Subnautica Leviathans: characteristics & Locations

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The objective of this article is to provide you with all the information about Leviathans in Subnautica, including their size, location, and other physical characteristics. The water-based survival games Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero pit players against the hazards of planet 4546B. It has gained worldwide fame and acclaim due to its unique elements and story, offering players an immersive journey through the landscape and waters of 4546B. The creatures and landscapes in Subnautica are the game's most impressive features. But Subnautica is impressive in every aspect.

In Subnautica, the Leviathan class organisms stand out above all else as they are gigantic and awe-inspiring.

Ancient Skeleton (Extinct)

• Attitude: Unknown
• Health: Unknown
• Damage: Unknown
• Locations: Lost River Laboratory Cache
• Length: Unknown

The Ancient Skeleton is one of the few extinct creatures on planet 4546B, with one discovered fossil estimated to be 1,000,000 years old. The plated skeleton of the armored Leviathan features three eyes on either side of its head and was of great interest to the Precursors as they set up a laboratory to investigate the creature. However, the player does not know why it was being studied. Despite this, it is possibly one of the biggest creatures to have ever existed on planet 4546B.

Even the Leviathan's teeth are larger than the player's and it is possible to swim through its fossil.

Ancient Skelton looks like a gigantic eel, so while the skeleton's length is around 95 meters or 285 feet, its overall size is probably much larger.

Chelicerate

• Attitude: Aggressive
• Health: 5000
• Damage: 75 (Player); 15-30 (Seatruck); 21-33 (Prawn Suit)
• Locations: East Arctic, Purple Vents, Tree Spires, Void
• Length: 40 meters (normal), 65 meters (void)

On planet 4546B, the Chelicerate is the smallest aggressive Leviathan. It measures 40 meters or 120 feet in length and is red. Four long, curved mandibles point forward and weave together toward the back to form an indestructible jaw. It has a small, beak-like mouth between the mandibles with two rows of forward-facing teeth. Towards the creature's tail, its body is covered by a red exoskeleton consisting of ever-smaller plates.

A larger version of Chelicerate can also be found in the Void biome, which prefers to swim in dark, open waters. You should avoid coming into contact with this Leviathan as it is aggressive and potentially lethal.

Frozen Leviathan (Extinct)

• Attitude: Aggressive
• Health: Unknown
• Damage: Unknown
• Locations: Glacial Basin
• Length: 70 meters excluding the tail, 150 meters including the tail

Frozen Leviathans are extinct creatures with only one body of a deceased discovered at the Phi Excavation site on 4546B. The species of the frozen creature is unknown but it seems that it became extinct approximately 1,000 years ago. The body was discovered by Fred Lachance but despite an intensive study by Alterra, not much is known about the Frozen Leviathan.

The Frozen Leviathan is the third-largest extinct Leviathan in terms of size. Including its tail, the Frozen Leviathan is 150 meters long. Frozen Leviathans probably became extinct due to the planet's current unsuitable environment.

Gargantuan Fossil Leviathan (Extinct)

• Attitude: Unknown
• Health: Unknown
• Damage: Unknown
• Locations: Lost River Bone Fields, Lost River Ghost Forest
• Length: 1100-1500 meters

Gargantuan Fossil is the third largest of the extinct Leviathans on planet 4546B. This is probably the largest Leviathan that ever existed on the planet, as it dwarfs any other, even Sea Dragon Leviathan and Sea Emperor Leviathan. This is also one of the oldest Leviathan fossils on planet 4546B as it dates back to 3,000,000 years ago.

The skull itself is located in the Bone Fields, while its ribs can be found at the entrance of the Lost River Junction, and a smaller but otherwise identical skull can be found in the Ghost Forest.

The Precursors showed great interest in this fossil too as the remains of a lab setup can be found around it. The larger of the two skulls is so big that even a Cyclops can fit between its jaws.

