Ganado

Los Ganados, from the Spanish term for 'the herd/mob' or 'the cattle', are the primary enemies in Resident Evil 4. Los Ganados were originally humans who became hosts to the mind-controlling Las Plagas parasite. Although marginally less durable than classic Zombies, they are infinitely more dangerous, due to their ability to impersonate non-controlled humans.

Ganados appear outwardly human and possess much of their intelligence and sentience, being quite capable of speaking and carrying out normal day to day tasks (more complex tasks are beyond them, such as hygiene), but are nonetheless utterly devoted to their 'Master' in the form of Osmund Saddler who is able to control the lesser Ganados most likely with the use of high pitched soundwaves issuing from his Plaga-derived staff. Though the usage of soundwaves is merely a theory, there is no debate that Saddler's body houses the 'Master' plaga, this is evident in Leon's final battle with the cult leader. Because of Las Plagas, Ganados have little (if any) fear of death or injury as can be seen by their continued attacking of an armed agent with often little more than melee weapons depite the high chance of being shot to death in any encounter.

Although marginally less durable than the classic Resident Evil Zombies, injuries which would cripple a normal man do little more than annoy a Ganado due to their superhumanly high pain tolerance while they are seen to be strong enough to throw an adult man over their head with ease. Ganados are also tactically aware and will attempt to surround the player, form layered attacking patterns with ranged attackers being defended by the melee attackers, and even attempt to flank or ambush the player by creeping around cover to attack from behind. All Ganados carry a Las Plagas organism within them. When a Ganado is injured or killed, a Plaga may manifest from the Ganado's neck, controlling the host body directly until it is itself killed. For further information see: Las Plagas.

There are three main types of Ganados found in the game, all members of the Los Illuminados cult sworn to Osmund Saddler. These are in order of appearance: The Villagers, the monk-like Zealots and Saddler's private Militia.

Villagers


The villagers were once peaceful residents of the rural community of Pueblo until they were exposed to Las Plagas. Once infected, they became ruthless savages under Lord Saddler's direct control. The villagers continue to carry out their farming duties, although their living conditions have deteriorated somewhat. When Leon first arrives at the village, he is immediately attacked by one of the villagers after questioning him about Ashley's whereabouts.

The villagers arsenal is comprised mostly of farming tools, including pitchforks, hatchets, sickles, knives, torches, dynamite and chainsaws carried only by Dr. Salvadors and Bella Sisters. Upon completion of the game, a series of sketches posing as the background for the credits serves as a flashback to the earlier days of the village. What was once a community distanced from the modern world, populated with farmers and their children, became corrupt as Osmund Saddler arrived, and the workers were infected with spores during the Plaga excavation, causing families to become savage and turn against one another. Ada is seen reading a book about this in the Separate Ways mission in the beginning of the second mission. According to the booklet included with the Biohazard 4: Incubate DVD, the children of the villagers died after they were injected with the Plaga parasites, explaining their absence in the game. Incidentally, the villagers language is particularly foul mouthed compared to the other Ganados, albeit still spoken in Spanish.

Each villager skin has his or her individual name, featured in a figure-collecting minigame.

Zealots


The zealots are the most devoted members of the Los Illuminados cult and are based in Ramon Salazar's castle. They are dressed in clerical robes and habits bearing the cult's insignia. Black is worn by the regular cultists, with red worn by the cult leaders, who often wear goatskull masks or cult amulets around their necks. The zealots are better equipped than the villagers, carrying a variety of medieval armaments, such as scythes, flails, crossbows with RPG and dynamite wielding zealots appearing occasionally as well. Some zealots also carry heavy wooden shields (which can be destroyed with enough firepower) or wear iron masks (which make the wearer immune to headshots) to protect themselves from gunfire.

Although better armed and equipped than the villagers, zealots tend to be somewhat more zombie-like in their behavior, often shuffling around aimlessly when not accompanied by higher ranking cultists who tend to direct their actions, mumbling or chanting sinister mantras to themselves.

Likely having not left the castle for years, the zealots skin is much paler than that of the villagers, and all of them appear to be bald, although their baldness is likely a result of having deliberately shaved their head as a religious statement rather than as a symptom of their infection. Others are ritually tattooed or scarred. Overall, the zealots are likely the most sinister and frightening of the Ganados.

Militia
These soldiers are "elite" Ganados, members of Saddler's private army, assigned to protect his island complex. They are generally better equipped and smarter than other Ganados and can also run faster than most. They can be seen using many of the weapons of the zealots, with some unique weapons of their own such as electric stunrods. A few burly soldiers carry massive hammers and wear thick bullet-proof metal armor. With the exception of J.J. and some rocket launcher-equipped troopers, no soldier carries a firearm. The militia form Saddler's "Plan B" whereby if the Ashley Graham plan failed they would be sent to the United States to ferment chaos and disorder from within, no doubt gaining converts as they went.

Notable Ganados

 * Dr. Salvador (Dr. 'Saviour' or the Chainsaw Man in the Japanese version) is a villager who wears overalls and a potato sack mask who chases after intruders with his chainsaw. He is far more durable than a regular Ganado, and is capable of decapitating his prey with a single strike. There are also several shorter incarnations of Dr. Salvador in the mines below the castle. Unlike most other Ganados, Dr. Salvador's body does not disintegrate after he is killed, a trait he shares with some of the zealots in Salazar's castle. A variation of Dr. Salvador, dubbed Super Salvador in the official guide, also appears in "The Mercenaries" minigame as a sub-boss in the "Waterworld" stage. This variant brandishes a double-bladed flaming chainsaw, is significantly larger and faster, and causes instant decapitation or death upon contact, depending on release version. Super Salvador somewhat resembles J.J.


 * J.J. is a giant Ganado wielding a gatling gun. He uses his minigun to lay down heavy suppressing fire which will shred the player if caught in it. He is a member of the Militia and wears a red beret and a patch over his right eye. J.J. also appears in the Mercenaries minigame, as a mini-boss. Like Dr. Salvador, his body does not disintegrate after he is defeated.


 * The Bella Sisters (or the 'Beautiful Sisters') are female chainsaw-wielding villagers. They wear bandages covering their faces, but are otherwise clothed in the same way as other female villagers. They appear as an optional boss enemy on Leon's path in the main game as well as a mini-boss enemy in The Mercenaries minigame, and Separate Ways of the PlayStation 2, PC, and Wii port of the game. Their bodies do not disintigrate.


 * The Merchant, is a Ganado who aids Leon in the main game by selling and purchasing a variety of weapons, armaments and upgrades. How he became a Ganado is never told, however he seems not to be a member of Los Illuminados and is clearly happy to act against them as he awards Leon after destroying at least ten of the fifteen Blue Medallions in the game which all bear the Los Illuminados Symbol. The Merchant can be killed and although he appears in many places with seemingly impossible speed at times, this is likely only a game mechanic, and he is only supposed to be one man in canon.