History Characters / QuakeIV

!!!This page contains some unmarked spoilers in the interest of informative character biographies.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Space Marine Corps in General]]
* GenreBlind: The cause of multiple deaths. Techniques such as LetsSplitUpGang and RightBehindYou cause some fatalities.
* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: ZigZagged, characters without their helmets tend play major roles, but characters in helmets get spotlighting in some levels too, Albeit, many are [[RedShirt red shirts]].
* HumansAreWarriors: {{Downplayed}}, the Strogg are fighting humanity at an advantage and humanity is in real danger of losing the war if they don't find a way to infiltrate and destroy [[spoiler:the Nexus]]. Still, Sledge is famed for killing Strogg with his bare hands.
[[/folder]]

!The Rhino Squad
[[folder:The Rhino Squad in General]]
* AnimalMotifs: Rhinoes, of course.
%%* BadassArmy
* BigDamnHeroes: The rescue of [[spoiler:Kane]], just as he's about to be [[spoiler:fully converted into a Strogg]].
%%* TheSquad
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Matthew Kane]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kaneq4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Who's the new guy?"\\
"Matthew Kane. One certified badass."\\
[[labelnote:Click here for his spoilered self]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00021.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]

->''"I hear their voices when I sleep. I've seen the worst of war. But I can't escape the images of the Strogg. A metallic spine, jutting awkwardly through muscle. [[BodyHorror Flesh and bone fused with wires and steel.]] I hear their voices when I sleep. Created for war, and fueled by the blood of their enemy."''
-->-- '''In the trailer'''

Above all else, Corporal Matthew Kane is a survivor. He was involved with the disaster on Space Station Armstrong and was the only one to emerge alive. But exactly what happened there may never be known--he is under the strictest orders to remain silent. After several months of recuperation, Kane was assigned to Rhino Squad. This was due to Lieutenant Voss, who saw Kane's potential to be a truly valuable asset to the team. However, the squad knows him only from his mysterious reputation. They don't trust him, and they believe he might be too much of a loose cannon.
----
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: He gets bashing from the other non-Rhino Squad Marines before and after [[spoiler:being Stroggified]] (although in the "after" they seem to be under the mistaken impression he's a [[spoiler:Strogg Ambassador]] rather than a [[spoiler:Stroggified fellow Marine]]). However, as soon as the shit hits the fan and his [[spoiler:Strogg implants]] makes him humanity's last best hope, everyone wants to be his best bud.
* AwesomeMcCoolName: WordOfGod said that he's surnamed Kane because it's said that the creator of ''Franchise/StarTrek'' have always used a hard "K" sound in the names of his heroes. Plus, Kane just sounds badass.
* BodyHorror: [[spoiler:His Strogg modifications aren't pretty, to say the least]].
* CursedWithAwesome: [[spoiler:His Stroggification is, naturally, a horrific, agonising and traumatising experience. However, his new modifications grant him strengths and abilities that make him humanity's best hope]].
* {{Cyborg}}: [[spoiler:A lot of his organic bits are replaced with metal after the Strogg are done with him, and judging by the modifications he received, as well as his knack for killing Strogg-- sometimes singlehandedly-- he was planned to become one of the Tactical Strogg, specifically]].
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Despite all that he's done, including literally becoming the enemy, he does not receive any promotion at all, despite Sledge and Morris being promoted.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: At the beginning of the game, Kane is nothing more than an ordinary human who can still hold his own against hordes of Strogg, but [[spoiler:being Stroggified grants him increased speed and durability, as well as immunity to Strogg security, essentially making him their worst nightmare]].
* EyeScream: Prior to being assigned to Rhino Squad, [[AllThereInTheManual he lost one of his eyes in the initial Strogg invasion of Earth]], on Armstrong station - the first facility to fall to the Strogg. He had it replaced with a [[{{Foreshadowing}} cybernetic implant]] - [[spoiler:way before most of the rest of his body was replaced with cybernetics]].
* HeroicMime: Typical of an FPS series, but it's especially notable here, as he remains utterly silent throughout even the cutscenes. However, it's strongly implied that it is he who narrates the game's trailer.
* NoodleIncident: At the beginning, he's reputed to be a badass (and a nut) for something that happened on a space station before the events of the game. What happened there is never explained.
* PhlebotinumRebel: He just barely avoids [[spoiler:getting completely Stroggified]] -- the procedure is [[PainfulTransformation gruesomely carried out]], but [[spoiler:it's interrupted by a squad of human soldiers just before his [[RestrainingBolt neurocyte]] is activated]]. He becomes able to [[spoiler:understand the Strogg language, defeat their traps and, crucially, operate their machinery and locks]]. His new abilities are instrumental in allowing humanity to open a huge can of whoop-ass on the Strogg.
* RogueDrone: [[spoiler:Although it's more of a case of a person never fully turned into a hive member in the first place.]]
* RookieRedRanger: He's the newest member of Rhino Squad by the beginning of the game, yet he's already built up a reputation due to being the SoleSurvivor of the Space Station Armstrong disaster, which is what got him onto the team in the first place. [[spoiler:His later Stroggification is only the icing on the cake]].
* RuleOfCool: Matthew likes to use the "teacup" grip with his blaster which is a notably inefficient way to handle a pistol. It's an [[EnergyWeapons energy pistol]] rather than a kinetic one, but still.
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Even with Kane's [[spoiler: Strogg cybernetics]], a lot of characters don't have a comment about Kane's situation though there is a point where a Marine notes [[spoiler: "He looks pretty Strogg to me." and you are encouraged to pass through a security checkpoint.]] Yet, once you get aboard the Hannibal for the second time, ''then'' you meet people not too happy with you or intrigued to get to know you more. Everyone seems used to the situation after the mission briefings on the Hannibal and you're treated as normal from that point forward, but it's notable that nobody finds you fascinating while out in the battlefield. [[spoiler: A ShellShockedVeteran would probably be horrified to see you and have difficulty believing you're not a true Strogg, much like one confrontation aboard the Hannibal.]]
* UnwillingRoboticisation: Unwilling and very, very painful.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Johann Strauss]]
[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00006_4.jpg]]
Johann Strauss possesses one of the most gifted minds of our age. By the time he was 4 years old, Strauss could perform complex trigonometry equations in his head. At the age of 8 he was fluent in six languages and could recite all of Shakespeare's works from memory. He was part of the research team that discovered how the Strogg used black holes to travel across the vast distances of space. He currently holds a Ph.D. in advanced computer science and in biotechnology and is one of eight people fluent in the Strogg language. In keeping with his genius status, Strauss also has a tremendous ego and can be extremely brash. He would have remained in research were it not for a run-in with General Nathaniel Hastings. Strauss insulted the general so badly that he found himself on the front lines a week after the argument. While in the field, Strauss found he excelled in working with Strogg technology. Because of his talents, he was assigned to Rhino squad. Now they receive missions deep in enemy territory that require interaction with Strogg security and computer systems.
----
* BadassBookworm: Despite being every bit the InsufferableGenius, he's more than capable of holding his own in a fight. In an off-screen adventure he even manages to fight his way to safety while trapped alone deep behind enemy lines while [[spoiler:Kane was busy getting turned into a Strogg]].
* BrutalHonesty: If someone makes a fatal mistake like trying to play LeeroyJenkins; after a fatality in a Strogg teleporter, he'll mention that this is why marines must follow orders rather than play hero, and implore Kane to ignore the unfortunate accident for the vital mission ahead.
* ChildProdigy: According to his [[AllThereInTheManual backstory]].
* TheEngineer: He performs invaluably for Rhino Squad, with a high fluency in the Strogg language and their technology. Supposedly, he gains courage and also becomes a formidable fighter in his own right after Kane's capture, but Sledge is skeptical.
* GermanicDepressives: To an extent. He's one of the most no-nonsense characters in the game.
* GermanicEfficiency: German and very tech-savvy.
* HarmlessFreezing: {{Discussed}} in dialogue. Strauss belays an order from Voss to open an airlock to save Rhino Squad from lethal subzero temperatures that would freeze lungs solid.
* InsufferableGenius: Very much so. He is incredibly smart and talented, but has a habit of berating those he deems less intelligent than himself.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's an arrogant, whiny InsufferableGenius, but he's as determined to save humanity from the Strogg menace as any other member of the squad. He also over-rides an order from Voss in the ''Nexus Tunnels'' to protect the squad from deadly subzero temperatures behind an airlock.
* {{Nerdgasm}}: {{Invoked|Trope}} -- towards the end of the game he admits to Kane that he's jealous of him, simply because [[spoiler:Kane is seeing awesome technology he can't]].
* NoodleIncident: Was captured by the Strogg at the same time as Kane. Escaped. The way in which he did this is "classified" and is never discussed further.
* NonActionGuy: He used to be one, until an argument with a general caused him to be transferred to the front lines, and often complains/demands bodyguards when he has to be sent on a dangerous mission.
* {{Omniglot}}: He's said to be fluent in many languages besides German and English - including the Strogg language (he is one of the few humans to speak Strogg fluently).
* ReassignedToAntarctica: He insulted General Hastings so badly that the joke was on him. As it turns out, being assigned to Rhino Squad would prove crucial to defeating the Strogg so in the long run, it was a boon to Strauss and Rhino Squad.
* ShoutOut: His name is extremely similar to the name of the main villain from the new ''Wolfenstein'' series (who was also an InsufferableGenius German scientist), one of which (2009's ''Wolfenstein'') was also developed by Raven Software.
%%* TheSmartGuy
%%* TheStoic: To an extent.
%%* TechnoWizard
* TookALevelInBadass: Strauss starts off as whiny and a bit of a coward, but after [[spoiler:Kane is Stroggified]], he manages to escape the facility completely by himself (according to chatter from other soldiers, although Sledge is doubtful) and is significantly more assertive and fearless.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Alejandro "Alex" Cortez]]
!!Alejandro "Alex" Cortez (Corporal)
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00034.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:]]
Growing up on his family's ranch, Cortez took to guns while very young. His father still brags about how, at the age of 8, Alejandro could kill a jackrabbit from 150 yards out. After his sister was killed during the first Strogg attack on Earth, Cortez joined the Marine Corps determined to have his revenge. Extremely cool in a firefight, he has a way of getting to vantage points no one else can find. Silent as darkness and swift as the hand of death, Cortez was assigned to Rhino squad after he single-handedly defended a communications outpost armed only with a depleted pistol--14 rounds against 14 Strogg--and at the end of the fight he still had one round left.

