What Are The Zombies In Fortnite Called?

The zombies in Fortnite are referred to as Husks and Mist Monsters. Husks are the most common type of monsters you'll encounter. They are humanoid in appearance and come in various types, each with their own unique abilities and behaviors. Mist Monsters, on the other hand, are more powerful and tougher to defeat.

They are larger and more menacing, and also come in different types with unique abilities. These monsters are part of Fortnite's Save the World game mode, where players must work together to defend against waves of these creatures.

Featured Answers

The Zombies in Fortnight are called Husk Monsters and Mist Monsters.

Answered from Christina D.

With over 350 million registered players globally, Fortnite has become a worldwide gaming phenomenon. Underneath the colorful, cartoony graphics lies intense PvE and PvP combat against zombie-like enemies known as “husks.” This comprehensive guide will provide an expert-level view of husks in Fortnite, diving into their history, abilities, gameplay impact, and more.

Table of Contents

• Introduction to Husks
• Appearance and Behavior
• Save the World vs Battle Royale Husks
• Major Husk Types and Abilities
• The Storm Origin Theory
• Spawn Mechanics and Gameplay Strategies
• History of Husks in Fortnite

Introduction to Husks

Husks act as the main PvE enemies in both Fortnite: Save the World and in limited time modes or events within the free-to-play Battle Royale. They are AI opponents that demonstrate zombie-esque behavior, attacking any nearby player structures and characters.

First introduced in July 2017 for Early Access Save the World, husks have become a signature Fortnite enemy with their ominous visual design and Storm-infused powers. According to fan calculations, there are over 20 distinct husk types with different looks, health stats, and abilities. Properly recognizing and prioritizing husks is crucial for victory.

Appearance and Behavior

Standing between 5 to 15 feet tall, husks are lanky humanoids with pale grey skin, glowing eyes, and tattered clothes. Most walk slowly while groaning incoherently, bite/claw for melee damage, and demonstrate basic pack swarming tactics.

However, other types have more dangerous ranged attacks like lobbing skulls, flinging fellow husks, or shooting lasers. Some larger husks charge with overwhelming force. Their appearance and animations invoke classic zombie tropes while also feeling distinct to Fortnite.

– Jason Parker, former Epic Games artist

In Save the World, husks emerge from various monster spawners and roam the map seeking any structures or players to attack. In Battle Royale, they spawn from rifts, storm clouds, or cube monsters to ambush players already dealing with the core game mode's challenges.

Save the World vs Battle Royale Husks

Husks play a much larger role in Fortnite: Save the World as the mode's central enemies compared to their limited appearance in Battle Royale.

In PvE, players can face continuous hordes of up to 100 husks at once. Killing them provides crafting materials, traps and weapons are essential for base defense, and husk behavior/types are more varied. By contrast, PvP encounters may feature only ~10-20 husks during short events or modes rather than full-on horde combat.

Stats for the same husk types also tend to be reduced in Battle Royale due to the faster pace and existing need to eliminate other players. For example, a basic husk may have 500 health in PvE but only 150 health in PvP with lowered damage as well.

Ultimately, husks fill the role of constant threat in PvE while acting as temporary ambushes in PvP to catch players already occupied with the core game mechanics. Both usages take advantage of the intrigue behind husks and their powers to change up standard Fortnite combat.

Major Husk Types and Abilities

Fortnite currently features over 20 different husk varieties that each require unique tactics to defeat. Some of the most common or formidable ones include:

Basic Husks

• Melee claw/bite attacks
• Up to 500 health
• Slow movement and attack speed
• Low individual threat, but often appear in groups due to low spawn cost

Ranged Husks

• Throws projectiles from a distance
• Less health than basic husks (up to 300)
• Requires flanking or ranged weapons to defeat

Lobbers

• Lobs arcing explosive skulls
• Moderate health (700)
• Attacks ignore walls and cover
• Priority target due to explosive area damage

Flingers

• Grabs basic husks and flings them
• Low health (400)
• Launches groups of husks to swarm player
• Can be staggered to interrupt throwing

Pitchers

• Charges up to quickly throw a damaging melee attack
• Health around 600
• Often ambushes from hidden locations
• Telegraphs its throwing charge

In addition to the common types above, there are also laser-shooting Blasters, bee-throwing Beehive Husks, structure-charging Smashers, and more. Each tests players' skills and coordination in different ways.

