Parasites (Parasyte)

A host infected with the Parasite.

Parasites are a parasitic race that features in Parasyte.

History

The Parasite known as Migi.

The Parasites (Japanese: 寄生獣, Hepburn: Kiseijū, lit. 'Parasitic Beasts') were an unknown mysterious species that began appearing on Earth in the modern age and emerging from egg-like containers in order to infect hosts where they typically chose the dominant race that they could find namely humans. A number of humans were infected and were consumed by the parasites that masqueraded as them. However, a number of the creatures failed to infiltrate the brain of human hosts and became trapped in them in a symbiotic existence with the body such as the case with Shinichi Izumi who accidently managed to trap one of the creatures in his hand. This led to the parasite who called itself Migi living cooperatively with his host in order to preserve his existence. Some parasites ended up infecting non-human hosts such as dogs with these being named as failures as they had failed to infiltrating the dominant lifeform on the planet. Initially, the parasites were content to adopt a predatory existence and operated primarily alone. One, however, intended to learn more about their existence and their role on the planet. This parasite adopted the name of its host and called itself Reiko Tamura who attempted to organize fellow members of her kind to operate more covertly. She also intended to experiment on a child that her host body had given birth to that she had through intercourse with a fellow parasite controlled male body.

Reiko's experiments led to the fusion of five parasites into a single host body known as Gotou. At some point, she encountered Takeshi Hirokawa who was a human and political figure at East Fukuyama City. Though human, he learnt of the existence of the parasite and became a sympathizer where he aided them. Thus, he was included in a cabal of parasites that included Tamura and Goto that intended to organize their activities as well as hide their existence from the rest of mankind.

Overview

A Parasite's initial worm-like form.

In appearance, the Parasites were organisms that came in a variety of forms and shapes. The species were composed of a cells that resembled neurons but actually were more like a sentient muscle. These were noted for the amazing capacity to morph themselves and allowed the organism to control the distribution of cells. One key issue was that the cells relied heavily on being densely concentrated in order to function. Thus, if a small enough fragment of cells were separated from the main body then they were unable to operate according to the Parasite's will. As such, where humans were able to pluck a strand of hair without consequence, should a piece of the Parasite be removed then it would fail in its camouflage and adopt its true form. Fire was said to be a means of causing a Parasite to be startled as their outer cells face damage and face a disconnect from the inner ones.

In their initial form, a Parasite emerged from a green spherical egg-like form where they appeared as a small worm-like creature with numerous eyes. At this point, they would seek out a host body to continue their lifespan where they would find a potential host in order to burrow through the flesh in order to take control. Once inserted into the body, they devoured that portion of the host and merged themselves into the form. Typically, they would seek out the brain of the host through which they could take control over the nervous system and manage over the rest of the body. Such a process would kill the host allowing the Parasite control over the body. On some occasions, the Parasite could attach themselves instead to a limb where they would devour the appendage and integrate themselves into the body. Once burrowing into the flesh, they would seek to travel to the brain to accomplish their goal but if they were trapped in another part of the body then the Parasite would mature within there and become trapped in that section of the host. This could mean a Parasite could become trapped within a hand and be trapped in this form.

A Parasite had he amazing ability to reform and control their flesh allowing them to mask it to resemble a host making them indistinguishable from the host species or from the rest of the body. Typically, once they took control of a host, they needed to consume other creatures in order to gain nourishment and typically targeted the host's species leading to them cannibalizing them. However, certain Parasites were able to adopt a more symbiotic existence with the host and draw nutrients from them if they latched onto limbs instead of the brain. They were sometimes limited on their ability to find a suitable host as some host bodies rejected the merge of the Parasite. Parasites were incapable of reproducing and instead had a single minded goal of surviving as well as consuming prey. Multiple Parasites were even able to stay with a single host body and it was believed that proper management of the body could allow it to live for 140 years. If a host body was badly damaged, the Parasite would try to slow the level of damage until they could find an alternative host.

Such was their talent in reforming flesh that the could extend the flesh to become long tendrils, form eyes and mouths, create blades, make wings or facsimiles of guns. However, the more of their core that they used than the more limited they became in their capacity to respond to attack. Furthermore, they had a great deal of strength allowing them to snap the tip of a blade with a flick or to stop a car with such force that its front portion was destroyed. They had the natural ability to sense brainwaves allowing them to detect other members of their kind and even determine their location. This process even allowed them to sense even the intention of the Parasite such as whether they were hostile or not. However, this was limited to a range of 300 meters where they could sense another one of their kind. Certain humans had the unusual talent of sensing brainwaves that only the Parasites generated. To Parasites, such human generated such a weak signal to their senses. Among the strongest signal that they could generate was the one that had hostility and intention to kill. Such was the integrated nature of a Parasite to their host that if the host body died than the Parasite died with it unless it was saved or the creature relocated to a new host body.

