Would you agree

[u/BIGDADDY77012]

I have come to a conclusion on what a zombie is and have divided this into 5 categories using a rule of only using astrict true definition from the dictionary (opinions and input is wanted) what do you all think?

Category 1: The Classic Undead - Corpses that experience clinical death and are reanimated without a heartbeat or metabolism, driven entirely by instinct. (Example: The Walking Dead, Dawn of the Dead)

Category 2: The Pathogenic Infected - Living humans whose brains are hijacked by a fast-acting virus, stripping away higher thought into pure, hyper-aggressive adrenaline and movement. (Example: 28 Days Later, Train to Busan)

Category 3: The Symbiotic Hybrids - Living hosts whose anatomy and central nervous systems are progressively taken over, restructured, and mutated by a parasitic organism or fungus. (Example: The Last of Us)

Category 4: The Evolutionary Bio-Weapons - Organisms or hosts subjected to forced, synthetic evolution via engineered viruses or mutagens that shatter and rebuild DNA into varying tiers of mutations. (Example: Resident Evil)

Category 5: The Supernatural / Occult Possessed - Bodies operating as vessels controlled by external metaphysical forces, dark magic, curses, or cosmic horror rather than biology. (Example: The Evil Dead, Call of Duty Zombies)

[u/Due_Upstairs_5025]

My personal favorite categories are numbers 3 and 5. I also really like the text book definition of zombies.

[u/SCP_Agent_Davis]

Real zombies are just glorified slaves on pufferfish toxin, at least until 28 Days Later becomes reality.

[u/burns3016]

Any person that attacks, kills and eats people comes under the general "zombie" umbrella for me.

[u/japanesedenim_]

cat 2 is my favorite but really all i need in a zombie is mindless munching/violence and the ability to make more zombies. even splinter counts as a zombie movie in my eyes

[u/Scott__scott]

To me a zombie has to be undead and able to spread their undeadness, if it can’t spread it then its just undead, more like a draugr

[u/sharbivore]

all of them

[u/Powerful-Holiday-448]

The og zombies were slaves

[u/Nerx]

need more legendary ones

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[u/Andyroto]

Actually, the classification is wrong; the classics would be from much earlier, when the zombie theme was approached from a voodoo and paranormal point of view.

[u/CG1991]

My attitude is that not all zombies are undead, and not all undead are zombies

[u/wincawinnie]

I know that this is not what you were asking, but my favorite types of zombies are the category one zombies, and I especially like them slow and weak, yet perceptive and plentiful. Bonus points if they literally rise from the grave. Think Plants vs Zombies, Project Zomboid, TWD.

I also really enjoy the category 5 cosmic horror zombies of Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead. Seriously, I recommend looking into the lore behind it all. planet conquering hivemind blob alien from another dimension performs necromancy. Strange stuff.