Hybrids are the basic foot soldiers of the Chimeran army, and are the most commonly encountered enemy throughout the Resistance series.
Description

Hybrids of the Trilogy.
Created from infected human hosts via conversion centers, the Hybrid is the most common enemy seen in the battlefield. They are several inches taller than the average human being, are highly agile, and possess remarkable strength. They are distinguishable for having six eyes, large teeth, pale skin, and heighten metabolism.[1]
Hybrids are a savage enemy, but are also keen and tenacious. Hybrids are quick to learn the methods of their adversaries. They had already displayed expertise in British Army tactics by 1951. Beyond their adaptive nature, Hybrids have been known for their sheer numbers that have overwhelmed humans on every battlefield. While easy to dispatch as individuals, Hybrids that gang together are almost unstoppable.
Anatomy
Hybrids have a standard humanoid form; head, trunk, two arms, and two legs.[2] They are 187 cm tall and weigh 87 kilograms.[2] They have six eyes; two apparently binocular, and four located in what would be the sphenoid and temporal areas of the human skull. Their mandible is much wider than standard in humans and possess eighteen sharp teeth, in which none are adapted to grinding.[2] Their brains are completely altered; the frontal lobes are smaller and fused. The medulla is enlarged and the base of the brain stem is expanded partway down the spine, which apparently allows Hybrids to function despite massive trauma.[2] Their liver are completely altered and replaced by a long multilobed "banana"-like organ.[2] Their bodies had very little body fat[2] which is due to their high metabolism. They have a second heart to maintain rapid pulse.[3]
Resistance: Fall of Man
Hybrids make up the bulk of the Chimeran military. All Hybrids use the Bullseye and carry Hedgehog Grenades. They are sometimes led by Steelheads. Despite their low rank, they have relatively high hitpoints for a standard enemy, taking multiple headshots from most weapons, and will use their durability to close on the player's position while under fire, often charging forward while firing from the hip. They can melee the player at very close range, doing substantial damage. When killing NPCs they will instead use pre-set kill animations.
As Hybrids age their bodies apparently grow increasingly large and spindly and their cooling units begin to wear out, eventually resulting in the decrepit Hybrid forms called Gray Jacks. This is the only game in which this happens. Hybrids are harder to defeat than in the other games, possibility due to the overwhelming abundance of weapons and ammo.
Type 1

A Type I Hybrid from Resistance: Fall of Man.
These Hybrids are the most commonly encountered. They have no head gear and little armor protection, and four rectangular cooling towers.
Type 2

A Type II Hybrid from Resistance: Fall of Man.
This type of Chimera is less common than the Type 1, though still encountered fairly frequently. They are more slender than regular Hybrids (appearing to be converted from women, though this would later be contradicted by Resistance: Retribution), and have dark mottled skin, four conical cooling towers, and a sensor device mounted on front of their head.
Type 3

A Type III Hybrid from Resistance: Fall of Man.
The rarest type, these Hybrids wear armor on their arms, legs and torso. They can be identified by four cylindrical cooling towers and their additional armor, and are usually only found around key locations important to the Chimera. They are exclusive to Resistance: Fall of Man.
Advanced Hybrid
- Main article: Advanced Hybrid
Strategy
- As they cannot use any of the additional functions of their Bullseye, their fire is relatively inaccurate; this coupled with the slow speed of the Bullseye's projectiles and the fact that Hybrids do not lead their shots means that staying on the move is often a better tactic than taking cover, especially since strafing in Resistance: Fall of Man is as fast as moving forward and there are no accuracy penalties for firing while moving.
- In terms of the best weapon to use against Hybrids, the M5A2 Folsom Carbine should be used at a distance and the Bullseye should be used at close combat. They also have the most ammo throughout the game. Both weapons should focus on the head for a quick kill. This is easy to do in Resistance: Fall of Man, as recoil does not exist in the game.
- On normal difficulty, it takes 12 M5A2 Folsom Carbine bullets or about 10 Bullseye bullets to the torso to kill a Hybrid. Headshots do more than twice as much damage as a torso shot and kill Hybrids much more quickly.
- The L23 Fareye will kill a Hybrid with a single headshot, though the weapon's low ammo cap means it should be saved for tougher enemies such as Steelheads.
- An alternative is to introduce them to shotgun blasts with the Rossmore.
- Firing a few shots at the tubes that connect their cooling packs to their bodies is generally a sound strategy.
Intel
“ | Hybrids are the foot soldiers of the Chimeran army. They are a savage enemy, but also keen and teneacious. Hybrids quickly learn the methods of their adversaries. They already display expertise in British Army tactics. Beyond their adaptive nature, the most obvious attribute of Hybrids is their sheer numbers. Hybrids have overwhelmed humans on every battlefield since the Chimeran invasion first reached Britain. | ” |
Resistance 2
Hybrid

