Why is it Called Gargantuar? Unpacking the Giant of Plants vs. Zombies
The name Gargantuar in the popular Plants vs. Zombies (PvZ) franchise isn’t just a random choice. It’s a clever and intentional pun, directly derived from the word “gargantuan”. Gargantuan itself describes something of immense size or volume, exceptionally large, or colossal. This perfectly encapsulates the nature of the Gargantuar zombie, a towering, muscular figure that dwarfs most other zombies and plants in the game. The name was chosen to instantly convey the formidable size and strength that this unit brings to the battlefield. This linguistic connection immediately establishes the Gargantuar as a force to be reckoned with, a towering obstacle the player must overcome with strategic planning and powerful plants. The name serves its purpose wonderfully, giving players an immediate sense of the sheer challenge that this zombie presents.
The Monstrous Mechanics of the Gargantuar
A Colossal Threat
Beyond its name, the Gargantuar’s in-game characteristics reinforce its “gargantuan” nature. This zombie is visually imposing, typically depicted as a large, muscular brute often wielding a pole or telephone pole as a club. This emphasizes its raw power and ability to smash through defenses. Gargantuars are infamous for their ability to crush plants, a mechanic that bypasses typical defensive strategies and requires players to rely on instant-kill methods or high damage output to deal with them effectively.
Variations on a Theme
The series introduces variations of the standard Gargantuar, most notably the Giga-Gargantuar. This more powerful version is distinguished by its red eyes and its massive health pool, being able to absorb up to 6000 damage. It also changes its appearance as it takes damage, creating an intimidating and dynamic fight. The Giga-Gargantuar underscores the escalating challenge within the game, requiring even more sophisticated strategies to defeat. Other variants like the Surprise Gargantuar also appear, adding further complexity to the gameplay. These variations often come with unique traits or appearances, yet always share the core characteristic of enormous size and power.
FAQs: Deep Diving into the Gargantuar and the PvZ Universe
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Gargantuar and related topics in Plants vs. Zombies.
1. What is the difference between a Gargantuar and a Giga-Gargantuar?
The key difference lies in their health and strength. The Giga-Gargantuar has twice as much health as a regular Gargantuar, absorbing a total of 6000 damage, and also changes its appearance as it takes 2000 and 4000 damage before finally falling at 6000 damage. It also has the distinctive feature of red eyes.
2. What makes the Giga-Gargantuar so difficult?
Its higher health, damage-absorbing appearance changes, and the fact that it is seen in the more difficult endless modes, make it far more challenging than the standard Gargantuar. The ability to endure significantly more damage makes it necessary to utilize more strategic methods of defeat.
3. How do you effectively defeat a Gargantuar?
Gargantuars can be defeated using several methods. Two Cherry Bombs or any other combination of instant kills will defeat them. It can also be targeted using Smasher or Jalapenos. Using slow-down effects and powerful plants like Fume-shrooms and Gloom-shrooms is an effective method. The most effective way is to use instant kill moves.
4. Can the Gargantuar be hypnotized?
No, the Gargantuar cannot be hypnotized. Instead, it smashes the hypno-shroom before it takes effect. It is immune to the mind-altering effects of the plant.
5. Can a Chomper eat a Gargantuar?
While Chompers are typically very effective against standard zombies, they cannot instantly eat a full Gargantuar. Instead, they will deal a small amount of damage (40 damage, equal to 2 pea shots) with each bite.
6. What is a Gargantuar’s weakness?
Gargantuars are vulnerable to instant kills and high-damage plants. They can be slowed down to make them more vulnerable to attack and can be defeated using a combination of high DPS plants. They are also weaker than their Giga counterparts.
7. Why does the Gargantuar crush plants?
This mechanic is designed to increase the challenge, requiring the player to adapt their defenses and consider plants that can damage the Gargantuar or disable it quickly. It’s also a way to give the Gargantuar that “gargantuan” feel of overwhelming power.
8. What is the Reinforce-Mint + Blover Combo and how does it relate to Gargantuars?
This is an effective strategy in PvZ 2 that combines the damage-boosting effects of the Reinforce-Mint with the ability of the Blover to push away zombies. It can quickly eliminate many zombies, including Gargantuars.
9. Which plants are most effective against Gargantuars?
Plants that can provide high damage quickly, such as Melon-pults, Winter Melons, Fume-shrooms, and Gloom-shrooms, are very effective. Plants that can inflict instant kills such as Cherry Bombs and Squash are also great strategies.
10. Is the Surprise Gargantuar good?
The Surprise Gargantuar is a strong zombie with average stats for its cost. It has the core abilities of all Gargantuars, notably high health and the ability to crush plants, so it should not be underestimated.
11. Is the Gargantuar Prime the hardest Gargantuar?
Yes, the Gargantuar Prime is widely considered the most challenging of the Gargantuars, featured in PvZ2.
12. Who is the strongest zombie after the Giga-Gargantuar?
The Giga-Gargantuar is considered the second-strongest zombie, followed only by Dr. Zomboss.
13. Does garlic affect the Gargantuar?
No, garlic only affects zombies that actually bite it. The Gargantuar smashes plants rather than bites them, so the effect of garlic will have no impact on them.
14. Is Crazy Dave the only human in Plants vs. Zombies?
Yes, Crazy Dave, whose full name is Crazetopher David Blazing III, is the only human that appears in the main PvZ game series. He is the game’s primary vendor and guide. He is not the only human in the expanded universe of comics and other media related to the franchise.
15. Does Dr. Zomboss have a brain?
Yes, Dr. Zomboss has a brain. The text implies he has many brains, more than the average zombie. He uses these to motivate the zombies in his army.
Conclusion
The name “Gargantuar” isn’t just a random label; it’s a carefully chosen word that immediately conveys the size, power, and threat that this iconic zombie represents in the Plants vs. Zombies series. By understanding this linguistic connection and the various facets of the Gargantuar, players can better appreciate the nuances of the game’s design and approach their strategies with greater insight. Whether you’re facing down a standard Gargantuar or the formidable Giga-Gargantuar, knowing their mechanics and how they fit into the game’s challenge is key to your success. The name truly lives up to its “gargantuan” connotations.