The Death Leech[2] (デスリーチ[3],Desu Rīchi?) is an enemy that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They are the larvae offspring of the Black Arms, which eventually mature into soldiers.[1]
As larval Black Arms, the Death Leeches are pulsating purple blobs with horns and one eye in the middle of their bodies.
Overview
The Death Leeches appear as enemies in Shadow the Hedgehog. Accordingly, they are flesh-eaters; they feed by latching on to their victims and devouring them slowly. They can be found in several stages.
In gameplay, the Death Leeches are commonly found sticking to the walls and floating on the poisonous fluid in the Black Comet. They possess very little health, and are easily killed with just one hit, be it either from one of Shadow's physical attacks or any of the weapons in the game. When defeating a Death Leech, the player is rewarded with 20 Hero points.
In the game's Last Story, Black Doom sent a group of Death Leeches to eat and devour Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge and Dr. Eggman after the foreigners had been completely paralyzed by the nerve gas inside the Black Comet. Black Doom then revealed that the rest of the earth's population would suffer the same fate. However, Shadow, who turns out to be immune to the nerve gas, recovered and abruptly stomped on a Death Leech trying to latch onto him. Shadow then chased after Black Doom when the alien overlord made his escape, leaving Sonic and co. to the Death Leeches. Fortunately, the group managed to flee the Black Comet unharmed.
Powers and abilities
The Death Leeches do not possess many abilities. However, they are capable of climbing along walls and ceilings, and are implied to attack by biting and eating their targets.
A Death Leech briefly appeared in the second episode of the prologue miniseries, "Finding the Way". In a flashback, a Death Leech is contained in a tank aboard the ARK. Shadow comes across it and ponders his origins, feeling that due to his connection to the Black Arms, he is no different from the pitiful larva. Maria Robotnik refutes this claim, arguing that Shadow has value beyond his origins. In "To the Ark", the Death Leech had been revealed to have regenerated into Black Doom.
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, the Death Leeches make an appearance. In this media, their past is virtually identical to that of their game counterparts.
The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog
Death Leeches make an appearance in The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog. In Shadow's vision, an apparition of one appears once Shadow deduces that the Earth National Defense force soldier who shot Maria was psychically influenced by a Death Leech to do so. He quickly realizes that all of the soldiers are being influenced by Death Leeches, before he is sent away by the dying Maria and finds himself in White Space.