On Stroggos, Cortez defended the flank of Rhino Squad, dramatically killing three Strogg with his rifle and notifying Kane on the location of the rest of Rhino Squad.
----
* ChildrenForcedToKill: According to his backstory.
* ColdSniper: Your first encounter with him in the first mission establishes this. Also doubles as an EstablishingCharacterMoment.
* InformedAbility: His backstory puts him in badass levels. However, he rarely does something of importance in-game, aside of destroying a Strogg at the beginning of the game with few shots and [[spoiler:helping Kane to reach the last tower near the end of it]].
* OneManArmy: He singlehandedly defended an outpost before his recruitment as part of the Rhino Squad.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: He wants the Strogg to be dead because they killed his sister during [[VideoGame/EnemyTerritoryQuakeWars the Strogg invasion of Earth]].
* ShoutOut: WordOfGod stated that he's surnamed Cortez as an homage to Robert Rodriguez, whose movies had families surnamed Cortez.
* WeaponOfChoice: Cortez fights with a unique, customized version of the machine gun that's been modified into a semi-auto sniper rifle. It does significantly increased damage, and when you first meet him he takes out multiple Strogg (including a Berserker) in the space of a couple seconds with it. Sadly, this variant of the machine gun is unobtainable by the player.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Nikolai "Sledge" Sledjonovitch]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00013.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:]]
The son of a former Russian Olympic weightlifter, Nikolai was raised on a farm where he spent most of his childhood doing intense physical labor. He eventually grew to dwarf even his father's huge physique. While his family had expected him to go to college to study chemical engineering, Nikolai surprised everyone by choosing to join the Marine Corps. After his first two days in boot camp, he was given the nickname “Sledge"--a moniker that has stuck with him ever since. Soft-spoken and a man of few words, Sledge is a welcome addition to Rhino squad. He can easily handle equipment that would normally take two men to lift. His strength has become the stuff of legend--Sledge is the only human who has fought a Strogg hand-to-hand and won. Admittedly, he required three weeks in a hospital afterward.
----
* BadassNormal: Although the almost entirety of the Rhino Squad would qualify, while others prefer to use guns, he can, when pressed, beat Strogg in hand to hand combat, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation at least according to his backstory]].
* TheBigGuy: He's the only known human to have defeated a Strogg in ''hand to hand combat'' and lived to tell the tale.
* BrutalHonesty: He doesn't mince his words with regards to [[spoiler:Kane's new appearance]].
--> ''May I be the first to say you look like '''shit'''.''
* DeadpanSnarker: Probably the snarkiest member of Rhino Squad.
* FieldPromotion: Due to [[spoiler:the death of Bidwell during failure of Operation: Advantage]]. Sledge becomes [[spoiler: Master Sergeant]] of Rhino Squad. Morris meanwhile is promoted to [[spoiler: Lieutenant due to the loss of Voss (he was Stroggified and slain by Kane)]].
* GoYeHeroesGoAndDie: When you leave the Hannibal for the second time.
-->"Kane, I would remind you [[spoiler:the existence of all of humanity rests on your shoulders]], but [[BlatantLies I wouldn't want you to feel any pressure]]. So all I will say is go get yourself killed, my friend."
* HuskyRusskie: To an extent. He's physically very strong and is built like a truck, although he is more intelligent than most examples of the trope.
* InformedAbility: Despite him being the Heavy Weapons expert, he isn't seen carrying or using one.
* MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong: He's probably the beefiest member of Rhino Squad, he's the Heavy Weapons expert, and, well, he once beat a Strogg to death with his bare hands.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Even the HUD calls him Sledge. The only character to address him by his real name is Strauss. WordOfGod says that the reason for his surname was because of his nickname.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Marian Bidwell]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00003.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Better "haul ass", and not keep him waiting.]]
Master Sergeant Marian Bidwell was born in space and plans on dying in space. Both his parents were Marines for life, and he intends to do the same. He supplied falsified documents in order to join the Corps while still two years under the legal age limit. He's seen more war and death than most men twice his age, but Bidwell still loves the Marine Corps and all its traditions. The master sergeant can be extremely brutal during training. He knows the only way a Marine is going to survive under enemy fire is to train under extreme duress. More than a few Marines have been severely injured during exercises, but Bidwell will never lessen the training. Rhino Squad is too important to allow anyone but the absolute best out onto the field.

On the Strogg planet, Bidwell is found at the trenches near a Strogg anti-aircraft gun with Sledge. During Operation: Advantage, he helps Voss, Morris and Kane to secure the door controls and later, secure the detonation position.
----
%%* TheBigGuy
* BigShutUp: May deliver a {{Downplayed}} one to if someone gets on his nerves.
-->'''Strauss''': A man like Kane could get us killed.
-->'''Bidwell''': (mockingly) Shut the hell up, Strauss.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: [[spoiler: The first member of Rhino Squad to die. ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice by a Harvester's leg. Ouch.]]
%%* BloodKnight
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: His DrillSergeantNasty vibe is showcased in his first line during the intro:
--> '''Bidwell''': Alright you maggots, haul ass or die!
* EmbarrassingFirstName: Although it is not revealed in-game, he has "Marian" as his first name. [[WordOfGod The creators have stated]] that they wanted to give him a first name that no-one would dare call him to his face.
%%* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice
* NumberTwo: To Voss.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: As brutal as his training is, it's for the best as being captured by the Strogg may put one through a FateWorseThanDeath. It is imperative that Rhino Squad give the fight of their life. Sadly, this makes Rhino Squad members all the more desirable for assimilation [[spoiler: as Kane and Voss found out the hard way. Voss is also noticably distressed when Bidwell is impaled by a Harvester and notes that he was a good man.]]
* ScaryBlackMan:
** He is a very stern man with a no-nonsense attitude and a fondness for [[TrainingFromHell brutal training]]. Lampshaded by Sledge in the Canyon level:
---> '''Sledge''': If I were you, I would go find Sgt. Bidwell as soon as possible. He can be much more frightening than any Strogg.
** He also does NOT like to be kept waiting, as heard in the second level:
---> '''Bidwell''': "Kane, this is Bidwell. Don't make me come lookin' for you!"
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: [[spoiler:He is suddenly and brutally impaled by a Harvester's leg.]]
%%* TrainingFromHell
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jeremiah Anderson]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00023_4.jpg]]

Anderson is the youngest member of Rhino squad, even though he's been with them for more than a year. Coming from an affluent family in Chicago, Jeremiah could have easily used his grandfather, General Anderson, to avert serving on the front lines. Instead, he requested to be a part of Rhino squad, hoping to always be in the thick of the action. When Sergeant Bidwell heard a general got Anderson assigned to the squad, he made it just that much harder on Jeremiah. Much to Bidwell's surprise, Anderson thrived under the stressful conditions. Although Jeremiah considers himself a healer, he isn't afraid of using a gun, and with his knowledge of Strogg physiology, he's an expert at stopping the enemy with a minimum of shots.

