Xenomorph Praetorian

Height

• About 10'

Skin color

• Black

Distinctions

• Head crest
• Larger than a Drones
• Can summon other Aliens

The Praetorian, also known as the Royal Guard, is one of the final stages in the life cycle of the species Xenomorph XX121, and arguably the most common and widely-acknowledged form of Xenomorph. Praetorians are created when a hive population gets over 300 individuals and serve as Queen or Empress' Royal Guard and army commanders and unlike other Xenomorph types, Praetorians rarely operate outside their Hive grounds. Visually, Praetorians resemble a Xenomorph Queen, though smaller in size (although they are still far larger than typical Xenomorphs), typically standing at least 10 feet tall.
Characteristics
A Praetorian's most distinguishing feature is its large head crest, similar to that of a Xenomorph Queen, which they will often employ to ram targets in a charging attack. Unlike Xenomorph Queen, however, Praetorians do not possess a second pair of arms on their chest, and their jaws, filled with metallic teeth, are comparable to lower Xenomorph castes. Like Xenomorph Queen, Praetorians typically possess longer dorsal spines that end in a sharp point when compared to other Xenomorphs that possess these appendages. Praetorians are dark in color, typically black but sometimes black-blue and stand over 10 feet tall, towering over their fellow Xenomorphs on the battlefield. Despite this size, they are almost as fast and agile as their smaller Xenomorph siblings, although Praetorians seem to remain in a permanent bipedal position, and owing to their bulk, they cannot scale walls or ceilings.
As is befitting of their size, Praetorians are incredibly strong and their thick skin, known to be bulletproof in some cases, enables them to shrug off damage that would be terminal several times over to most other Xenomorph castes. They are capable of defeating entire squads of human Marines single-handed and are even a match for Yautja in close-quarters combat. Praetorians can spit acid in far larger quantities than other Xenomorphs, and will also use their claws and long blade-tipped tails as slashing and stabbing weapons, making them deadly at any range.
Intelligence
Praetorians are smarter and more cunning than typical Xenomorphs. However, owing to their size and strength, Praetorians simply have no need for stealth and tactical movement in most cases and will simply attack targets directly. Owing to their role in protecting the Xenomorph Queen herself, they will ferociously combat any threats without concern for their own safety or survival, making them dangerous opponents. Due to their role as army commanders Praetorians have been known to emit a deafening screech that will summon additional Drones to their aid. It is said that killing a Praetorian would temporarily disorient the Drones it coordinates.
Creation
When a Hive grows over 300 individuals, the Xenomorph Queen chose Drones from her brood to become Praetorians, the chosen ones are feed by Xenomorph Workers with Royal Jelly until the transformation take place. During the transformation chosen Drones would begin to produce a pheromone that would cause the rest of the Hive to turn against and attack it. This process would result in the deaths of most such individuals, but for those that survived and escaped, the ordeal would serve to strengthen the individual. Now away from the Hive, the pheromone would begin to initiate physical changes in the individual, causing them to grow into the Praetorian form. Once the change was complete, the pheromone would cease to be produced and the new Praetorian would return to their Hive and take their place beside their Xenomorph Queen.
Royal Guard
Some sources state that there is an intermediary stage between chosen Drones and full Praetorians, known as Royal Guards, a name which is also used to describe fully grown Praetorians. The Royal Guards are very similar to Praetorians but are smaller and weaker, have a less developed crest, and show more Drone-like features in the shape of their carapace, tail, and overall exoskeleton. For this reason, it is possible that the Royal Guard merely represents a stage of molting for juvenile Praetorians as their bodies change from a Drone to a fully grown Praetorian and is not a separate caste or evolutionary stage.
Hosts
It was debated whether a Praetorian will adopt genetic traits from its host as with most other Xenomorph castes, but this unlikely the case as only Drones can evolve into Praetorians. The Xenomorph Crusher is considered to be the "Praetorian form" of a Xenomorph Runner and the product of a Royal Jelly force-fed Xenomorph Sentry, the "middle stage" between a Runner and Crusher.
Evolution
Similar to how Praetorians are said to evolve from Drones, if a Hive lose its Xenomorph Queen a Praetorian would molt into a new one so the hive can be preserved and not claimed by another hive, however, if the transformation doesn't occur the hive is taken over and the former Xenomorph Queen's eggs and Praetorians are eliminated.