List of Resident Evil 4 creatures

:"For individual enemy characters, see Characters in Resident Evil 4"

This article provides a list of fictional monsters featured in the video game "Resident Evil 4".

Las Plagas

Las Plagas (Spanish for "The Plagues") are the new agent of transformation in "Resident Evil 4". [Dan Birlew, "LAS PLAGAS," "Resident Evil 4: Bradygames Signature Series Guide" (Indianapolis: Pearson Education, 2006), 13.] Las Plagas are parasitic creatures that grow in the body of a human, and control the behavior of the host. Humans infested with Las Plagas remain mostly normal in appearance, but they exhibit heightened aggression and red irises that glow in low-light conditions.

The Plagas were sealed deep under the castle by the first Castilian. This first Castilian had taken away the rights of the early Los Illuminados. When the Plagas were unearthed, they seemed to have been fossilized. However, they had actually been in a dormant state. The first Ganados were those that had contracted the parasite while mining.

Las Plagas are extremely sensitive to light, only coming out of the host's body when it has sustained a lot of damage, or if its head is destroyed. Because of their sensitivity to light, Las Plagas can only reveal themselves at nightfall. The head of the host may either be destroyed completely and replaced by the parasite, or the parasite may emerge from the mouth or neck of the Ganado; however, due to their photosensitivity, Las Plagas can be destroyed with the use of a bright light source such as a flash grenade.

Several varieties of plaga may be seen during the course of the game. Some appear as the result of damage to certain parts of the host's body, such as the head, and may be a protrusion out of its host's body, or in whole as a detached entity. It is unclear if these are actually different varieties or mutations of plaga or if they represent various levels of maturity. The following is a list of non-unique Plagas or their parts as seen in the game.

*Blade plagas have a number of small tentacle-like appendages that swing erratically and are harmless, but one larger tentacle has a sharp bone at the end which is used to inflict damage by slashing at their enemy.

*Centipede plagas attack by swallowing the head of their enemy whole.

*Spider plagas are unique in that they are capable of completely detaching from their host. They will eventually perish after detaching. While still attached they can spit acid at their enemy. They can also strike them with their legs, either while attached or separate.

*Tentacle-like protrusions, found in Colmillos. Unlike previous forms, they are not spawned as a result of damage, but rather are simply produced when the Colmillos has engaged in combat. They attack by whipping their enemy.

*Leech-like plagas, most of which can only be seen using an infrared scope, are found in Regenerators and Iron Maidens. They sustain the regenerative powers of both monsters.

Ganados

Los Ganados, from the Spanish term for 'herd' or "the cattle", are the primary enemies in the game. [Dan Birlew, "LOS GANADOS," "Resident Evil 4: Bradygames Signature Series Guide" (Indianapolis: Pearson Education, 2006), 12.] Ganados are humans who have become infested by the mind-controlling Plaga parasites. (Note that Los and Las are Spanish for The (plural), and thus the word "the" is not required before a Las or Los.)

Three main types of Ganados are found in the game (by order of appearance): Villagers, Zealots and Militia.

Villagers

The villagers were once peaceful residents of a rural community until they were exposed to the parasites. From that point, they became ruthless zombie-like savages under Osmund Saddler's control. They continue to carry out agricultural duties, although their interest in basic hygiene has been lost, and subsequently, their living conditions have suffered. When Leon first arrives in the village, he is immediately attacked by one of the villagers after questioning him about Ashley's whereabouts.

Zealots

The zealots are members of the Illuminados cult, and appear in Ramon Salazar's castle. They are dressed in robes bearing the cult's insignia.

The zealots are better equipped than the villagers, using a variety of medieval armaments. They wield weapons such as scythes, flails, crossbows, rocket launchers and wooden shields. Their skin is much paler than that of the villagers, and all of them appear to be bald. Some have crimson lesions, tattoos or scarification from their rituals on their faces. Higher ranking zealots wear a bullet-proof gold skull mask, or a Ram skull.

Militia

Ganados who wander around in filthy clothes. They are called milita even though their weapons are grossly out of date. Some wear brown boiler suits, gas masks with red eye tints and carry stun rods. All make strange noises when they encounter an intruder on their research centre/ military base. It is possible that they are prototypes for regular ganados.

