The Homunculus is an enemy in the Castlevania series. It is a malevolent, artificial life form created by a demonic scholar.
Origins[]
19th century engraving of Goethe's Faust and Homunculus.
A homunculus (Latin for "little man") is a representation of a small human being. Popularized in sixteenth-century alchemy and nineteenth-century fiction, it has historically referred to the creation of a miniature, fully formed human. The concept has roots in preformationism, as well as earlier folklore and alchemical traditions.
References to the homunculus do not appear prior to sixteenth-century alchemical writings; however, alchemists may have been influenced by earlier folk traditions (the mandragora is one example).
The homunculus has also been compared to the golem of Jewish folklore. Although the specifics outlining the creation of the golem and homunculus are very different, the concepts both metaphorically relate man to the divine, in his construction of life in his own image.
Description[]
While portrayals of the Homunculus differ from game to game, it retains the same basic conception of it being a humanoid created by artificial means, presumably by the practice of alchemy or even by arcane arts.
In Castlevania Chronicles, they appear as tiny creatures that burst out of glass containers, while in Dawn of Sorrow, they are human-sized, attached to breathing hoses, and can only be found submerged in water.
Appearances[]
Castlevania Chronicles[]
Homunculi are only encountered at the end of the first section of the laboratory, past the Frankenstein's Monster. They are initially found encased inside of little glass containers displayed on cabinets. As the player approaches, they will break from their tiny crystal prisons and start running around, shooting a small, swirling mass of energy at the player from a distance every once in a while.
Even though they die in only one hit, they can detect the player from far away and commence their attacks even before the player has an opportunity to get near them, not to mention their small size makes them difficult to target, so they should not be underestimated.
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Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow[]
A humanoid creature with a single large red eye that dwells in the water flooded portions of the Wizardry Lab. It is anchored down by a hose that extends off its back and will remain immobile until the player approaches. When awoken, it will lunge out, pulling tight the hose on its back. If not killed at this point, the tube will detach, allowing the creature to chase the player all across the room.
After detaching from the hose, the monster will begin to change color; once it turns purple, it will disintegrate (probably representing it drowning).
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