--- title: "Create static enemies " content_type: tutorial url: "https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/create-static-enemies?language=en" language: en difficulty: beginner unity_version: - "6.0" - "6.3" supported_unity_versions: - name: "6.0" url: "https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/create-static-enemies.md?language=en&version=6.0" - name: "6.3" url: "https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/create-static-enemies.md?language=en&version=6.3" last_updated: "2026-08-04T14:22:25.000Z" --- # Create static enemies Build static enemies that use line-of-sight detection to spot the player in your game. In this tutorial, you’ll create static enemies that detect the player when they enter their line of sight. ## 1. Overview Your game is now taking shape — The player character can move around an environment with the camera following them. But, there’s one important thing missing to make that an interesting challenge: enemies! In this tutorial, you’ll add a static **Gargoyle** enemy to the haunted house. [Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20250618/videos/0df4a896-7722-49ff-8e82-359ec90dfbd8_5.1_-_Overview.mp4) ## 2. Create a Gargoyle prefab The first step in bringing the **Gargoyle** to life is adding its 3D model into the scene—just like you did earlier with the player character. Remember, a **prefab** is a reusable, pre-configured GameObject. It lets you place multiple copies of the same GameObject in your scene while keeping them easy to update or edit later. This is especially useful when you need several versions of the same GameObject, like in your haunted house with its many gargoyles. [Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20250617/videos/2f71d205-9686-449f-b364-4434eeecfe73_5.2_-_Create_a_gargoyle_prefab.mp4) **1. Create an empty container for your Gargoyle character:** - In the **Hierarchy** window, right click and select **Create Empty**. This will create a new empty GameObject in your scene. - Rename it “Gargoyle”. **2.** **Add the Gargoyle to the scene:** - In the **Project** window, navigate to **\_3DStealthGame** > **Art** > **Models** > **Characters** > **Enemies**. - Search for the **Gargoyle_Model** model. - Drag the **Gargoyle_Model** onto the **Gargoyle** GameObject in the **Hierarchy** window. - In the **Inspector** window, make sure that the **Transform** component of the **Gargoyle_Model** has its **Position** property set to **X** = **0**, **Y** = **0**, and **Z** = **0**. - While you work on setting up the **Gargoyle** properly, place it near the **Player** GameObject using the **Move** Tool. Don’t worry, you’ll position it more accurately later on. **Note:** The **Gargoyle** model is read-only. To edit it or duplicate it easily, you’ll need to turn it into a prefab. **3.** **Create a Gargoyle prefab:** - From the **Hierarchy** window, drag the **Gargoyle** GameObject into the **\_3DStealthGame** > **Prefabs** > **Characters** folder in the **Project** window. - If prompted, select **Original Prefab**. **4.** **Open the prefab for editing:** - In the **Hierarchy** window, select the arrow icon to the right of the **Gargoyle** GameObject. - This opens **prefab editing mode** where you can make changes that apply to every instance of the prefab. In the next step you’ll bring the Gargoyle to life with animations. Let’s make this creepy creature move! ## 3. Animate the Gargoyle Just like the player character, the Gargoyle has its own signature movement that adds personality and boosts the eerie atmosphere of the game. But in this case, the Gargoyle only has one animation to play, so its Animator Controller will be super simple to make! [Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20250618/videos/e1b881ec-e560-4ce6-ae4b-00b5423f94a5_5.3_-_Animate_the_gargoyle.mp4) **1.** **Make sure you're in prefab editing mode:** - If you're not in prefab editing mode, double-click the **Gargoyle** prefab in the **Project** window to enter it. **2.** **Create an Animator Controller:** - In the **Project** window, navigate to **\_3DStealthGame** > **Art** > **Animation** > **Animators**. - Right-click the **Animators** folder and select **Create** > **Animation** > **Animator Controller**. - Name the new Animator Controller “Gargoyle_Controller”. **3.** **Set the Animator component:** - In the **Hierarchy** window, expand the **Gargoyle** gameObject and select the **Gargoyle_Model** GameObject. - In the **Inspector** window, find the **Animator** component. - Click and drag the **Gargoyle_Controller** onto the **Animator** component’s **Controller** property box. **4.** **Add the Idle animation:** - Double-click the **Gargoyle_Controller** to open it in the **Animator** window. - In the **Project** window, navigate to **\_3DStealthGame** > **Art** > **Animation** > **Animations**. - Expand the **Gargoyle@Idle** model asset. - Click and drag the **Idle** animation into the **Animator** window. - This will automatically create an **Idle** state. The Gargoyle’s Animator Controller is now complete: it only plays the idle animation. **5.