Only the Type 1 and Advanced Hybrids appears in Resistance 2. They are less bulky than the version in Resistance: Fall of Man, and due to the switch to a more "crunchy" damage system in the sequel where enemies have low hitpoints, they are far easier to kill, going down with a single headshot. They compensate for this with improved AI and a far greater propensity for throwing Hedgehog Grenades. They also now have access to all of the functions of their Bullseye and will frequently fire tags; they will even use Bullseye Traps if the player is in cover and outside grenade range.
When maneuvering a combat situation, Advanced Hybrids show somewhat more self-awareness than their Type 1 counterparts, usually moving between cover objects at a crouching jog and hiding behind cover more effeciently rather than running at a full sprint and firing from the hip, respectively.
Strategy
- As with Fall of Man, the Hybrid is susceptible to nearly all types of weaponry. They are much easier to take down, requiring about 2/3rd' s as much damage to kill compared to in Fall of Man (a Hybrid in Resistance 2 dies after only 8 M5A2 Folsom Carbine rounds on Normal difficulty, compared to 12 rounds in Fall of Man). A single headshot from the M5A2 and a show to any part of their body with the Fareye will kill them instantly.
- Hybrids in Resistance 2 have two A.I. settings: "normal" and "banzai". In their normal state, Hybrids will fight intelligently, use cover, and maintain their distance from the player. Hybrids that enter a "banzai" A.I. state will ignore cover and charge at full speed straight at the player while firing their weapon on full auto, even from several hundred feet away, completing ignoring everything else including the player's allies, with the intention of overruning the player's cover and overwhelming them, killing them before their health can regenerate. In many encounters, a handful of Hybrids are scripted to go in "banzai" mode immediately as soon as they spot the player, while the remaining Hybrids fight normally - this is likely intended to give the Hybrids the appearance of co-ordinating tactics, as the combination of "normal and "banzai" Hybrids usually creates a situation that resembles a classic "Hammer and Anvil" tactical manoeuvre. Additionally, a "normal" Hybrid may go banzai due to battle circumstances, such as if they are the last enemy remaining in the area. "Banzai" Hybrids can pose a major threat due to the game's heavily cover-based regenerating health gameplay, and should be a top priority to kill. In other situations, Hybrids are scripted to attempt other tactical manoeuvres and co-ordinate with other Chimera. For example, a squad of Hybrids accompanied by a Steelhead will focus on offensive firepower - attempting to confine the player in cover where they still can be vulnerable to the Steelhead's auger fire. In other situations, Hybrids will feint a retreat, usually attempting to lure the player into crossfire zones or other ambushes.
- A regular M5A2 Folsom Carbine is effective against Hybrids at medium-long range combat.
- The Carbine's secondary fire is effective against a swarm of Hybrids
- A L23 Fareye or a Marksman is effective against Hybrids at medium-long range combat
- The L23 Fareye's secondary power is very useful when going against Hybrids in Banzai A.I.
- The Marksman's secondary fire is good for getting Hybrid's out of cover
- A Bullseye is effective against Hybrids at short-medium range combat
- The Bullseye's secondary fire is useful on later levels on hard difficulty where the damage is surprisingly high on the player. This can be used to take out swarms by shooting at a metal object and firing to create a trap.
- The Bullseye Mark II is has better damage and accuracy, so obtain this when possible
- On Superhuman difficulty, it is recommended that the player should pick up this weapon because of the large supply of ammo from these enemies, as all Hybrids are replaced by Advanced Hybrids. Avoid using the regular Bullseyes.
- An Auger Mark II is effective for killing Hybrids while under cover.
- Headshots are the best way to kill, as the damage increases as it goes through more objects.
Resistance: Retribution
Hybrids are the most common enemies, being in every single checkpoint. They are replaced by Advanced Hybrids in the Construction Zone halfway through the Mech ride, then back to normal, then back to Advanced Hybrids in Luxembourg.
Strategy
- The recommended weapons to use against the small group of Hybrids is the .303 Storm Rifle and BM001 Razor.
- In early levels, their aim is quite terrible, but it becomes slowly honed over the course of "Retribution".
- Sometimes they will make a beeline for you and attempt to melee you. You should then TAP the fire button (R) to melee when they are extremely close.
Resistance 3
Hybrids

