(Capcom's primary storyline)
Dominant species Plagas (支配種プラーガ shihai-shu purāga) are a genetically engineered species or group of species within the Plaga genus. They are distinguished from their recessive counterpart species by the relationships they have with humans and with their fellow Plagas, as well as their more frequent tendencies to cause mutations in hosts. They were experimented on for B.O.W. research by companies such as TRICELL.
Concept[]
Dominant species Plagas are capable of heavily distorting the host body.
Dominant species Plagas are named as such because they are not susceptible to the ultrasound-based orders that regular, "subordinate" Plagas follow. Unlike regular Plagas, dominant species Plagas did not affect the host's consciousness, allowing for higher levels of cognitive thought and speech. However, this also meant that hosts of a dominant species Plaga were impossible for the likes of Osmund Saddler to control, forcing those seeking to weaponize the parasites to choose their hosts with extreme caution.[1]
As shown with Jack Krauser, Ramón Salazar, and Bitores Méndez, it seems that the host is responsible - at least with Los Iluminados' version - for triggering the parasite's sudden, dramatic mutation and mutilation of the host body. Since no two individuals infected with a dominant species Plaga appeared to exhibit the same transformation, it is believed that the mutations are affected by either the host's immediate environment or by the host's will at the time. An example is Ricardo Irving's transformation into a massive aquatic beast after injecting himself with a dominant species Plaga after the parasite adapted to the immediate environment.
In the case of Irving and Salazar, the human host's body also gets partially enveloped in a fleshy cocoon, often leaving their right arm exposed as well as the left sides of their face fused with part of the membrane while connected to a far larger beast-like Plaga form, as well as protected by the beast's "mouth." However, of the two, only Irving's transformation was the direct result of his own injected Plaga, as Salazar's transformation was the result of him and his remaining Verdugo guard fusing with the Queen Plaga.
In the alternate account pertaining Ashley Graham's Abduction, Dominant Species Plagas were confirmed to be developed by researchers who forcibly recruited by Saddler. The parasite's compatibility extends to other vertebrae such as dog or crow instead of just a human. One of said researchers learned that powers provided by Dominant Species Plaga came at a price; the parasite would corrupt the host despite allowing them to retain their cognitive functions, leading to them become so obsessed with carrying out their goals/beliefs and lose any sense of reason. The aforementioned researcher mentioned his co-worker Anabel changed ever since she received her very own Dominant Species Plaga.[2][3] Similarly, Bitores Méndez, once a compassionate, kind chieftain who truly cared for his people, became a ruthless devotee of Los Iluminados' faith after both received his Dominant Species Plaga and indoctrined with the cult's beliefs[4]. The hive-mind connection with recessive Plagas could be overwhelming to bearers of Dominant Species Plaga to the point of driving them insane; Saddler was distracted by "voices" he heard during his climatic battle against Leon and enraged when they fell silent, explicitly referring to his Novistador swarm which came to his aid only to be perished at hands of the US agent. Lastly, in the event of the violent or sudden death of every single host of Dominant species Plaga, the ensuing shock to the hivemind would immediately cripple all Subordinate species Plagas under their command[5].
The same account revealed the existence of naturally occuring Dominant species Plaga and that the Plaga sample Luis Sera attempted to keep from Saddler's grasp happened to be one of them. Both natural and artificial Dominant species Plagas share same unique organs which provide superhuman capabilities, controlled mutations, and dominion over recessive variant. A quirk which unique to the former however, was empowering other Plaga types which included their artificial counterparts, even while in state of dormancy. This was confirmed by the test conducted by Anabel García Escudero, Head Researcher of Los Iluminados, on Krauser's Plaga. Such promising discoveries however, led to the trust issues between him and Saddler as much as stressed the sample's importance in the cult's hands.[6][7][8][9]
During East Slavic Civil War, the Dominant species variant of a new Plaga type was developed in cultivation lab underground of the Presidential Palace in Holigrad and was given to the elders of the Pro-independence forces to use in fighting against the governmental forces. They were used by Ivan Judanovich and Alexander Kozachenko to control masses of Licker β. As noted by Ada however, this variation proved to be flawed as they will gradually regress into Recessive type, which was deliberated in Svetlana Belikova's part as a secret plan to destroy the rebels' leadership.[10]
Further notes[]
- In Resident Evil 4, the name for these Plagas was localised as "Master Plaga".[11]
- In Resident Evil: Damnation, this name was instead given as the "dominant-strain". While using the same Plaga, "strain" in English would be better suited to plant and microbe taxonomy rather than an animal.
Sources[]
- ↑ Resident Evil 4 (2005), file: "Our Plan".
- ↑ Resident Evil 4 (2023), file: "Captive Researcher's Note"
- ↑ Resident Evil 4 (2023), file: "Superior Species Report".
- ↑ Resident Evil 4 (2023), file: "Village Records Vol. 2"
- ↑ Resident Evil 4 (2023), "Chapter 16: Darkest Before Dawn"
- ↑ Resident Evil 4 (2023), file: "The Amber".
- ↑ Separate Ways (2023), file: "The Amber: Research Report #1"
- ↑ Separate Ways (2023), file: "The Amber: Research Report #12"
- ↑ Separate Ways (2023), file: "The Amber: Research Report #14"
- ↑ Resident Evil: Damnation.
- ↑ Resident Evil 4 (2005), file: "Ada's Report 2".
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