The Metal Heads were a faction that participated in the War for Haven City. Founded in 3000 BHE, the Metal Heads were a techno-organic alien race originally trying to take Haven City to get the Precursor Stone but then fought in revenge for the death of their leader, Kor. Due to their leader’s death, only the strongest Metal Heads survived.
Commanders and Leaders
Kaeden
Born in 177 HE, Kaeden led the Metal Bugs (a sub-species of Metal Head) and was second-in-command to Kor. Beginning in 267 HE, Kaeden led the Metal Bugs to infiltrate Haven City and sabotage its systems that kept the Metal Heads at bay. This included shutting down all the Metal Bug extermination companies within the city. By 300 HE, only the Kridder Ridder Extermination Company under Osmo Drawers was still active, and although this was destroyed by Kaeden, Osmo survived. This frustrated Kor, who then went on to initiate a secondary plan whereby he transformed into human form to earn the trust of Jak and Daxter. Kaeden then confronted Daxter within the Fortress, revealing his true Metal Bug form, only to be killed after a long fight. Before his death, Kaeden warned he could not stop the coming onslaught and that Kor would be waiting for him and Jak outside the Fortress.
Kor
Kor was the ancient leader of the Metal Head race who participated in the Metal Head Wars. In 3000 BHE, Kor led the Metal Heads to victory over the Precursors, who called the Metal Heads the “Hora-Quan.” Millennia later, in 2 BHE, Kor invaded the planet, scouring the planet for the Precursor Stone. Kor subsequently besieged Haven City but could not penetrate its walls thanks to the Shield Wall that Mar had built. After the collapse of the Shield Wall in 300 HE, Kor invaded Haven City with his Metal Head army. In a final meeting with Baron Praxis at the construction site inside of Haven City, Kor demanded the Precursor Stone. When the Baron refused, Kor responded with a fatal blast and declared he would "find that stone even if I have to crush this city one brick at a time" (Naughty Dog, 2003). Kor was finally defeated and killed by Jak after a climactic fight at the Metal Head Nest which ended the Metal Head Wars.
Locations and Districts
Metal Head City
Under the control of the Metal Heads, this district comprised the former Southern Garden and Western Bazaar. It was terraformed into an environment suitable for Metal Heads, with the whole sector becoming a river filled with acidic, toxic sludge, with solid ground walkways on either side of it that contained Metal Head eggs and other structures. It was also the location of the Metal Head Tower, which was the primary headquarters for the surviving Metal Heads.
Palace Ruins
Under the control of the Metal Heads, this district comprised the ruins of Main Town and the Mar Memorial Stadium. When the Palace fell on Main Town, most of it was rendered inaccessible and completely ruined. The only areas that could be accessed were downtown Main Town (where the old entrance to the Slums used to be) and the Stadium area. The Stadium area could only be accessed by traversing a ruined corridor from the Palace's old roof, which consisted of mostly tumbled-down concrete structures, bottomless pits, and many ruins. Mar Memorial Stadium was only identifiable by its orange roofing and some remaining stone structuring, such as the halls leading to the race garages, stair walks, and grass beds.
Units
Cloaker
Closely resembling Rapid Gunners, Cloakers could render themselves nearly invisible and were equipped with dark eco blasters mounted on their arms. They could move around the battlefield freely without much fear of detection due to their cloaking technology. However, their Skull Gems gave off a faint yellow tint when near an enemy, and when they sustained physical damage, their cloaking devices would deactivate, revealing their true form underneath. Cloakers took part in the Siege of Haven City in 300 HE and later appeared in the Metal Head City during the War for Haven City.
Grunt
One of the most common Metal Head species, the Grunt was the first line of defence in the Metal Head army. Although not very intelligent, Grunts were heavily armoured, physically strong and had vicious incisor teeth and claws. Due to their lack of weaponry, they were often encountered in large numbers and could lunge at their adversaries quickly. According to Schrader (2004, p.142), the Grunt had a top speed of 25 km/h and could jump great distances, as was demonstrated during the Raid on the Metal Head Tower in 301 HE.
Mantis
Mantises were one of the most agile Metal Heads and one of the most dangerous. Like the Stinger, the Mantis would hide in the ground and jump out when their prey approached them, leaping great distances around their enemies to confuse them before surrounding them and using their sharp claws to slice them to pieces. This was done to divide and conquer, and they could quickly dodge and evade counterattacks, as demonstrated during the Battle of the Metal Head Nest in 297 HE.
Spyder Gunner
Spyder Gunners evolved from Spider Gunners between 3000 BHE and 280 HE and developed four legs instead of their ancestor’s six legs. Equipped with an arm-mounted blaster on its right arm, which could fire high-speed dark-eco lasers, the Spyder Gunner was easily disoriented, which meant that it always shot close to its legs before distancing its fire towards an opponent. In addition, its armour made it somewhat cumbersome and slow to react to an enemy’s fire, making it vulnerable to rapid-fire weapons like the Vulcan Fury. Because of this, Spyder Gunners often patrolled in groups of four alongside other Metal Head species like the Juice Goon or Mantis.
Stinger
The Stinger is one of the most common Metal Head species. Like the Mantis, the Stinger lay hidden in the ground, using its enormous sense organs to detect the heartbeat of its prey from ground vibrations up to several hundred metres away. The Stinger would then emerge from the ground and run in a zig-zag pattern towards its prey to sting it to death. Because of their small stature and lack of armour, Stingers would often attack in large groups to overwhelm their enemies, although they could not reach elevated areas.
Wasp
Wasps were airborne Metal Heads that were often attracted to the sound of gunfire. The Wasp had two jet burners to help them hover in mid-air, while twin dark eco-blasters were used to cut down their enemies. Wasps often patrolled the skies in pairs and could absorb several hits, having the devious habit of pretending to fall when hit, only to rise when their unwitting opponents let their guard down. During the reign of Baron Praxis, Gunpods were installed in both Haven City and the Drill Platform to keep Wasps and other Metal Heads at bay.
Bibliography
Jak and Daxter Wiki. “Metal Heads.” Last revised August 10, 2022. www.jakanddaxter.fandom.com/wiki/Metal_Heads
Jak Himself. “Grunt concept art.” Jak and Daxter Wiki. Accessed June 29, 2023. www.jakanddaxter.fandom.com/wiki/Grunt?file=Grunt_concept_art.png
Naughty Dog. Jak 3. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 2. 2004.
Naughty Dog. Jak II. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 2. 2003.
Off, Greg. Jak II: Official Strategy Guide. Indianapolis, Brady Games, 2003.
Ready at Dawn. Daxter. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation Portable. 2006.
Schrader, Nathali. Jak 3: The Official Guide. London, Piggyback, 2004.
Schrader, Nathali. Jak II: The Complete Official Guide. London, Piggyback, 2003.
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