The creature has two kinds of said appendages the first kind are the appendages that are used to further anchor the creature on their spot and are instantly drawn out once the Guardian has spotted a hostile in their vicinity, while the second kind is a single scythe-tipped tentacle that serves as the creature's only means of attack in close quarters and is what makes the Guardian extremely lethal. The thoracic cavity now serves as a place for the newly created tentacle appendages to rest. The latter two are two body structures that have been re-purposed and created, respectively, in order to accommodate with the Guardian's functions. Alterations can also be seen on the head of the host, with the lower jaw and part of the neck completely missing, exposing the trachea and leading to a wide open thorax and a newly created sac where the abdomen used to be. Moreover, the human arms that were a characteristic trait of the premature stage have now disappeared, probably atrophied or otherwise consumed by the Corruption, as they currently serve no purpose. The first thing one notices is the apparent increase in size compared to the previous stage, a result of the fusion with the Corruption's biomass.

The fusion between the human body and the Corruption has been, for the most part, completed, with the two being indistinguishable from each other, with most of the human features of the host body being unrecognizable at this stage. Given sufficient time, the torso will transform and ultimately develop to the stage of a 'mature' Guardian.

At the very most, they will play dead until approached, or otherwise alerted, when they will attempt to cause damage by flailing out the host's intestines. At this stage, the newly formed Guardian is extremely weak and lethargic, being easily dispatched and incapable of performing any kind of lethal attacks. More specifically, the torso is only intact down to the waist, where the abdomen is vertically split apart with the entrails hanging out. The transformation of the host is quite extensive and both their first and last stages can be witnessed.Ĭoncept art of a mature Guardian in Dead Space (2023).Īt the beginning stage, the 'premature' Guardian still retains some resemblance to their human host, although they are heavily mutilated. Guardians are created from a single human body that has been fused together with the Corruption growing on the walls, thus establishing a form of symbiosis.

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