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Helldivers circa 2084.
| “ | Our pride, the Helldivers are the scalpel of the military might of Super Earth, young men and women are drafted from the regular army corps to do their part in the unrestful galaxy that is set on destroying Super Earth.
Helldivers are dropped into battle using the iconic Hellpods, shock-absorbing tubes that break the atmosphere at extreme velocities only to crack the ground when they open to reveal their heroic cargo. |
„ |
| ~ Encyclopedia Description |
This entry is monitored by the Super Earth Ministry of Truth.
The 
Helldivers, formally The Helldivers Division of the Super Earth Armed Forces and officially referred to as the Helldiver Corps, are one of the main military branches of the 
Super Earth Armed Forces, acting as the SEAF's elite unit, responsible for defending and spreading the ideals of 
Super Earth against intergalactic threats at all costs. Extremely well-trained and exceptionally equipped by the 
Ministry of Defense, Helldivers are sent deep behind enemy lines through the use of the ingenious Hellpods, shock-absorbing pods launched directly from orbiting Super Destroyer ships.
Helldivers circa 2184.
In Super Earth society, Helldivers are hailed as venerated heroes, and the fallen as martyrs for Super Earth. Citizens who excitedly join the Super Earth Armed Forces, out of a sense of patriotism and a desire to protect others, have the chance to be drafted into the Helldiver Corps, which is viewed as one of the greatest honors; to pass the rigorous training and be bestowed the gift of bearing a Helldiver cape, a beacon of Freedom and hope for Super Earth and its citizens, is a point of pride unmatched by almost anything.
Ready against all odds, Helldivers are the last line of offense against all of those that oppose Liberty and Democracy!
Helldiver Training[]
| “ | Become more than you are. Become a Hero. Become, a Legend! | „ |
| ~ Narrator, in the intro of Helldivers |
SEAF recruitment ad featuring a Helldiver.
Helldivers are usually picked from within already enlisted SEAF infantrymen. While the average age of the latest batch of Helldiver trainees is stated to be 18.7 years old during the introductory cinematic for the Helldivers 2 tutorial, it may be possible that members of the SEAF at large are able to become Helldivers regardless of age but that there is preference for those between the ages of 18 and 25 due to their physical capabilities over older people.
Once a SEAF soldier is selected for service in the Helldiver Corps, they are sent to one of many Helldiver Training Facilities.
First Galactic War[]
Basic Training[]
A Helldiver recruit is woken up by an Instructor Bot in 2084.
During the First Galactic War, Helldivers would be sent to a random Training Facility at an undisclosed location, where they would then be trained by the assigned Instructor Bot. The Instructor Bot would first awaken the Helldiver Recruit then, once they first attempted to leave their barracks, it would give them a severe injury in order to give the recruit their first lesson: To dress their injuries before they were instead dressed for their funeral.
Once the recruit successfully completed their first aid lesson, they would then be allowed into the Firing Range for Combat Training. At the firing range, the recruit would then be taught how to gather ammunition, how to reload their weapons and how to shoot their primary rifle (the AR-19 Liberator Assault Rifle), for which they would have to shoot 4 targets with their fully automatic mode then take out 2 additional targets by tap firing right at their center.
Once their training at the firing range was complete, the recruit would then go into the grenade range for grenade training. For grenade training, the recruit would have to first destroy 3 targets simultaneously with a single grenade throw, then 3 additional targets with a longer range grenade throw. Once these 2 simple tasks were complete, the recruit would then be given training with HOLODIVERS (Holographic Helldiver Training Decoys) in order to train team coordination, as well as how to properly switch to their sidearm (the P-2 Peacemaker Pistol). The assignment of the recruit would be to then shoot 3 targets with their sidearm without hitting any HOLODIVERS.
Right after team tactics training, the recruit would then be asked to sprint through a designated area within a certain time limit, in order to test their stamina. Then, the recruit would have to go prone while under live turret fire and crawl beneath.
