Undead Physiology

"A week ago... Something strange happened."
"What was that?"
"I died."

― Stalker and Persephone (Tasakeru)

"You know that line they feed you in boot camp, "You can rest when you're dead"? Complete bullshit!"

― Alcatraz (Crysis 2: Legion)

"We are not among the living, so we cannot die - but neither are we dead."

― Hector Barbossa (Pirates of the Caribbean)

"You can’t kill what’s already dead."

― (Anonymous)

The ability to use the abilities of an undead. Variation of Mythic Physiology. If the user loses their physical body, they gain Ghost Physiology.

Also Called[]

Anti-Dead Physiology
Cadaverism
Cadaver Form/Mimicry/Physiology
Corpse Form/Mimicry/Physiology
Forsaken Physiology (Warcraft)
Necrotic Form/Mimicry/Physiology
Undead Form/Mimicry
Undeath
The Living Dead

Capabilities[]

User with this ability either is or can transform into an undead, corporeal beings in mythology, legend or fiction that are deceased yet behave as if alive. A common example is a corpse re-animated by supernatural forces, by the application of the deceased's own life force or that of another being (such as a demon).

Generally, undead beings tend to lack traditional physical weaknesses, such as pain, need to rest, vulnerability to environmental effects, etc, while some still need to consume various substances (blood, flesh, life-force). Being clinically dead, their brains and bodies are immune to most powers that affect living beings.

Applications[]

Variations[]

Types of Undead:[]

Corporeal Undead[]

For a variety of corporeal undead, see here.

Incorporeal Undead[]

Associations[]

Limitations[]

Supernatural Hunters are more than capable to handle the undead. More specifically, undead slayers.
May be difficult, or impossible to revert back to a normal form.
May need to consume living flesh, blood, life energy, etc. in order to survive.
May still decay and rot.
Metal Aversion: Silver stake to the heart in certain cases have been able to keep the undead in a dead state or actually destroy them.
Motor skills may be impaired.
May be unable to heal injuries.
- User may lose limbs or not have limbs.
Not feeling pain may not always be beneficial.
Certain undead may have a natural vulnerability to certain substances, forces, or items which they are powerless to defend against (I.E.-sunlight, silver, fire, salt, jade).
- In some mythologies, salt can be used to force transformation from this state.
Damage to the brain may result in an instant kill, even in this form.
Dark Arts, Necromancy and other forms of Magic may be used to control the user.
Undead Manipulation
If this ability is based on Dark Arts, Necromancy and other such abilities then Light Arts and similar abilities may harm the user or counter this ability.
- Healing Magic/Abjuration will most likely damage or destroy them.
Vulnerable against Resurrection, Life Inducement and Death Negation

Known Users[]

See Also The Undead and Undead Index.

Cartoons/Comics[]

Death Judges (2000 AD)
Durham Red (2000 AD)
The Lich (Adventure Time)
Marceline the Vampire Queen (Adventure Time)
Ayam Aghoul (Aladdin: The Animated Series)
Tanya (Batman & Dracula: Red Rain)
Ectonurites (Ben 10)
- Ghostfreak
- Zs'Skayr
Translyians (Ben 10)
- Frankenstrike
- Viktor
Thep Khufans (Ben 10)
- Kuphulu
- Snare-oh
Vladats (Ben 10: Omniverse)
- Lord Transyl
- Whampire
Briar Harvestar (Bone Comics)
Cappy (Casper's Scare School)
Emily (Corpse Bride)
Senior Citizombies (Codename: Kids Next Door)
Ghosts (Danny Phantom)
Half-ghosts (Danny Phantom)
- Danny Fenton/Phantom
- Vlad Masters/Plasmius
Freakshow (Danny Phantom); via Reality Gauntlet
Batman of Earth-43 (DC Comics)
Solomon Grundy (DC Comics)
Frankenstein (DC Comics)
Bride of Frankenstein (DC Comics)
Young Frankenstein (DC Comics)
Andrew Bennett (DC Comics)
Greta Hayes/Secret (DC Comics)
Ghouls (Fables)
Black Tarantula (Fox Feature Syndicate)
Sparky (Frankenweenie)
Grim (The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy); possibly
Irwin (The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy/Underfist)
Jack'O Lantern (The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy)
Dracula (Hotel Transylvania)
Mavis (Hotel Transylvania)
Frank/Frankenstein (Hotel Transylvania); possibly
Eunice (Hotel Transylvania); possibly
Murray (Hotel Transylvania)
Zombies (Hotel Transylvania)
Skeletons (Hotel Transylvania)
D'compose (Inhumanoids)
Lenore Lynchfast (Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl)
Marvel Zombies (Marvel Comics)
Dead Girl (Marvel Comics)
Death Ninja (Marvel Comics)
N'Kantu The Living Mummy (Marvel Comics)
Blade (Marvel Comics)
Ghost Riders (Marvel Comics)
Snowblind (Marvel Comics)
Vampires (Marvel Comics)
- Baron Blood
- Bloodscream
- Bloodstorm
- Deacon Frost
- Dracula
- Hellcow
- Hannibal King
- Jubilee; formerly
- Lilith Drake
- Spitfire
- Varnae
The Avengers of the Undead (Marvel Comics)
King Yod (Megalex)
Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas)
The Stitched (The Stitched)
Shredder (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012)
Wuya (Xiaolin Showdown)
Huggers (The Amazing World of Gumball)

