Eater of Worlds

"A massive worm whom dwells in the corruption..."

The Eater of Worlds is a giant Corruption-themed worm boss (resembling a Devourer and a giant worm, but much larger) with eyes on every segment of its body. It is summoned using the Worm Food from within The Corruption, or by destroying 3 Shadow Orbs.

The Eater of Worlds is not a single target, but a string of 50 segments (1 head, 48 body, 1 tail) with individual life counters. When any inner 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.

Defeating the Eater of Worlds is the only way to obtain Shadow Scales, as well as usable quantities of Demonite Ore. Individual segments drop some of these when killed, with a larger bonus drop upon defeating the entire entity. The Eater of Worlds is immune to the Poisoned, On Fire!, and Cursed Inferno debuffs.

If your world generated Crimson instead of Corruption, this boss will be replaced by the Brain of Cthulhu.

Achievement
Worm Fodder is the achievement you earn for defeating the Eater of Worlds for the first time.

Tips

 * Weapons that pierce for multiple hits are effective, due to the Eater's large size and multiple parts.
 * Additionally, weapons with a large area of effect such as the Medusa Head or Grenades can be used to great effect.
 * The individual worms have a tendency to retreat into the ground when their heads are destroyed.
 * During Hardmode, it is an effective means of farming Soul of Night. One Soul of Night can be dropped per segment, the percentage being the same as with other mobs. The eater of worlds is also a good way of farming the corruption biome key.
 * If possible, try to aim for the head or tails of each section, as if they die first, they will not split into more.
 * Farming the Eater of Worlds is one of the most effective ways of making money prior to Hardmode. Mid-game armor and weapons will make the fight easy, and selling its drops will yield 9 to 11 each time, on average.