Once the live fire crawling drill was successfully surpassed, the recruit would have completed their basic training, after which came Specialized Helldiver Training. For the Specialized Helldiver Training, the recruits would have to exit the facility and learn how to utilize live stratagems deployed from an in-orbit Super Destroyer.
Specialized Helldiver Training[]
An Instructor Bot and a Helldiver recruit in 2084.
During this Stratagem Training, the recruit would have to successfully call in a Resupply, after which they would be cleared to call in close air support. For close air support, the recruit would have to call in a Vindicator Dive Bomb and eliminate 4 targets simultaneously with it. Once the recruit succeeded, they would then be instructed to call in a defensive A/MG-11 Minigun Turret. Finally, the recruit would be given a demonstration on how to use a reinforcement stratagem. Once said reinforcement HOLODIVER was called in successfully, the recruit would complete their Stratagem Usage Training. After said training, the recruit would then go on to their final test: a Simulated Helldiver Mission.
Simulated Helldiver Mission[]
In the Simulated Helldiver Mission, the recruit would have to find and complete 2 objectives before extracting. During this mission, the recruit would be given access to the MG-94 Machine Gun and instructed on how to use their map and how enemy patrols work, as well as how to avoid them or prevent their from being called by eliminating enemies before they could raise an alarm and force an encounter.
The two objectives of the Simulated Helldiver Mission would be to destroy a Bug Nest using a NUX-223 Hellbomb and activating a S.A.M site. However, if the recruit took their time to explore, they would also find samples and get instruction on their importance and utility for upgrading their weapons, gear and stratagems.
Once the recruit completed the 2 objectives and arrived at the extraction site, they would be instructed on how to use the extraction beacon and would have to stand their ground against hordes of training bots for 30 seconds. Once the extraction shuttle arrived, their Simulated Helldiver Mission would be considered complete and the recruit would now be transferred onto their assigned Super Destroyer, where they would then report to the ship's Admiral and receive both their Helldiver Cape and the rank of Private, thus turning them into Helldivers.
Second Galactic War[]
Memorandum for the Helldiver Readiness Command, seen at the start of Helldiver training.
| “ | Man, I can't believe we are actually gonna become Helldivers. Liberating the galaxy... stomping bugs... every kid's dream. Good luck out there! I'll see you on the front lines!'' |
„ |
| ~ Helldiver Recruit |
A Helldiver recruit observes a Training Facility entry sign in 2184.
During the Second Galactic War, Helldiver Recruits are transported by shuttle to the Helldiver Training Facility on Mars. While they are accompanied by a fellow Helldiver Recruit, the Helldiver Recruit is deployed alone on the Training Facility's landing pad by the Transport Shuttle. Shortly after leaving the Recruit, the Transport Shuttle pilot would give the Recruit a tip to use their map to find their way to the training facility gates. The Facility Operator may call the Recruit should they take a bit too long to find the facility.
Once at the gates of the facility, the Helldivers would be greeted by none other than the legendary Super Ten-Star General Brasch, Super Earth's oldest and most grizzled war hero. He would then give the recruit some word of encouragement and explain to them the task they were about to undertake: Helldiver Training, the toughest test in the galaxy.
The Toughest Test in the Galaxy[]
| “ | Atten-hut! I'm General Brasch -- Super Earth's oldest and most grizzled war hero, and I'm not easy to impress. Helldiver Training is the toughest test in the galaxy---but I can tell that doesn't scare you. Impressive! Now, enough jibjab! The upcoming obstacles will take everything your exceptional physique can muster. This is it. The real deal. Get to it, soldier! | „ |
| ~ General Brasch upon a new recruit entering the Mars training facility |
The Helldiver Training Facility on Mars.
Once the general graced the aspiring Helldiver Recruit with their advice, the door of the facility would open and allow the recruit into an obstacle course. First, they had to crawl under barbed wire then surpass a series of jumps and barricades by mantling or climbing over them. If the Helldiver completes this obstacle course he will impress the general, who will state that in all his years, he had never witnessed such acrobatic perfection.
