The Behemoth is a great beast of biblical origins. In Castlevania, it is usually portrayed as a half rotting giant bull-like creature.
Origins
Job 40:15-24 refers to the Behemoth as the largest living thing, and also implies it to be aquatic. It's generally thought to have been a somewhat embellished description of an elephant or hippopotamus, much of the description of Leviathan in the Bible is generally believed to be a description of a crocodile. "Behemoth" also comes from the same root word as "Bahamut", and has since come to mean anything massive and large.
Appearances
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
A corpse of a Behemoth (probably the same Richter avoided) can be seen in the Colosseum. Here it works as a scenario ornament and nothing more.
Castlevania (Nintendo 64) / Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
One of the major boss battles of the game. It is found presumably dead in a large room in the Castle Center, but when the character activates the crystal behind the wall, it appears to be resurrected, making the Behemoth possibly an undead creature. This is so far the first time the Behemoth has shown its power to the player in the series (other than just chasing him/her). It spits huge laser beams from its mouth, causing a great nuclear-like explosion, and rushes at you finishing with a heave that throws the player far away. An interesting note is that the more hits the Behemoth gets, the more skin, muscle tissue and bones it loses, so depending on how the player fights, the creature will have a different appearance. Also, if you manage to take down its legs, it will begin crying in pain and will no longer be able to attack you, thus awarding the victory in your favor. All you'll have to do is finish it off. A later boss in the series Gergoth shares several of these traits. Being a rotting monster with the ability to shoot lasers and a weakness on its legs.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
A corpse of a Behemoth can be found in the Skeleton Cave of Harmony of Dissonance.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
In Portrait of Ruin, this is an early undead boss that you must first flee from, then confront to kill. The Behemoth resembles a giant bull who's hind quarters have been torn off. During the first half of the battle you must run ahead of the creature, smashing walls along the way. Once you reach what looks like a Colosseum, you must fight and kill the Behemoth. It's a fairly straight forward fight, but since you most likely are not at a higher level and don't have access to powerful weapons yet, it can be a tough one.
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
In Dracula X Chronicles, it appears on the second stage. It could be considered a mid-boss who stalks the player until it reaches a large wall, after passing through the entrance of the castle. It takes a considerable amount of effort to kill the Behemoth, as it dies in 12 hits. One trick is to gather at least 40 hearts (usually carried over the previous level) and use the Holy Water's Item Crash (Hydro Storm) to defeat it. Once beaten, the Behemoth leaves behind a Sound Item.
Enemy Data
- Main article: Behemoth/Enemy Data