Why Do Zombie Enemies Keep Coming Back?
Read a Zombie's Revive count, delay and restored-HP percentage separately. A count of one means one return; some records indicate unlimited returns. Burrow is a different ability: it moves the enemy past your frontline before it resurfaces. PONOS lists Zombie Killer as the way to prevent revival and Soulstrike as a way to damage a downed Zombie before it returns.
Examples use 100% base HP from Japan game data v15.6 · English release available; stage percentages may differ.
Three Zombies, three different records
| Enemy | Base HP | Revive count | Delay | Restored HP | Burrow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoge | 15,000 | 1 | 240 frames (8.0s) | 50% | 500 units |
| Cadaver Bear | 120,000 | 1 | 360 frames (12.0s) | 100% | 1,125 units |
| Zyclone | 1,222,222 | Unlimited | 120 frames (4.0s) | 100% | None recorded |
Zoge records one revival after 8 seconds at 50% HP. Its base HP is 15,000, so at 100% stage HP magnification its revived HP is 15,000 × 50% = 7,500. This is the restored HP after it falls, not extra HP on its initial life. For a real encounter, use the stage appearances and HP magnification on its record.
Burrow is not a second life
Burrow describes movement underground; Revive describes returning after a defeat. Zoge can burrow 500 units and has one recorded revival. Zyclone has no Burrow ability in this data but has unlimited Revive. A Cat line that stops the first push may still need an answer to the enemy surfacing behind it, and a Cat that reaches a corpse does not by that fact stop an unlimited revival.
Zombie Killer and Soulstrike answer different moments
- Before the finishing hit: check whether your Cat has Zombie Killer. PONOS says this ability prevents defeated Zombies from reviving; simply targeting Zombie does not establish that effect.
- While the Zombie is down: Soulstrike can attack a temporarily downed Zombie. It is not the same label or timing as Zombie Killer.
- For your stage: open the enemy's stage entry, apply its HP magnification, then read its Revive and Burrow values. The enemy-stats guide explains the separate HP calculation.
These steps explain the recorded mechanics, not a winning lineup. Our catalog contains enemy values, not your Cats' levels, abilities or actual hit order.
Sources and limits
PONOS's official Cat Guide defines Zombie Killer and Soulstrike. The community ability reference describes Burrow, Revive and the finishing-hit condition; the Zyclone reference corroborates unlimited revival without Burrow. Numbers and the 30-frame conversion use our release-stamped enemy data; see methodology. Revived HP here assumes 100% stage magnification and no other modifiers. A displayed count or delay is a game-data description, not a guaranteed fight outcome.