Mythological reanimated dead creatures have been a pop culture staple since the 20th century. The flesh-eating foes show roots in Haitian folklore, typically a deceased person brought to life through magical practices. In the 20th century, Zombies were popularized particularly through the 1954 novel I Am Legend and the film Night of the Living Dead. As Zombie depictions in media grew, their origins altered with radiation, parasites, fungi, and science all being behind the rise of the undead. Come the advent of video games, Zombies were a perfect video game adversary: deadly, mindless, and applicable in any setting from fantasy to sci-fi.