Bloodborne's spiders are just the worst

Bloodborne's spiders terrorize players with their grotesque forms and aggressive attacks. Rom, a significant spider boss, frustrates with her minions and arcane onslaught. The Nightmare of Mensis houses a daunting spider-filled room, enhancing the fear. Their design triggers arachnophobia, adding to Bloodborne's horror.

The eldritch nightmare Bloodborne throws the player into is no stranger to downright terrifying enemy design; fear lurks around every corner, but perhaps no enemy strikes terror into the hearts of players quite like the spiders. These eight-legged monstrosities, with their grotesque forms and relentless attacks, are a source of dread for even the most seasoned hunters. From the cavernous depths of the Forbidden Woods to the haunting halls of the Nightmare of Mensis, spiders in Bloodborne are just the worst.

Rom: The Vacuous Spider

One of the first encounters with spiders in Bloodborne occurs with Rom, a boss fight that is simultaneously beautiful and poorly designed. After navigating the admittedly underwhelming Byrgenwerth, you find a crazed Master Willem, who simply points at the lake ahead of you. Sinking into the murky waters reveals the surreal Moonside Lake, home to Rom (and a few kamikaze spiders). Despite looking like a deformed potato with spider legs, Rom can be one of the most frustrating fights in the game. Surrounded by a legion of smaller spiders, that can dive bomb straight into your skull (doing insane damage), she also relentlessly spams devastating arcane attacks that can quickly overwhelm most players in her second phase.

The dreaded spider room

For those brave enough to venture into the Nightmare of Mensis, the spider room is a trial unlike any other. As players cautiously make their way through the dimly lit corridors, they are suddenly confronted with a sight that strikes fear into their hearts: an expansive chamber filled with countless spiders, their glowing eyes piercing through the darkness. The sheer number of arachnids, coupled with their unsettling movements and bloodcurdling screeches, creates an atmosphere of unrelenting terror, leaving players paralyzed with fear.

Fear-inducing design

From their spindly legs to their unsettling animations, the design of spiders in Bloodborne is purposefully crafted to trigger arachnophobia in players. Their grotesque appearance, with bulbous bodies and twitching movements, invokes a primal fear response, tapping into our instinctual aversion to spiders. The dark, claustrophobic environments in which they are often encountered only serve to heighten the sense of dread, creating a truly nightmarish experience for those afflicted with arachnophobia.

A Disturbing Distraction

Then there's the pigs. These grotesque swine roam the streets of Yharnam, their grunting and snorting echoing through the darkness. Disproportionately large, like the arachnids, and quite dangerous themselves, these guys are a tad more manageable but equally disturbing. They can be snuck up on and dispatched pretty easily with a backstab + visceral attack combo (which looks quite questionable considering the pig's rear) though if faced head-on, will maul the player whilst squealing in the worst possible tone. They serve as another example of how FromSoft warps familiarity into something eldritch, lined with warts and protrusions, festering with cursed blood, the pigs are also the worst.