For more information about this character, see Chomper.
Chomper is obtained by completing Level 1-7. Chomper can devour most types of zombies, instantly killing them in the process. However, after eating an enemy, Chomper will require 42 seconds before he can eat another, making him vulnerable to any remaining threats.
Chomper is based on the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), with a design similar to Audrey II's from Little Shop of Horrors. His almanac entry even references this.
His name is related to the verb "chomp", meaning the act of chewing and munching something loudly or heavily.
Audio
Sound
Description
Chomper devours a Zombie
Almanac entry
Chomper
Chompers can devour a zombie whole, but they are vulnerable while chewing.
Damage: massive
Range: very short
Special: long delay between chomps
Chomper almost got a gig doing stunts for The Little Shop of Horrors but it fell through when his agent demanded too much on the front end. Chomper's not resentful, though. He says it's just part of the business.
Cost: 150
Recharge: fast
Strategies
Chomper's main value in the plant arsenal is his ability to instantly devour tougher zombies such as Buckethead Zombies, Zombonis, and Football Zombies that are simply too tough to kill. In the case of Chomper, he allows players to gain value, defeating them with less resources spent. However, this comes at a price, as Chomper takes a very long time to chew a zombie, during which he is inactive and vulnerable. Chomper always takes the same amount of time to chew, regardless of who the victim was - a basic Zombie and a Football Zombie will take the same amount of time to be digested. Chomper also has dismal performance against Gargantuars, due to his low range and bite damage.
As the Tree of Wisdom suggest, Wall-nut and other defensive/stalling plants can help Chomper by buying additional time for him to digest his victims. These include the following:
It is suggested to use Digger Zombie to eat a Chomper from the back, as he cannot eat zombies behind him.
In ZomBoogie, Dancing Zombies are useful in countering Chomper, as they can summon Backup Dancers as sacrificial meat shields while advancing. Deploying a Dancing Zombie between two lanes guarded with Chomper should be able to clear up to three lanes with little trouble, and additional regular Zombies can also be placed to ensure that the Chompers are defeated.
In All your brainz r belong to us, there is usually only one lane with Chompers. Digger Zombie is advised for assaulting this particular lane, but the player should remember to check Magnet-shroom on adjacent lanes that can force Digger Zombie to surface.
To get this achievement, complete the level using only Sunflower, Wall-nut, and Chomper. It is advised to obtain this achievement by playing a Day level after finishing the game due to the low amount of zombies present there. The Garden Rake and Lawn Mowers can also be helpful in giving the player more time to gather sun.
Please note that only official translations are used.
Language
Name
Description
English
Chomper
Simplified Chinese
大嘴花
lit. "Big Mouth Flower"
Traditional Chinese
大嘴花
Dutch
Happer
French
Mordeur
German
Schnapper
Italian
Venere masticazombi
Japanese
チャンパー
Russian
Жевун
Spanish
Planta carroñívora
A pun on "Planta Carnívora" (Carnivorous Plant) and "Carroñera" (Scavenger, an animal that feeds on dead animals).
Please note that only official translations are used.
Language
Name
Description
English
The Little Shop of Horrors
Simplified Chinese
恐怖小店
lit. "Little Shop of Horrors"
Traditional Chinese
恐怖小店
Russian
Маленький магазин ужасов
Trivia
If Chomper is crushed, his flattened sprite will always have no zombies or arms, and will have an open mouth regardless of whether he was chomping a zombie or not.
If Chomper is planted directly in front of a bobsled and Chomper eats the bobsled before it breaks, he will instantly devour all four zombies in one gulp.
According to the Plants vs. Zombies website, Chomper costs 175 sun, while in-game, he actually costs 150.
Chomper's Almanac entry states that he was going to be a movie star, explicitly referencing the movie Little Shop of Horrors. This may be due to the fact that Chomper resembles Audrey II, the carnivorous monster plant from that movie.
On the Nintendo DS, iOS, and Android versions of Plants vs. Zombies, his Almanac entry says "Hollywood" instead of "The Little Shop of Horrors."
When a Pole Vaulting Zombie that has its pole runs into a Chomper that isn't chewing, he will attempt to chomp, but fail to catch the vaulting zombie. This is not the case if the Pole Vaulting Zombie is frozen or buttered.
If player pauses the game and exits to the main menu while Chomper tries to devour a Gargantuar then loads the saved game, the Chomper will appear as if he is already "devouring" a zombie: this is most likely a programming glitch.
In the PC demo version, when Chomper eats a zombie, the player will hear the noise when a zombie eats or crushes a plant alongside his normal biting sound.
According to the Tree of Wisdom, Chomper and Wall-nut were roommates in college. This is an obvious reference to their efficient synergy.
If an Imitater is transformed into a Chomper, the zombie arm in his mouth will appear monochrome as it's part of his sprite.
The idea of Chomper was inspired by the movie Swiss Family Robinson, Plants vs. Zombies creator George Fan's favorite movie. The idea was from a tiger in a hole that would eat pirates.
Chomper is the only instant kill that can't kill a Gargantuar in 2 hits, or a Giga-gargantuar in 4. This is likely both due to Gargantuars being too big for Chomper's bites to inflict significant damage, as well as for balancing reasons; if a Chomper could kill a Gargantuar in just 2 bites, it would make them too easy to deal with, even if he has to eat them.
The same also goes for Dr. Zomboss where he can simply bite his Zombot.