Following the obstacle course, the recruit would then have to dive to prone in order to surpass the Highly Realistic Battlefield Simulator, the real deal: 2 Gatling Sentries that the recruit would have to crawl beneath in order to get past them. Should too many recruits fail to avoid getting killed by these turrets, the Facility Operator may give them a tip to go prone and crawl underneath the turrets' line of fire to avoid getting shot.
Immediately after the Highly Realistic Battlefield Simulator came the Battlefield Injury Simulator, which would stab the recruit in the torso, injuring them and causing them to bleed out before delivering a pack of stims. This would give the recruit a quick but effective lesson in first aid: Stims cure everything.
Once done with the Battlefield Injury Simulator, the recruit would move on to target practice. However, this time the recruit would be directly introduced to Democracy's Sworn Enemy: a live 
Terminid Warrior, the scourge of Liberty. Once the Terminid was released, the recruit would be given their standard-issue P-2 Peacemaker and a box of ammunition, with which they would then have to kill the Terminid. Immediately after killing the Terminid, the recruit would be given a box of grenade and taught about bug holes, being instructed to toss a grenade into the bug hole at the firing range so that no more Terminids can appear. Upon completing this test, the general will praise the recruit's throwing prowess.
After that, the recruit would then be shown a pack of Terminids within a small island before then being presented with a Super Destroyer jumping into orbit, close to the Training Facility. Then, the recruit would be instructed to use an Orbital Precision Strike to take out the entire pack of Terminids, while also being warned to take a few steps back. Right after that, the recruit is then moved to train with a cardboard diver on how Helldivers fight: They fight in squads and casualties, whether from enemy fire or accidental friendly fire, are unavoidable. For this matter, the recruit is introduced to the Reinforce stratagem, which will deploy another cardboard Helldiver once called.
Right after that, the recruit is then presented with an AR-23 Liberator and some ammunition boxes before then being allowed into a live training range, where another Terminid will come out for the recruit to fight against and a training bug hole for them to close with one of their grenades (or using one of the grenades from the nearby grenade box, should the recruit have none on them). Once the Terminid is killed and the bug hole closed, the general will praise the recruit's tactical thinking before then directing them into the next area of the Training Facility in order for them to call the MG-43 Machine Gun as their assigned support weapon, then instructing them on how to call in a Resupply Stratagem to get ammunition for it.
Once the recruit is fully equipped and stocked, they are then moved onto the final area: an area in dire need of liberation from the Terminid scourge. There, they have to activate and use a terminal in order to open a cage containing a Super Earth Flag, which the recruit will have to then grab and carry onto a designated point. After planting said location, the recruit will NATURALLY find themselves compelled to salute it. Upon saluting the flag of Super Earth, the bug holes on the arena will unleash a horde of Terminid Warriors and Scavengers. After all the bugs are killed, the recruit will have passed their test.
A Helldiver earning their cape.
With their training complete, the recruit is then officially granted the rank of Cadet and given their Helldiver Cape, now officially making them a proper Helldiver.
Helldiver Contract of Employment[]
In Helldivers 2, a contract of employment is displayed on large, black plaques in the Graduation Chamber, near the end of the tutorial. The entry is free to read here. You are heavily encouraged to spend at least one second familiarizing yourself with its contents.