Literature[]

Carmilla (Carmilla)
Vladimir Tod (Chronicles of Vladimir Tod)
Reginald "Reg" Shoe (Discworld)
Windle Poons (Discworld)
Mr. Slant (Discworld)
Baron Saturday (Discworld)
Ghouls (The Dresden Files)
Count Dracula (Dracula)
Ghouls (Fafhrd And The Gray Mouser)
Frankenstein's Monster (Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus)
Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter)
Ghosts (Harry Potter)
Inferi (Harry Potter)
Peeves (Harry Potter)
Celia (Karsearin: Adventures of a Red Dragon)
Barrow-wights (The Lord of the Rings)
Draugr (The Morganville Vampires)
All vampires and vampire-chameleons (Shadow Falls)
Akasha (The Vampire Chronicles)
Lestat de Lioncourt (The Vampire Chronicles)
The Outsider (The Outsider/Cthulhu Mythos)

Live Television/Movies[]

Rotgut (Ace Lightning)
Eva (Army of Darkness)
Sally Malik (Being Human)
Annie Sawyer (Being Human)
Vampires (Blade Trilogy)
Vampires (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel)
Jack O'Toole (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Warren Mears (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Bio-mechanical demonoid (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
- Adam
- Forrest Gates
Nazi Zombies (Dead Snow)
Aukon (Doctor Who: State of Decay)
Camilla (Doctor Who: State of Decay)
Zargo (Doctor Who: State of Decay)
Evelyn (Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl)
Devin (Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl)
Deadites (The Evil Dead franchise)
Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th)
Michael Myers (Halloween franchise)
Elsa Hyde (Here Come The Munsters!)
Grim (Horrible Histories)
Mateo Rodriguez (Imortal)
Vampires (Imortal)
Wraiths (Tolkienverse)
Fangires (Kamen Rider Kiva)
Houka Ozu (Mahou Sentai Magiranger)
The Twins (Matrix Reloaded)
Baboo (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers)
Imhotep (The Mummy)
Herman Munster (The Munsters)
Charlie Munster (The Munsters)
Sarah (My Babysitter's a Vampire)
Erica (My Babysitter's a Vampire)
Rory (My Babysitter's a Vampire)
Jesse (My Babysitter's a Vampire)
Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street)
Count Orlok (Nosferatu)
Church/Winston Church (Pet Sematary)
Tristan (Polterguests)
Squiffy (Polterguests)
Kneecaps (Polterguests)
Rinshi (Power Rangers Jungle Fury/Juken Sentai Gekiranger)
Ghouls (Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue)
Batlings (Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue)
Leelee Pimvare (Power Rangers Mystic Force)
Necrolai (Power Rangers Mystic Force)
Nicorli (Power Rangers Mystic Force)
Vida Rocca (Power Rangers Mystic Force)
Broodwing (Power Rangers S.P.D.)
R.I.P.D. officers (R.I.P.D.)
Deados (R.I.P.D.)
Nikola Tesla (Sanctuary)
Darth Sidious (Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker)
Vampires (True Blood/The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
- Sookie Stackhouse
- Eric Northman
- Bill Compton
- Pamela Swynford De Beaufort
- Jessica Hamby
Hybrids (Underworld)
Vampires (Underworld)
Vampire Girl (Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl)
Vampires (The Vampire Diaries)
Walkers (The Walking Dead)
Juliet Van Heusen (Wizards of Waverly Place)
Captain William Blake (The Fog)