Hybrids in Resistance 3.
Hybrids reappear with a less mutated look, stronger despite wearing less armor, though still far less tough than in the first game and prone to instant-kill headshots.
Their heat stacks are now vulnerable to damage and if destroyed will cause the Hybrid to overheat and explode, much like Titans in the previous games; this explosion can damage other Chimera nearby. Hybrids will sometimes engage the player in a grapple, which the player has to escape by pressing L3. They are the most common enemy in the game. Like other enemies, their heads can be blown or tore off.
Strategy
- Hybrids are weak enemies that can be killed easily. Any weapon is effective on them.
- The Rossmore is a good weapon to use on lone Hybrids. It's low rate of fire makes it risky to use on multiple Hybrids, however.
- The AI of Hybrids in Resistance 3 is similar to their depiction in Resistance: Fall of Man. Hybrids mostly stay behind cover or stay in the same place. They will never charge at the player, but will engage in a grapple with the player if it gets the chance.
- The EMP Grenade has a fairly low chance of malfunctioning a Hybrid's heat stack, so avoid using them on Hybrids.
- Hybrids in later levels are sometimes accompanied by Shield Drones. Be prepared to eliminate them as well.
- The HE .44 Magnum is great in taking down groups of Hybrids. It can also be used to set traps for unwary Hybrids.
Enemy Journal
“ | Hybrids are former human converted into savage killers by the Chimera. A master |
” |
Sniper Hybrids

Sniper Hybrids.
Sniper Hybrids are Hybrids armed with Deadeyes and can hide themselves with a cloaking ability while scanning the environment with laser sights. The Auger scope can find cloaked ones. Sniper Hybrids are fixed to their sniper perches and, despite their cloaking ability, can be identified by their laser sights, which can be exploited to achieve the amusingly named "Frickin' Laser Beams" trophy. They appear once in Mt Pleasant, and for the remainder of the game, they appear only in New York.
Strategy
- The Auger's vision can be use in finding cloaked Sniper Hybrids.
- Keen eye players can spot Sniper Hybrids by the shimmer of their cloaking ability.
- Sniper Hybrids can be easily located by their Deadeye's laser sight.
- Cloaked Sniper Hybrids can have their position given away by the shield projected by Shield Drones.
Enemy Journal
“ | This sharpshooting Hybrid uses advanced cloaking technology to remain hidden while |
” |
Wildfire Hybrids

Wildfire Hybrid.
Wildfire Hybrids are the same as normal Hybrids except they have possess more muscles in order to wield a Wildfire rocket launcher. They will place themselves at a distance from their enemies so they can take them out easily with their Wildfires. They are only encountered in the New York chapters.
Strategy
- Wildfire Hybrids will never lock on their rockets
- Wildfire Hybrids tend to keep firing at the same spot, so use this as an advantage by flanking the Hybrid.
- If a brief yellow flash is observed, it means that a Wildfire Hybrid is about to launch rockets.
Enemy Journal
“ | A Hybrid engineered with a stronger physique in order to wield a Wildfire rocket |
” |
Resistance: Burning Skies
Grunt Hybrid

Hybrids are one of the most common enemies in the game, and are a combination of the Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 3 incarnations, having the toughness of the first game's Hybrids coupled with the exploding cooling stack of 3. They have a more human skin tone in Burning Skies than in other games, and have a mismatched cooling stack layout, with the standard Chimeran body with hose sockets on the chest but no hoses, but large conical heat stacks like the Type 2 Hybrid in Fall of Man. As ever, they are armed with the Bullseye; as with the first game, they will never use Bullseye tags.
Since Burning Skies has only limited location-based damage, aiming for any part of their body including the head deals the same amount of damage to them. Poor hit detection means that aiming for their heat stacks often instead deals damage to their body; heat stack explosions are more or less random unless using the Auger.
Intel
“ | Pest control... |
” |
Scout Hybrid

