How Did Marguerit Maida Survive the Kharaa? | Subnautica Theory

I've heard a lot of people talking about how the cold could have helped Marguerit and Sector Zero survive the Kharaa. The problem with that theory is that since Marguerit's body is warm, the cold wouldn't have affected the infection that's already inside of her. The fact that the Frozen Leviathan is infected with the Kharaa, even though it's frozen, also indicates that the Kharaa has no problems with the cold. When it comes to how Sector Zero was able to survive the Kharaa, this theory would make much more sense. The cold could have limited the bacteria's ability to spread, which might have helped Sector Zero to survive.

I've also heard a lot of people talking about how since the Frozen Leviathan in Sector Zero is infected with the Kharaa, possibility #5 doesn't make any sense. However, this can actually be easily explained. The Frozen Leviathan didn't have the same common ancestors as the leviathans in Subnautica and the living leviathans in Subnautica: Below Zero meaning it wouldn't produce a Kharaa-curing enzyme. This is why we don't see any living Frozen Leviathans in Subnautica: Below Zero. The Frozen Leviathan also looks significantly different compared to the leviathans in Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero; it has a completely different body structure which further proves this theory. Because of this, I still think possibility #5 is a viable theory, perhaps even the most likely.

Additionally, some further proof I recently found on possibility #5 can be found in the PDA entry on Enzyme Host Peepers (Peepers carrying Enzyme 42). The entry states that the enzyme, "Bears some superficial similarity to the stomach enzymes of larger predators." This is some very solid evidence, the only problem is that it only mentions the stomach enzymes of large predators. This would explain how Marguerit was able to survive, since she consumed a Reaper, but it doesn't explain how Reefback and Sea Treader Leviathans are immune to the Kharaa. My best guess is that since the PDA is under the "Advanced Theories" section, this is only a theory and isn't the complete truth that all large leviathans have the stomach enzyme that makes them immune to the Kharaa.

I think theories 2 and 5 make the most sense, I think Marguerite just had a weak immunity if you were infected with let's say, COVID-19 and your symptoms were less serious by a bit and a small push helped you overcome it, I think that seems the most likely, as she had symptoms later then other people and was able to survive for a long time after she ate the reaper leviathan and her body was just gonna run out of enzyme-42 soon but after the MC put it back into the environment, it completely stopped the virus do to the other factors, which is what makes sense to me.

Animals like whales can’t get cancer because of their size so it could be the same for the leviathans

the cure could have traveled to below zero an cure her

She survived through poor writing.

you say they first started on the island but it's not correct they were in the sea first since in the pda you found there in the islands they talk about how grow rate is slower than the sea indicate they were inside sea first before they find the island

Ima debunk the theory that all leviathans produce the enzyme because the frozen leviathan has the virus.

She's a hunter. She hunted and studied the infected creatures and copied what the surviving creatures did.

Architects, an ancient highly sophisticated race, are given infinite resources to find a cure & have live specimens to test on & the means of travel, fail to find a cure (as far as we know).

One lonely scientist who has access to nothing, has no idea what she’s dealing with, can’t live forever unlike the architects, isn’t connected via hive network (the architect’s could do this), isn’t even specialised in alien disease cures, (I could go on for days ,but I’ll spare you the trouble). Somehow develops a cure by smooshing two alien plants together & then calling it a day ,and never even testing it, just blew up the cave which the frozen leviathan is in. I mean what do you think Altera are going to do? You just blew up the entrance and yourself. I mean you had a ‘cure’ ,and she knew full well that Altera had the means to excavate the entrance and uncover it again. I could go on forever. Okay, here are you’re symptoms, Sam you have, Swiss cheese for a brain. I’m sorry ,but there’s nothing I can do to help you, it’s already to late…


In general Subnautica Below zero is a good game.

she just only ate the predators that ate the fish with the enzymes. no reason to make a quarter hour video for that.

My own theory: it’s just a skill issue

What if she god cured by the sea emperor? We sein below zero the emperor just swiming there

I can't believe it's called Kharaa which means shit in arabic lol

Maybe she just took the slimy bois when the baby’s went out

The reason why leviathans don't show any sign of being infected is simply because of their size. It's gonna take longer for them to show any signs, doesn't mean they aren't infected.