Parasites did not know their origins nor where they came from which meant that they did not know if they were an alien species or something else entirely. After implantation, they were shown to hold limited capacity for speech but had the ability to absorb information quickly. This allowed them to learn language at an incredible rate and they had a large capacity for knowledge such as learning about speech, biology or other information. Parasites were shown to be simple minded in their approach of feeding and survival to the point that they did not demonstrate any empathy. Instead, their entire focus was their own survival and showed no morals or emotions towards the death of others.

Members

Migi.

• Migi (ミギー Migī, "Righty") : parasite that infested Shinichi Izumi's right hand. Due to not consuming the brain of the host, he did not develop the urge to eat humans.
• Reiko Tamura (田村 玲子, Tamura Reiko) : a parasite and one of Shinichi Izumi's high school teachers. Although she is usually emotionless like other parasites, after giving birth she became increasingly maternal to the point that she gave her life to save her son.
• Mr. A : he participated in Ryoko's experiment and impregnated Ryoko's host body with a normal human baby. After Shinichi found out Ryoko was a parasite, Ryoko invited Shinichi and Migi to meet A and her to exchange information. A thinks that Shinichi is a threat because of the failure of Migi to obtain Shinichi's brain. He decided to kill Shinichi while he was still at school. A encountered and killed some teachers and staff, when they attempted to stop him from entering the school.
• Kusano (草野, lit. Kusano) : one of the parasites responsible for the deaths of Kuramori's wife and their daughter. He suspected that Reiko Tamura was a traitor and, along with Maesawa and Hikawa, tried to kill her.
• Hikawa (樋川) : one of the parasites who were responsible for the deaths of Shirou Kuramori's wife and their daughter. Along with Kusano and Maesawa, she suspected that Reiko Tamura was a traitor and tried to kill her.
• Maesawa : was a parasite who, along with Kusano and Hikawa, suspected that Reiko Tamura was a traitor and tried to kill her.
• Hideo Shimada (島田 秀雄, lit. Shimada Hideo) : a parasite with a teenager's body who decides to integrate with human society. He worked with Reiko Tamura to study Shinichi Izumi and Migi.
• Nobuko Izumi : an unnamed parasite who killed and took over the headless body of Nobuko Izumi and impersonated her. Due to a car accident, her original host body was fatally damaged and she swaps host twice to try to survive. She stabs Shinichi in the heart while looking for Nobuko's husband and witness to her death, Kazuyuki Izumi, and is killed later on by a tag team of Shinichi and Mamoru Uda.
• Jaw (ジョー, lit. Jō) : a parasite that infected Mamoru Uda's neck and jaw.
• Gotou (後藤, lit. Gotō) : an 'experimental' parasite created by Reiko. His body is composed of five different parasites, whose power he can utilize to the fullest extent.
• Miki (三木, 'Miki') : a parasite who worked with Reiko Tamura and Gotou. Unlike other parasites, Miki is composed of five individuals sharing one host body, located within both arms, legs, and his head. Unlike Gotou, he can only utilize three of the five in his body.

Notes

• The Parasites were created by Hitoshi Iwaaki where they featured in the setting of the Parasyte universe.

In other media

Television

• In Parasyte: The Grey, Parasites appeared in the setting of the South-Korean live-action science-fiction horror television series. It was shown that the Parasites also came to spawn in South Korea. Unlike in Japan, one of the creatures came to infect a human during a concert where it openly began attacking the people at the scene. This led to the authorities first becoming aware of these creatures. Choi Joon-Kyung husband also came to be infected where he went on a rampage at a convenience store and nearly killed her until she trapped him in a freezer. She would later join a government task force sent to investigate and eliminate the Parasites with them being known as Team Grey. In that time, she came to learn that Parasites were able to sense others of their kind and she began to use her former husband as a tracking tool called the Hunting Dog. Meanwhile, a Parasite came to infect a Pastor named Kwon Hyuk-joo where he killed his human family. Afterwards, he came to watch television to learn more of humans and it was in this time he met one of the Pastors congregation who was a police officer Kang Won-seok. The two then began to work together to achieve their goals as Kwon Hyuk-joo looked to take control of the nation. He began gathering other Parasites to join his church where he explained that they needed to hide among humans in order to take control over them. Among the Parasites was one that came to take control of Seol Kyung-hee. She attempted to maintain her human cover from her hosts younger sister but was ultimately forced to kill the human. Another Parasite landed on the roadside where it encountered Jung Su-In, a cashier who was attacked by one of her customers and badly injured. Bonding tot he host, the Parasite quickly determined that she was dying and had no choice but to repair her body. This had the effect of preventing the Parasite from taking full control over her and instead was dormant at moments before manifesting on her head. In time, the Parasite began to develop a personality of its own where she was given the name Heidi.

Appearances

• Parasyte:
• Neo Parasyte M:
• Neo Parasyte F:
• Parasyte Reversi:

External Links

• Kiseijuu Wiki Entry

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