During the invasion to the Strogg planet, he remained at the Rhino Squad crash-site with Morris, attempting to stabilize Medic Metcalf's collapsed lung. Afterwards, he is brought by Matthew Kane to attend to Pvt. Chase's leg injuries.
----
* CutsceneIncompetence: Loses track of his surroundings, leading to [[spoiler: his capture at minimum]].
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: He isn't afraid to use a firearm according to {{Canon}}, however during [[spoiler: his capture or death]], he doesn't even put up a fight with his Machine Gun.
* TheMedic: Also a CombatMedic according to his backstory.
* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler:Since he was last seen being dragged away by a Strogg Scientist, we don't know if he was killed or Stroggified]].
* NiceGuy: He is one of the friendliest members of Rhino Squad and tends to be quite chipper.
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: [[spoiler:He is ambushed and snatched away by a Strogg Scientist when accompanying the newly-Stroggified Kane.]]
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Anderson isn't mentioned again after [[spoiler: his capture/death(?)]]. It's as if they never existed.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Scott Voss]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00014_8.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Click here for his spoilered self]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/quakeiv_stroggvoss.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]

After the death of its former commander, Lieutenant Daily, Rhino squad wasn't sure it would ever find someone capable of leading it. Then the squad met Lieutenant Scott Voss. He epitomizes the old saying, "It's not so much the size of the dog in the fight as it is the size of the fight in the dog." He's not physically large or overtly demanding, but there is something about his demeanor that demands respect from even the most reckless Marine. Rhino squad knows very little about Voss because he never speaks of his past. But were he to talk, they would hear tales of the horrors he endured after being captured during the Mars riots. He was tortured for six months before being freed; he still suffers nightmares and is highly claustrophobic after having been placed in a coffin and buried for days at a time. Voss knows Rhino squad questions his reasoning for bringing Matthew Kane into the group. But Voss has a sneaking suspicion this new guy just might prove to be Rhino squad's most valuable asset in its battle against the Strogg.
----
* AFatherToHisMen: He cares for all members of his squad. His reaction to [[spoiler:Bidwell's death]] speaks volumes.
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:He is fully self-aware after being Stroggified, but is unable to stop himself from attacking Kane. He spends the entire boss fight against him pleading with Kane to run.]]
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Goes with the territory of leading Rhino Squad. [[spoiler:The Strogg seem to agree too; when he's captured, he's fused into a heavy duty combat walker.]]
* {{BFG}}: [[spoiler:After being Stroggified, he becomes one of the few enemies to possess a Dark Matter Gun]].
* BigShutUp: He lets out a huge one at Strauss in frustration after [[spoiler:Bidwell's death]].
* TheCaptain
* MacrossMissileMassacre: [[spoiler:As a Strogg, he's equipped with semi-homing rockets fired in salvos]].
* MeaningfulName: {{Canon}} stated that his surname was given because it rhymes with "Boss".
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's stern, but fair and likable. [[spoiler:This makes his stroggification and death a bigger GutPunch]].
* RuggedScar: He has a big scar over his right eye.
* TragicMonster: [[spoiler:He gets Stroggified into a mech-like boss monster, but retains enough self-awareness to try and warn Kane before he goes berserk and attacks him]].
* WasOnceAMan: [[spoiler:After his Stroggification, his torso is all that remains of his original body]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dell Morris]]
[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00012b.jpg]]

Corporal Dell Morris has been with Rhino squad for more than three years, which makes him second in seniority only to Sergeant Bidwell. He's highly skilled at hand-to-hand combat, having achieved black belts in tae kwon do, jeet kune do, and aikido. Gifted with a quick wit and boundless energy, Morris likes nothing better than to give a running commentary as he mows down Strogg. While his chatter can be a bit trying on his squadmates, Morris is a complete professional in a firefight. The team has come to look to him for guidance when the lieutenant or master sergeant aren't around.

Morris is left behind with Anderson to establish communications through Strogg jamming. After doing so, he made his way to Bidwell's position, getting there at the same time Kane does. He helps Kane assault the hangar, staying behind after meeting another team to relay communications. After the hangar is taken, Morris calls Kane back down to the anti-aircraft gun and, when the door to the gun is breached, Morris is ordered by Voss to guard the entrance.
----
* TheCaptain: After [[spoiler:Voss' stroggification and death.]]
* FieldPromotion: Promoted to [[spoiler:Lieutenant following the Stroggification and death of Voss from Kane slaying him.]]
* {{Foil}}: A Sergeant like Bidwell, acting as Bidwell's second hand, but while Bidwell likes being no-nonsense and serious, Morris likes to inject some humor if someone is not up to his standards yet. [[spoiler: Tragically, he is promoted to Lieutenant with the death of Bidwell and later Voss, but his professional yet humorous demeanor is likely a good morale booster, with the trauma that Rhino Squad endures.]]
* GoodOldFisticuffs: According to his backstory, it's his preferred way to fight.
* YouAreInCommandNow: [[spoiler:He is promoted to Lieutenant after Voss' death.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:William Rhodes]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00004.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"These charges I'm carrying don't react well to getting hit by weapons fire."]]

William Rhodes knew from a very early age he wanted to be a Marine. He entered the Corps as soon as he was old enough, and he quickly showed a gift for demolitions. Where anyone else would require a detailed blueprint of a structure to know where best to place a bomb, Rhodes knows instinctively where the weak points are. Be it a heavily fortified damn or a reinforced bunker, Rhodes can reduce it to rubble with a minimal amount of explosives. Hailing from Texas, Rhodes plays as hard as he works. He's been demoted twice due to altercations with [=MPs=] while out on R&R.

Rhodes is seen with Bidwell. After Kane and another team secured the hangar, Rhodes arrived to destroy it. After destroying both hangars, Rhodes was called away by Voss. When the anti-aircraft gun is secured, Rhodes arrives to destroy it.
----
* BoisterousBruiser: He comes across as loudest and most outgoing member of the squad.
* EscortMission: He's the one carrying the bomb in one of the early missions in the game.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Rhodes mentions that the explosives he carries don't mix with weapons fire, but when you escort him through the Interior Hangar, he can take a surprising amount of damage, even on [[HarderThanHard General difficulty]]. He even engages Strogg aggressively and is unlikely to actually die.
* JumpedAtTheCall
* ArtisticLicenseExplosives: Rhodes warns about their explosives not reacting well to weapons fire. If he isn't joking, then this is a huge safety hazard as explosives that are immune to gunfire are ideal in battlefield conditions. Still, Rhodes can take a surprising amount of hits without consequences.
* StuffBlowingUp: He's a gifted demolitions expert, and is very enthusiastic about it.
[[/folder]]

!Extras
[[folder:Pierce]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vlcsnap_2019_10_08_18h24m12s500.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:They're about to need a medic.]]

A Badger Squad Corporal who only gets one scene where he is ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice to introduce the Strogg Berserker. That's pretty much their role in the story.
----
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Right through the chest, with some [[ChunkySalsaRule chunky salsa]] thrown in for emphasis.
* RedShirt: They die in record time for time-to-death after their introduction, only surviving seconds after their debut. Thanks to his mortal wound, the trope is literal too.
* RightBehindMe: An example of why it's bad to wait near doors off-guard.
* SacrificialLamb: He's introduced only to die a second later, establishing early in the story that AnyoneCanDie.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sasaki]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sasaki.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Give them a call if a homing Nailgun is your thing.]]

