| Reinigen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Binomen | N/A | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Humanoid | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Sapient | ||
| Aggressivity | Low | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Diet | Omnivorous | ||
| Locomotion | Bipedal | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | Grimm | ||
A Reinigen is a humanoid rat-like Wesen species known for its ability to control swarms of rats by playing music.
Biology[]
Like all Wesen, they are liminal beings that alternate between a human and non-human form by a process known as "woging". When woged, they develop rodent features such as rat-like ears, incisor teeth, and whiskers; and their pupils expand to the point of covering a much larger portion of their eyes.
They're opportunistic omnivorous scavengers, and are not picky about their food and living space. At least some Reinigen are capable of using music to control swarms of rats, summoning them to attack their enemies.
Riesen-Ratte[]
Several Reinigen merge together to form a Risen-Ratte.
Due to a lack of genetic diversity among individuals, Reinigen are also capable of woging communally by merging together into a single entity known as the Riesen-Ratte, which can be as tall as 6 meters in height and resembles a humanoid rat.
Some colonies will resort to this tactic under dire circumstances, such as when under attack by Klaustreich. Still, this behavior is so rare that even other Wesen generally regard the Riesen-Ratte as a myth.
Strong electrical discharges can be used to forcefully separate the Riesen-Ratte back into its individual Reinigen components.
Culture and society[]
Reinigen are a communal species which often form colonies in places such as dumpsters or junkyards. Colony leaders and their offspring may be referred to as "kings" and "princes", respectively.
Reinigen are not usually violent unless provoked, but being at the bottom of the Wesen food chain may cause them resentment, and they're not above finding ways to extract revenge on those who mistreat them. They are preyed upon by Klaustreich, who hunt them and terrorize them for sport.
Appearances[]
- Grimm, s01e05, "Danse Macabre" (2011)
- Grimm, s02e04, "Quill" (2012)
- Grimm, s05e05, "The Rat King" (2015)