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Eater of Worlds
Eater of WorldsOld-gen console version and Nintendo 3DS version
Map Icon Eater of Worlds
Map Icon
Classic mode icon Classic
Expert mode icon Expert
Master mode icon Master
Inflicts debuff
Inflicts debuff
DebuffWeakWeak
Debuff tooltipPhysical abilities are decreased
Chance0%5*1/20 (5%)5*1/20 (5%)
Durationn/a10 minutes12 minutes 30 seconds
Drops
Coins820
Eater of Worlds Trophy"Screams echo around you..."Eater of Worlds Trophy

The Eater of Worlds is a pre-Hardmode Corruption-themed worm boss. It is summoned using Worm Food from within the Corruption and Underground Corruption, or by destroying 3 Shadow Orbs that spawn in Corruption-filled worlds. It can be summoned at any time of day. Do note that Eater of Worlds shoots vile spit in Expert and Master mode.

The Eater of Worlds is not a single target, but a string of segments with individual life counters. When any inner body segment is destroyed, it splits into multiple smaller worms, each with their own head and tail. Each section of the Eater must be killed in order to defeat the entire boss. The Eater of Worlds, like all worms, is immune to lava.

On the PC version PC, Console version Console, Mobile version Mobile, and tModLoader version tModLoader versions, it has a total of 67 / 72 segments[1], and is only immune to the Confused debuff.

On the Old-gen console version Old-gen console, Windows Phone version Windows Phone, Old Chinese version Old Chinese, 3DSNintendo 3DS version, and tModLoader 1 tModLoader Legacy versions, it has a total of 50 segments, and is immune to the Poisoned, Confused, Cursed Inferno, Shadowflame, On Fire!, and Venom debuffs.

Fighting the Eater of Worlds is the only way to obtain Shadow Scales, and it's one of the only ways to obtain usable quantities of Demonite Ore, both necessary for crafting a Nightmare Pickaxe. Individual segments drop some of these when killed, with a larger bonus drop upon defeating the entire entity[2]. Defeating the Eater of Worlds allows the Tavernkeep NPC to spawn, and meteorites to land.

The Eater of Worlds is the Corruption counterpart to the Crimson's Brain of Cthulhu. The Hardmode mechanical boss equivalent to the Eater of Worlds is the Destroyer.

While the Eater of Worlds is alive, the music Boss 1 will play. When Otherworldly music is enabled, the track Boss 1 (Otherworldly) will play instead.

Quick Answers

What item is used to spawn the Eater of Worlds? toggle section
The Eater of Worlds, a pre-Hardmode Corruption-themed worm boss in Terraria, is summoned using an item called Worm Food. This can be used within The Corruption or Underground Corruption. Alternatively, the Eater of Worlds can also be summoned by destroying 3 Shadow Orbs that spawn in Corruption worlds.
Provided by: Fandom
Can the Eater of Worlds be summoned without destroying Shadow Orbs, and if so, how? toggle section
Yes, the Eater of Worlds can be summoned without destroying Shadow Orbs. This can be achieved by using an item called Worm Food. However, it's important to note that the Eater of Worlds can only be summoned in the Corruption, regardless of the method used for its summoning.
Provided by: Fandom
Why does the Eater of Worlds' segmented form, instead of a single target, matter? toggle section
The Eater of Worlds, a boss character in Terraria, is unique in that it's not a single target but a string of segments, each with its own life counter. This design significantly impacts the strategy for fighting it. When any inner body segment is destroyed, it splits into multiple smaller worms, each with their own head and tail. This means that to defeat the Eater of Worlds, every section must be killed. This can make the battle more challenging, as players must focus on multiple targets at once. Additionally, when the Eater of Worlds splits, the segment that becomes the tail fully recovers, adding another layer of complexity to the fight.
Provided by: Fandom
What additional abilities does the Eater of Worlds gain in Expert and Master mode? toggle section
In Expert and Master mode, the Eater of Worlds gains several additional abilities. It becomes about 20% faster and periodically shoots Vile Spit projectiles from all body parts. These projectiles have a chance to inflict the Weak debuff onto the player. When fought above the ground, the Eater of Worlds moves quicker and constantly fires Vile Spit at the player. Additionally, every time it splits, it summons an Eater of Souls. Its maximum speed is also increased significantly.
Provided by: Fandom

Segments[]

Classic mode icon Classic
Expert mode icon Expert
Master mode icon Master
2 values: Pre-Hardmode › Hardmode
3 values: Pre-Hardmode › Hardmode › Post-Plantera
NPC ID Type Health Damage Defense Extra Drops
13 Eater of Worlds Head Eater of Worlds Head 150/210/267 22/48/72 2/4
14 Eater of Worlds Body Eater of Worlds Body 150/210/267 13/20/31 4/6
15 Eater of Worlds Tail Eater of Worlds Tail 150/210/267 11/17/26 8/10

Health in Multiplayer[]

  • In Expert and Master modes, the health of bosses depends on the number of players in multiplayer. Please enter the number of players (a whole number between 2 and 256) on your server in the input box below.