A Kodiak Squad Tech Marine encountered in the ''Recomposition Center'' during the ''Strogg Medical Facilities'' act of the game. He has some knowledge of Strogg weaponry and upgrades your Nailgun with a HomingProjectile mode. Sasaki spends most of the chapter back in a crane-control room while you press on to restore power so that said crane can be used to stack up cargo to reach an exit. He is the first non-Rhino Squad marine to be encountered post-Stroggification.
----
* IdiotBall: For whatever reason, he'd rather remain alone, unarmed, than hang with Kane and charge his armor while he mows through the Strogg.
* LetsSplitUpGang: He doesn't feel like joining you during the chapter he debuts in and stays behind to monitor you from afar. [[spoiler: This proves to be a fatal mistake, and he's kidnapped/killed by a Grunt just before the end of the mission.]]
* MauveShirt: His only appearance is the chapter he's introduced in. He manages to hold for a while until Kane returns to the crane-control room [[spoiler: to find him being dragged away by a Grunt.]]
* TooDumbToLive: Their unwillingness to tag along for most of the level they star in, isn't likely to show their survival skills in a positive light. [[spoiler: Near the end, he's likely regretting staying behind once a Grunt comes knocking.]]
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: His responses don't account for Kane's [[spoiler: Stroggification]], so his dialogue is as if Kane is just an ordinary human. This is [[HandWave partly hand waved]] due to a med-chip that allows marines to identify friend from foe to help reduce friendly-fire incidents. Many other marines also have the same response, not even showing fascination or curiosity, in contrast with the polarized reactions on board the Hannibal.
[[/folder]]

