As Halloween creeps ever closer, the shadows lengthen, the weather turns cold, and people’s imaginations begin to stir and think about spine-chilling horrors. So we start to look for those scary movies and video games that will give us the best frights and nightmarish creatures. To that end, we have decided to focus on one of the most unnerving creatures lurking in our favorite video games and a modern point of contention for the video game industry: spiders. Whether they’re gargantuan terrors or sneaky creeps crawling from the dark, these virtual arachnids make for unforgettable nightmare-fueled encounters. So, in honor of this spooky Halloween season, let’s shine a spotlight on the top 15 spiders that will have you squirming in your seat in no particular order.
1. Spider Pokémon – Pokémon Franchise
With creatures like Ariados and Tarontoula, the Pokémon franchise gives us some creepy crawlers with a bit of a cutesy flair. While they are more adorable than horrifying, these arachnid-like Pokémon pack a punch with venomous moves and electric webs, making them fearsome opponents when the full moon rises. Halloween doesn’t have to be all terror – it can be a little cute too!
Cute, yet deadly!
If Pokémon were real…
2. Spider – Minecraft
It’s hard not to be lulled into a false sense of serenity and security by the visuals of Minecraft. At first glance the blocky spiders of Minecraft might seem harmless but, when night falls, their glowing red eyes and sudden, skittering movement can get your heart racing. Whether it’s a lone spider stalking you in the woods or an army of them creeping up on your unsuspecting character, these pixelated horrors will have you checking over your shoulder this spooky season.
Now, imagine if the developers created a spider creeper! The frights that could be fraught!
3. Arich – Donkey Kong Country 3
If you thought we were going to talk about our faithful steed Squitter the Spider, you thought wrong! This list is about arachnids who fight you, not help you. Especially spiders who like to ambush you like Arich, the giant arachnid boss from Donkey Kong Country 3. A lumbering nightmare that is ready to rain down venomous projectiles on anyone who dares to challenge him. Despite his goofy appearance, his enormous fangs and unsettling size make him a formidable foe in the world of Donkey Kong with Arich’s spindly legs and aggressive attacks giving him a creepy edge.
Let’s face it. If Arich was real, you wouldn’t want to be walking anywhere near areas with trees.
Especially on Halloween!
4. Skulltulas – The Legend of Zelda Series
The Skulltulas are iconic in the Zelda franchise, since their appearance in Ocarina of Time, with their bone-chilling appearance that never fails to send shivers down players’ spines. With their skeletal design, menacing skull faces, and haunting hisses these creatures leap down from above, often turning tight corridors into traps. A staple of the franchise!
5. Corrupted Spiders and Spider Queen – Dragon Age: Origins
The Dragon Age universe doesn’t shy away from horrors, and the Corrupted Spider Queen is a monstrous example. Far more menacing than her lesser brood, the Spider Queen lurks deep underground, waiting to strike at unwary adventurers. While her size is the same as the other spiders, she still brings a more regal and terrifying presence to the battlefield backed by her venomous bite. As her many legs scuttle toward you, the claustrophobic cave around you will begin to feel like a tomb and, if that weren’t enough, like her minions, the Spider Queen will sometimes ascend back up into the ceiling and drop back down while pouncing on you at any opportunity.
Sadly, BioWare has decided to remove spiders which were once a staple of the Dragon Age franchise by not including any spiders in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
6. Nerubians – Warcraft Series
The Nerubians from World of Warcraft are the stuff of nightmares. A race of intelligent, insectoid creatures, these giant spiders combine dark magic and physical prowess. Their towering, armored forms and sinister plots make them more than just a creepy-crawly; they’re the kind of threat that lingers in the mind long after the game ends.
However, if the Nerubians’ appearance is too frightening for you, then Blizzard offers you the option to crab-wash the entire sentient race just for you.
7. Broodmother – Dota 2
Ah, Dota 2’s Broodmother – a terrifying spider that plays with her prey. Whether you’re caught in her webs or, “Like mother, like spiders,” ambushed by her hordes of spiderlings, Broodmother is the queen of surprise attacks. Her ability to spawn an army of baby spiders is sure to raise the hairs on your neck as you desperately try to survive her onslaught. Suffice to say, you do not want to be in the same lane with her for good reason.
Because, if you are in the same lane as her, well…as Broodmother likes to say, “The hunt starts now!”