Notable Ganados

* Dr. Salvador (literally meaning Dr. Savior, a.k.a. Chainsaw Man in the Japanese version and "Salvador" is a Spanish surname too), is a villager who wears overalls and a potato sack mask who chases after intruders with his chainsaw. He is far more durable than a regular Ganado, and is capable of decapitating his prey with a single strike. A variation of Dr. Salvador, dubbed Super Salvador in the official guide, also appears in "The Mercenaries" minigame as an enemy in the "Waterworld" stage. Super Salvador can't be stunned or knocked back with bullets. It moves toward the player with a strange, wobbling gait, swinging its double-bladed chainsaw during each step. Krauser can vaporize this monster with his Progenitor blade arm, however.

* J.J. is a giant Ganado who wields a minigun. He wears a red beret and an eye patch over his right eye. He also appears in the Mercenaries minigame.

* The Bella Sisters (literally meaning The Beautiful Sisters or The War Sisters) are a pair of chainsaw-wielding Ganados. They wear bandages covering their faces, but are otherwise clothed in the same way as other female Ganados. They appear as enemies in The Mercenaries minigame, and Separate Ways of the PlayStation 2, PC, and Wii part of the game.

* Super Salvador (Magna Chainsaw) This monstrosity can be seen on the "mercenaries" mini-game located after beating the game on the main title screen. This creature wields a double-bladed chainsaw and is very strong and very fast.

Colmillos

Colmillos (from Spanish, meaning "fangs") are wolves that have been implanted with plaga parasites. They act as guard dogs for the Ganados. The player will meet both regular Colmillos, and Colmillos in which the plagas are more obviously developed, displaying flailing tentacles that emerge from the creatures back. Colmillos that possess these more developed plagas utilize them to attack and are able to whip them in multiple directions. Regular Colmillos attack by jumping at a victim, knocking them over and then attempting to bite their throat out.

Novistador

The Novistadors are large insectoid creatures that were created from experiments with human specimens by Los Illuminados. Its name is a portmanteau of the Spanish words "No" and "Vista" ("No" and "View"/"Sight") and the noun suffix of "dor". As such, the name Novistador can be translated as the "Unseen Creature", but literally means "Nosighter". The name refers to the creature's ability to render itself invisible to the naked eye by changing the color of its exoskeleton. There are three types of Novistadores in the game. The first type encountered has the ability to turn invisible, while the second type may also turn invisible but differs in that it is completely white and has black eyes. The third type, encountered later in the game, does not turn invisible, but has the ability to fly. Novistadores often fight in packs and may have wings. They attack with their claws and spit acid at their enemies.

It should be noted that Novistadores are the only creatures in the game that do not appear to have a Plagas parasite infesting them. Luis Sera's notes state that Novistadors are among those mutants created by Los Illuminados through experimentation with Las Plagas on human beings. Because the Novistadors have the ability to turn invisible, like the leech-like Plagas infesting Regenerators, it would appear that the Los Illuminados created the Novistadors by splicing that breed of Plagas with a human body.

Garrador

The Garradors are Plaga-infested warriors who wear equipment resembling that worn by gladiators. The Garradors are equipped with large claws on each hand, which can be extended and retracted at will. The Garrador will indiscriminately attack anyone and anything in its path and are usually kept under restraint. Garradors are completely blind, and are only able to use their sense of sight for a short time if the player throws a flash grenade. They entirely rely on their sense of hearing to track down intruders and are easily distracted by loud noises. Garradors will become enraged when very loud noises are made, and are prone to charging in the direction of the noise and striking at its source.

The word "Garrador" can be literally translated into English as "Clawer" as no such word as Garrador exists in Spanish, though it can be a variation of "desgarrador" (Spanish for heartrending or, more accurately, ripper). The Garradors also appear in the Mercenaries minigame in the castle level.

Armadura

Armadura (literally meaning "armor" in Spanish) is a Plaga parasite that has taken possession of a suit of plate armor from Salazar's castle, which provides a sturdy defense. They attack with medieval weapons, such as broadswords and halberds. Their helmets are loosely attached, and once removed will expose the Plaga, which is extremely vulnerable to bright light.

Additionally, some Armaduras may attempt to ambush their victims by staying still until their target approaches, at which point they attempt to hit the target. The sudden movement causes the Armadura to disintegrate.