** **Test the animation:** - Save your scene. - Select the **Play** button to enter Play mode and check out your animated **Gargoyle**. - When you're done, make sure to exit Play mode. Now your **Gargoyle** is alive (well, sort of!) However, if the player character walks into it, you’ll notice they can pass right through. Creepy, yes, but not very realistic. In the next step, you’ll fix that by adding a collider so the Gargoyle can physically interact with the player character. ## 4. Add a collider to the Gargoyle To make sure the player can physically bump into the Gargoyle—and to prepare the Gargoyle to later detect the player using its flashlight beam—you’ll need to add a **collider**. These invisible shapes define the physical boundaries of GameObjects in the world, allowing Unity’s physics system to interact with them. [Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20250618/videos/94eba120-a622-4ee1-9523-3df1e9efeca2_5.4_-_Add_a_Collider_to_the_Gargoyle.mp4) **1.** **Add a Capsule Collider component:** - Make sure you are in prefab editing mode. - In the **Inspector** window, with the Gargoyle selected, select the **Add Component** button. - Search for and add the **Capsule Collider** component. **Note:** A **Capsule Collider** component is a great match for the **Gargoyle**’s shape: tall, rounded, and simple. **2.** **Adjust the collider settings:** - In the **Capsule Collider** component: - Set the **Center** property to (**X** = **0**, **Y** = **0.9**, and **Z** = **0**). - Set the **Radius** property to **0.3**. - Set the **Height** property to **1.8**. **3.** **Test the collider:** - Save your scene. - Select the **Play** button to enter Play mode and see that now the **Player** GameObject won’t be able to pass through the **Gargoyle** GameObject anymore. - When you're done, make sure to exit Play mode. You’ve added your **Gargoyle** and defined its physical presence in the scene. Next, you’ll add a collider to represent the **Gargoyle**’s field of view—an area where it will be able to detect the **Player** whenever they pass through it ## 5. Create a point of view Trigger The **Gargoyle** GameObject still needs a way to detect when the **Player** enters its view. Earlier, you used colliders to create physical boundaries that prevent GameObjects from passing through. However, all colliders in Unity can be turned into **Triggers** by enabling the **Is Trigger** checkbox. When a collider is set as a trigger, it won’t physically block GameObjects, but it can detect when something enters or exits its area to trigger a certain action. In this case, we want the **Player** to be able to walk through a certain area —the area in front of the **Gargoyle**— and trigger a response when they do. So, to set this up, you’ll create a **Capsule collider** and enable **Is Trigger** so that it can detect the **Player** without blocking its movement.. For better control of this trigger, you’ll create a new GameObject to hold this trigger collider. Make it a child of the **Gargoyle** GameObject, and use it to represent the Gargoyle’s field of view — the space where the Gargoyle can detect the **Player** GameObject. [Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20250617/videos/461aaadd-78e5-4db4-ab48-422f30f0c887_5.5_-_Create_a_Point_of_view_Trigger.mp4) **1.** **Create a child GameObject:** - If you're not in prefab editing mode, double-click the **Gargoyle** prefab in the **Project** window to enter it. - In the **Hierarchy** window, right-click the **Gargoyle** GameObject and select **Create Empty**. - Rename the new GameObject “PointOfView”. **Note:** This will represent the Gargoyle’s field of view. **2.** **Adjust the Transform component:** - With the **PointOfView** GameObject selected, open the **Toggle Tool Handle Rotation** dropdown located at the top of the **Scene** view and select **Local**. - In the **Inspector** window, update the **PointOfView** GameObject’s **Transform** component as follows: - **Position property**: (**X** = **0**, **Y** = **1.4**, and **Z** = **0.4**). - **Rotation property**: (**X** = **20**, **Y** = **0**, **Z** = **0**). **3.** **Enable the Capsule Collider component as a Trigger:** - With the **PointOfView** GameObject still selected, in the **Inspector** window, select the **Add Component** button. - Search for and add the **Capsule Collider** component. - Enable the **Is Trigger** property. **4.** **Resize the Trigger:** - Adjust the **Capsule** **Collider** component’s settings as follows: - **Center property**: (**X** = **0**, **Y** = **0**, **Z** = **0.95**). - **Radius property**: **0.7**. - **Height property**: **2**. - **Direction property**: **Z-Axis**. The shape and size of the **Capsule** **Collider** now defines the area where the Gargoyle can detect the **Player.