These resemble the Sniper Hybrid of Resistance 3 and are armed with the SixEye sniper rifle.
Intel
“ | Okay, I'll be honest. Scout Hybrids scare the hell out of |
” |
Gallery
- Resistance: Fall of Man
- Resistance 2
- Resistance: Burning Skies
Trivia

Sackboy in Chimera Suit.
- The video game LittleBigPlanet released a "Chimera Costume" (based on the Hybrid) for the Sackboy character on November 25, 2008 to promote Resistance 2.
- The Naughty Dog video game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves released the "PlayStation Heroes Skin Pack" in January 2013, a pack which allows players to play as various PlayStation-exclusive characters online multiplayer. This includes a Hybrid on the villains team.
- In Resistance: The Gathering Storm, Hybrids have a limited ability to drive human vehicles, such as trucks. This is never seen in the games, where they are only shown operating Chimeran vehicles.
- In Resistance: Fall of Man, Hybrids have three toes in each bare feet, whereas Hybrids in Resistance 2 have four.
- In R:FoM, all Hybrids and similar strains had a slouched posture, with their heads bent forwards, and their entire body leaning forward. In Resistance 2, all Hybrids stand more or less upright and carry their heads upright.
- Hybrids are always barefoot, regardless of the terrain.
- In Fall of Man Hybrids are noticeably taller than human soldiers, while in later games their size is comparable to regular humans.
- The Hybrid was transferred to the Source engine by fans recently for use as models in the game Garry's Mod, and the filmmaking program Source Filmmaker.
- In the intel document, Autopsy, it is stated that Hybrids have two hearts to maintain rapid pulsating.
- In Fall of Man multiplayer, Hybrid players carry the LAARK under their arm. Also they have the special ability to see enemy players through walls as a orange flaring silhouette.
- Hybrids in Fall of Man can speak in distorted English (and other languages in the language option), saying lines such as "Just you and me" or "YOU'RE DEAD!" In Resistance 2, however, their voice lines are German in reverse.
- Resistance: Burning Skies is the only game in the series, where the first enemy killed by the player is not a Hybrid.
References
Enemies in Resistance: Fall of Man | |
---|---|
Chimera | Advanced Hybrid · Angel · Carrier · Crawler · Gray Jack · Hardfang · Howler · Hybrid · Leaper · Menial · Roller · Slipskull · Steelhead · Titan · Widowmaker |
Machines | Burrower · Chimeran Dropship · Stalker |
Bosses | Goliath |
Enemies in Resistance 2 | |
---|---|
Chimera | Advanced Hybrid · Chameleon · Fury · Grim · Hybrid · Leaper · Leech · Ravager · Spinner · Steelhead · Titan |
Drones | Attack Drone · Hellfire Turret · Hunter Drone · Patrol Drone · Stalker |
Bosses | Daedalus · Kraken · Goliath · Leviathan · Marauder · Mother Spinner · The Swarm |
Enemies in Resistance: Retribution | |
---|---|
Chimera | Advanced Hybrid · Boiler · Brute · Carrier · Hag · Hybrid · Leaper · Siren · Slipskull · Steelhead · Titan |
Machines | Hammer · Hunter Drone · Patrol Drone · Worker Drone |
Other | Cloven |
Bosses | Angel · Burrower · Chrysalis · Dropship · Mother · Roland Mallery |
Enemies in Resistance 3 | |
---|---|
Military Chimera | Brawler · Hybrid · Longlegs · Ravager · Steelhead |
Feral Chimera | Grim · Leaper · Leech · Satan · Widowmaker |
Machines | Dropship · Goliath · Shield Drone · Shock Drone · Stalker · Warden Drone |
Human | Wardens |
Enemies in Resistance: Burning Skies | |
---|---|
Chimera | Advanced Hybrid · Carrier · Crawler · Executioner · Grim · Hybrid · Impaler · Leaper · Longlegs · Steelhead |
Machines | Chimeran Dropship · Patrol Drone · Recon Drone |
Bosses | Abomination · Leviathan |