When it comes to giving you underwater nightmare fuel, the team behind the Subnautica series has been pretty creative. Their newest batch of monsters in Subnautica: Below Zero are sure to send you screaming to the surface should you spot one out in open water.
The Leviathan class of creatures on planet 4645B are, just like the first game, absolutely massive, but not all of them are hostile. If you’re new to the vast survival crafting themed alien oceans of the Subnautica series it can be a little tricky and downright deadly trying to figure out which ones are safe and which aren’t. So to make things much easier, use this guide to learn which ones to avoid and what areas to stay clear of.
8 Glow Whale
The Glow Whale is by far the biggest friendliest fish in the freezing cold depths of Subnautica: Below Zero. This gentle drifting giant is a massive whale-shaped creature that comes in at a respectable 30 meters long, but despite its intimidating size, it’s completely harmless.
These easy to spot creatures can be found floating around the East Arctic, Lilypad Islands and the Main Lilypad Islands biomes. So if you want to swim alongside these passive new pals then head off to these relatively calm waters and you’re sure to see a few swimming around that you can grab a couple of screenshots with.
7 Chelicerate
Not someone you want to find yourself next to out in the open, this claw faced chap is an aggressive monster that will try to take chunks out of you or your vehicle with its massive razor-sharp beak whenever it can.
The Chelicerates are around 40 meters long and if you want to kill this Leviathan you’re in for a fight as each one sports an impressive 5000 health points. With bite attacks that can do substantial amounts of damage to most of your vehicles, you definitely don’t want to go near this fearsome fish. Although your odds of avoiding them altogether are not great as they’re fairly commonly throughout the map. Although they tend to congregate the most in areas such as the East Arctic, Purple Vents and Tree Spires. So keep your head on a swivel if you’re out and about in these locations.
6 Void Chelicerate
Similar to their red chitin-covered cousins, these eerie albino giants are equally large and just as deadly. With pale almost ghostlike skin and bright lamplike eyes that light up its dark habitat, the Void Chelicerate is terrifying to encounter. Although on a more positive note, they are incredibly rare.
These ethereal looking creatures only spawn in the deepest, darkest parts of the map at the Worlds Edge. This deep and expansive biome can only be reached if you have a rebreather equipped or with a vehicle and it’s essentially the border of the game and because you’re not supposed to be there the game will spawn multiple of these lurking giants to attack you until you leave. It’s an effective if terrifying deterrent that the developers also used in the first game to keep players out of areas they don’t want you to go.
5 Shadow Leviathan
The second-largest aggressive underwater creature in the game, the Shadow Leviathan can put real fear into the heart of the unprepared diver. This massive lobster-like creature lurks around the Crystal Caves and Fabricator Caverns and you definitely don’t want to be around when it shows up.
Coming in at an intimidatingly huge length of 60 meters, this massive monstrosity enjoys grabbing unsuspecting Prawn Suits, Seatrucks or other vehicles before crunching them up in its large tooth-filled maw. Also, before it eats you alive you get to enjoy a nice acid bath, making the whole experience that much worse. But, it’s been noted in the Community that it will attack smaller hostile fish such as Sharks and smaller Leviathan, so try to bait it onto one of those as a distraction if it starts heading towards you.
4 Ice Worm
Just when you thought it was safe to get out of the water, it turns out even the land in Subnautica: Below Zero isn’t a good place to explore either as there are some pretty big beasts lurking just under the ice, waiting to pounce on any unaware diver that walks by.
The Arctic Spires are where you will encounter the Ice Worm, this colossal creature calls this hostile tundra its home and if you enter its territory there’s a high chance you won’t leave it alive. When it’s approached it will burrow deep into the ice before re-emerging to perform a close-range attack or it will spear the player before launching you into the air and devouring you whole. It’s a nasty critter to go up against, but it can be avoided with a Thumper.
3 Ventgarden
One of the odder creatures you’ll come across in Subnautica: Below Zero, the Ventgarden is part Jellyfish part Living Garden as this greenery-filled gargantuan takes in nutrients expelled from thermal vents that it then uses to feed its parasitic plant life.
Coming in at a towering 110 meters, this giant organic greenhouse is completely docile to the point it’s even doubtful it’s aware you’re there at all as you can freely enter and exit it with no sign of it noticing this. There are currently two Ventgarden in the game and they can be found in the Tree Spires Biome surrounded by numerous Juvenile Ventgardens.
2 Juvenile Ventgarden
The smaller baby version of the previously mentioned ginormous Jellyfish, the Juvenile Ventgarden is a much shorter and cuter version of its parents and just like them, they’re completely docile. So you can swim right on up to them for a good look without having to worry about being caught up in their trailing tentacles.
Although despite being 18.5 meters in length, you can’t swim inside them or really interact with them in any real way like you can the adults. Juveniles don’t provide any plant-based resources, unlike the adults Ventgardens, instead, they just float around aimlessly adding a little ambience to the environment or they idly circle their parents.
1 Frozen Leviathan
Although not a direct threat in the game (yet), the Frozen Leviathan is the biggest predator based Leviathan class creature that you will likely come across in Subnautica: Below Zero. And it would no doubt have posed quite the threat were not for the fact that it’s dead and frozen in ice. Despite this though it’s still frightening to look at and it’s terrifying to think what could happen if the Developers decide to reintroduce it to the game somehow, perhaps through defrosting.
Regardless, this rotting behemoth can be found trapped inside a wall in the Phi Excavation site. Corridors and catwalks surround this surreal creature as the researchers tried to unearth and study this Kharaa infected monster. According to the in-game databanks, it’s over 1000 years old, which makes you wonder what else could have been around on Planet 4645B back then that hasn’t been uncovered yet.
NEXT: Lingering Questions We Have After The End Of Subnautica: Below Zero
