Minecraft wiki entry for Combat, associated text: Zombies are one of the easiest hostile mobs to kill, as they use only melee attacks and burn in sunlight (unless they are wearing helmets, carved pumpkins,‌[Java Edition only] or are in water or the shade), and are easy to land a hit on them in melee combat without taking damage due to their slow speed and predictable movement. Zombies are not fast (except for baby zombies, which sprint, are small and hard to hit), and by themselves are merely a nuisance, especially when mining underground.