!The Strogg
[[folder:The Strogg In General]]
Rumor has it that the {{Cyborg}} Strogg were created for a war in another part of the galaxy. If that is true, then supposedly they went rogue and became a threat to the galaxy in their own right, assimilating various species into their ranks. The Strogg allegedly wanted to conquer Earth to have a staging area to invade dozens of other civilizations, provoking humanity to strike back against their home world of Stroggos and end the Strogg menace at its source.
----
* ArmCannon: A favorite prothesis of the Strogg, used for tools as well as weaponry. However, they also used hand-held weaponry as shown with the Tactical Strogg.
* TheAssimilator: The Strogg directives make them seek out and bring new species into their fold to exploit their specialties in terms of a desired role that needs filling.
* ArtisticLicenseMedicine: The Stroggification process is so brutal to [=POWs=] that it's a wonder victims don't die from shock. This is HandWaved by the Strogg injecting steroids and nanomachines repairing the cells, and the story even acknowledges that some transfers end in failure, but one may wonder if sedation would save the Strogg a lot of trouble.
* BaldOfEvil: All Strogg(the humanoid ones at least), except for Iron Maidens.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Their captures are forced to act against their will due to their neurocyte implants.
* CyberneticsEatYourSoul: The cybernetics themselves don't eat the soul, it's the neurocyte activation that the Humans need to be concerned about.
* EmptyShell: The victims of Stroggification are forced to live, but their bodies no longer obey their will. Even past "death", the cybernetics can still control and maintain the body for the Stroggs' needs.
* {{Expy}}: The Strogg are functionally CaptainErsatz [[Franchise/StarTrek Borg]], due to their aggressive mission to assimilate new lifeforms into their army only with a scavenged, UsedFuture design to their technology, and much more [[ColdbloodedTorture brutality]] in the assimilation process. In fact, their assimilation process makes the Borg look humane as they reassemble their prisoners while they're still conscious and not even tranquilized as the Borg prefer.
* HumanoidAlien: Many Strogg [[WasOnceHuman were once Human]] but some are merely human-like. The Makron, for instance, appears to be humanoid, but all that remains is their head wired into a SpiderTank. The Stream Protectors are also human-like but their jaw is very different.
* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter: ZigZagged, the Strogg use conventional ballistics alongside [[EnergyWeapon energy-based weapons]]. One of their pinnacles is their Railgun technology blending powered weaponry with ballistics. It's used as a high-power sniper cannon.
* NeglectfulPrecursors: Whoever's responsible for the Strogg program probably didn't realize their creation would go on to wreak havok around the galaxy. Now it's up to humanity to shut them down once and for all.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Pretty much all Strogg, seeing how many of their forms consist of a lifeform with weaponry attached to it.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: A signature attribute of the cybernetic faction.
* SuperSoldier: As stated by a Marine on the Hannibal, the Strogg are rumored to be the remnants of a race of supersoldiers(whose creators mysteriously disappeared) that fought in a [[GreatOffscreenWar terrible war long ago]].
* TacticalShooter: Playing on General, [[HarderThanHard the hardest skill level]] makes the Strogg play with this trope by making attacks extremely deadly. [[TakeCover Taking cover]] is now extremely valuable, and the Tactical Strogg use cover regardless of skill levels.
* UsedFuture: The machine parts on the some Strogg look weather-beaten but functional. This is pronounced with the Sentries and Tacticals who have aged looks to their metal bodies; the later were recently put into production implying salvaged parts.
* UnwillingRoboticization: The Stroggs' main method of "recruitment".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Guards]]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00033.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:310:A Machine Gun Guard (red)]]
One of the most common enemies encountered in the campaign and usually not much to write home about. They come equipped with three possible weapons: Blaster, Machine Gun, or Shotgun. Another notable trait is the electrical box and steel tubes attached to their chest that wouldn't look out of place in a hardware store. As the game progresses, the more advanced and coordinated Tactical Strogg start supplanting them.
----
* ArmCannon: Their weapons are mounted like so.
* CannonFodder: They have this role, usually attacking in uncoordinated groups.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Their color determines what weapon they're equipped with. Red Guards have Machine Guns, yellowish Guards have Shotguns, and blue-gray Guards have Blasters.
* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: They have earned high grades here. Even at close range, the shotgun guards may miss you completely if you get lucky.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Grunts]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00027.jpg]]
A melee enemy that is a cut below the Berserker. Their pounce attack is the greatest threat, but they also occasionally use a shoulder-mounted Gatling-like cannon.
----
* TheBerserker: They have a preference for melee like the greater Strogg of the same name, and use a Stroyent injection in their DesperationAttack.
* CloseRangeCombatant: They prefer to make a run for Kane to perform a DeadlyLunge attack, rather than resort to their gattling cannon.
* DesperationAttack: Their Stroyent injection system.
* {{Expy}}: The Grunt appears to be a stand-in for the ''Quake II'' Enforcer.
* GatlingGood: Their rarely-used ShoulderCannon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Berserkers]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00038.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Not the ideal fencing opponent!]]
An overt returning enemy from ''VideoGame/QuakeII''. They are much more dangerous than their original counterpart, able the close distances at an alarming rate and even OneHitKill a healthy, unarmored Kane on the [[HarderThanHard highest difficulty]].
----
* TheBerserker: Of course. They don't have their name for nothing.
* CloseRangeCombatant: They prefer to make a beeline for Kane usually to inflict a grievous stab wound with the stake on their arm.
* CriticalHit: Their [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice spike attack]] is especially dangerous without armor on the highest difficulty level. A critical hit is unsurvivable without armor, while the next lower difficulty will probably leave you near death.
* EliteMooks: They have moderate durability but have terrifying speed that makes this durability significant. On the highest difficulty, it's imperative to dodge their swings to avoid severe/fatal injury.
* EvilLaugh: Keep your ears ready, as a soft cackle is a possible warning that one is nearby and charging for you.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: A Berserker does this to a hapless marine in the enemy's introduction.
* InstaKillMook: The game's armor system gives a [[DownplayedTrope means of preventing]] a OneHitKill thankfully but with full HP but no armor, it's likely you'll suffer a OneHitKill. They're a greater threat before Kane's [[spoiler: Stroggification]] as you're noticeably slower and more fragile.
* LightningBruiser: They're among the fastest {{Mooks}} in the game, hit extremely hard, and have respectable durability for a common mook, giving them the protection they need to get dangerously close.
* MookDebutCutscene: Subverted by using an [[UnbrokenFirstPersonPerspective first-person]] introduction. The introduction of the Berserker involves them unlocking a secured door, then impaling a marine who is distracted from calling for Kane's attention.
* ShockAndAwe: Unlike their ''Quake II'' incarnations, they have the ability to channel lightning through their blade arm. They even have the ability to fire a bolt from it directly at you, but they don't often resort to this attack.
* ShockwaveStomp: Sometimes they'll slam their blade arm into the ground while it's charged, creating an electric shockwave.
* TookALevelInBadass: Were once generic, easy to outrun melee enemies in ''VideoGame/QuakeII''. Now they're deadly ambushers with alarming speed and surprising durability.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gunners]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00040.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Intruder!"]]
Also returning from ''Quake II'', this Gunner is more defensive than their previous incarnation. Their machine gun has been replaced by a Nailgun. In ''Quake IV'', Gunners prefer to hold their position and lay down suppressing fire with their Nailgun & Grenade Launcher rather than chase down their enemies. They're similar in build to the Berserker.
----
* ArmCannon: A combination of a Nailgun & Grenade Launcher.
* AliensSpeakingEnglish: One of the few types of Strogg to use English, declaring "Intruder!" or "You there!". Not too farfetched considering that many Strogg [[WasOnceAMan were once Humans]].
* CombatPragmatist: Notable for using suppressing fire and lobbing grenades to keep you from passing, ideally while their squad deals with you. It's befitting of their typical [[MookLieutenant lieutenant role]].
* GrenadeLauncher: Their alternate weapon.
* InterfaceScrew: Their grenades will disorient Kane if he's caught in the blast zone.
* MookDebutCutscene: When you first encounter the Gunner, he fires a grenade from his launcher.
* MookCommander: They are occasionally seen leading groups of Guards and Tactical Strogg.
* NailEm: Their Nailgun serves this purpose, naturally.
* {{Nerf}}: They only fire one grenade, as opposed to the burst of four grenades they fired in ''Quake II''. In exchange, the grenades now mess up your vision for a moment if you're near the blast.
* UnusableEnemyEquipment: {{Subverted}}. While you may not scavenge the Gunner's grafted Grenade Launcher, it's a preview of sorts of to the weapon and how it works. Lieutenant Voss will eventually provide you with a hand-held model that's designed for two-handed use.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gladiators]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00046_9.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:You don't want to shake hands with them.]]
The Gladiator has received an overhaul from their ''VideoGame/QuakeII'' counterparts. They still have their melee claw attack and Railgun, but now also have a limited-angle DeflectorShield that deploys in reaction to taking hits and a powerful Blaster cannon. Notably, the Railgun can be targeted and destroyed now.
----
* ArmCannon: A subtle one, their blaster is integrated into their claw tool.
* BossInMookClothing: They're not to be taken lightly, unlike their ''Quake II'' counterpart.
* ChickenWalker: Equipped with this form of locomotion.
* CriticalHit: Their Railgun and Blaster have a chance of dealing double their base damage as well as values in between. The Railgun is the most dangerous as a CriticalHit will leave a healthy, unarmored Kane dead on the highest difficulty, or nearly dead on the next lower difficulty.
* DesperationAttack: Triggered only by the destruction of their Railgun, a Gladiator will take the offensive with their blaster and try to corner Kane. Their shield becomes more of a nuisance now as you race to take them down or make a retreat.
* DevelopersForesight: If you blow off a dead Gladiator's Railgun, it will twitch like it's still alive. This is more noticeable with mods that disable disappearing corpses.
* HeavilyArmoredMook: They're always a potent enemy on foot, but in the [=SMC=] Walker segment, they drop like flies.
* InstaKillMook: {{Downplayed}} but being hit by their Railgun is certain death if you're unarmored and they score a CriticalHit on HarderThanHard. Fortunately, a health upgrade later in game makes survival slightly more forgiving.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Their shield protects them from direct fire, and also reflects it back in the opposite direction so watch out. The Lightning Gun can disable the shield.
* MagneticWeapons: The first enemy encountered with a Railgun, but it can't be looted by Kane.
* MightyGlacier: They're slower than most Strogg, but compensate with their shield to help extend their life beyond their regular HitPoints. Misreading their Railgun aim or getting hit by their Blaster is also very unhealthy.
* ShoulderCannon: Their Railgun again.
* SubsystemDamage: Shooting at the Railgun enough will destroy it.
* UnusableEnemyEquipment: {{Justified}} as their Railgun is presumably the vehicle-mounted variety lacking a physical trigger mechanism. You find a portable equivalent later on.
* TookALevelInBadass: Went from a mid-range mook in ''Quake II'', to a BossInMookClothing with enhanced defensive techniques and a blaster attack accompanying a more unpredictable Railgun attack.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hornets]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00071.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:]]
The Hornet was originally a MiniBoss that appeared scarsely in ''VideoGame/QuakeII''. In ''Quake IV'', they only appear in vehicle missions and are regular {{Mooks}} that show up frequently. They lack the exposed torsos of the originals, and may even be flown by a Strogg pilot (it's unclear if this is the case). Tank cannons and vehicle machine guns makes short work of them if they connect accurately. They're equipped with rockets, gravity bombs, and machine guns.
----
* DemotedToExtra: They're quite a step down from their original counterparts thanks to the availability of vehicles. This isn't saying a lot since in ''Quake II'', you could save a QuadDamage and make one dead very quickly.
* FragileSpeedster: They aren't too much of a threat to your vehicles, but can dodge machine gun fire quickly. However, they can't withstand cannons or heavy-machine-gun fire for very long. Albeit, the SMC Walker may have more difficulty with them due to its limited mobility and slow missiles.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Heavy Hover Tanks]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00053.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:That's one big gun.]]
A new addition to the Tank series of Strogg. They tend to appear in vehicle levels, but also show up occasionally in the final act of -the game when the player is on foot. Equipped with shoot-able homing rockets, and a form of Blaster.
----
* ArmCannon: Their {{BFG}}-style Rocket Launcher.
* CriticalAnnoyance: In vehicles, their guided rockets set off a blaring alert for incoming missiles.
* DegradedBoss: There are two versions of the [=HHT=]: One that shows up in vehicle levels, and another that appears in regular levels with reduced HitPoints.
* {{Expy}}: Intentional or otherwise, they have a striking resemblance to the Assault Commander from VideoGame/DukeNukem right down to using a Rocket Launcher.
* MiniBoss: They show up occasionally, and can take quite a beating. They're a bigger threat on foot due to the unavailability of RegeneratingHealth, but have less health to offset the lack of vehicle firepower.
* SplashDamage: Their rockets have this trait to a large degree, and their shockwaves can even hurt your from around cover, so find some distance.
* UnusableEnemyEquipment: {{Justified}} due to sheer size of their Rocket Launcher [[note]]not to mention, most likely lacking traditional hand-held features and being fused onto the HHT[[/note]] but {{Subverted}} later in the game when you not only have your own Rocket Launcher, but a Technician even upgrades it with a laser-guided mode akin to the HHT's homing.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Harvesters]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00120.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Where's its weakpoint?]]
One of the tallest vehicles in the game. It's unclear if this is a vehicle driven by Strogg personnel (like the Flyer), the battle body for a captured organism, or an unmanned robot. (Their organic motions suggest a captured organism.) They're equipped with Nailguns, Rockets, and can use their legs to devastating effect too.
----
* AttackItsWeakpoint: The pair of storage tanks are vulnerable and their destruction disables the Rocket Launchers, making the fight much easier.
* HumongousMecha: One of the tallest vehicles the Strogg have to offer.
* MookDebutCutscene: In their formal debut, they're shown impaling two hover tanks like a toy, introducing the first Harvester fight. They're actually cosmetically present in the very first level during the cutscene of you waking up from your dropship crash, giving you a harmless preview.
* SpiderTank: A colossal one at that.
* SubsystemDamage: The Harvester's missile launchers can be blown off. It's also possible to destroy one or its legs.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sentries]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00059.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Becoming Strogg may cost you an [[IncrediblyLamePun arm and an leg]].]]
Another new addition to the Strogg forces. True to their name, Sentries tend to protect data installations from intruders using weapons akin to submachine guns. Their bullets don't hurt severely but their damage still adds up.
----
%%* AirborneMook
%%* AnArmAndALeg: All of them in fact.%%All of the what?
* BodyHorror: Even by Strogg standards, they've been dismembered badly. There isn't much left besides their head and organs stored in a bowl of translucent fluid.
* {{Expy}}: A stand-in for the Technician from ''VideoGame/QuakeII'', being a floating barrel, but also being suited for combat.
* ScratchDamage: Their weapons are weak, but they compensate with rate-of-fire somewhat.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Stream Protectors]]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00068.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:330:Talk about "Spider Man".]]
Protectors of critical data streams, the Stream Protector is a new mini-boss-type Strogg. Equipped with missile and blaster-like weaponry, they seem to take design queues from the spider-like Strogg models of ''[[VideoGame/QuakeII Quake II:]] [[MissionPackSequel Ground Zero]]'', as well as the Arachnid enemy from the PSX version of ''Quake II''.
----
* AmbiguousGender: It's unclear what gender they once were as their cybernetics give them a skeletal appearance and they were not originally humans. The spider-like design suggests a feminine host but it's not clarified.
* ArmCannon:
* {{Expy}}: They're like cyborg versions of the Vagary from ''VideoGame/{{Doom3}}'', in addition to their aforementioned similarities above.
* MacrossMissileMassacre: They fire a swarm of drunken missiles as one of their attacks.
* MiniBoss: They show up rarely to play this role, and in locations that have ties to ''The Nexus''.
* MoreDakka: One of their attacks is firing a ''lot'' of blaster bolts, so many that the sound goes out for a second.
* SpiderTank: They use a set of six legs for locomotion.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Scientists]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00093.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Ready for your check-up?]]
A Strogg that is completely exclusive to the Strogg Medical Facilities. They're optimized for research rather than combat so they're usually even easier to take down than the basic Guards. They're equipped with weak poison grenades and can use their tools as improvised melee weapons.
----
* AirborneMook: Befitting their functions, they hover in the air letting them get around obstacles with ease and move around the Medical Facilities freely.
* ArmorPiercingAttack: One of the advantages of their poison gas is that it bypasses your armor. It's still weak so it hardly makes a difference.
