Zombie folklore originates from Haitian Voodoo traditions, where zombies are reanimated corpses controlled by a sorcerer known as a bokor. These zombies are typically devoid of free will and used as slaves. In modern pop culture, zombies are often depicted as mindless, flesh-eating creatures resulting from a virus or scientific experiment gone wrong, some dastardly Alien infiltration delivered by meteorite, popularised in films, TV shows, and literature. 

They serve as metaphors for societal fears, such as the loss of individuality or the collapse of civilisation. Us, the last humans, against who knows what.

Or so the dictionary tells it…

It may be right, but I think there is something else in there too. In the end, we just like reading and watching our fellow human beings either get eaten by monsters, or overcome and kill, those same monsters. It doesn’t actually matter which it is either. A hero can kill a thousand zombies in a book, then die in the most poetic or disgusting way. We read on. Both thrill us. The monster, for today it’s the Zombie, can change, can evolve, can talk or is mute. It doesn’t really matter. 

Lists of favourites abound – 10 greatest zombies in film; 22 sexiest Zombies; 13 best Apocalypse stories. Anyway, drawing up a list is subjective and can vary based on personal opinions. Let’s be honest here – we all like different things, even if they are basically the same. However, here is a list of 10 iconic zombies from various films that have left a lasting impact on the genre: 

Bub – “Day of the Dead” (1985)

Tarman – “Return of the Living Dead” (1985)”

Big Daddy – “Land of the Dead” (2005)                                               

Zombie Hare Krishna – “Dawn of the Dead” (1978)

Stephen “Flyboy” Andrews – “Dawn of the Dead” (1978)

Mrs. Carmody – “The Mist” (2007) – Though not a traditional zombie, her transformation and influence are noteworthy.

Frankenstein’s Monster – Various films, including “Frankenstein” (1931) and “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935). Technically not a zombie, but it has inspired many zombie-like creatures in later films.

Zombie Elvis – “Bubba Ho-Tep” (2002) 

Roach – “Land of the Dead” (2005)

Zombie – “28 Days Later” (2002) – Though they are technically “infected” and not undead, they had a significant impact on the zombie genre. 

Each of these zombies has contributed in its unique way to the horror genre and has become iconic in its own right.

But hey, what about these?:

Barbara, Shaun’s mum – “Shaun of the Dead (2004) a lovely ditzy Mother, who becomes, briefly, a horrific monster.

Melanie – The Girl With all the Gifts (2016)

Standartenfuhrer (Oberst) Herzog – “Dead Snow” (2009) a really scary, evil and seemingly unbeatable zombie adversary.

R – “Warm Bodies” (2009) Zombie with thoughts…

Scout Leader Rogers – “Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” (2015) In my opinion, one of the most anticipated transformations.

There are loads of great characters, verbal or non-verbal in Zombie films. But if you asked me to compile a best zombie character list, could I even start it without including any of the zombies from literature? The number of Zombie stories in the book shops, and on the mighty Amazon etc are growing daily; RR Haywood’s incredible “The Undead” series contains some really good iterations of the zombie character, and some astounding Human characters too… Both Kindle and Audible contain some fantastic Zombie stories, ranging from pure Human survival thrillers such as David Achord’s ‘Zombie’ Rules book series, about its hero Zach, who is tutored in survival skills for months before the Apocalypse hits (a personal favourite this one!); to Keith Soares’ ‘The Oasis of Filth’. One of the most moving Zombie book/films I have read/seen, is ‘The Girl with all the Gifts’, by M.R. Carey, with its wonderful main character, Melanie. She epitomises humanity’s ability to learn, change and adapt to any situation that doesn’t just kill us outright, immediately.

So maybe the dictionary is correct in the end; we enjoy the angst that thinking about losing our identity and the collapse of a familiar societal structure, but even more – we enjoy the unlikely win by some last bunch of humans, (“it could be us”) against the unknown, unbeatable and unfeasibly ugly zombie assailant.