Twitcher

"The soldiers must've had Stasis units on their armor. When they were turned, those units... merged right into their bodies. Changed them. They're fucking fast, Isaac. Stay sharp."

—Zach Hammond^[1]

Twitchers are specialized, incredibly fast Necromorph Slasher variants typically created from hosts equipped with Stasis Modules.

Twitchers are first encountered in the ruins of the USM Valor, formed from EDF Marines with Stasis Modules, and later spread into the USG Ishimura. They also appear on the Sprawl in Dead Space 2: Severed, and on Tau Volantis in Dead Space 3, where they were created from former SCAF Science Division miners who had been using adrenaline units to perform extended work shifts.^[2]

Description[]

DSR Twitcher Concept 1 — Concept art of an EDF Marine Twitcher in *Dead Space (2023)*.

The Twitchers are the result of the Necromorph infection converting the corpses of people who were equipped with built-in Stasis Modules (such as soldiers or security personnel), or people who had taken shots of adrenaline.^[2] They are physically similar to Slashers in most aspects.

A disturbing side-effect of the transformation is that the Stasis Modules can become fused with the resulting creature, and the effect of the Stasis Module is strangely reversed, with terrifying results. Because of the reversed Stasis Module merged into their bodies, Twitchers can react and move several times faster than any other Necromorph variant, making them very hard to hit before they close in to melee range. It also causes them to have highly erratic and spastic movements, and their features seem to blur as they move when seen close up. Due to their incredible speed, they are very capable of dodging Isaac Clarke's weapons in harder difficulties when they see it coming. They also make distinctive jabbering noises when they get close.

DS3 Twitcher vs Uni Soldiers — A SCAF miner Twitcher attacking Unitologist soldiers on Tau Volantis.

The Twitchers' name is derived from their constant twitching and spasmodic behavior. Their design is similar to that of a Slasher; however, this is hard to notice due to their speed. Their heads, legs, and bodies retain a vaguely human form, although some appear much chunkier and muscular than Slashers (likely due to the fact that infected soldiers or security personnel tend to be more well-built than civilians).

Twitchers will oftentimes bend themselves backwards and walk on their human legs and their slashing blades while the talons protruding from their stomach wave in the air. This position makes it difficult to dismember them, since it protects their blades.

Variants[]

EDF Marine Twitcher[]

DSR Twitcher Model — An EDF Marine Twitcher in *Dead Space (2023)*.

DSR Twitcher 4 — A Marine Twitcher on the USM *Valor*.

EDF Marines of the USM Valor that have a Stasis unit installed on their RIG suit will turn into Twitchers. These variants are only encountered after the Valor collides with the USG Ishimura.

The victims' bodies' greatly increase in size as the result of their transformation, tearing their armor off completely in the original game, whereas in the remake they retain some parts of the Advanced Soldier RIG. Curiously, in the remake, the creature wears the simple "face mask" worn by the Marine NPCs in the original game, despite all of the uninfected Marines using the remake's new, sealed design of the helmet.

The top part of the skull is cut off with the brain having gone missing, with only blood vessels tangling in place. In the original game, the face is stuck in a lifeless expression with the eyes having disappeared, unlike in the remake, where their heads are partially covered by their damaged helmets and the brain remains relatively intact. The abdomen muscles and skin have been ripped off, exposing the intestines, and the host's shoulder blades have expanded outwards, making it look like the Twitcher has wings, giving them a unique appearance.

The blades are sprouted from the host's original hands that the Necromorph uses to cut its victims, with the fingers being crooked and frozen in rigor mortis.

In the original game, this variant is also encountered on the Aegis VII Colony, presumably formed from colonists with Stasis modules.

Titan Station Security Officer Twitcher[]

166608 494989571658 18523496658 6336114 4873027 n — A Sprawl Security Officer Twitcher attacks Gabe Weller.

Titan Station Security Officers that have a Stasis unit will mutate into a Twitcher. They look exactly the same as their common Slasher counterpart, except they have superior speed and strength. Most of the uniform stays somewhat intact. Connective straps on some parts are either torn off or dangling loosely with the left pauldron going missing. The helmet's front is broken with most of the glass visor gone, partially exposing the host's face. The jaw is stripped of flesh, having been split in the middle. Two sharpened appendages are formed in the torn abdomen. Clothing on the arms is damaged and the right blade sprouts from the back of the host's hand.