Anime/Manga[]

Diva (Blood+)
Saya Otonashi (Blood+)
Chiropterans (Blood+)
Shikabane Hime (Corpse Princess)
Arystar Krory III (D. Gray-Man)
Undead Type Digimon (Digimon anime)
- Dracumon
- MadLeomon
- Mummymon
- Myotismon
- SkullGreymon
- SkullSatamon
- Troopmon
Rose (Kaibutsu Maid no Kareinaru Oshigoto)
Fangs the Vampire Man (Dragon Ball)
Baby (Dragon Ball GT)
Silver Fullbuster (Fairy Tail)
Alucard (Hellsing)
Seras Victoria (Hellsing)
Ghouls (Hellsing)
Them (Highschool of the Dead)
DIO (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Bruno Bucciarati (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure V: Vento Aureo)
Kaguro (Kekkaishi)
Ayumu Aikawa (Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?)
Evangeline Athanasia Katherine McDowell (Mahou Sensei Negima!)
Morborgran (Mahou Sensei Negima!)
The Six Paths of Pain (Naruto)
Brook (One Piece); via the Yomi Yomi no Mi
Hogback's Zombies (One Piece)
Ainz Ooal Gown (Overlord)
Shalltear Bloodfallen (Overlord)
Yuri Alpha (Overlord)
Panty (Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt)
Stocking (Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt)
Moka (Rosario+Vampire)
Kokoa (Rosario+Vampire)
Kahlua (Rosario+Vampire)
Aqua (Rosario+Vampire)
Issa Shuzen (Rosario+Vampire)
Gyokuro Shuzen (Rosario+Vampire)
Akasha Bloodriver (Rosario+Vampire)
Ling Ling Wong (Rosario+Vampire)
Tsukune Aono (Rosario+Vampire)
Ghosts (Shaman King)
Wrath of the Pharaoh (Soul Eater)
Mosquito (Soul Eater)
Professor Nominos (Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space)
Abel Nightroad (Trinity Blood)
Rentt Faina (The Unwanted Immortal Adventurer)
D (Vampire Hunter D)
Magnus Lee (Vampire Hunter D)
Rin Azuma (Yozakura Quartet)

Mythology/Folklore[]

Jiang Shi (Chinese Mythology)
The Grim Reaper (Folklore); sometimes
Gashadokuro (Japanese Mythology/Folklore)
Ghouls (Mythology/Folklore)
Vampires (Mythology/Folklore)
Zombies (Mythology/Folklore)
Skeletons (Mythology)
Wraiths/Ghosts/Specters (Mythology)
Draugr (Norse Mythology/Folklore)
Glámr (Norse Mythology/Folklore)
Gunnar (Norse Mythology/Folklore)
Koschei the Deathless (Russian Mythology)
Headless Horsemen/Dullahan (Celtic Mythology)
Liches (Mythology)

Video Games[]

