a new type of Nazi zombie, which was categorized as cursed zombies. These were led by Col. Herzog who were in control of the small Norway village of Øksfjord and it was said that the inhabitance were oppressed. It was when the Russians began closing, Herzog ordered the theft of any valuables the populace had on them, any objections resulted in a bullet to the head. After all the years of oppression, the inhabitance decided to strike back and gathered any kind of weapons they had, attacking them the next night. Some were killed and Herzog, along with what was left of his battalion left into the mountains with lots of the stolen goods. They were said to have died in the mountains, however that wasn't the case and somehow were zombified.
These zombies were not as durable and anything can kill them. They are extremely fast and mostly rely on stealth tactics to overpower and intimidate their enemies. They also are very aggressive on their own and shown to be like the regular zombies in terms of biting their victims. Despite this, it is a possibility that their bite is not infectious due to the fact that Martin was bitten twice and yet didn't change, however it is a possibility that it enables him to utilize dead tissue on his body such as Herzog's missing limb. These zombies kill with their bare hands, but are not afraid to utilize other devices like knives and even use binoculars to view their situation. It is also shown that these zombies are very strong which was demonstrated when one tore apart a human skull, sending the brain on the floor. They also were smart enough to follow orders as well as drive vehicles like tanks.
Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army
In Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army and Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2, the army of Nazi zombies are the primary enemies of the games. They were created as a result of work with the occult ordered by Adolf Hitler himself. The occult work was based around the Sagarmatha Relic which raises the dead if all three pieces are separated. Once all three are together, every zombie will die. Despite this, these types of zombies can still die.
The game features several unique types of zombies, each of which with their own abilities and methods of killing. They have some durability, but despite this, they will still be killed by conventional forms. The most effective way is to shoot them in the head. They can be shot elsewhere and fall, but sometimes this is ineffective as they have the ability to rise back up and attack, but if hit anywhere else a second time, they will not get back up. Explosives are a really good way of killing them and can take out one or more zombies in a single blast.
Sniper Elite Zombies consist of the following types:
- Grunts: The most common form of zombie seen, Grunts are the types of zombies that are slower and more predictable than most zombies. Despite this, Grunts are strong in volume, like common zombie hordes and use the basic forms of melee attacks as well as the use of spades and other melee weapons.
- Ignited Grunts: The same body as a normal grunt, ignited grunts are zombies that are set on fire. Despite the minor difference, these kind can dish out more damage due to them being set on fire.
- Suicide Grunts: Similar to Grunts, Suicide Grunts are a specific type of Grunt. These types are usually carrying explosives and run towards the person they see and detonate the explosives. Suicide Grunts can be dealt with if shot at quickly and will explode to take out nearby zombies.
- Skeletons: These Zombies are somewhat common and are so decomposed that only their bones will remain. These ones are more tricky to kill, but can die via a shot to their glowing hearts.
- Snipers: A somewhat uncommon form of zombie, these are one of the two zombie types capable of using firearms against the player. They hide up on high vantage points, primarily buildings and target the player before shooting and can jump great distances. They can be killed by following the trail they leave behind in the air and shoot them before they shoot the player. These guys are mostly issued Gewehr 43 semi-automatic rifles.
- Elites: Large and heavy zombies, Elites are about 7ft tall and are slow. Despite their slow movements, they are more durable and are the second of two zombie types to use firearms. These guys are armed with MG-42 machine guns and can take more hits to the head than Grunts. Once they are hit with the final round, their heads will explode and they will fall to the ground.
- Fire Demons: A high priority zombie, Fire Demons are a very powerful form of zombie. Fire Demons are as tall as Elites, but are surrounded by fire. They are as slow as a grunt and their main method of attack is the use of large shockwaves that are as powerful as dynamite. When they die, Fire Demons explode like Suicide Zombies.
- Occult General: The most powerful of all the zombies, the Occult General is one of a kind. This guy is constantly seen throughout the games and therefore the master of the dead. He is shown to be all skeleton with a cleaned uniform and a ghostly appearance. He can summon the dead at will and usually hovers several feet off the ground. The best way to take him down is shoot the ghostly skulls flying around his person before hitting him in the head.
Wolfenstein Game Series
The Wolfenstein Game Series has long been associated with occult and advanced weapons research done by the Nazis. First appearing in Wolfenstein 3D, Nazi zombies were known by the name of "Mutants" and "Übermutants", both of which armed with guns in their chest. These would usually leave ammo or a new weapon for the player to use for future battles.
In Wolfenstein RPG and Return to Castle Wolfenstein, the games both introduce Orlac, a large and grotesque undead monster that can take a lot of abuse before dying. Return to Casle Wolfenstein also introduced us to the undead, any zombie or mummy as encountered in the game which can be killed by any form of conventional means. Dark Knights were also introduced as zombified Supersoldiers that are somewhat more clever than normal undead. The final undead was Heinrich I who was destroyed by B.J. Blazkowicz in order to keep the Nazis from using his powers to change the tides of the war.
In the 2009 game Wolfenstein, Blazkowicz went against the Nazis in their quest to harness the power of the Black Sun Dimension. It introduced enemies such as Geists, Sniffers and Despoiled, each of which vary in their own way as well as power. In the prequel Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, the SS Paranormal Division is conducting a massive dig within the Alps and research their findings at Castle Wolfenstein owned by Helga Von Schabbs. Such knowledge assisted them in raising the dead with the possible help of the occult and alchemy. The result of this were Shamblers, which were capable of attacking by means of melee combat or the use of firearms. These can die by means of shooting them in the head.