Final Notes[]
| “ | Now THERE's a Helldiver. You remind me of a younger me -- fearless, invulnerable and 7 feet tall. You're finally ready for the realest deal of 'em all: The Galactic War. Liberty, Democracy, Justice. They're in your hands now. General Brasch, over and out. | „ |
| ~ General Brasch, upon the recruit successfully becoming a Helldiver Cadet |
The newly minted Helldiver is then allowed to exit the facility and, after some parting advice from General Brasch, directed to board the nearby rocket by entering the open cryopod. However, the Helldiver can explore their surroundings and discover certain things, such as a FLAM-40 Flamethrower and some corpses next to a wall riddled with bullet holes, as well as a nearby Helldiver memorial statue. Once the Helldiver boards the cryopod, the transport rocket then departs Mars, carrying the Helldiver onto the Galactic War. Whether one plays as the same Helldiver from the tutorial or a completely new Helldiver is never confirmed nor really matters, as now the Helldiver has been entrusted by the general with the realest deal of them all, The ongoing Galactic War.
Modus Operandi[]
| “ | Watching Helldivers in action is great for crew morale. It's even better than a dissident execution. | „ |
| ~ Ship Master |
Hellpods dropping onto a planet.
Helldivers will exit their cryopod and enter their assigned Super Destroyer. There, they proceed onto the Galactic Map in the bridge and are then able to pick any mission or operation in any difficulty they desire. Once the Super Destroyer arrives at the mission location, the Hellpods onboard will be primed and all Helldivers onboard will be instructed to enter their Hellpods. Once inside, Helldivers can select their gear and stratagems after selecting an initial deployment location and, once all Helldivers are ready to deploy, the Super Destroyer will shoot out all the Hellpods onto the planet.
Once the Hellpods land, the emerging Helldivers are expected to accomplish their objectives while disrupting / eliminating hostile presence on the planet as much as possible by spreading the glorious ideals of democracy and completing side objectives to support the larger war effort, all in the name of securing planets for the various interests of Super Earth and spreading Managed Democracy to their current inhabitants. Unwavering, Helldivers are always heavily outnumbered and outgunned, with only 4 to a squad against an unlimited amount of foes with entrenched and fortified positions, all of which the brave Helldivers are more than prepared to deal with. In the event that a Helldiver is killed in action, another Helldiver, acting as reinforcement, is being dropped to replace their fallen ally.
A Helldiver squad planting the Super Earth flag on the battlefield.
Thankfully, the Ministry of Defense ensures that the Helldivers are well equipped and well trained. Every single one is armed with weapons and armor of the highest quality that Super Earth engineers have to offer. Helldivers are also able to call in the most powerful tool they have in their arsenal: Stratagems. Stratagems are a key part of every Helldiver mission; by calling them in through the use of programmable and easily thrown beacons, Helldivers are provided a wide array of support weapons and utilities (such as weaponized drones), artillery bombardments (orbital and otherwise), Eagle Fighter close air support, and much more. Helldivers live and die by their use of stratagems; one properly aimed artillery strike or a desperately needed autocannon can easily turn the tide of an otherwise hopeless battle, while at the same time, an improperly thrown Shredder Missile designator can pulverize the squad. Stratagems should be used wisely and with great care and caution at all times since most stratagems have a long cooldown to be used again, which is why Helldivers are specially trained for exactly that.
History[]
The SC-37 Legionnaire, based on the antique uniforms of those who served in the Super Earth Legion.
Precursors[]
In the times before Managed Democracy, the Helldivers were first preceded by the Super Earth Legion. This legion is memorialized as a "precursor" to the Helldiver Corps and the SC-37 Legionnaire Armor draws its design from these archaic warfighters. They are also noted to be a "less patriotic" precursor to the Helldivers. Judging by the look of the armor, it appears to be made for High Altitude parachuting, as the SC-37 Legionnaire comes equipped with a respirator tube and a helmet highly resembling that of an aircraft pilot. This could indicate that the Super Earth Legion often deployed by performing HALO (High Altitude - Low Opening) jumps from a military aircraft flying up to 10,000 meters above the ground.
Although the Super Earth Legion is remembered as a precursor to Super Earth's Helldivers, it is not clear whether it was formed by the Democratic Council or if it was already formed and then came under the Democratic Council's control. Additionally, it isn't clear if the Super Earth Legion hails from any specific pre-Super Earth nation-state or pre-Super Earth organization.
