10 Ways Nazi Zombies Are Different From Regular Zombies

Zombies are a pretty well known quantity. They stumble around, they want to eat us, and you gotta shoot them in the head. Nazi zombies, on the other hand, are an entirely different beast.

Dead Snow's opening in 2009 marks a new entry to a rare sub genre since, surprisingly, there are only a handful of Nazi zombie movies. The zombie/stripper sub genre is not far behind and it only totals 2 movies. Even the knights Templar zombies from Amando de Ossorio's Blind Dead series were featured in 4 movies.

Nazi zombies are not just rare, they also don't have to follow the usual zombie archetypes. Perhaps it's the combination of evil, the Nazi half and the zombie half, that make them such complicated and unusual members of the living dead. Whatever the reason, one thing's for sure: Nazi zombies like to play by their own rules.

The following list marks some of the differences between a regular, run-of-the-mill zombie, and their goose-stumbling, SS undead counterparts. Read carefully. The knowledge could very well save your life one day.

1. Nazi Zombies love water.

Shock Waves (1977), Zombie Lake (1981), Night of the Zombies (1981) Dead Snow (2009) -  Salt, fresh or frozen, Nazi zombies are drawn to bodies of water. It could be a a lake, it could a section of ocean reef surrounding an island, it could be deep within a snow bank, but like Poseidon to his kingdom, like Davey to his locker, Nazi zombies are irresistibly drawn to bodies of water. I bet if the Nazi zombies of Oasis of the Zombies had any choice about where their gold was buried, they would have picked a location near a water source.

Zombies in water isn't exactly a revelation. It's well-established that zombies have no problem with water, but instead of walking through it or fighting a shark or two, Nazi zombies like to call water masses home. If your town is overcome by Nazi zombies, the nearest body of water is likely the source.

2. Nazi zombies REALLY don't want their shit fucked with.

Oasis of the Zombies(1983), Dead Snow (2009) - Typically, zombies aren't known for their possessions. Sometimes they'll cling to a doll or find a gun or a baseball bat, but like a baby, finding another "shiny" object is enough for the the zombie to ditch their item for a new one.

Nazi zombies, however, are more sentimental. Touch their stuff, and you'll pay a dear price. It could be buried gold, or it could be a box of trinkets; it doesn't matter. Nazi zombies will literally rise from their graves if you decide to take their preciouses.

3. Sometimes Nazi zombies aren't even zombies; they're ghosts.

Outpost (2008) - Sometimes Nazi zombies are so damn confounding, you don't know what they are. Zombie, spirit, or both, the will of a Nazi to come back from the dead won't be denied.

4. Nazi Zombies love children.

Zombie Lake (1981) - Sure, Nazi zombies hate Jews, minorities, and the living, but they LOVE kids. Unlike normal zombies, who will tear up whomever they come across regardless of age, Nazi zombies don't touch little kids. Like Frankenstein's Monster, Nazi zombies would happily sit and peel flower petals off their stems with little kids if humans weren't so insistent on sending them back to hell.

With Nazi zombies in love with their old possessions, one must simply combine that love with their other soft spot: kids. If you're willing to bait a kid, give him/her some Nazi zombie stuff, and consider the trap set. All that's left is for you to stay strong.

5. Nazi Zombie bites may or may not turn a human into a zombie, so exercise extreme caution.

Dead Snow (2009), Oasis of the Zombies (1983) - If a regular zombie bites you, too bad. It's only a matter of time before you turn into one of them. Nazi zombies don't always bite. Most of the time they'll stab or rip you apart. Nazi zombies aren't looking for recruits. They're a pretty elite group. Really, what's the point of having a master undead race if anybody can become one?

That doesn't mean you shouldn't take caution. If you do get bit, simply saw your appendage off or burn yourself to ashes.  You know, just to be on the safe side!

6. Nazi Zombies are total pervs.

Zombie Lake (1981) - Seriously, Nazi zombies, you're gross. Not only are Nazi zombies complete perv-os, but they are also rapists. To all female basketball teams looking for a quick and naked dip in a filthy lake (how many could that be - thousands?) consider yourselves warned.

Night of the Zombies (1981) - You don't need to be near their water enclosure for Nazi zombies to want to grab you. When a Nazi zombie gets filled with that undead-rape desire, it will simply take you from your tent while you're sleeping.

Okay, it's understandable - in a way. You haven't slept with a woman since the 1940's, but you're a zombie and a Nazi. Not exactly a candidate for People's "Sexiest Man Alive." I mean... eww. Ewww.

7. Some Nazi zombies can be destroyed by removing their goggles.

Shock Waves (1977) - Sometimes disposing of a Nazi zombie is easier than aiming for the head; just take off their goggles. Some Nazi zombies are very sensitive to UV rays, and goggles are the ultimate sunglasses; no light in or out. So if you come across some goggle-wearing, Nazi zombies, you know what to do.

Problem is, you'll have to get up close and personal to do it, which may put the advantage back in the hands of the zombie.

8. No goggles? Shaving foam will do the trick.

Night of the Zombies(1981) - Not every Nazi zombie wears goggles.  If they don't, you'll need an insane amount of shaving cream. This foamy mess is a Nazi zombie's worst nightmare, reducing it to skeleton form by eating all skin, muscle and tissue. So how does foam work? Don't ask science! Perhaps it's the menthol, which makes cigarettes taste like burnt candy canes, and if there's one thing that Nazi zombies hate, it's shitty tasting cigarettes.

9. When surrounded by Nazi zombies, create a ring of fire.

Oasis of the Zombies (1983) - If there's one thing that's like a "silver bullet" for Nazi zombies, it's a ring of fire. It's your absolute best protection, because as soon as a Nazi zombie steps on the fire ring to get you, they burn up like a stack of old newspapers. Being undead really dries out the body, making fire, not humans, the most devastating enemy.

10. Nazi zombies love soup.

Zombie Lake (1981) - Ok, so the soup has to be made from human blood, but it still is a means to relate to these ghouls. If you can sit down over a bowl of blood soup, maybe there's a chance human and Nazi zombies can work out some kind of agreement.

If not, there's an alternative. Make a large batch of blood soup and put it in a location of you choice, preferably somewhere enclosed and flammable. Once the Nazi zombies are inside, light the circle of fire around the location, and starting blasting them with foam and rip off the goggles of any Nazi zombie that escapes.

Once that's over, consider yourself a hero. Everyone else will.