Ghost Leviathan

• Attitude: Aggressive
• Health: 8000
• Damage: 84 (Player); 42 (Seamoth); 14 (Prawn Suit); 250 (Cyclops)
• Locations: Crater Edge, Grand Reef, Northern Blood Kelp Zone
• Length: 110 meters (adult), 67 meters (juvenile)

The Ghost Leviathan is often considered one of the most terrifying Leviathans and is the second-largest aggressive Leviathan in Subnautica behind Sea Dragon Leviathan. Three Ghost Leviathans can be found in the Grand Reef, the first one spawning once the player enters the Crater Edge, while the next two spawn with 30-second intervals if the player stays in the area. The Leviathans will chase the player until killed or until you return to the playable area.

Ghost Leviathans are the third-largest species overall.

Glow Whale

• Attitude: Passive
• Health: 10,000
• Damage: None
• Locations: East Arctic, Lilypad Islands
• Length: 30 meters

The Glow Whale is the smallest Leviathan in Subnautica: Below Zero Leviathan standing at 30 meters or 90 feet long. It is one of the most impressive creatures in planet 4546B and one of the non-aggressive Leviathans.

These majestic creatures will temporarily allow players to pet or ride on their backs.

The Glow Whale's massive body even supports barnacles and vegetation. Despite this, compared to other Leviathans, the Glow Whale is lackluster in size.

Ice Worm

• Attitude: Aggressive
• Health: Unkillable
• Damage: Unknown; can instantly kill players and heavily damage the Snowfox
• Locations: Arctic Spires
• Length: 95 meters

Ice Worms are the eighth largest Leviathans in Subnautica: Below Zero and the largest aggressive Leviathans in the game. This Leviathan Class Organism is the only one that you will find on land. The head is mainly comprised of a single huge plate that tapers into a long, thick horn sticking straight out from the head. This horn is super-heated and allows the Ice Worm to melt through ice in order to burrow and resurface once it feels vibrations on the ice and attacks its prey.

The top side of its body is covered by a thick exoskeleton, while the bottom part is unprotected. It is impossible to kill an Ice Worm, as it does not have a hitbox. It is also impossible to scan a living Ice Worm. Scanning the Ice Worm carcass in the Arctic Spires is the only way to obtain its databank entry.

Reaper Leviathan

• Attitude: Aggressive
• Health: 5000
• Damage: 80 (Player); 220 (Cyclops); 40-60 (Seamoth); 20-30 (Prawn Suit)
• Locations: Crash Zone, Dunes, Mountains
• Length: 55 meters

Reaper Leviathans are aggressive Leviathan Class organisms that usually inhabit large open areas such as the crash zone, dunes, and mountains. It is the third-largest aggressive creature in the game and the fifth-largest overall.

Reaper Leviathan roars and echoes from great distances. According to the databank entry, this roar is a form of echolocation, but it does not function like this in the game. Also, it circles its prey (or, more commonly, the player) for a few moments before attacking, often from behind.

Leviathans usually swim in deeper waters, but not as deep as the seafloor level. Players can avoid detection by swimming on the surface. If they use a Seaglide instead of a submersible, it is less likely to notice them.

Immediately after being injured, the Reaper Leviathan will flinch and roar. They will not respawn.

Reefback Leviathan

• Attitude: Passive
• Health: 10,000
• Damage: None
• Locations: Bulb Zone, Crag Field, Dunes, Grassy Plateaus, Mushroom Forest, Sparse Reef, Underwater Islands
• Length: 70 meters

Reefback Leviathan is the ninth-largest Leviathan in its class and the most sizable passive Leviathan in Subnautica at 70 meters long but with extreme width.

Reefback Leviathans are among the series' most beloved creatures, with a peaceful demeanor and enormous size. It is impossible to pass pods of Reefback Leviathans without admiring their majestic beauty. In addition to their stunning appearance, the Reefback Leviathans are home to a mini-ecosystem within their shell.

Sea Treader

• Attitude: Defensive
• Health: 3000
• Damage: Kick 40; Stomp 40
• Locations: Grand Reef, Sea Treader's Path, Sea Treader's Tunnels Caves
• Length: 20 meters

Despite being the smallest Leviathan known so far, the Sea Treader still measures 20 meters in length, which is quite large.

Compared to other creatures of its class, the Sea Treader Leviathan stands out as unique. The Sea Treader is the only member of its category who walks rather than swims or burrows. It marches along the barren ocean floor using its two legs and elongated mouth – commonly misunderstood as a third leg. With each decisive step, the Sea Treader uproots ore from the ground for players to collect.

