Shadow Orb

Naturally generated
The content described on this page is only generated naturally and therefore cannot be collected.

This article is about the background object. For the light pet summon item, see Shadow Orb (item).

A Shadow Orb is a floating, purple, spherical background object found deep in the chasms of the Corruption. A world with Corruption features several Shadow Orbs, and destroying at least three of them (in a single world) is usually a crucial step in game advancement. This can be done using any hammer or explosives. Shadow Orbs emit purple, flickering light, similar to Demon Altars. They are the Corruption counterpart to the Crimson's Crimson Hearts.

Shadow Orbs are usually located at the bottom of a chasm, surrounded by Ebonstone Blocks. In order to reach them, the player may use a Nightmare Pickaxe or better pickaxe, explosives, or Purification Powder.

Consequences of destruction

Each Shadow Orb drops items when destroyed. The first will always drop a Musket and 100 Musket Balls, and carrying the Musket and/or Musket Balls will fulfill the criteria for the Arms Dealer to arrive.
Destroying at least one Shadow Orb fulfills one of the two criteria for a Goblin Army to attack (having at least 200 health is the other requirement).
The third Shadow Orb destroyed summons the Eater of Worlds, which spawns immediately. The Eater of Worlds is re-summoned with every third Shadow Orb destroyed.
(Old-gen console and 3DS versions) Each Shadow Orb destroyed provides a chance for a meteorite to land. Each Shadow Orb gives a separate 50% chance of immediately causing a meteorite to fall when destroyed between midnight (12:00 AM) and dawn (4:30 AM). Destroying any number of Shadow Orbs between dawn and midnight will only allow one 50% chance of a meteorite falling the following midnight.
Once a Shadow Orb is destroyed, the Traveling Merchant(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) has a chance to sell the Revolver(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions).

Messages

The following status messages appear upon destruction of Shadow Orbs:

First orb: "A horrible chill goes down your spine..."
Second orb: "Screams echo around you..."
Third orb: "Eater of Worlds has awoken!"

Achievements

Smashing, Poppet! • “Using explosives or your trusty hammer, smash a Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart in the evil parts of your world.”

Smash your first Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart. (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)

Category:

Explorer

Trivia

The Shadow Orb may be a reference to the spherical structure found at the center of a meteorite from the science-fiction horror short story The Colour Out of Space by American author H. P. Lovecraft. This may explain why smashing it causes a meteorite to land.
Both Shadow Orbs and Crimson Hearts drop a gun, magic weapon, melee weapon, light pet, and an accessory.
Shadow Orbs and Crimson Hearts share the same counter for how many have been destroyed in a world, meaning that if both appear in the same world, such as in drunk worlds(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), destroying three total of either will summon the boss associated with the last one broken.