Bottles (Banjo-Kazooie)
Rachel Alucard (BlazBlue)
Drowning Doom (Brütal Legend)
Bi-O (Bust a Groove 2)
Dracula (Castlevania)
Ghost Widow (City of Heroes)
Hollows (Dark Souls series)
Undead (Dark Souls series)
Unkindled (Dark Souls III)
The Drowned Crew (Darkest Dungeon)
Drowned Thralls (Darkest Dungeon)
Fungal Artillery (Darkest Dungeon)
Fungal Scratcher (Darkest Dungeon)
Ghouls (Darkest Dungeon)
The Necromancer (Darkest Dungeon)
The Prophet (Darkest Dungeon)
Squiffy Ghast (Darkest Dungeon)
Hsien-Ko (Darkstalkers)
Jericho Cross (Darkwatch)
Zombies (Dead Rising)
- Frank West (Dead Rising) should he fail to get Zombrex
- Katy Greene (Dead Rising 2) should she fail to get Zombrex
- Tyrone King (Dead Rising 2) should he fail to get Zombrex
Zombiemen (Doom)
Shotgun Guys (Doom)
Heavy Weapon Dudes (Doom)
Revenants (Doom 2)
Zombies (Doom 3)
- Boneys
- Bio-Suit Zombies
- Chainsaw Zombies
- Fat Zombies
- Flaming Zombies
- Morgue Zombies
- Zombie-Securities/Z-Secs
Possessed (Doom 2016)
- Possessed Scientists
- Possessed Workers
- Possessed Soldiers
  - Hell Razers
- Possessed Securities
- Possessed Engineers
- Unwilling
Zombies (Doom Eternal)
- Mecha Zombies
Soldiers (Doom Eternal)
- Blaster Soldiers
- Shield Soldiers
- Riot Soldiers
Cueballs (Doom Eternal)
Carcasses (Doom Eternal)
Lich (Dota 2)
Pudge (Dota 2)
Undying (Dota 2)
Wraith King (Dota 2)
Vampires (The Elder Scrolls)
Draugr (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
Pious Augustus (Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem)
Zombies (Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem)
William Afton/Purple Guy/Springtrap/Scraptrap (Five Nights at Freddy's)
Michael Afton/Mike Schmidt (Five Nights at Freddy's)
Gaicoz (Grand Chase)
Lich (Grand Chase)
Cole MacGrath (inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood)
Bloody Mary (inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood)
First Borns (inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood)
Spinal (Killer Instinct)
Nightwalker Heartless (Kingdom Hearts)
The Infected (The Last of Us)
Kain (Legacy of Kain)
Vampires (Legacy of Kain)
Ancients (Legacy of Kain)
Stalfos (The Legend of Zelda)
Dark Purveyors (Lollipop Chainsaw)
Killabily (Lollipop Chainsaw)
Lucian (Lunar Knights)
Frank (Madworld)
Brigade (Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects)
Sir Daniel Fortesque (MediEvil)
Vamp (Metal Gear)
Various mobs (Minecraft)
- Zombies
- Husks
- Drowned
- Zombie Villagers
- Skeletons
- Strays
- The Wither
- Wither Skeletons
- Phantoms
- Zombie Horses
- Skeleton Horses
- Zombified Piglins
- Zoglins
Hanzo Hazashi/Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)
Bi-Han/Sub-Zero in the original and alternate timelines/Noob Saibot (Mortal Kombat)
Nitara (Mortal Kombat)
Cofagrigus (Pokémon)
Undead Hordes (Raid: Shadow Legends)
Undead (Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare)
Albert Wesker (Resident Evil)
Zombies (Resident Evil)
Oozes (Resident Evil: Revelations)
Zombie Gat (Saints Row)
Lickers (Resident Evil)
Draug (The Secret World)
Zombies (The Secret World)
Vampires (The Secret World)
Apparitions (Sekiro: Shadow Die Twice)
- Headless
- O'Rin of the Water
- Shichimen Warriors
- Vengeful Apparition
Rottytops (Shantae series)
Specter Knight (Shovel Knight)
Walter Sullivan (Silent Hill 4: The Room)
Ms. Fortune (Skullgirls)
Jiang Shi (Sleeping Dogs: Nightmare in North Point)
Boo (Super Mario Bros.)
Dry Bones (Super Mario)
Dry Bowser (Super Mario)
Zombie Wario (Super Mario)
Mario (Super Mario Galaxy); when using boo mushroom
Luigi (Super Mario Galaxy); when using boo mushroom
Remilia Scarlet (Touhou Project)
Flandre Scarlet (Touhou Project)
Yuyuko Saigyouji (Touhou Project)
Miyako Yoshika (Touhou Project)
Yoshika Miyako (Touhou Project)
Vargul (WarCraft)
Kel'Thuzad (WarCraft)
Liches (WarCraft)
Lana'thel (WarCraft)
Darkfallen (WarCraft)
Lady Blackhope (Wizard 101)
Lord Nightshade (Wizard 101)
Oyotomi The Defiler (Wizard 101)
Rotting Fodders (Wizard 101)
Bastilla Gravewynd (Wizard 101)
Walking Dead (Wizard 101)
Sergeant Skullsplitter (Wizard 101)
Agony Wraith (Wizard 101)
The Bonekeeper (Wizard 101)
Vika Markmaker (Wizard 101)
Rattlebones (Wizard 101)
Tomugawa The Evil (Wizard 101)
Karanahn Deathfeeder (Wizard 101)
Karanahn Mortifier (Wizard 101)
Spirit (Friday Night Funkin)
Necromorphs (Dead Space)