“ | As we speak, my Basilisk cleanses this land, so that it may embrace the glory of the Persian Empire. | ” |
–Persian King, regarding the beast's task. |
The Basilisk is a large reptilian-like creature that appears as one of the first bosses in God of War: Chains of Olympus.
European bestiary and Lore[]
A basilisk is a legendary reptile that is reputed to be a serpent king who causes death to those that look into its eyes. The creature's only weaknesses is the foul odor of a weasel.
Appearance In-Game[]
The Basilisk is a giant fire-breathing lizard-like monster with a sail upon its back, a membrane between its front and back legs, and a spiked tail. Brought by the Persians to invade Attica, the monster alongside the invading Persian army, began terrorizing the city and the Persian King said it will purify the area. The Gods of Olympus ordered Kratos to "eliminate this evil".
The first encounter in the game is when it interrupts a fight between Kratos and a Cyclops in the outskirts of the city, bursting through the doorway and devouring the Cyclops. The following fight ends when Kratos takes out its left eye with a pillar, and it flees into the city with Kratos in pursuit. The creature ends up battling the Ghost of Sparta on the bridge leaving Attica. Kratos kills it by jumping on its head and pulling its jaw together, causing its mouth to explode.
Mythology[]
Its origins are not fully known, although it can be traced to the Greek, Roman, and Medieval European myths. In Greek Mythology, it has a serpentine body accented with rooster feathers and the ability to breathe fire. It is born from the egg of a toad that had nested for 9 years, hatching when the constellation Sirius is visible in the sky. In various myths, the Basilisk is often described and depicted the same as another mythical creature called a "Cockatrice".
According to Alexander the Great and Saint George, the Basilisk has a deadly gaze, which can instantly kill anything and anyone upon looking at the Basilisk's eyes. However, this gaze can also easily kill the creature should it see its own reflection,
Trivia[]
- The first encounter with the beast is very similar to the first encounter with the Hydra, as in both cases the beasts swipe their heads in the same manner, and the defeat sequences are almost identical.
- The Lost Levels bonus video in God of War: Chains of Olympus reveals that there was originally concepts for a smaller type of Basilisk enemy, the Infant Basilisk.
- The fact that there were originally going to be infant Basilisks gives a large hint that the attacking adult Basilisk is female or is asexual in reproduction.
- After the Basilisk loses its left eye, the blood on its face is identical to the tattoo on Kratos' face.
- The Basilisk is the first opening boss who is not the first boss to die in the game. This 'honor' was bestowed on the Persian King.
- The creature bares large similarities to the real life prehistoric creatures, the 'Spinosaurus' and 'Dimetrodon'.
- It is possible that the Basilisk willingly serves the Persian king and his army as it made no attempt to escape once its restraints were freed and immediately started to attack the city. In addition it has made no attempt to attack the Persian soldiers or archers, however it did attack and eat one of the Cyclopes.
- The basilisk may have been influenced by descriptions of cobras, from the crown-like symbols on the snakes' heads, to their spitting of venom.
- However, the basilisk itself does not appear in actual Persian mythology. This creature might possibly correspond to the Azhdaha, a snake-like dragon.