My idea is that all leviathan’s have protection against kharaa but only the sea emperor is able to expel it and has large amounts of it while a reaper could have small amounts scattered around their body keeping them alive if they got infected

What about if Enzyme 42 isn't in Leviathans due to a common ancestor, but necessary to maintain such a large size in that enviroment, maybe it helps with some of the less digestable large creatures that exist in the crater, and leviathans in sector zero evolved a different enzyme for the same purpose that had no effect on the Kharaa?

Honestly, the Occam's Razor is that she's just naturally Immune. Since she doesn't mention it, and there isn't much evidence of her trying to do epidemiology tests and all in her hab, one can assume that it's just IMMUNITY. Think of it like this, about 5% or so of all humans on Earth are IMMUNE to Ebola Zaire. It's one of the most LETHAL viruses we've encountered from nature, and it's effing terrifying. Yet, some folks are just immune. This goes with all illnesses. There is no 100% fatal disease. Yellow Fever, Scarlet Fever, Pox, Bubonic and Pneumonic Plague, etc etc. There are ALWAYS those whose genes are either capped with trash receptors, or just do not let the virus bond to their cells.

The simplest answer is usually the correct answer. Immunity is honestly the best assumption here.

No the true question how can she travel all the earth with a prawn suit with a leviathant in the void without problem

Speedy nice

If I remember correctly, Maida herself doesn't know how she survived. We have some facts. 1- She was sick
2- the disease progreesed slowly on her body
With that being said.. we can start thinking about it.. if she was sick and the illness progress slowly it may be a combination of things.
She may have a good immunological system plus consuming the enzyme that hold the bacteria down.

The cold climate could also be another factor.
The kharaa existed within the area but constant exposure to the frigid temperatures makes the bacteria act slower than then tropics we saw in the first one.

I have another idea what if the disease doesn't work efficiently in cold biomes and can still make organisms sick but not kill them so it evolved to just keep a host not feeling good to persuve itself not dying out in the new environment.

Why did he not say the player survived is the player dead

Also AL-AN caused the incident AL-AN caused the bacteria to spread on the planet

I listened to an interview once (I wish I could find it again) where the devs stated that Marguerite survived by being the "predator of the predators". It doesn't explain how Sector Zero survived, but it shows they did enough homework to semi-officially run with the biomagnification theory (likely combined with the partial immunity theory). My guess is they'll attribute the survival of Sector Zero to the ventgardens.

In real life, the small pox vaccine was devloped after scientists noticed that milk maidens would get a cow variant of the same disease and suffer little to no side effects

Throwing it out as a possibility that she got a different variant of the diseases that caused her some discomfort but ultimately went away?

This idea could likely be easily disproven, but i wanted to bring it up anyway

Or the virus could’ve been prevented by the cold

Here is a good theory I just thought, the Kahra may not have been able to live in and thrive as much in sector zero due to the colder climate

Go go go go 100k 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

The truth is... she took the vaccine

the real answer is shitty writing.

But that’s just a theory, a GAME theory. Thanks for watching

sounds like bad writing more than anything.

what if it was so cold there that it couldnt spread

Because females dont die in video games.

Possibility five doesnt make sense then tell me how did the gargantuan leviathan die?
or that big skeleton thing in below zero was infected so how did IT die?
just saying it doesnt make sense

What if the infection isn’t as lethal to women?

It’s covid. That explains it all

Guy from lifepod 12 didnt contact water, how did he get infected

Didnt she enter reapers body in the void and then swim to the surface in it?

to be fair the Kharaa bacteria could also not affect the leviathans simply because of there sheer size, like in whales even from young ages they have numerous cancers but because they're big enough the cancers have little to no affect on the whales. it could be similar with the leviathans

1000 years ago the emperor leviathan would have likely been in peak physical form and her enzyme likely would have been curing the crater (though not fast enough to be a dedicated cure)

The fact that she even got to Sector 0 is such bogus to begin with