Giant Spider

The Giant Spider is an enemy in the Castlevania series. They often hang down from webs and may shoot webs or smaller spiders at the player.
==Description==
Giant Spiders made their first appearance in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. In that game, they were pretty much portrayed the way they would appear in most following titles, by hanging upside-down from web threads and shooting projectiles, either cobwebs or their own offspring at the player.
In Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge, they actually have a secondary purpose other than just being enemies; the player can use the web strings they leave behind to climb on and cross over bottomless pits. This adds a bit of strategy on how a Spider should be dealt with, as if it's killed when it's near the ceiling, it won't leave enough thread for the player to climb on.
As the series progressed, Giant Spiders were given a few different portrayals and ways of attacking, sometimes seen crawling on the floor at great speed, or attacking in clusters in an attempt to overwhelm the player.
Queen Algenie, a boss in Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, can give birth to several spiders during her boss fight and use them as part of her attacks.
==Appearances==
===Castlevania II: Simon's Quest===
First appearance of Giant Spiders in the series. These enemies are first encountered in Denis Woods, right outside the cave that contains the Sacred Flame. They crawl from side to side among the treetops, and every given time they descend hanging from a web thread, shooting webbings at Simon. Due to them usually being out of reach and able of shooting projectiles at an angle, they may pose a threat if allowed to gang up on the player.
===Castlevania: The Adventure===
There is concept are for a Venomous Spider that never made it into the game. Concept art in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection indicates that it crawls down its web from the ceiling to vomit a poisonous ball.
===Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse===
Giant Spiders in Dracula's Curse attack somewhat similar to their Simon's Quest counterparts, although now they appear in infinite numbers and they are neither visible from the beginning, nor do they crawl from side to side at the top of the screen. They lower themselves, hanging from a web thread from offscreen at the top on determined locations and attack; if not killed, they will simply climb back up and exit the screen. Another difference is that they now shoot little offspring at the player instead of webbings.
===Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge===
In Belmont's Revenge, Spiders, as usual, are found hanging from web threads, this time always above bottomless pits. Once dead, they leave their threads behind which can then be used as ropes to get across the chasm. For this reason, it's advisable to let them descend first and kill them when they are at the lowermost point possible, thus leaving more thread for the player to climb on.
===Super Castlevania IV===
Pretty much the same variant from Dracula's Curse, although with Simon's ability to attack upward in any direction in this game, these enemies practically pose no threat, often allowing the player to kill both the Giant Spider and its offspring in a single whip strike.
Only a couple of them are encountered in the forest section of Stage II, and a couple more appear much later in the dungeons of Stage VIII, making this installment one of these enemies' less relevant appearances.
===Castlevania Legends===
Unlike most incarnations, Spiders in Legends are found crawling on floors instead of hanging from web threads. They are the main enemies encountered in the Top Floor of the Castle (Stage 4). They move fast but only advance a few steps and then stop, giving a chance to kill them before they reach the player.
===Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness===
Spiders in Legacy of Darkness only appear as part of Queen Algenie's boss fight at the end of the Tunnel, beyond an alternate exit accessed through a sun door (granted the player arrives at daytime or holds a Sun Card in order to accelerate time).
The boss will be constantly giving birth to a myriad of these critters from the large egg sack she is attached to throughout the first phase of the encounter. They will be sent flying hanging from thin web threads all around the player in an attempt to overwhelm them, or at least hinder their movement so the boss can attack at will.
Physically, they don't pose much of a threat, as they can be killed with just one hit from any weapon. They will often leave behind Cure ampoules, which may become especially useful during this boss fight in order to counteract the Queen's many poisoning attacks.
Once the Queen has detached from the egg sack, she will no longer be able to summon any more spiders and will then resort in using her own webbings and melee attacks until the fight ends.
===Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth===
===Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls===
==Gallery==
Giant Spider - Simon's Quest - 01.png|The Spider from the Japanese Simon's Quest instruction booklet.
Adventure Concept Venomous Spider.png|Venomous Spider early concept art for The Adventure published in the The History of Castlevania (unused).
Adventure Stage Structure Spider.png|Stage structure production material published in the same source.
NP C3 Spider.JPG|Giant Spider from the Nintendo Power - Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse guide.
Spider Design Sketch.png|Dracula's Curse design sketch of Spider in The History of Castlevania e-book.
42spider.jpg|Giant Spider from the All About Akumajō Dracula guide for Super Castlevania IV.
BR Spider.JPG|Giant Spider from the Japanese Belmont's Revenge instruction booklet.
Evolution Skateboarding Giant Spider.JPG|The Monster in Dracula's Castle from Evolution Skateboarding.
Spider MR.jpg|Spider artwork from Moonlight Rhapsody.
==Trivia==
*In the Captain N: The Game Master animated series, a Giant Spider made a short appearance in the episode "Mr. and Mrs. Mother Brain".
==See also==
*Flying Spider - Whip made from spider threads.
*Giant Spider (Lords of Shadow)
*Queen Algenie (Arachne)
Category:Film Based Monsters
Category:Insects
Category:The Adventure ReBirth Enemies
Category:Belmont's Revenge Enemies
Category:Dracula's Curse Enemies
Category:Grimoire of Souls Enemies
Category:Legacy of Darkness Enemies
Category:Legends Enemies
Category:Moonlight Rhapsody Enemies
Category:Simon's Quest Enemies
Category:Super Castlevania IV Enemies