Reaper Leviathan

The Reaper Leviathan is an aggressive leviathan-class fauna species usually found swimming in large open areas, such as the Crash Zone, Dunes, and Mountains. One can be found lurking around the base of the mountains island. It is the third-largest aggressive creature in the game and fifth largest overall.

Reaper Leviathans are the most populous species of leviathan, with a total of twenty-five roaming The Crater: nine in the Crash Zone, eight in the Dunes, seven in the Mountains, and a lone one on the edge of the Bulb Zone.

Appearance

The Reaper Leviathan is a massive creature. Fins and mandibles included, the creature is just a little longer than a Cyclops submarine (the Cyclops is 54 Meters in length whereas the Reaper Leviathan is 55 Meters).

The Reaper Leviathan possesses a long, slim, muscular body with four caudal fins and two pectoral fins. It also has two dorsal fins running along the length of its entire body, and two ventral fins taking a small portion of its belly. Most of its fins, along with its back, are red in color. The fins and other red areas of the body possess slight bioluminescence.

Its head features a horn (most likely used for ramming its prey), a large mouth housing many teeth, as well as two pairs of eyes with grey sclera. It has two maroon mandibles on each side of its face which have a dark gradient and are tipped with large black claws, four in total. Multiple scars can be seen on the body, particularly around the facial area, and the blueish-white skin appears similar in texture to human skin.

Behavior

Reaper Leviathans are aggressive towards the player as well as shark classified fauna. They will quickly swim towards their target and bite them for massive damage. If the next attack were to kill the player, the Reaper Leviathan will grab them with their mandibles and pull them into their mouth, killing them instantly. Damaging the leviathan will increase its aggression towards the player. The creature will flee for a short time after ten strikes with the knife or five with the Thermoblade.

Reaper Leviathans will emit an audible roar that can be heard from a great distance. Despite what the databank implies, the roar does not function as echolocation and only serves to warn the player.

Reaper Leviathans will grab the Seamoth or Prawn Suit if they touch them while aggressive, even when this aggression is not towards the player. When docile they will simply push the vehicles out of the way. A grabbed vehicle will be violently shaken for anywhere between eight to thirteen seconds while dealing constant damage. There is a short cooldown after the vehicle is released to prevent the leviathan from grabbing it again instantly. Reapers will instantly let go of the vehicle if hit by a Gas Pod Cloud or the Seamoth Perimeter Defense System.

Reaper Leviathans are aggressive toward the Cyclops and will attack the vehicle if it makes too much noise. They can be distracted by the Creature Decoy.

Like most carnivores, holding any fauna will cause the Reaper Leviathans to consume the fish rather than attack the player, preventing damage. This pacifies the Reaper temporarily, albeit for a far briefer span of time than other aggressive fauna.

Story

Degasi survivor Marguerit Maida once subdued a Reaper Leviathan and, with the aid of a Cyclops, towed it back to the Deep Grand Reef Degasi Base for research. However, this only attracted the attention of another Reaper, with its unexpected arrival destroying the base. Maida fought with the leviathan, killing it.

As a result of Kharaa killing off much of their natural prey, the remaining Sea Dragon Leviathans have resorted to visiting the surface to hunt down Reaper Leviathans for sustenance. Many skeletal remains can be found in the Inactive Lava Zone, as well as the Lost River's Mountains Corridor; the path used by the Sea Dragons to reach the surface.

Audio

Data Bank Entry

Leviathan class species are vast organisms at the top of their respective food chains. This species is a streamlined hunter, with highly developed senses.

1. Powerful Mandibles: This leviathan is capable of locking prey in place with four powerful mandibles and drawing it within reach of its jaws. Simulated pressure exceeds Seamoth crush resistance.
2. Echolocation: The deep roar emitted by the reaper at regular intervals is effectively sonar - if you can hear it, the reaper can see you.
3. Profile: The scanned specimen measured 55m long. Observed circling its prey and attacking from behind. This creature is almost all muscle. Very little brain. No sense of morality. Just muscle, synapses, and teeth.

Motivational note: Congratulations on getting close enough to scan it and living to see the results! Assessment: Extreme threat - Avoid in all circumstances

Gallery

A Reaper Leviathan in the Dunes

A Reaper Leviathan in the Mountains

A Reaper Leviathan in the Crash Zone

The shadow of a Reaper Leviathan in the Crash Zone

A Reaper Leviathan in the Crash Zone Mesas

A Reaper Leviathan guarding the Aurora

A Reaper Leviathan attacking a Seamoth

A Reaper Leviathan attacking a Prawn Suit

Concept art

Concept art for the Crested Reaper

Model from Sketchfab

Skull model from Sketchfab

Full skeleton model from Sketchfab

Reaper Leviathan (pre-Ghost Update model)

Bioluminescence (pre-Ghost Update)

Trivia

• The Reaper Leviathan's eyes used to emit bright green bioluminescence, but in the Ghost Update, it was given a new model that no longer gives off any bioluminescence from the eyes.
• The Reaper Leviathan's body, as well as color scheme, resemble that of the oarfish, a real-life creature. Whether this is intended or not is unknown.
• The Reaper Leviathan was originally modeled at a similar size to the Boneshark and Sand Shark. Later on, it was made much larger than what had been previously planned.
• A Reaper Leviathan used to spawn in the Mushroom Forest near the Aurora but was removed before full release.
• The Reaper Leviathan is one of the only two Leviathan Class organisms on Planet 4546B whose eggs are never seen, even with the aid of console commands, with the other being the Sea Treader Leviathan, suggesting they may reproduce through other means, as opposed to egg-laying.
• The Reaper Leviathan was planned to have its own variant for Below Zero in the form of the "Crested Reaper", it was a smaller Blue Artic version of the Reaper Leviathan with a crest and the Mandibles being shaped in a way similar to a Dolphin's snout.
• The Reaper Leviathan's calls contain distorted human screams and animal noises, which is why it is so terrifying.