8. Giant Frost Spider – Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The frozen wilderness of Skyrim holds many dangers, but none quite as bone-chilling as the Giant Frost Spider. These colossal arachnids lurk in dark caves and snowy ruins, waiting to ambush unwary adventurers. Their venomous bite and ability to leap out of the shadows make them a terrifying foe, especially when you’re already on edge from the eerie atmosphere of Skyrim’s dungeons and wilds.
9. Spider-Man – Spider-Man Games
What? You think Spider-Man can’t be scary? Au contraire mon frère! While he might be one of the good guys, let’s not forget – Spider-Man is still a spider in spirit! His web-swinging acrobatics, wall-crawling antics, and superhuman agility make him a frightful force in the world of villains. And while we may love him, there’s something slightly unsettling about his spidery nature, especially when you imagine those powers in the wrong hands.
He may look like a man, but he is all spider where it counts and a popular Halloween costume!
Or maybe he needs to revert to Man-Spider to remind you why he should be feared?
10. Duke’s Dear Freja – Dark Souls II
Few things say “Halloween horror” like the giant, multi-eyed monstrosity known as Duke’s Dear Freja from Dark Souls II. It’s bad enough that it is a spider and is huge, but it also has a two-headed spider body and the ability to summon a swarm of deadly spider minions. That makes this boss battle as harrowing as they come. A fight against Freja is less of a duel and more of a desperate scramble to stay out of her web.
11. Black Tiger – Resident Evil
Spiders are bad enough, but Resident Evil took it a step further with Black Tiger – a grotesquely oversized, venomous spider. Lurking in the dark, this monstrous arachnid is ready to make you scream as it pounces at you with deadly precision. And let’s not forget the nerve-wracking tension of being trapped in narrow hallways with this beast.
Just thinking about it is enough to make someone break out in a sweat!
12. Spider Boss – Hogwarts Legacy
The Forbidden Forest is full of dangers, but none are as chilling as the spider boss lurking in the shadows. This oversized arachnid guards its territory fiercely, forcing even the bravest wizards to tread lightly. With its venomous strikes and quick movements, this fight will have you clutching your wand in terror as you dodge webs and fangs.
Even Ron Weasley would go back to being a sniveling little baby as he suffers an arachnophobia relapse.
13. Broodmother Lystrix – ARK: Survival Evolved
Nothing says “Halloween terror” quite like summoning Broodmother Lystrix in ARK: Survival Evolved. This enormous spider boss towers over players, ready to rain down chaos with poison, webs, and hordes of araneomorphus (araneo for short). Every encounter with this beast is a deadly dance of survival, where one wrong move could leave you entangled in her clutches or, worse yet, your favorite dinos become its food. To succeed, you better make sure you bring your best dinosaurs to help you fight this and a really good gun.
There is something to be said about fighting a giant spider in first person. Gives you a whole different perspective and experience!
14. Giant Nightmare Apostle – Bloodborne
The Giant Nightmare Apostle is exactly what you’d expect from a game like Bloodborne: grotesque, otherworldly, and absolutely terrifying. This hulking spider is a vision of dread that combines body horror with Lovecraftian terror. With its elongated limbs and bloodthirsty nature, it’s the perfect embodiment of your worst Halloween fears come to life.
15. Spider – Hunt: Showdown
The spider in Hunt: Showdown is pure nightmare fuel. It’s bad enough when you enter its lair, but when you realize that it is fast, aggressive, and dripping with venom you will either run away or scream as you try to kill it with fire. It scuttles along walls and ceilings, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, which makes for a tense and nerve-wracking encounter. Its ferocity and speed make this one of the scariest spiders you’ll face, especially if you catch a glimpse of its hideous face before it lunges at you.
There are reasons why we recommend Hunt: Showdown as a must-play for Halloween and the spider boss is one of them.
Spiders may be terrifying for some, and a great jump scare for the rest, just remember that the real terror are gamers who refuse to overcome their fears and demand that other’s miss out on these experiences. That these gamers would, if we allow it, force developers to never put spiders in any games ever.
So whether you’re tangling with the fiendish webs of Freja or holding down the trigger to kill Lystrix, video game spiders have a knack for turning even the bravest players into quivering wrecks. This Halloween, why not take on one of these terrifying eight-legged foes? Just remember – there’s always a spider waiting to catch you off guard.
Happy Halloween and may your virtual webs stay untangled, your blood free of poison, and your face far away from the mandibles.
What video game spider is your favorite or scariest? Let us know in the comments!
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