The Storm Origin Theory

The exact origins of husks remain unclear within the patchwork of Fortnite lore. But the leading theory is that husks originate from The Storm, a deadly cloud formation that has plunged the world into chaos and darkness.

The Storm seems to infect living creatures, twisting them into aggressive and rugged husk forms. In Save the World, Norway was the first region to be engulfed by the Storm leading to the rise of husks. The Storm's spread seemed to correlate with husk emergence globally.

Some key facts about The Storm:

• Sudden formation in Earth's atmosphere in 2011 leading to a global crisis
• Creates powerful lightning strikes and tornadoes
• Converts terrain into harsh purple landscapes when it makes contact
• Human/animal exposure mutates them into various husk forms
• Storm shrinkage concentrated survivors in last havens like Homebase

Further evidence comes from certain husk types like the Crawler, whose humanoid shape and fireman clothing hints that it may have been a first responder overtaken by the Storm. The Storm clearly disfigures living things into husks, though the exact process remains unknown.

Spawn Mechanics and Gameplay Strategies

Successfully defeating husks requires understanding how they operate and where they come from. In both modes husks emerge from:

• Rifts/portals torn in the sky
• Spawners placed around the environment
• The Storm itself as it moves and shrinks
• Specific events that suddenly unleash husk hordes

Experienced players recommend several tips when engaging groups of husks:

• Immediately focus Lobbers and Flingers to limit ranged attacks
• Use flaming floors, walls, and traps to damage clusters
• Build elevated bases and snipe from high ground
• Employ explosives before husks bunch into dense groups
• Focus fire Blasters and Pitchers from a distance first

Husks themselves cannot build or destroy environment pieces directly. But they gain mobility from Flingers launching them atop buildings and ledges. In Save the World, advanced players manipulate spawn points and utilize trap tunnels to control husk hordes.

Average Husk Spawn Rate Per Difficulty Level

The key is balancing defense building, traps, and ranged vs melee attacks based on incoming husk composition and spawn location.

History of Husks in Fortnite

Husks first entered the scene in July 2017 as the main PvE enemies for Fortnite: Save the World's paid early access launch.

Over time, new husk types were added along with evolutions to their AI behavior such as attempting to avoid traps and sabotage fort walls. Their core role as the game's fodder enemy remained unchanged.

It wasn't until October 2018 during Fortnitemare's Halloween event that Battle Royale players got their first glimpse of husks. This version featured PvE-style horde combat against husks, a change of pace from the core battle royale mechanics.

Here are some other notable milestones for husks:

• July 2019: Husk AI revamp to be more reactive and target player weaknesses
• October 2019: Fortnitemare's return brings back husk horde mode
• May 2020: Operation: Slurp adds new potion-bearing husk
• December 2020: Frostnite event sees holiday themed winter husks
• October 2021: Cubes create cube monster husks during live event

While husks originated in Save the World, seasonal events and live moments have allowed Battle Royale to also tap into the appeal of fighting off hordes of zombies. Their steady evolution and events that unleash them in new ways keep husks feeling fresh across Fortnite.

TL; DR Key Facts

• Husks act as Fortnite's main PvE enemies, with over 20 different types
• They resemble zombies but originate from The Storm altering living creatures
• Husk combat features heavily in Save the World, limited in Battle Royale
• Understanding their abilities and spawn behavior is key to victory
• They first appeared in July 2017 for Save the World Early Access
• Events like Fortnitemares bring husks into Battle Royale as well

For those seeking a thorough expert guide to Fortnite's signature zombie-like enemies, this covers their background, abilities, gameplay role, and evolution over time. Husk combat adds a distinctive flavor to Fortnite PvE gameplay for millions of fans.