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  • Eater of Worlds

    Notes[]

    • If the player dies or leaves the Corruption, the Eater of Worlds will stop following the player and start burrowing into the ground until it despawns. Note that if the player goes to the Crimson, the Eater of Worlds will continue to chase the player.
    • Trying to summon the Eater of Worlds with Worm Food while another is still alive will not work and the item will not be consumed.
      • Breaking multiple Shadow Orbs will still allow multiple Eaters of Worlds to spawn. Regardless of how many are summoned, only the last head alive will display the defeat message.
    • Note that actually defeating the Eater of Worlds is not completely necessary to progress, as a certain amount of segments may drop the needed amount of materials.
      • However, defeating the Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu is the only way to gain access to the Tavernkeep and Meteorite .
    • The different sections of the Eater of Worlds are not equivalent: the head section will deal significantly more damage than the body or tail, but also has the least defense.
      • The reverse is true for its tail; it has more defense than the body or head, but also deals the least damage.
    • Individual segments cannot survive on their own. Killing one segment, when that part had only consisted of two segments, will kill both, with both segments dropping loot.
    • When the Eater of Worlds splits, the segment that becomes the tail will fully recover. The segment that becomes the head will not heal. Newly formed worms tend to retreat into the ground.
    • Depending on where exactly the Eater of Worlds is summoned, it may get stuck underneath empty terrain such as a cave. It will only be stuck for a few seconds, however, since it can travel through blocks.
    • The Eater of Worlds spawns in a coiled state and unravels from there. Attacking it with piercing weapons in this state will damage all its segments, which can kill it in seconds.
    • The Eater of Worlds only takes 65% of the usual damage from Molotov Cocktails.

    Expert Mode changes[]

    • In Expert Mode, the Eater of Worlds is about 20% faster.
    • It periodically shoots Vile Spit projectiles from all body parts. These projectiles have a 5*1/20 (5%) chance to inflict the Weak debuff onto the player for 10 minutes.
      • When fought above the ground, the Eater of Worlds moves quicker and constantly fires Vile Spit at the player.
    • The Eater of Worlds takes 80% less damage from most explosives.
      • This damage reduction does not seem to apply to Bouncy Bombs.

    Achievement[]

    Achievement Worm Fodder
    Worm Fodder • Defeat the Eater of Worlds, a massive worm who dwells in the corruption.
    Defeat the Eater of Worlds for the first time.
    Category: Slayer Slayer

    Tips[]

    For more elaborate strategies on defeating Eater of Worlds, including weapon and arena recommendations, see Guide:Eater of Worlds strategies.
    • Effective weapons include piercing or area-of-effect weapons, such as the Vilethorn, the Water Bolt (), Spiky Balls, Grenades, whips, and fast melee weapons, such as the Falcon Blade and the Terragrim or Arkhalis.
    • Like other worm-types, once the Eater's head passes a given point, every body segment must follow. This allows the player to stand next to the body, attacking every segment as it goes by. The player should be wary of the head looping back around.
    • Killing the head of the Eater of Worlds causes its speed to drastically decrease, almost to a stop.
    • If possible, try to aim for the head or tail of each section, as if they die first, the Eater will not split. Note that the head is far more vulnerable.
    • If fighting in a chasm, be wary of getting surrounded, which can lead to death very quickly, especially in Expert or Master Mode. A quick way to escape is to have a Bed to teleport to (using Recall Potions or a Magic or Ice Mirror) above the battle area.
      • It may be preferable to hollow out an area in the Corruption in advance, in order to avoid this situation.
    • Farming the Eater of Worlds is particularly profitable, being one of the most effective ways of making money prior to Hardmode.
    • Since each segment can drop loot when killed, it can be a good source of Presents during Christmas, and Goodie Bags, Bloody Machetes, and Bladed Gloves during Halloween.
    • In Hardmode, it can provide other items as well:
    • The Eater of Worlds will start to flee underground if the player leaves the Corruption biome, but will not immediately despawn. Players can utilize this mechanic to keep the Eater of Worlds away from themselves without despawning it by moving in and out of the Corruption, watching for the boss's icon on the minimap to make sure it does not leave.
    • Using a flail will block any Vile Spit from hitting the player when Use / Attack is held down. Alternatively, a whip would also work for it can sweep a large area clean of vile spit in a single whip.
    • In versions 1.4.1 and higher the Blade of Grass is a great sword to take on the Eater of Worlds.