Oracle Twitcher[]

The most unique type of Twitcher. Only two are encountered in the series, created from the Oracles who attempted to kidnap Lexine Murdoch for further experiments.

Unlike the two previous variants, these Twitchers have a completely new set of bladed arms created from muscle and bone. The original arms are stuck in a crawling position on the Twitcher's chest. The head is highly mutated, with two glowing eyes and two mouths. The head has grown larger and turned red, presumably from excessive blood build-up.

SCAF Dig Team Miner Twitcher[]

Ds3 twitcher — Concept art of a SCAF Dig Team Twitcher in *Dead Space 3*.

These Twitchers were once miners that were part of the Science Division of the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces. The miners had made use of adrenaline units to perform extended work shifts; when they were killed, the infection merged with the excess adrenaline in their corpses, creating Twitchers.^[2]

They are first encountered at Facility Two on top of the mountain on Tau Volantis, first seen lurking in the distance before making an appearance just after two Circle soldiers ambush Isaac and Carver. The Necromorph still retains some of its previous coding, retreating for a few meters after striking. When in point-blank range, the Twitcher will perform six or seven swipes before stopping for a short period of time.

This variant wears the miner's original uniform along with a flashlight attached to the former shoulder that has now mutated into a blade. The original hands are cut off from the arms for unknown reasons with a pair of new blade arms sprouting from the back. The host's gas mask's lenses are cracked, with the respirator part now dangling loosely. The host's lips are torn off with the skeletal mouth being visible. The head is completely bald due the body's age. Dark veins sprout around the Twitcher's chest, hips and top part.

Strategy[]

Twitchers will commonly fake death if their leg or arm is removed. It is quite easy to tell if it's an act, however: the Twitcher won't emit its respective death sound and will play a scenic animation of keeling over on the floor in a fixed position instead of ragdolling.
In the original games, using Stasis on a Twitcher overrides the effect of its own Stasis Module and brings its speed down to that of any other Necromorph under Stasis.
In the 2023 remake, the Twitchers' Stasis Module can be triggered by doing enough damage to them, slowing them and any nearby Necromorphs like a thrown Stasis container. Be sure to capitalize on this as this can only be done once per Twitcher. Other than this method, Twitchers in the remake are affected only by the prototype Stasis. Additionally, the module can be set off post-mortem, if the Twitcher was killed without setting it off.
In the original game, if Isaac manages to decapitate a Twitcher, it will enter a berserker sprint, swaying its arms around wildly. This behavior happens only once.
Strangely, if the player has the prototype Stasis module, setting a Twitcher's stasis off will cause an effect similar to the player's own blast, with the resulting field locking them in place and peeling away their flesh.
Distance is key. As such, while they're still charging, a weapon with an instantaneous projectile speed, such as the Plasma Cutter or the Pulse Rifle, can be used.
On Easy, a single powered up Line Gun shot across the upper torso will cut off both arms, killing them instantly.
Their running speed is formidable. The Contact Beam's secondary attack (in the original game), or a shot from the Force Gun, can knock Twitchers back and deal heavy damage.
If they become too hard to target, the Ripper is a brilliant weapon to use.
Twitchers will not die instantly when both arms are removed. They will remain alive and attempt to headbutt attackers. Any military corpses should be completely dismembered, including the removal of legs and heads.
In the original game and Dead Space 2, using the Contact Beam's primary fire against a Twitcher is not recommended. It can easily dodge the shot, and switching weapons or recharging a shot, which may be easily dodged again, can be detrimental.
In Dead Space 2: Severed, Twitchers move just as fast as in Dead Space, although they are much more resilient. Using Stasis is sound advice, especially if engaging multiple Twitchers.
In Severed, they also dash side-to-side randomly, but still move at the same speed, making them much harder to hit. This also makes Stasis even more valuable in dealing with them.
In Dead Space 3, generally any weapon with a knockback effect and some close range power and area of effect is extremely effective in combating Twitchers, being able to knock them down or kill them outright with enough power.