** Now that the **Gargoyle** has a proper visual trigger set up, you're ready to write the script that will detect the **Player** GameObject and trigger a game over when the player character gets caught. ## 6. Create the Observer script Now that you’ve created the point of view trigger, it’s time to define what happens when the **Player** GameObject enters it. To do this, you’ll write a script that watches for the **Player** GameObject and responds when they’re detected. This script will be called **Observer** because its job is to observe the **Player** GameObject’s movements and trigger a consequence; in this case, restarting the game if the player character gets caught. This script can be reused for other enemies or GameObjects that need to observe the **Player** GameObject, making it a flexible and modular solution for different scenarios in your game. If you're curious to understand how the script works, check out [**Step 9**](https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/create-static-enemies#68517fededbc2a34bd136774), where we explain the key parts in more detail. If you already have some experience, you’re welcome to write your own version of the **Observer** script and customize it as you like! [Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20250617/videos/0a5e8025-6da1-42a2-8d9b-6ac2a5a1e824_5.6_-_Create_the_Observer_script.mp4) **1.** **Create a new script:** - In the **Project** window, navigate to **\_3DStealthGame** > **Scripts**. - Right-click the **Scripts** folder. - Select **Create** > **MonoBehaviour Script**. - Rename the script “Observer” and press **Enter**. **2.** **Assign the script** - If you're not already in prefab editing mode, double-click the **PointOfView** prefab in the **Project** window to open it. - In the **Inspector** window, select the **Add Component** button and search for and add the **Observer** script. **3.** **Open the script:** - Double-click the newly created **Observer** script. - This will open the script in the code editor or IDE you've set up (such as Visual Studio). **4.** **Copy the provided code:** - Once the script is open, delete any pre-filled content. - Copy and paste the following lines of code into the script, then save it: ```csharp using System.Collections; using System.Collections.Generic; using UnityEngine; public class Observer : MonoBehaviour { public Transform player; bool m_IsPlayerInRange; void OnTriggerEnter (Collider other) { if (other.transform == player) { m_IsPlayerInRange = true; } } void OnTriggerExit (Collider other) { if (other.transform == player) { m_IsPlayerInRange = false; } } void Update () { if (m_IsPlayerInRange) { Vector3 direction = player.position - transform.position + Vector3.up; Ray ray = new Ray(transform.position, direction); RaycastHit raycastHit; if(Physics.Raycast(ray, out raycastHit)) { if (raycastHit.collider.transform == player) { Debug.Log("Player was caught!"); } } } } } ``` ## 7. Test the behavior of the trigger Let’s bring the Gargoyle to life—literally. By setting the variables in the **Observer** script, you’ll give the Gargoyle the ability to detect specifically the **Player** GameObject. That way, it won’t just be a spooky statue—it’ll become an actual threat that can catch the **Player** and potentially end the game! You’ll also get to test the collider you previously set as a trigger. When the **Player** enters the trigger area, the collider won’t block their movement, but it will detect the interaction. To confirm it’s working, the script will print a message to the **Console** window, so you can check that the detection happened correctly. [Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20250617/videos/44fe623a-18f3-4085-b9ce-f8cf3f309441_5.7_-_Test_the_behaviour_of_the_trigger.mp4) **1.** **Assign the script’s variables:** - Exit prefab editing mode, in case you are still in it. - In the **Hierarchy** window, use the foldout (triangle) to expand the **Gargoyle** GameObject and select its **PointOfView** child GameObject. - Confirm the **Observer** script has been added correctly to the **PointOfView** GameObject. - Drag the **Player** GameObject from the **Hierarchy** window into the **Player** property box of the **Observer** component in the **Inspector** window. **Note:** Make sure to assign the **Player** GameObject from the **Hierarchy** window, not the prefab from the **Project** window. **2.** **Observe the detection:** - Select the **Play** button to enter Play mode. - Move the **Player** GameObject into the **Gargoyle** GameObject’s field of vision (the Trigger area from the **PointOfView** GameObject). - When the **Player** GameObject enters the Trigger area, a message should appear in the **Console** that states, "Player was caught!". **Note:** Remember to exit Play mode when you’re done testing. **3.