Gonarch

Gonarch's History

The Gonarch is the final life phase of the Headcrab[1] introduced in Half-Life. Acting as the penultimate boss of the game, it is encountered in Xen during the chapter Gonarch's Lair.

Little is known about how and when the metamorphosis from Headcrab to Gonarch takes place, as few Headcrabs ever reach that stage.[1] The Gonarch boasts a thick exoskeleton, powerful legs, and a large sack resembling a testicle dangling from its underbelly. It can easily withstand massive amounts of projectile and explosive damage, taking even more explosive damage to kill than a Gargantua.

The large bag of flesh which hangs from the creature, commonly referred to as its "sack", seems to be a reproductive housing. During the battle with Gordon, it releases undeveloped baby Headcrabs at a rapid rate with no apparent limit to their quantity. Small and soft-looking, these Baby Headcrabs are not very dangerous, but they can walk a bit faster than full-grown Headcrabs, attack rapidly and are smaller (almost a third of a full grown Headcrab) and thus more difficult to hit. The Gonarch makes loud, mournful-like sounds when a Baby Headcrab is killed. When the Gonarch is angry or injured, it will emit a loud cry.

The Gonarch seems to lack sensory organs. However, during the attack on Gordon, the Gonarch never comes close to running off the edge of its platform.