Xenomorph warrior

The **Soldier**, also referred to as the **Warrior,** is the Xenomorph's second stage of maturity after progressing through the chestburster stage. They serve as the hive's primary attack force with the primary function of protecting the Queen and the Eggs. They are fast, reasonably tough, and savage combatants. Even in death the Warrior is dangerous, bursting apart when killed and drenching nearby enemies in acid.

## Characteristics

After progressing through the first Xenomorph phase, the Soldier stands at around eight feet in height and about 14-16 feet in length, tail included. It is black in color, with a long, segmented tail and a secondary set of jaws inside its mouth, which it can use to maim or kill prey. They are shown to possess incredible strength- enough to break down metal pressure doors and easily punch through Armored Quartz, which withstands above 160,000 pounds per square inch compressive force. Warriors can blend into the surrounding spaces in their hives as well other terrain, making them difficult to detect until they attack, although all Xenomorphs can do this as well.

The most visible difference in Soldiers from other Xenomorphs is the ridged head. The head carapace is also harder than that of Drones, allowing them to ram into targets.

When a Xenomorph Soldier is killed by weapons that cause massive physical trauma, its pressurized bloodstream causes the creature to explode, showering the surrounding area with very deadly concentrated molecular acid. Napalm weaponry or high powered energy weapons that produce high levels of heat, if used successfully, will leave a charred mass, and will cause the acid to turn into a extremely toxic vapor that is lethal if inhaled. Their acidic blood is capable of causing severe injury to humans, causing the death or injury of several colonial marines during their investigation of Hadley's Hope when they strayed too close a dying Warrior. Remarkably, the blood is incapable of hurting other Xenomorphs.

In some cases, the Soldier can evolve into a different form, which has very large blades on the top and bottom of the tail, with large blades on the elbows and calves as well. Soldiers are shown to be extremely agile, as they are capable of navigating through vents, crawly up walls, and swiftly navigating large areas. They can also leap a very large distance, allowing them to pounce on unsuspecting enemies.

## Intelligence

They have been known to employ stealth tactics, and are able to blend into their surrounding environment, particularly within the Hive, before ambushing targets. However, they more often employ direct assaults and swarm attacks, using sheer weight of numbers to overwhelm defenses and subdue their prey. While this behavior often leads to high casualty rates against prepared opponents, it brings with it distinct psychological benefits with regards to enemy morale. It is not clear whether such reckless attacks represent a diminished intelligence on the part of the Soldier when compared to the more stealthy Drones, or whether it is a result of influence from the Queen.

Despite this, Soldiers clearly possess some ability to plan and adapt; for example, in Hadley's Hope they were shown to be capable of cutting power to certain areas of the colony, finding openings in their opponents' defenses, and successfully sneaking up on victims even when they were on guard and at full alert.