** **Create a prefab of the PointOfView GameObject:** - Because the **PointOfView** GameObject is part of the **Gargoyle** prefab, you first need to enter prefab editing mode for the **Gargoyle** GameObject in order to convert the **PointOfView** GameObject into a prefab as well. - From the **Hierarchy** window, click and drag the **PointOfView** GameObject into the **\_3DStealthGame** > **Prefabs** folder in the **Project** window. You now have a configured static enemy with animation, a collider, and the ability to detect the **Player** GameObject's presence. ## 8. Place Gargoyles in your scene With your first **Gargoyle** GameObject already in place, it’s time to expand your level’s difficulty by adding more. Before you start, take a moment to consider how many you truly need. Gargoyles are static enemies—they won’t chase the player character or patrol the scene—so their strength lies in blocking paths, creating tension at chokepoints, and forcing players to choose alternate routes. Don't worry about placing too many just yet: in the next tutorial, you’ll add dynamic Ghost enemies that move through the level. So for now, think about how Gargoyles can complement that upcoming gameplay, and decide how many will serve your current level design best. [Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20250617/videos/dc4f1db8-3505-44d8-9341-4355a434fac6_5.8_-_Place_Gargoyles_in_your_Scene.mp4) **1.** **Decide how many Gargoyles to use:** - Analyze your level layout and ask yourself the following questions: - Where would a static obstacle add tension or force the player to change direction? - Are there key hallways, intersections, or shortcuts that feel too easy to cross? - Could placing a Gargoyle near a room entrance make it riskier to enter? Don’t overload the scene; more enemies are coming in the next tutorial. Once you’ve answered the above questions, you’re ready to move into the next steps. **2.** **Duplicate the Gargoyle:** - In the **Hierarchy** window, select the **Gargoyle** GameObject. - Press **Ctrl**+**D** (macOS: **Cmd**+**D**) as many times as needed based on your design. **3.** **Place each Gargoyle thoughtfully:** - Select each new **Gargoyle** GameObject and using the **Move/Rotate** tools place them based on your answers to the questions above. You don’t need to follow a template; just make sure each placement serves a purpose. **4.** **Create a parent GameObject to organize enemies:** - Right-click in the **Hierarchy** window and select **Create Empty**. - Rename the new GameObject “Enemies”. - Reset the **Enemies** GameObject’s **Transform** component’s **Position** property to **X** = **0**, **Y** = **0**, and **Z** = **0**. - Hold the **Shift** key, select all the **Gargoyles** you created, and drag them inside the **Enemies** GameObject to set them as child GameObjects. Your level now has strategic, static Gargoyle enemies placed with intention. In the next tutorial, you’ll add patrolling Ghost enemies that will give your haunted house a much more dynamic playability. ## 9. Review the Observer script This step is completely optional, but if you’re curious about how the **Observer** script works, here are a few parts of the code you might find especially interesting. **1.** **Detection of Triggers:** ```csharp void OnTriggerEnter (Collider other) { if (other.transform == player) { m_IsPlayerInRange = true; } } void OnTriggerExit (Collider other) { if (other.transform == player) { m_IsPlayerInRange = false; } } ``` - When any GameObject enters the trigger area, this checks if it’s the **Player** GameObject. If yes, **m_IsPlayerInRange** is set to **true**. - Similarly, when the **Player** GameObject exits the trigger area, **m_IsPlayerInRange** is set back to **false**. **2.** **Check if the Player GameObject has been seen in the Update method:** ```csharp if (m_IsPlayerInRange) { Vector3 direction = player.position - transform.position + Vector3.up; Ray ray = new Ray(transform.position, direction); RaycastHit raycastHit; if(Physics.Raycast(ray, out raycastHit)) { if (raycastHit.collider.transform == player) { Debug.Log("Player was caught!"); } } } ``` - **If m_IsPlayerInRange** only performs the visibility check if the **Player** GameObject is inside the trigger zone. - The **PointOfView** GameObject creates a **ray** starting at the observer and pointing toward the **Player** GameObject. - If the first GameObject hit by the ray is the **Player** GameObject, it means the player has been "caught." If you’d like to dive deeper into programming, we recommend checking out the [**Junior Programmer Pathway**](https://learn.unity.com/pathway/junior-programmer), where you’ll learn the fundamentals of coding in Unity. ## 10. Next steps With these steps completed, you’ve created a fully functional enemy that detects the player character when they’re near. In the next tutorial, you’’ll create a different type of enemy that can move around, which will make the gameplay more dynamic.