Thug

For the enemy of the same name in Dead Island: Retro Revenge, see Thug (Retro Revenge).For the similar enemy in Dead Island 2, see Crusher.

Thug

Enemy statistics

Danger Level

Speed

Very Slow to Slow

Aggression

Low

First Encounter

When clearing out the Lifeguard Tower (Dead Island)

When escaping the ship (Dead Island: Riptide)

Health

Level	Health
1	280
3	840
12	1736
20	3080
25	4480
50	11200

Game(s)

The Thug is a special zombie encountered in Dead Island, and it's sequel Dead Island: Riptide. It is notably the first special infected that is encountered in the franchise. In Dead Island, it it first found in the Lifeguard Tower during the quest Exodus. In Dead Island: Riptide, they are first fought during the later parts of the Prologue (The Storm).

Overview[]

Thugs are large, brutish variants of Walkers. Which are far larger than Walkers and easily towers over them or any normal sized person, Making their size close enough to the Rams. However, they emit a loud, low roar which alerts nearby zombies to the area, making them a sort of early warning system. They are far more slower than Walkers, only capable of shambling around and are still just as susceptible to getting their limbs broken/cut off and their head being a weak spot.

Originally in the 2014 Yager Dead Island 2, thugs had a more fat appearance like the original Suicider.

Appearance[]

Thugs are physically larger and much tougher than most of the other zombie types. They exhibit increased muscle and strength growth making them tower over their lesser brethren, but differ little visually from Walkers. They are perpetually enraged and will usually roar periodically.

Behaviour[]

Upon seeing a survivor the Thug will emit a loud low roar, before shambling towards them. This roar not only tell that they have been spotted, but also alerts other zombies in the area. The Thug is slow and easy to avoid, but when it gets into combat it is a force to be reckoned with. The Thug is the brute hitter of the zombies capable of dealing out a lot of damage with a single blow, throwing the survivor several meters onto their back. If a Thug loses support of both their arms, it will remain undeterred and try to headbutt or bite the survivor instead. Just like Walkers, if any of their leg breaks it will be unable to move and instantly die. The Thugs in Palanai are slightly different, with a new attack where they will flail their arms around three times while they move forward at an increased pace. This will cause more damage and knockback to anyone who's hit.

In the 2014 Dead Island 2 Thugs had the ability/feature to create shockwaves, similar to the Stomper, before being cut.

Notable Thugs[]

Strategy[]

When fighting a Thug, it's best to make sure all other enemies in the area are dealt with, so as to not have any interruptions during combat. Thugs are, however, much slower than regular zombies and can be considered low priority in open areas. Kicking a Thug can also make it roar quicker than normal, leaving itself vulnerable to attacks. Note that in many cases a jumping kick attack will knock them down, making them much easier to deal with, and one can stomp on their heads. Also, a Thug's attacks are predictable enough for the player to jump backwards and avoid them.
If you are new to the game, one of the best ways to kill a Thug is to find a weapon that has a longer reach than his arms, then if he gets close enough to hit the Hero, one should either jump back or kick him. If using a longer melee weapon type, such as a baseball bat or long bladed weapon, the player can crouch and strike the Thug with little to no retaliation. One could run around the Thug, repeatedly striking him for a quick kill. Certain weapons such as the large sledgehammers or fire axes have such a long range that a careful player can beat/chop at Thugs with complete impunity while remaining out of their reach. Just remember to eliminate any other enemies first.
Another effective tactic is to take a blunt or sharp weapon and attempt to cripple or sever both arms. Wait for him to swing, jump to a certain side then swing directly at the arm (best done with a cleaver, machete, sledgehammer or morning star). Once both arms are crippled, the Thug is a much easier opponent, although he may still attempt to bite the player.
It is often most efficient to kill Thugs with thrown explosives or firearms. If a Thug is standing near an explosive item such as a barrel, a vehicle, or a propane tank, exploding the item will typically kill him.
A good technique later in the game (when Thugs have significantly more health) is to make use of the Sticky Bomb Mod. When used they can easily dispatch a Thug in one shot, providing you aim well. Another good technique is to throw a Plague Bearing Military Knife (No. 3 Craft) at a Thug, then hit it with an incendiary weapon. This will set the Thug on fire, and prevent it from doing damage for a substantial period of time. Other elemental weapons have similar effects, allowing the player to attack without risk while the Thug is incapacitated by the elemental attack.
Vehicles can also be used to attack Thugs while incurring little to no damage.
If playing as Logan, activate his Rage and one should kill the Thug within a few knife throws.
A Thug can be killed in at least 6 hits with a blue highlighted weapon or purple weapon, if properly aimed.
If you manage to critical strike a Thug with an electrical weapon, you might "freeze" it in place. This gives you a time of uninterrupted attacks. Even better yet: there is a chance that you can, with the help of a shock-modified blunt weapon (such as a sledgehammer with the Magic Wand Mod), send him to the ground on a critical hit, thus leaving him vulnerable to stomps.
When using a shotgun, aim and shoot at the head of the Thug. This usually causes a critical hit scoring an instant kill.
A Thug can easily be taken down by using one attack from the Left Hand of Glova, and then stomping the head after recovering stamina.

Variants[]

Poison Thug
- Poison Thugs appeared mostly in the Mingende Jungle, just like the other poison variants getting close will make the Heroes sight go blurry and can easily be killed by a fire related weapon.
Fire Thug
- Fire Thugs appeared only in Moresby, they will burn endlessly like the other fire variants, and kept away from a distance.
Frenzied
- Just like all other Frenzied zombie types, they're more taller in height and stronger.

Glitches[]

When a Thug hits a wall with its arms, there is a chance that it may fall to the ground. Also, when climbing up stairs, they may fall as well. Both of these can grant easy kills.
If the player impales sharp weapons on the Thug and then gets killed and returns, the Thug may be gone and the weapons can be seen levitating in the air where it was standing.
During the quest Make Yourself at Home, the Thug inside the bungalow has an error where it will not react to the player. Even if you are constantly attacking it.
- This is fixed however in the Definitive Remasters.

Trivia[]

A Thug appears to be the Dead Island equivalent of the Tank in Left 4 Dead, seeing as both are depicted as undead, large, muscular beings who can knock the player down with one hit.
In the cutscene for the Beach House Prologue, the walker that hits you makes a Thugs Roar sound effect.