* ColdBloodedTorture: Supposedly, they play a part in experimenting on prisoners without anesthesia. The room they're first fought in contains vivisected soldiers who died from the torture.
* [[ImprovisedWeapon Improvised Weapons]]: They can use their tools against intruders, but they no match for Kane who's specialty is combat.
* {{Expy}}: They appear to be a replacement for the Brain enemy from ''VideoGame/QuakeII'', albeit airborne.
* MadDoctor: It is implied that they participate in agonizing experiments on [[POWCamp prisoners of war]], albeit according to the will of the Strogg programming. During the stroggification process, one scientist takes the liberty of slashing [[spoiler: Kane]] [[ForTheEvulz just for the fun of it]].
* MookDebutCutscene: Subverted. Surprisingly, this Strogg unit is seen ''before'' its debut cutscene.
* POWCamp: Their Medical Facilities, where they help perform experiments and Stroggifications.
* UniqueEnemy: They are only encountered in the level where they are introduced.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Teleport Droppers]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00110.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:They have backup on speed dial.]]
A new style of Strogg with visual similarities to the old Parasite of ''VideoGame/QuakeII'', and the ability to teleport in reinforcements like the Medic Commander of ''Quake II: Ground Zero''. However, their teleport "drops" are vulnerable to explosives which thankfully destroy said devices so they can't warp in up to ''four'' Strogg per cast.
----
* AchillesHeel: Their ability to summon Strogg can be intimidating, but if Kane has explosives handy (Dark Matter Gun included) and pursues the beast, they're almost helpless.
* AllAnimalsAreDogs: Their dog-like mannerisms. However, they're cowardly for a dog-like enemy and like to let their reinforcements attack intruders.
* EnemySummoner: They prefer to summon Strogg and flee to safety but are capable of basic melee damage.
* {{Expy}}: Functionally similar to VideoGame/{{Doom3}}'s Arch-Vile. They also act like a [[{{Nerf}} nerfed]] version of the Medic Commander from ''Quake II: Ground Zero''. Their appearance is also similar to ''Doom 3's'' Pinky Demon, being a cybernetic dog-like creature.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tactical Strogg]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00078.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A Tactical, lying in ambush with their team and holding the first obtainable Railgun.]]
An improvement over the standard Guards, they work in squads, utilizing cover and more advanced weaponry like Hyperblasters, and Railguns. They also utilize Flyers for transport to their assignments, in certain cases.
----
* ChainsawGripBFG: Tacticals demonstrate this when equipped with the Railgun which has a chainsaw trigger. It's a bizarre example due to said weapon also being a scoped sniper rifle, but lacking a stock like one might expect. The Railgun can be "hip-fired" by Kane with perfect accuracy too.
* DittoFighter: This is the design philosophy that the Strogg gave them. They emulate the fighting tactics of your human squads and equip themselves with human equipment, but the Strogg Railgun is also issued for devoted sharp shooters (and Kane may loot them in turn). In-fact, they use the exact same AI and animations as your friendly marines.
* ElitesAreMoreGlamorous: They have vivid orange armors and in the MookDebutCutscene, are shown to be capable of working in teams, unlike the typical Strogg. They're often encountered in groups lead by a Gunner, and they sometimes have a heavier Strogg unit like Gladiators and/or Light Tanks as their support too.
* EliteMooks: Tactical Strogg are stronger than the basic Guards, and possess better weaponry. They also utilize cover, unlike the former.
* EnemyChatter: One of their weaknesses is they don't have a grasp of radio silence, which gives away ambushes.
* EvilCounterpart: Unlike most Stroggified humans, Tacticals are the ones who closely resemble their former human selves the most. They wield external weapons, as opposed to the integrated weapons of other Strogg. Their armor is also the same as a marine's, only [[PaletteSwap orange-colored]]. [[spoiler: Given their resemblance to Kane's Post-Stroggification self and their role in combat, he gets to flip this on them by being their [[InvertedTrope Good Counterpart.]]]]
* {{Expy}}: Functionally similar to the coordinated Z-Sec from ''VideoGame/Doom3'', only better armed and armored. They also both have a RadioVoice. They also might seem vaguely reminiscent of the Heavy Weapon Dude from ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'': An enhanced trooper with better protection and weaponry and a vivid color scheme.
* GlassCannon: {{Downplayed}}: They're better protected than the CannonFodder Guards, having the same HitPoints (125) as an unarmored player. (Higher difficulty settings lower your weapon damage, making this deceptive however.) A careless player will find themselves dead in seconds from the Hyperblaster or Machine Gunner Tactical, while Railgunners can maim or kill if they hit you. Yet, even on General difficulty, SplashDamage weaponry chews squads up quickly, and the Dark Matter Gun needs only one shot to turn them into [[LudicrousGibs blood vapor.]]
* InstaKillMook: {{Downplayed}}, but Railgun snipers are still very damaging and ''will'' kill you in one hit without armor (at ''full health'') on HarderThanHard. Sufficient armor will save your life provided you have sufficient health. Being caught offguard by a hail of Hyperblaster bolts can be just as deadly too.
* MagneticWeapons: The Railgunners, thanks to the magnetic principle of their arms. Kane can also pick them up for his own use or to scavenge extra slugs.
* MayTheFarceBeWithYou: They have elements of this going on, due to being like Strogg elite Stormtroopers. They're captured heroes of the [=SMC=] who were turned against their kind through electronic mind control (rather than temptation). Their arms and legs are mostly replaced with mechanical equivalents. They have a VaderBreath thanks to their RadioVoice and breathing apparatus. Coincidentally, their face mask resembles the one worn by [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Darth Malak]] which itself is like Darth Vader with his helmet removed, plus they're both bald. Kane also steals a prototype LightningGun that was being developed for Tactials but never made it into production; said lightning guns would have given Tacticals an attack that resembles Force Lightning.
* MookDebutCutscene: They actually appear before their debut cutscenes, as they are shown in PeopleJars throughout the Strogg Medical Facilities, and Kane hears the Strogg announcer declaring that [[{{Foreshadowing}} "Tactical Teams" are awaiting deployment.]] The first time one is seen in action is when he bursts out of a jar and attacks Lieutenant Voss. Later on, their proper debut depicts them demonstrating their intelligence and tactics.
* SlowLaser: If a Tactical has a Hyperblaster, as with your own, a hail of blaster bolts will visibly travel towards you giving you prescious miliseconds to dodge or be killed/heavily wounded.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Light Tanks]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00091.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:About as tall as the average bear.]]
The Light Tank is similar to the classic "Tanks" from ''Quake II'', but their mobility has been improved over the old versions. Now they can jog towards an opponent in an attempt to club them with their morning star but they're not nearly as fast as the Berserker. They possess an ArmCannon that can launch a fireball attack (like the old Tank's dumbfire rockets), act as a flamethrower, and fire drunken blaster bolts.
----
* ArmCannon: Their Blaster/Fireball/Flamethrower unit.
* AxCrazy: A Guard dies when they obstruct a Tank who wants a piece of Kane.
* BadBoss: In his MookDebutCutscene, a Guard ends up being in his way, leading to the Tank fatally clubbing the Guard as if upset over incompetence.
* ChargedAttack: Occasionally, they may charge up their arm cannon to send a fireball at you.
* DumbMuscle: They're relatively easy to handle for heavy-weight Strogg, even more so than the Gladiator. As long as you keep your distance, their weaponry is easy to dodge and they're comically easy to kite around with your superior running speed.
* EvilLaugh: They have a guttural laugh when they spot Kane.
* FakeUltimateMook: For the reasons mentioned above.
* KillItWithFire: Their close-range flamethrower.
* SmashMook: They have a tendency to start charging at you.
* StoneWall: They have high health for a non-boss enemy and are one of the few (if not only) enemies who take reduced [[BoomHeadshot headshot damage]] but their ranged weapons tend to be easy to avoid, and their melee attack is easier to outrun or dodge than the Berserker's.
* SubsystemDamage: They have a destructible weapon on one arm, but there's little incentive to take it out as Tanks are easy to provoke into chasing you and it's more damaging the aim for the head as you kite them. The weapon is also rarely used. You can also disable their blaster arm.
* TankGoodness: Even more pronounced than the Heavy Hover Tank due to their extensive metal-cladding.
* WalkingTank: Of course.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Stroyent Processing Creature]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00087.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:They're not happy to see you.]]
This creature is force-fed with raw Stroyent for digestion which makes the resource ready to use.
----
* FatBastard: This guy takes "morbidly obese" to a whole new level.
* PuzzleBoss: The creature isn't fought with conventional firepower, rather, Kane over-feeds it causing its bowels to rupture open. The acid pours down and eats through the floor, opening the way to the exit.
* HollywoodAcid: That aforementioned acid is very strong stuff. It eats through metals like [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Xenomorph]] blood.
* InstantDeathRadius: The inner circle of the boss room exposes you to their scythes, but thankfully, you can take cover behind columns as you navigate the room.
* ShoutOut: Their acid melting through metals like they're nothing is like what a Xenomorph can do with their blood in the ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' series.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:"Zombies"]]
!!Slimy & Failed Transfer
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00113.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Slimy Transfer]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00115.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Failed Transfer]]
When a Stroggification fails to meet the Stroggs' standards, the victim ends up in the Waste Processing Facility. They have two forms: the Slimy Transfer who uses a ZombiePukeAttack and the Failed Transfer who carries a Shotgun for guard duty and whose legs can be blown off, leading to them attacking you as a torso.
----
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: They're Strogg with defective bodies. They basically put the "zombie" in NinjaPirateZombieRobot.
* {{Expy}}: They're like the Strogg version of the ''VideoGame/QuakeI'' Zombies, sans the requirement to be gibbed for a kill.
* HollywoodAcid: The Slimy Transfer uses a deadly acid as an attack.
* NotUsingTheZWord: A marine does call them "zombies", but one teammate "corrects" him and establishes that they're failed Strogg transfers.
* UniqueEnemy: They are only encountered in the "Waste Processing Facility" level. However, the Failed Transfer has a chance of being spawned by the TrueFinalBoss.
* ZombiePukeAttack: The Slimy variety's main attack. It can still damage you in one-second intervals for a few seconds after it hits you.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Iron Maidens]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00124.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Wait until you hear them sing.]]
The final {{Mook}} enemy introduced and the last one returning from ''VideoGame/QuakeII''. They are enhanced over their former incarnations with the ability to fly and [[{{Teleportation}} teleport]] away in self-defense and return seconds latter to confuse intruders. They gained a [[MakeMeWannaShout scream attack]] that is mainly intended to disorient the target. They still have their Rocket Launcher, but it's triple-barreled to fire three in quick succession. The Iron Maidens are first met at the final act of the game, and are used for security in the data tower trio and Nexus Core.
----
* EliteMooks: They have medium durability (comparable to the Berserker) but employ ConfusionFu with their personal TeleportSpam device to disappear for a few seconds and relocate unpredictably. Adding to their threat level is their [[MakeMeWannaShout disorienting shout attack]] and triple-barrel Rocket Launcher. Fortunately, they are relatively rare, except for their introduction level where they are frequent.
* {{Expy}}: They remain "asleep" in caskets on walls until awakened to kill intruders, akin to how the [[Franchise/StarTrek Star Trek Borg]] respond when intruders threaten their ships. They even have a crimson eye-piece that hearkens back to Borg drones.
* IronMaiden: Their caskets they sleep in have similarities to these, so they aren't called Iron Maidens for nothing.
* MakeMeWannaShout: Much like a hostile grenade blast, their scream creates an InterfaceScrew.
* MookDebutCutscene: They debut in the "Data Storage Security" level, right before Kane restores the power to the Data Storage Terminal. He approaches a sleeping, Stroggified female figure which then reacts and screams, causing an InterfaceScrew on Kane.
* OurBansheesAreLouder: They're not literal banshees, but their hover and teleport tech gives the feel of a ghost and their scream attack complements the motif. Additionally, they emerge from coffin-like enclosures inspired by the IronMaiden execution device.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female-shaped Strogg enemy of the game.
* {{Teleportation}}: Their main way to prolong their life.
* VaderBreath: A somewhat labored exhalation sound is heard throughout the facility where they are introduced, {{Foreshadowing}} their release from their coffins.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Network Guardian]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00128.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Big Friendly Giant? No such luck.]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00135.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Network Guardian tries to kill Kane while he rides an elevator. (Shown for scale)]]
The defender of the three network towers flanking the Nexus, The Network Guardian is the penultimate boss of the story that must be killed to allow Kane to open the portal into the Nexus. They have Blaster and missile weaponry and can also use their JetPack as WeaponizedExhaust.
----
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: The Strogg don't seem to mind that the Guardian causes collateral damage in its attempt to stop Kane. Also, Kane is about 1/3rd the size of its leg.
* AxCrazy: They're zealous to kill Kane, and will tear apart installations in a berserk rage just to stop him.
* JetPack: Uses one to fly, which is also weaponized.
* ProactiveBoss: If there's one nice thing you can say about the Guardian, it's that it's certainly committed to its job. As Kane moves through the Data Towers, he occasionally sees the Guardian wreaking havoc, but soon enough, it appears in person to attack him after he activates the Data Processing Terminal, punching the elevator he's in several times and heavily damaging it just to get at him. After that, the Guardian doggedly tries to kill Kane several times over in the following levels, culminating in a boss fight on the rooftop of the Data Networking Terminal, where the Guardian confronts him directly.
* TheDragon: Plays the role of safeguarding the data towers and central Nexus on behalf of the Makron. [[spoiler: {{Subverted}} when it's revealed that the Makron is TheDragon to the Nexus core itself.]]
* WeaponizedExhaust: Thankfully, it only does ScratchDamage.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Makron]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00010.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300: "Die, human!"]]
The Makron is the leader of the Strogg. But this isn't the same Makron that Bitterman killed off in ''Quake II''; ''this'' Makron was created/elected to take his place.
----
* AliensSpeakingEnglish: He enjoys talking smack to Kane in his native tongue in an effort to demoralize him.
* AppliedPhlebotinum: The Makron's dark-matter weaponry beyond just his {{BFG}}. It powers his RayGun and presumably his grenades too.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Implied. As the ending of Quake II states that numerous Strogg vied for the position of Makron after Bitterman killed the original one, it means ''this'' guy is the one who bested the rest.
* BackFromTheDead: Subverted. He was built following the original Makron's destruction.
* {{BFG}}: His Dark Matter Gun.
* BigBad: Considering this is the Strogg leader we're talking about, who else is more fitting?
* BrainsAndBrawn: Acts as the brawn to [[spoiler: [[TrueFinalBoss The Nexus]]]].
* CallBack: The Makron's Dark Matter Gun makes the same firing sound as the BFG from previous ''Quake'' titles.
* CombatPragmatist: He'll use dirty tricks to win, such as carpeting an area with grenades and using [[PinballProjectile ricochet blaster shots]] that require careful dodging. They're also not afraid to summon reinforcements to distract you. Additionally, if anyone puts up a good fight and isn't Strogg, they're willing to immobilize them and send their WorthyOpponent off to a [[UnwillingRoboticisation painful "promotion"]] to bolster the Strogg forces.
* CompositeCharacter: He has traits of both the previous [[VideoGame/QuakeII Makron]] & the Black Widow Guardian from ''Quake II: Ground Zero''. The Dark Matter Gun is like the old Makron's {{BFG}}, while the SpiderTank is similar to the second phase of the Black Widow. Their Dark Matter beams and technology are also akin to the Black Widow's Plasma Beam & Disruptor respectively.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: DoubleSubverted, The Makron is finally defeated in the final stage, but this reveals the TrueFinalBoss, [[spoiler:The Nexus itself]].
* EnemySummoner: Fortunately, any of your SplashDamage weapons can easily destroy the teleport drops.
* EvilIsBigger: His complete battle body's size is second only to the Tower Guardian's stature.
%%* EvilLaugh: One of his trademarks.
* FissionMailed: In the first fight with the Makron, Kane must injure him long enough for him to use his tractor beam. If your health reaches zero, it's time to load a save. If done right, it appears the Makron is going to kill you with their [[GrapplingHookPistol Dark Matter beam]] but after Kane passes out for a few seconds, he is lifted up by a claw and the Makron laughs, gloating over their new capture.
* GrapplingHookPistol: His arm. He uses it on [[spoiler:Kane]].
* HumanResources: He has a Human torso unit as part of his body.
* SequentialBoss: You first fight the Makron while he's on the ground. After that, he detaches his legs and becomes airborne. At this part, he is capable of healing himself by absorbing torso jars.
* ShockwaveStomp: It's heavily telegraphed and when they complete the animation, a wave a energy is send in all directions. The best way to avoid it is a jump just before the wave hits you.
* SlapOnTheWristNuke: Strangely, their Dark Matter Gun is weaker than your own model. The blackhole sphere may look intimidating but it requires a direct hit to have any effect, and can be dodged with little effort from a distance.
* SpiderTank: His first form has four spider-like legs on the bottom.
* StockSoundEffects: Many of the Makron's attacks(most notably his Dark Matter Gun) make the same firing sound as the [[VideoGame/QuakeII BFG10K]] from ''Quake II''.[[/folder]]