Regenerator

A Regenerator is a mutated humanoid created from experiments with Las Plagas and human specimens: according to the notes of Luis Sera, they are the most "clearly distinguishable" creatures born from Saddler's experiments. They can regenerate lost body parts in a matter of seconds, are extremely resistant to damage, but are unable to live without the leech-shaped Plagas which inhabit them, which are only visible using thermal imaging equipment. When a Regenerator has lost all inhabiting Plagas its tissues will begin to expand rapidly and will explode, leaving only its lower half.The Regenerators can stretch their limbs to reach opponents, pull them in, and bite them with their sharp teeth. They can slither on the ground if one of their legs has been shot off. They can also leap from a prone position.The Regenerator can range from having two to five parasites depending on difficulty level and location encountered. In Professional Mode, all Regenerators have a fifth parasite on their back.Regenerators can also be killed using the rocket launcher in a single-hit death, since the rocket seems to incinerate all the plagas in its body. Regenerators are immune to most grenades, except for incendiary grenades, which also seem to incinerate the plagas hidden within its body. However, it shouldn't kill the beast, only stun it for a few seconds, but it can rid of some plaga parasites, such as the one sometimes on it's back.

Iron Maiden

An Iron Maiden is a variation of the Regenerator with the added ability to generate sharp spikes from its skin. They are able to stretch their arms, latch onto their targets and cause devastating damage by embracing and impaling them on their spikes. One rocket-launcher missile won't kill an Iron Maiden, as it will still have a plaga on its back. Iron Maidens move quicker than Regenerators when one or even both of their legs have been shot off.

Del Lago

Del Lago (which literally means "of/from the lake") is a massive creature that lives in a lake near the village. It attacks Leon's boat causing the anchor to be embedded in its skin, dragging the boat along. Del Lago attempts to kill Leon by running Leon's boat into floating logs or by ramming into the boat, knocking Leon into the water, and eating him. Leon must throw harpoons at Del Lago, until it finally dies and nearly pulls Leon underwater after the anchor's rope wraps around his leg.

El Gigante

El Gigante (literally "The Giant") are huge creatures created by Los Illuminados from experiments with Las Plagas and human specimens. First encountered early in the game, these creatures are massive in size and deadly in combat. They are extremely strong and can even use trees or large boulders as weapons. They contain massive Plaga parasites, but unlike the other kinds, they seem to have no form of self-defense. The best weapon to use against them is a rocket launcher, as it kills them in only one hit. If a rocket launcher is not available, you will need to shoot them several times with a stronger weapon (shotgun, magnum, etc.) until they drop to a kneeling position and reveal the parasite on their back to you. At this point, Leon can climb onto El Gigante, and use his knife (button-mashing sequences) to slash at the parasite, or alternatively the player can continue to shoot at the revealed parasite. This routine has to be repeated several times before El Gigante will perish. Later in the game, within the walls of Salazar's castle, you will encounter the final two Gigantes. One of them wields chains, allowing for a short ranged attack. You can easily kill one of them by opening up a molten lava pit as they approach.

Verdugo

The Verdugo ("Executioner") are the bodyguards of Ramon Salazar. Underneath the robes are monstrous humanoid creatures, with insectoid exoskeletons and long, muscular tails which sport sharp, sickle-like blades, used for lethal surprise attacks. The Verdugo's exoskeleton is almost completely bullet-proof, but is weakened by exposure to liquid nitrogen. The Verdugo possesses keen agility and exceptional combat capabilities. Player victory over this creature is optional, but one rocket will slay the beast while it is frozen, dropping a treasure that can be later combined with the Crown.

The second Verdugo merges with Salazar, along with a mutated, parasitic organism resembling a plant. This Verdugo forms the large snake-like head of the merged entity, while Salazar is contained within a bud-like structure. Like Salazar, it decays to sludge when defeated by Leon.

It has been confirmed by the creators of Resident Evil 4 that the Verdugo was designed bearing similarities with the Predator (alien) with The Alien, two monsters from horror movies.

U3

The U3 (referred to as 'It' by Saddler) is a creature that was created by splicing genes from reptiles, insects and a human into one organism. It is incredibly strong, fast and agile, and its numerous limbs possess various lethal claws and tentacles. A huge pincer-equipped plaga parasite, capable of bifurcating a human being with a single bite, lives inside it and will emerge if the U3 is injured sufficiently or a certain period of time has elapsed, increasing its lethality in combat.

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