Gladiator Zombie

The Gladiator Zombie is the first new zombie encountered in the Roman Empire. The zombie carries a shield that absorbs damage from grounded attacks.

Suburban Almanac Entry
His name is Gladiator.

Strategies
Any catapult or multi-hit plant is recommended to bypass the shield. The player must take caution of Gladiator Zombies appearing from elevators, as their decent health and shield pose a large risk to plants if spawned close. Elderberry does insufficient damage to take the Gladiator Zombie out immediately.

Trivia

 * Stabs plants with his sword, but does the same damage as any other zombie.
 * Gladiators were slaves that were made to fight each other in the Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheatre during the Roman Empire.