Trivia[]

In the original game, when in point-blank distance, orangish fluid will sometimes spill out of Marine Twitchers' craniums during their idle animations. The same feature can be observed with Slashers, who spew the said liquid as they roar when standing near the player.
In the original game, should the player manage to disengage a Twitcher for long enough, it will play one of two animations once it regains line of sight, during which it stops to look to the sides before raising its blades in the air, all while letting out a relatively slower distorted jabber similar to the ones vocalized when the Necromorph enters a vent.
If one leg is severed, the remaining leg of the original Marine Twitcher will twist backwards as they scuttle towards Isaac.
Once the Hunter is killed during Isaac's final confrontation with it, the accompanying Twitchers will cease chasing after him entirely, running away and retreating into any nearby vents. In the remake, Twitchers will behave exactly like Slashers during said retreat.
In the Dead Space 2: Severed DLC and Dead Space 3, the Twitcher is thinner and less bulky than the Marine version. They have been observed bending backwards and using their arms as support.
In the Remake, despite the images of their finalized render depicting Twitchers as having three tendrils sprouting from the tops of their heads, they have none of them whatsoever in their in-game appearance.
In the Remake, getting a death scene is a guarantee if the player allows it: should Isaac be near-death and standing still, the Twitcher will always run up to him first, idling for a brief moment before triggering the scene.
Twitchers are the fastest enemy in the game, even when their legs are dismembered.
It seems that Twitchers can suppress their spasms on will, an example of it being when they play dead, lying completely still on the ground.
When killed, Twitchers will gibber and mutter incoherently for a short while, then remain silent.
Even when decapitated, Twitchers will continue to sound normally. The same can be observed with unsplit Wasters.
In the special death sequence, depending on the camera angle, the Twitchers stare at the player for a few moments before skittering off.
In the original game, the veins inside a Marine Twitcher's head will wiggle around even when it is dead and will disappear if the head is decapitated.
Helmet-mounted lights on the infected Titan Station security officers and shoulder-mounted flashlights of S.C.A.F. scientists remain lit, which, in addition to their spastic idle animation, makes them easier targets to identify in darker areas on Titan Station and Tau Volantis.
The Twitcher's sounds appear to be made of distorted vowel sounds in Dead Space. In Dead Space 2: Severed and Dead Space 3, their sounds remain as they were in the first game, albeit heavily edited. In the 2023 remake, they sound completely inhuman, with their sounds oftentimes being accompanied by what seems to be malfunctioning stasis audio.
In the Dead Space 3 trailer, the models for the Oracle and Titan Station officer Twitchers appear. In the game, however, they are simply re-textured models of the Titan Mines Slasher variant, but with the addition of the shoulder mounted flashlight working, unlike in the previous game.
Just like all the enemies in Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3, the Twitchers' AI and attacks have been buffed and they will constantly try to attack the player and will retreat for only a moment when damaged. If they aren't damaged, they will continuously hit the player until he/she is dead. In the first game, the Twitchers retreat two meters back after each blow.

Errors[]

A common bug found in the original Dead Space involves Twitchers and ventilation shafts. Sometimes the player will find a Twitcher running in circles endlessly, never attacking Isaac. Shooting them has no effect, but if the player stands in the path of the running Twitcher or strikes the creature, it immediately leaps up into a ventilation shaft either on the roof or in the wall. Sometimes, this can occur even if there isn't a shaft to jump in, at which point the creature leaps through the nearest wall.

Death Scene[]

A unique and rare death scene sometimes occurs in the first game and its remake if Isaac has his RIG health bar at critical status. The Twitcher quickly slices off Isaac's right arm, at which Isaac takes a look while the Necromorph pulls another swift strike at his torso. Isaac attempts to take few steps but the upper part of his body collapses while the rest attempts to walk a few steps forward but collapses as well. The Twitcher then proceeds to break the fourth wall and stares towards the player themselves as the screen fades to black.

Twitcher Death Animation (Different View) - Dead Space 3 (HD, 60 FPS)
If Isaac is hit by a Twitcher's barrage of slashes while he is low on health, he will simply be sliced in half.
In Dead Space 3, if Isaac or Carver has low health, the Twitcher will stab him, then start a barrage of slashes and stabs at very high speeds. Isaac/Carver will shake violently, try to aim their weapon at the Twitcher, and then fall apart, completely dismembered.

Gallery[]

Concept Art[]

Screenshots[]

Videos[]

Dead_Space_Twitcher_Necromorph_Sounds_HD — Dead Space Twitcher Necromorph Sounds HD

Dead_Space-_Rare_Twitcher_Death_Scene — Dead Space- Rare Twitcher Death Scene

Sources[]

[1] Log:Transformed Soldiers

[BDDS3-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Get Deep Inside ‘Dead Space 3’s’ Necromorphs Before They Get Deep Inside You

[BW-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Ben Wanat's ArtStation

[1]

[2]

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