[[folder:SPOILER CHARACTER]]
!!The Nexus
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot00154.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:The brains of the Strogg operation!]]
A sight that only the Makron has ever laid eyes upon (until you showed up). The Nexus doesn't have any attacks of its own, rather its chamber has reinforcements teleport in to defend it. Not just any Strogg either, even elite Strogg have a chance of appearing which can make things hectic.
----
* BrainsAndBrawn: The literal brains to the Makron's Brawn.
* BrainMonster: Not even attached to any body, it's just a giant brain on a spinal cord.
* BrokenArmorBossBattle: It's shielded by a force field that you need to bring down to hit the brain before it regenerates.
* DecapitatedArmy: Without them, the Strogg are left in disarray.
* {{Expy}}: Their gimmick is very similar to the [[VideoGame/DoomII Icon of Sin]] which is also a MookMaker who is defeated by shooting a brain. Both can become much harder if you stall too long due to you being whittled down by mooks.
* LudicrousGibs: The Nexus makes quite a bloody mess when it's finished. Kane stands not far from the brain when it explodes and appears satisfied with his work.
* MookMaker: The brain is completely harmless without reinforcements.
* RegeneratingShieldStaticHealth: The shield completely regenerates after a time delay, when a pair of repair bots appear to repair it's shield generator. It's health does not.
* TrueFinalBoss: Just when you thought the worst was over by defeating the Makron, you get thrown a curve ball and must destroy the Nexus while under fire from reinforcements.
[[/folder]]

