Amphisbaena

The Amphisbaena is a recurring enemy in the Castlevania series. It is a double-headed snake. Its name means "able to move in both directions".
==Origins==
The amphisbaena is a mythological, ant-eating serpent with a head at each end. The creature is alternately called the "Mother of Ants". Its name comes from the Greek words amphis, meaning "both ways", and bainein, meaning "to go", roughly translating as "to go both ways", a name which describes the presence of a head on both ends of its body.
According to Greek mythology, the amphisbaena was spawned from the blood that dripped from the Gorgon Medusa's head, as Perseus flew over the Libyan Desert with it in his hand, after which Cato's army then encountered it along with other serpents on the march. Amphisbaenae fed off of the corpses left behind.
The amphisbaena is a wielder of many abilities, including venom, hypnosis, and blinding speed; however, these vary within the numerous accounts it is mentioned in. Physically, the amphisbaena has resembled a snake, a dragon and a basilisk, all with two heads.
==Description==
The Amphisbaena is portrayed as a stout-bodied reptile covered with both scales and hair. Its secondary head is in the guise of a maiden from head to hips who is attached to the main body via a long, upright tail. This feature seems to be unique to Castlevania and forms the basis of the creature's offensive options, consisting primarily of fireballs (spewed only by the maiden's head). The player is able to stand on the reptile portion of the body without being harmed. Attacking the maiden will cause her to flinch back but she won't take any damage.
==Appearances==
===Castlevania: Symphony of the Night===
Renamed as Diplocephalus in the American version of Symphony of the Night, the player encounters this uncommon enemy early in the game as one of its first considerable challenges, due to the creature's relative high resilience at the moment it is first encountered. Three of them can be found guarding the long corridor in the Marble Gallery. If the player attacks the mouth of the reptile-like head, it will retreat a few steps without attacking. Since the Diplocephalus has no close range attacks and moves slowly, they aren't very difficult to deal with (a couple of Holy Water vials can quickly dispatch them).
When defeated, the maiden will shriek in pain while she and the rest of the creature's tail are slowly consumed by flames, then the rest of the monster will burst and break apart.
===Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin===
The Amphisbaena's appearance in Portrait of Ruin is even less prominent than its Symphony of the Night counterpart. A couple of them can be encountered in the Sandy Grave, each one inhabiting one room and alone. Due to the player's ability to deal more and constant damage in more varied ways in this game (such as 1,000 Blades), they can be dispatched very quickly and from a safe distance, without even giving them chance to counterattack.
The maiden will fade away, shrieking in pain, while the reptile portion of the body collapses and remains on the floor after dying.
==Item Data==
==Gallery==
PoR Illustrated 2-Headed Monster.JPG|Amphisbaena illustration from Portrait of Ruin.
Dxc 022.png|Diplocephalus enemy list entry from The Dracula X Chronicles version of Symphony of the Night.
Two-Headed Snake MR Beta Bestiary.JPG|Two-Headed Snake beta bestiary entry from Moonlight Rhapsody.
==Trivia==
*In-game files for Amphisbaena found in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin refer to her as "kari", a transliteration of "Kali". Kali was previously mistranslated as the enemy Curly in Aria of Sorrow.
==External links==
*Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin - Bestiary by Darth Nemesis at GameFAQs
*Castlevania Realm
Category:Female Monsters
Category:Fire Enemies
Category:Greek Monsters
Category:Platform Enemies
Category:The Dracula X Chronicles Enemies
Category:Moonlight Rhapsody Enemies
Category:Portrait of Ruin Enemies
Category:Symphony of the Night Enemies