Shadow Leviathan

• Attitude: Aggressive
• Health: 5000
• Damage: 75 (Player); 20-35 (Seatruck); 33-42 (Prawn Suit)
• Locations: Crystal Caves, Fabricator Caverns
• Length: 60 meters

Shadow Leviathans have an elongated, black body with smooth skin and two rows of 37 small red spots that run from behind the head to just before the tail tip. Each row of red spots is followed by a shorter row of eight circular gill pores running down the side. Three pairs of small black eyes on the head and a large red ring in the center, forming a shield-like structure. Due to its flexible spinal cord, the creature can contract and retract its head. A glowing blue mouth is located just behind the creature's head: it is lined with curved teeth in the shape of a ribcage without a sternum. There appears to be no throat structure in the creature's mouth. Food is passed directly into its stomach.

There are seven joint claws on the sides of the mouth. They have spines along the inside edge for securing prey. Seven more pairs run down the body, decreasing in size as they near the tail to the point that the last three are little more than a small spine. These grasping appendages were once walking limbs on a distant bottom-dwelling ancestor but have since been repurposed into their current form.

Several large fins on the Shadow Leviathan's body provide propulsion. While lacking a tail fluke, both dorsal and ventral sides have a large fin, with smaller fins in front and behind it. The tail has a red point.

Sea Dragon

• Attitude: Aggressive​​​​​​
• Health: 5000
• Damage:
  • Bite: Instant Kill (Player); 10-20 (Prawn Suit). Swat – 40 (Player); 11 (Prawn Suit); 250 (Cyclops)
  • Fire Breath: 12-72 (Player); 3-19 (Prawn Suit); 500 (Cyclops)
• Locations: Inactive Lava Zone, Lava Lakes
• Length: 112 meters

The Sea Dragon is the second-largest aggressive Leviathan and fifth-largest overall. With a length of 112 meters, it can handle any threat, including the player and their vehicles. The player can encounter three Sea Dragon Leviathans in Subnautica. Two can be found in the Inactive Lava Zone, while another lurks in Lava Lakes.

You will need a prawn suit to survive the Sea Dragon's deadly bite, while you will also have to deal with its “Fire Breath” ability.

Subnautica's Sea Dragon Leviathan is the most dangerous aggressive Leviathan, so you should proceed with caution when dealing with it.

Sea Emperor

• Attitude: Passive
• Health: None
• Damage: None
• Locations: Primary Containment Facility Aquarium
• Length: 200 meters (adult), 60 meters (juvenile), 1.5 meters (baby)

The Sea Emperor is the largest living Leviathan class creature in Subnautica, and it has existed for approximately 26,000 years.

Sea Emperors are nearly extinct as kharaa bacteria destroyed the Sea Emperor's food source, causing almost the entire species population. Due to its immunity to the Kharaa infection, the Precursors captured the last known Sea Emperor for study in the hope of finding a cure for it. The player can assist the Sea Emperor with hatching its eggs.

Ventgarden

• Attitude: Passive
• Health: None
• Damage: None
• Locations: Tree Spires
• Height: 110 meters (adult)

Ventgarden Leviathan, a member of the Fauna class on planet 4546B, is a remarkable example of symbiosis. To survive, the plant life within Ventgarden's bell cooperates with 4546B, which survives off of a single thermal vent. During the winter, the plants help protect herbivores from the Ventgarden's transparent bell, while the Leviathan absorbs metals and gases released by the Ventgarden.

With their tentacles anchoring them in place, Ventgardens are only seen stationary above hydrothermal vents as adults. The bell is filled with hot, nutrient-rich water pumped through a hole in the bottom of the body. The player can swim through the opening created on the underside of the body when sitting over a Hydrothermal Vent.

Ventgarden's top vent is used to discharge excess fluid. Expelled fluid can propel the player 15 meters upwards.

The Ventgarden is the sixth tallest Leviathan in its class and the tallest passive Leviathan in the franchise, with a height of 110 meters. The plant nursery-like Leviathan is only slightly larger than the Ghost Leviathan and can be accessed and explored by players.

Conclusion

For more information on Subnautica, check our Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero guides.