* MayTheFarceBeWithYou: They have elements of this going on, due to being like Strogg elite Stormtroopers. They're captured heroes of the [=SMC=] who were turned against their kind through electronic mind control (rather than temptation). Their arms and legs are mostly replaced with mechanical equivalents. They have a VaderBreath thanks to their RadioVoice and breathing apparatus. Coincidentally, their face mask resembles the one worn by [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Darth Malak]] which itself is like Darth Vader with his helmet removed, plus they're both bald. Kane also steals a prototype LightningGun that was being developed for Tactials but never made it into production.

* DarthVaderClone: They have some elements of this going on. They're captured heroes of the [=SMC=] who were turned against their kind through electronic mind control (rather than temptation). Their arms and legs are mostly replaced with mechanical equivalents. They have a VaderBreath thanks to their RadioVoice and breathing apparatus. Coincidentally, their face mask resembles the one worn by [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Darth Malak]] which itself is like Darth Vader with his helmet removed, plus they're both bald. It's also notable that the Tacticals also act like Strogg's elite Storm Troopers, being dispatched against high-risk targets such as Kane & company. Kane also steals a prototype LightningGun that was being developed for Tactials but never made it into production.

* ShoutOut: Their acid melting through metals like it's nothing is like what a Xenomorph can do with their blood in the ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' series.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: As brutal as his training is, it's for the best as being captured by the Strogg may put one through a FateWorseThanDeath. It is imperative that Rhino Squad give the fight of their life. Sadly, this makes Rhino Squad members all the more desirable for assimilation [[spoiler: as Kane and Voss found out the hard way]].

* HarmlessFreezing: {{Averted}} and {{Discussed}} in dialogue. Strauss belays an order from Voss to open an airlock to save Rhino Squad from lethal subzero temperatures that would freeze lungs solid.

* ConcealmentEqualsCover: {{Averted}}, just because you hid from an incomming rocket doesn't mean you're safe. The shockwave ignores obstacles so you must clear the blast zone to avoid injury.

* MookDebutCutscene: Averted. Strangely, they don't have one. Rather, they [[FreezeFrameBonus rush by very quickly]] during a crawl through an AirVentPassageway right before you fight them.

* ReplacementMooks: Averted. Even after Tacticals are introduced, Guards still appear frequently.

* UnusableEnemyEquipment: [[{{Averted}} Averting]] this trope is what their concept is partly about. Their weapons can be picked up and by extension, they use the same weapons as your team members in addition to their own arms like Railguns and if it ever entered into production, Lightning Guns. This makes the Tacticals more adaptable than the typical Strogg units as presumably they can commandeer any weapon they find or receive new gear from their superiors to keep them competitive.

* UnusableEnemyEquipment: {{Averted}}, since you have your own Rocket Launcher at this point, fully upgraded with a triple-rocket burst similar to the Iron Maiden's 3-barrel launcher.

[[caption-width-right:300:They're about to [[{{Understatement}} need a medic]].]]

One of the most common enemies encountered in the campaign and usually not much to write home about. They come equipped with three possible weapons: Blaster, Machine Gun, or Shotgun. As the game progresses, the more advanced and coordinated Tactical Strogg start supplanting them.

* BadBoss: In his MookDebutCutscene, a Guard ends up being in his way, leading to the Tank fatally clubbing the Guard as if upset over its incompetence.

* EvilCounterpart: Unlike most Stroggified humans, Tacticals are the ones who closely resemble their former human selves the most. They wield external weapons, as opposed to the integrated weapons of other Strogg. Their armor is also the same as a marine's, only [[PaletteSwap orange-colored]].

* MookLieutenant: They are occasionally seen leading groups of Guards and Tactical Strogg.

* UnusableEnemyEquipment: {{Justified}} due to sheer size of their Rocket Launcher [[note]]not to mention, most likely lacking traditional hand-held features and being fused onto the HHT[[/note]] but {{Subverted}} later in the game when you not only have your own Rocket Launcher, but a Technician even upgrades it with a homing mode akin to the HHT's version.

* UnusableEnemyEquipment: {{Subverted}}. While you may not scavenge the Gunner's grafted Grenade Launcher, it's a preview of sorts of the weapon. Lieutenant Voss will eventually provide you with a hand-held model that's designed for two-handed use.

* UnusableEnemyEquipment: {{Justified}} due to sheer size of their Rocket Launcher [[note]]not to mention, most likely lacking traditional hand-held features[[/note]] but {{Subverted}} later in the game when you not only have your own Rocket Launcher, but a Technician even upgrades it with a homing mode akin to the Heavy Hover Tank's version.

* HarmlessFreezing: {{Averted} in dialogue. Strauss belays an order to open an airlock to save Rhino Squad from lethal subzero temperatures that would freeze lungs solid.

* TheEngineer

* GermanicEfficiency: German and very tech-savvy
* HarmlessFreezing: Averted in dialogue. Strauss belays an order to open an airlock to save Rhino Squad from lethal subzero temperatures that would freeze lungs solid.

* TooDumbToLive: Their unwillingness to tag along for most of the level they star in, does not do any favors for showing off their survival skills. [[spoiler: Near the end, he's likely regretting staying behind once a Grunt comes knocking.]]

* TooDumbToLive: Their unwillingness to tag along for most of the level they star in doesn't do any favors for showing off their survival skills. [[spoiler: Near the end, he's likely regretting staying behind once a Grunt comes knocking.]]

* RedShirt: They die in record time, only surviving seconds after their introduction. Thanks to his mortal wound, the trope is literal too.

* RedShirt: Literally too, thanks to his mortal wound.

* LetsSplitUpGang / TooDumbToLive: He doesn't feel like joining you during the chapter he debuts in and stays behind to monitor you from afar. [[spoiler: This proves to be a fatal mistake, and he's kidnapped/killed by a Grunt just before the end of the mission.]]