Given how this legion wasn't mentioned nor appeared in Helldivers 1, it is safe to assume that they were only active long before the First Galactic War, and most likely fought during the Last Great War on Earth during the late 20th or early 21st century. It is also likely that the Super Earth Legion were the key warfighters who helped bring said conflict to an end and allowed for Earth to be united under the Democratic Council, thus leading to the proclamation of the 
Federation of Super Earth.
The Super Earth Legion was presumably disbanded at some point before the "more patriotic" Helldiver Corps was established, as the new age of warfare began to shift away from Earth to the wider Milky Way, which naturally rendered HALO deployment tactics obsolete in favor of combined arms warfare utilizing orbiting spaceships.
Formation and First Galactic War[]
The DP-00 Tactical, the standard combat armor of the Helldivers at the time of the First Galactic War.
The Helldivers were formed in the early years of the Federation, as it is noted in Helldivers 1 that Ranger training was standard procedure for all Helldivers in these earlier times, but became much rarer later during the First Galactic War. It is also stated in the description of the Defender uniform that Helldiver Defenders used to double as riot police before humanity properly unified.
The invention and first use of the iconic Hellpods was when the socialist government of Northman's Creek tried to secede from the Federation of Super Earth. The oppressive regime of the socialists had dug themselves in on the planet; unable to gain air superiority, Super Earth developed these massive, near-suicidal supersonic pods as a counter.
Equipped with stabilizers and extreme shock absorbers that can hit a space-coin and allow for drops into basically any type of terrain, fifty Helldivers dropped into the Parliament of the Northman's Creek Rebellion and quickly relieved the regime leaders from power (and life). With their remaining troops scattering, the fight was easily won and the planet brought back into compliance.
By 2044, the First Galactic War was just beginning and would rage unabated for the next 40 years. Fortunately, the fighting spirit of man had not decayed since the Last Great War on Earth. The Helldiver Corps became the walking image of the Federation, the bulwark against Tyranny and the paragons of Managed Democracy, as their martial prowess, impeccable discipline and immaculate strategy would catapult Super Earth into a massive victory over the 
Bugs, 
Cyborgs and the 
Illuminate in 2084.
Great Democratization[]
After roughly 40 years of conflict and against all odds, the Federation of Super Earth emerged victorious over all of its adversaries. With its foes vanquished and the Galactic War won, an era of peace and prosperity ensued which would last for one hundred years. Having vanquished the enemies of Liberty, most of the Helldivers were presumably dismissed and returned to their homes, hailed as heroes, while their fallen brethren were forever enshrined in the Wall of Martyrs and all remembered dearly on Martyr's Day, Heroes Day and All Heroes' Eve.
Some Helldivers no doubt took up peacetime military postings (such as the famed General Brasch), while others were deployed to quell more serious cases of dissidence, though certainly never on the same level as before or during the First Galactic War. Finally, an unspecified but significant number of Helldivers would be left in cryogenic suspension and sequestered away to storage facilities across the galaxy in case they were ever needed. Thus, for 100 years, the Federation expanded across the Milky Way, virtually unopposed.
Second Galactic War[]
The B-01 Tactical, the standard combat armor of the Helldivers at the time of the Second Galactic War.
However, like with many things, even tyranny needs to be kept constantly in check. And with the Helldivers largely gone, it would soon rear its ugly head over the galaxy once more. On February 8th, 2184, the Terminids broke free of their farms and overwhelmed the eastern sectors. The Super Earth Armed Forces, still on a peacetime footing, struggled to quarantine the Bugs on their farm planets and became stretched thin, being pushed all the way to the Orion Sector.
Then, in the west, a new but familiar foe would soon make their debut, as the 
Automatons invaded the Xzar and Severin Sectors. Now more than ever in the preceding 100 years, humanity needed its finest guardians and its most resilient heroes back in action.