    Trivia[]

    • The Eater of Worlds and Skeletron are the only bosses that do not have their own AI.
    • It might spawn outside of map boundaries on rare occasions when breaking Shadow Orbs, although the Eater of Worlds spawns in relation to the player, not the broken third orb.
    • The Eater of Worlds is sometimes abbreviated as "EoW".
    • It is immune to many debuffs, whereas its counterpart, the Brain of Cthulhu, is only immune to Confused.
    • With five eyes on the body segments, along with three eyes on the head and tail segments each, the Eater of Worlds has 331 / 356 / 246 eyes in total.
    • It measures roughly 195 / 209 tiles.
    • The Eater of Worlds will not despawn while in the Crimson biome.
    • The Eater of Worlds has the highest health of all pre-Hardmode bosses.
    • Official Terraria Lore – According to the official game lore, the Destroyer is a simulacrum of Cthulhu's spine. Despite the Destroyer taking heavy influence from it, the Eater of Worlds has no connection to Cthulhu and is not mentioned to be a former body part, unlike other pre-mech forms.
    • The Steam Workshop page appears to show the Eater of Words with centipede-like legs rather than its usual worm-like depiction.
    • In the cancelled DC comic tie-in, the Eater of Worlds can be seen talking.
    • According to the Angler, a severed piece of the Eater of Worlds fell into water and mutated a corrupt fish; creating the Eater of Plankton.

    The BestiaryBestiary entry for the Eater of Worlds: "Conceived from the bottomless malice of the Corruption, this mighty abyssal worm tunnels wildly to devour all in its path."

    Gallery[]

    History[]

    • Desktop 1.4.0.2: Defeating the Eater of Worlds now allows Meteorites to fall rather than breaking a Shadow Orb, and defeating more Eater of Worlds will increase the chance of a Meteorite falling the following night.
    • Desktop 1.1.2:
      • The Eater of Worlds can now spawn when a third Shadow Orb is broken within the Hallow, but will still flee due to not being in the Corruption.
    • Desktop 1.0.6:
      • No longer defeated when it flees.
      • Head health reduced from 80 to 65, damage reduced from 43 to 22.
      • Body health reduced from 210 to 150, damage reduced from 18 to 13, armor reduced from 7 to 4.
      • Tail health reduced from 300 to 220, damage reduced from 15 to 11, armor reduced from 10 to 8.
    • Desktop 1.0.5:
      • No longer drops Shadow armor.
      • Can no longer follow players out of the corruption.
      • Head health reduced from 140 to 80, damage reduced from 50 to 43.
      • Body life reduced from 230 to 210, damage reduced from 25 to 18.
      • Tail life reduced from 350 to 300.
    • Desktop 1.0.4:
      • Fixed a bug where simply selecting Worm Food in the quick bar summoned the Eater of Worlds.
      • Head life increased from 120 to 140, damage increased from 40 to 50, armor increased from 0 to 2.
      • Body life increased from 200 to 230, damage increased from 10 to 25, armor increased from 4 to 7.
      • Tail life increased from 300 to 350, damage increased from 10 to 15, armor increased from 8 to 10.

    References[]

    1. Information taken from the PC version PC 1.4.0.5 source code, method GetEaterOfWorldsSegmentsCount() and method AI_006_Worms() in Terraria.NPC.cs. Note that the worm-type segment counts in the code are only for the body segments, and do not include the head or tail; hence 65/70 becomes 67/72 There may be inaccuracies, as the current PC version PC version is 1.4.4.9.
    2. Information taken from the PC version PC 1.4.0.5 source code, methods AI_006_Worms() and DropEOWLoot() in Terraria.NPC.cs, and method RegisterBoss_EOW() in Terraria.GameContent.ItemDropRules.ItemDropDatabase.cs. There may be inaccuracies, as the current PC version PC version is 1.4.4.9.
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