Hermit

Main series
(Sega AM1's universe)

"A brain is a terrible thing to waste."

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Hermit - Type-6803
Basic information
Featured in	The House of the Dead The House of the Dead: Nightmare The House of the Dead 2 (flashback) The House of the Dead III (flashback) The House of the Dead: Remake
Encounters	HOD/ HOD - Nightmare Chapter 3
Weapon	Claws, web ball projectiles
Protection	Tough skin
Weak point
Hermit's weak point is its head.

Type-6803, codenamed "Hermit" (ハーミット, Hāmitto), was an armored, eight-legged insectoid. It is the third boss of The House of the Dead and its 2021 remake.

Created by genetic engineer Dr. Curien, Hermit used its legs offensively and defensively while firing web-like projectiles. Its weak point was its head.

History

Creation

Like the rest of the creatures brought to life in Dr. Curien's mansion, Hermit was incubated inside the BioReactor, a DNA-editing machine, before being unleashed. Alongside Chariot, Hangedman, and Magician, Hermit was considered a "perfect" creation.

1998 Curien Mansion incident

Main article: The House of the Dead (1996 video game)

Hermit was one of several creations unleashed by the insane Curien on December 18th, 1998. When AMS agents Thomas Rogan and "G" confronted him in a cultivation dome, Curien escaped as Hermit ambushed them. Upon death, it collapsed and died, allowing Rogan and "G" to enter Curien's underground laboratory.

Appearance

Hermit is a large spider-like creature, complete with eight legs, multiple eyes, a thorax, and an abdomen. Writhing tentacle-like attachments protrude from its mouth.

Gameplay

Overview

Hermit is an armored foe who has various methods to make shooting its weak point difficult: it can cover its head with its invulnerable talons, launch barrages of web ball projectiles, and sometimes move and attack upside down. Good accuracy and well-timed shots are critical to catching Hermit when its guard is lowered.

Phases

1. After retreating into a tunnel, Hermit crawls after the player for a claw swipe. It does not attempt to cover its face, and after 6 shots will retreat further.
2. Hermit covers its face before releasing web ball projectiles at the player. It then approaches the player as in the previous phase, attempting projectile attack after each time its weak point is shot.
3. Its health bar almost empty, Hermit slowly crawls towards the player while covering its face; at close range, it will move normally and thus sacrifice its ability to shield its head.

Strategies

• With good accuracy, it is possible to stun lock Hermit in place, preventing it from attacking for most of the fight.
• After Hermit dies, each shot to its head is worth a bonus 100 points. Fast and accurate shooting could generate a decent point increase before the final stage.

Trivia

• Hermit is the only boss that is not fought in the final chapter.
  • It is unclear as to why, although it is possible that the developers did not wish for the player fight the same boss in two consecutive chapters.
    • This makes Hermit the only boss to be only fought once in a non-final stage of the series prior to the release of the The House of the Dead III and 4, the other being Strength (unless one were to count a specific transformation by the Emperor as an appearance).
• Hermit is the only boss in The House of the Dead to have its own unique death cry.
• Hermit makes a brief appearance in The House of the Dead 2's intro on console ports.
• This boss bears resemblance to the Lovers in terms of type number, weak point, and box-like tunnel fighting grounds, though the Lovers are fought inside an elevator shaft.
• In the The House of the Dead's home console and PC ports, Hermit's mouth lacks the tentacles present in the arcade version.
• Hermit is the only boss from the original game that has not returned in later installments (Magician returned in 2 and 4 Special, while Chariot and Hangedman returned in House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn).
• Hermit is the first boss that has more than 4 legs or hands in the main series (the second being Justice from The House of the Dead 4 and third being High Priestess from Scarlet Dawn).

Gallery

The House of the Dead

Concept Art

Official Art

Hermit's severely damaged face.

Data

Texture for Hermit's weak point diagram.

Screenshots

The House of the Dead 2

Screenshots

Hermit as seen in The House of the Dead 2's opening sequence.

The House of the Dead III

Screenshots

Hermit as seen in The House of the Dead III's opening sequence.

Other Sources

Hermit's character model from The House of the Dead 2's attract mode.