To keep things interesting in any kind of game, there needs to be a healthy variety of enemies; this isn't just limited to bosses and mini-bosses but amongst common enemies as well. One of the most notable enemy archetypes that game developers just can't seem to get enough of is the iconic spider-type enemy.
Even with having the same base as inspiration, each of these enemies still manages to have their own unique design and style, keeping the famous archetype feeling fresh, new, and still spine-chilling even after all these years. Arachnophobes, look away! Here are some of the most iconic spider-type enemies in video game history.
8 The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess- Armogohma
The mighty Armogohma is the boss of the Temple of Time in Zelda's Twilight Princess. Following the cardinal rule of video game bosses, Armogohma has a (very large) weak spot and an obvious one at that. While technically speaking in terms of gameplay, this large weak spot is a lucky advantage for the player, it's still incredibly hard to look at.
Armogohma's giant eye it has on its back may be a weak spot for itself, but it also serves as a weakness for any arachnophobes! As if its giant eye wasn't creepy enough, Armogohma can also spawn an army of spider eggs that turn into babies that Link must fight off before dealing any more damage to the boss itself.
7 Metro Exodus/Metro: Last Light- Spiderbug
The spiderbugs found in Metro Exodus and Metro: Last: Light have two different variations according to their sex and both are equally terrifying. Spiderbugs are oversized, mutated spiders with a hard outer shell and are rather easily avoided with light but still make for a formidable enemy.
While the female variant is much more compatible to a spider, having a rounded abdomen and resorting to biting and clawing as their primary means of attack, the male variant is much more disturbing. The male variation of the spiderbug has a long, scorpion-like tail and can use the stinger at the end to jab its victims.
If these two aren't enough to creep players out, there are also a few other (equally horrid) spiderbug variations with different mutations and attacks, including the hatchling, the spitter, and even the zap spider.
6 Skyrim- Frostbite Spiders
These enemies aren't particularly difficult to deal with and aren't even that dangerous, but in numbers, things begin to get hairy. The infamous frostbite spider can be found all over Skyrim and pose a threat to players for a very different reason from other enemies found in dangerous caverns.
These spiders spit out venom at their enemies and can inflict poison damage. While these spiders are already much, much bigger than the average household pest, there's an even bigger variation to worry about. The larger more monstrous version of the frostbite spider is fittingly called the giant frostbite spider and is twice as terrifying as its smaller counterpart.
However, for any arachnophobes that are trying to shake their fears, if the player has joined the Dark Brotherhood, there is also a friendly frost spider named Lis that can be found in the sanctuary in Falkreath.
5 Bloodborne- Rom, The Vacuous Spider
Unfortunately for those that are easily grossed out by spiders, Bloodborne's Rom isn't an optional boss. Rom may look like a giant mess of an insect-like creature and may have way more than eight legs, but she is in fact a spider; as proven by her actual in-game title. If it isn't her overwhelming size or overabundance of legs that scare players away, it's her leech-like mouth or plethora of eyes she has on her pale, elongated face.
To make matters worse, in her first phase, Rom has the ability to summon a giant army of (only slightly) smaller spiders to help defend her, which eventually surround the player completely. And yes, to top things off, these "baby Roms" that spawn, also have her same terrifying signature face.
4 Giant Spider- Limbo
The very first encounter with this enemy is one of the most terrifying moments, even without any flashy lights or sudden jump scare sounds. The entirety of Limbo is played in black and white, with characters only ever appearing on-screen as dark silhouettes. Even with the (purposeful) lack of detail, the spider boss from Limbo is one of the most terrifying spider enemies out there.
Seeing its long, sharp legs un-sprawl as the player approaches instills one of those moments where the player lets out a breath they didn't even know they were holding. To make this famous spider boss even more horrifying, its encounter with the player isn't a one-time thing; it follows the player throughout the level and shows up at unsuspecting times. However, its inevitable death is rather gruesome and may seem a bit harsh, even with how scary it seemed earlier. Poor thing!
3 Half-Life- Headcrabs
The Half-Life headcrabs are, of course, crabs, but it's clear in their design they resemble a bug; more specifically a spider. Especially when clinging onto a victim's face, their spider-like design really shines through, resembling a giant spider pouncing on their prey.
There are a few variations of headcrabs, with the poison headcrabs being one of the most well-known. Not only do these little guys send shivers down players' spines just from a single glance, but the underside of them is also a nightmare. The underside of the Half-Life headcrabs reveals its main weapon: a mouth, bearing a terrifying circle of razor-sharp teeth.
2 Dark Souls- Chaos Witch Quelaag
Don't be fooled by Quelaag's beautiful front; it's nothing compared to the terrifying monster she truly is. Quelaag has two faces: one of a beautiful woman, which sits upon her other face, which just so happens to be a horrific monster-sized spider one.
To be precise, Quelaag is a half-woman, half-spider demon that resides at the very bottom of Blighttown in Dark Souls. While the head of Quelaag's demon half almost resembles an anglerfish, the eight giant legs (that also happen to have spikes on the ends) she has on either side of her make her easily recognizable as a spider boss. The dangerous mix of Quelaag's sea of razor-sharp teeth and her ability to breathe fire makes her not only a terrifying spider enemy but a deadly one too!
1 Resident Evil- Giant Spider
The Resident Evil series has never been shy when it comes to introducing enemies that go outside the realm of the typical zombie. While the t-Virus was known for mutating human beings, it (unfortunately) also has the ability to mutate other living beings, such as animals and of course, insects. Not only does the virus' spread cause insects to become more dangerous, but it also causes them to grow to monstrous sizes.
Resident Evil has introduced a plethora of spider-like enemies, such as the giant spiders featured in RE2, RE3, and RE: Outbreak that were created by accident and also the web spinners that were bio-weapons that were purposefully developed in the Umbrella USA laboratory.