As such, by order of the President, the Helldiver Corps would be mobilized and immediately aimed at the enemies of Managed Democracy. However, rather than awaken the High-Value Assets kept in cold storage, the Federation would instead train an entirely new generation of Helldivers to face a new generation of galactic threats. Thus the Second Galactic War had, unknowingly for everyone, just begun.
Gallery[]
-
A Helldiver -
Operating a console -
Helldivers spreading Liberty -
Hellpods being launched
-
Helldivers celebrating Liberty Day
-
Helldivers engaging in public relations
-
Helldivers remembered as Legends
Notes[]
- Helldivers are always outnumbered and the waves of enemies have no end. Keep this in mind.
- Note: This also means you cannot miss your target. When in doubt, yell "For Super Earth" and charge head first into your problems.
- Contrary to numerous popular theories, Helldivers are not clones, as confirmed by Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt on Twitter. They are all real people with lives and families, drafted from the SEAF to be frozen en-masse and used as fodder for the war effort.
- This is further confirmed in-game when using armor like the PH-9 Predator or PH-202 Twigsnapper, which randomize your skin color every time you or someone wearing it gets reinforced.
- Helldivers are also not informed beforehand that they will be cryogenically frozen for an indeterminate amount of time, nor are they informed of their life expectancy.
- According to the Ship Master, a single Stratagem is worth more than the entire annual earning of an average Super Earth citizen. It's also worth noting that the salary of a Helldiver is not known, but it is likely very low, if anything at all. Payment is mentioned in the employment contract, but this is vague, and it is unlikely that Super Earth would pay a Helldiver a remotely fair wage (or a wage at all) if it could be avoided or otherwise brushed off.
- The canon average life expectancy of a Helldiver after being unfrozen is 2 minutes. It is likely that this number is purely from a lore perspective, and does not reflect the life expectancy of players for either game in the Helldivers series.
- The relationship between Helldivers and "their" Super Destroyer is not entirely established in canon. The likely explanation is that when the Super Destroyer is sent on a mission, the Helldiver that is first defrosted (whether because they were the survivor of the previous mission, randomly selected, defrosted in order, etc. is not entirely clear; the first option is most likely) is granted temporary control of the ship to upgrade / send on missions as they please, and if they are killed during a mission, then the ship's commanding Helldiver is simply replaced by the survivor of said mission.
- The method / reasoning behind the people chosen in the Helldiver draft also isn't entirely clear, but it can be gathered from preexisting lore and gameplay that the requirements are very lax, and mostly just require you to have a functioning, mobile, and somewhat athletic / in shape body (presumably, those who do not meet that bare minimum are considered better suited for something like an SEAF artillery crew). It is also possible that the draft is completely random, and the only requirement is simply to finish the training course, which acts as a filter to ensure that at least the majority of Helldivers are physically capable of accomplishing their missions by ensuring basic motor functions and competency amongst candidates.
- According to the "Borderland Justice" Warbond, Cowboy hats are outlawed by the Helldiver uniform code.
Helldivers 2 Concept Art[]
Detailed Statistics[]
This section contains information specific to Helldivers 1 and how the player character behaves in that game. The choice to keep this section is to honor legacy content on the wiki.
| Name | Health | Constitution | Armor | Shield | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Decay | Base | Decay | Location | Min | Max | Base | Armor | Regen | Delay | |
| Helldiver | 100 | -2 | 100 | 2 | default | 0 | 35 | not shielded | |||
| w/ MD-99 Autoinjector | -12 | ||||||||||
| w/ Heavy Armor | default | 15 | 100 | ||||||||
| w/ SH-32 (original) | front | 20 | 400 | ||||||||
| w/ SH-32 (upgraded) | 30 | 600 | |||||||||
| w/ SH-20 (original) | default | 50 | 0 | 20 | 15 | ||||||
| w/ SH-20 (upgraded) | 100 | 0 | 40 | 10 | |||||||