Evil biome
An Evil Biome is a naturally spreading, hazardous biome that has generally negative effects on entities inside or around it. The Corruption or The Crimson will always spawn in a world. A generated world will only contain one of the two biomes, each with a 50/50 chance. A player can choose whether they want Corruption or Crimson to generate in their world or they can leave it up to the 50/50 setting. However, on the
Console version a player has a choice only if Hardmode has been entered in at least one world.
This biome is saved as the world's naturally generated Evil Biome, and determines:
- Whether Shadow Orbs or Crimson Hearts are generated
- Whether Demon Altars or Crimson Altars are generated
- Whether a Corruption Chest or Crimson Chest is generated in the Dungeon
- Whether Underground Corruption or Underground Crimson is created when the Wall of Flesh is defeated
- Whether Corruption- or Crimson-related blocks are seeded as Altars are smashed in Hardmode
- Whether some NPCs will sell Corruption- or Crimson-related items during a Blood Moon or Solar Eclipse
Which Biome Mimic is spawned when a Key of Night is placed in a chest
It is possible to create an artificial Corruption/Crimson, seeding an area with the "wrong" evil. This is traditionally done with materials brought over from another world, but 1.4 provides a new option: If the Dryad is housed in a Graveyard during Hardmode, she will sell the other evil's Seeds.
Note: The type of Biome Key / Biome Key Mold
dropped by enemies is dependent on the biome the enemy is killed in, regardless of whether it is a "natural" biome or "artificial" biome. This will not however provide a Dungeon chest to go with the key.
The biome is predominately comprised of chasms made from infected stone (Ebonstone or Crimstone). However, the biome can overlap other biomes, providing corrupted versions of the Forest, Desert, Snow, Jungle or Ocean biomes. This can be evidenced by the presence of purple/red grass and Ebonwood/Shadewood trees, purple/red Cactus and Ebonsand/Crimsand, Purple Ice/Red Ice, or purple/red Palm Trees. Unfortunately, infected Jungle areas turn into corrupted Forest (with the mud converted to dirt). This makes such areas much harder to recover, though the presence of Chlorophyte ore can help.
While in Pre-Hardmode, the only biome capable of spreading the evil biomes is infected surface Forest, via infected grassy blocks (see below for details).
Contents
Corruption and Crimson counterparts[edit | edit source]
Certain items are exclusive to either The Corruption or to The Crimson.
The following items are considered counterparts to each other. It should be noted that counterparts do not necessarily share the same stats or behaviors.
The Corruption[edit | edit source]
The Corruption presents a purple "corrupted" theme, with purple grass, trees and stone. Thorny Bushes and unique enemies (beginning with Eaters of Souls and Devourers) make the area dangerous and potentially deadly for newer players. The Eater of Worlds can only be summoned in the corruption. The Corruption contains deep vertical chasms (which can easily result in death from fall damage), with cross tunnels well below ground. Shadow Orbs appear deep underground, usually at or near the bottom of chasms. Destroying a world's first shadow orb will always drop a Musket and some Musket Balls, which automatically fulfills the criteria for the Arms Dealer to arrive. Destroying 3 shadow orbs will result in the spawning of the Eater of Worlds.
Corruption Contents[edit | edit source]
Slimeling(3 spawn at once)
Cursed Hammer
Shadow Hammer
Clinger
Corrupt Mimic
Vile Ghoul
While overlapping an Underground Desert
Desert Spirit
While overlapping an Underground Desert
Corruption PigronWhile overlapping an Ice biome
Demonite Ore
Shadow Scale
Eater's Bone
Eater of Worlds Mask
Eater of Worlds Trophy
Treasure Bag
(Drops the Worm Scarf in Expert Mode)
Eater of Worlds Relic
(Dropped in Master Mode)
Writhing Remains
(Dropped rarely in Master Mode)
Corruption Key(from any enemy, 1/2500 chance)
Corruption Key Mold
(from any enemy, 1/2500 chance)
Soul of Night(1/5 chance)

Vile Mushroom
Deathweed
Deathweed Seeds(during Blood Moon)
Ebonwood(from trees)
Elderberry
(from shaking trees)
Blackcurrant
(from shaking trees)
Toxikarp
Defiled Crate
Scaly Truffle
While overlapping an Ice biome
The Crimson[edit | edit source]

In contrast to the Corruption, the Crimson presents more of a red, gory theme, with red grass, stone, and foliage. Unique enemies that only appear on a crimson world include Blood Crawlers, Face Monsters and Crimeras. The Brain of Cthulhu, the alternative to the Eater of Worlds, can only be summoned in the crimson. Crimson-infected stone is called crimstone, and like its corruption counterpart, can only be mined with a Nightmare Pickaxe/Deathbringer Pickaxe or better. Like the corruption, the crimson contains deep chasms, but these are differently shaped: A winding tunnel from the surface leads to a large cavern, with secondary tunnels spreading downward from the cavern.These tunnels look quite like hands. While long falls are less of a hazard here, the area is still quite dangerous. Instead of Shadow Orbs, the Crimson contains Crimson Hearts, placed at or beyond the end of the secondary tunnels. Destroying a world's first crimson heart will drop The Undertaker with some Musket Balls, which, like their Corruption counterparts will fulfill the criteria for the Arms Dealer to arrive. Destroying 3 Crimson Hearts will result in the spawning of the Brain of Cthulhu.
Contents[edit | edit source]
Crimson Axe
Ichor Sticker
Floaty Gross
Crimson Mimic
Tainted Ghoul
While overlapping an Underground Desert
Desert Spirit
While overlapping an Underground Desert
Crimson PigronWhile overlapping an Ice biome
Crimtane Ore
Tissue Sample
Bone Rattle
Brain of Cthulhu Trophy
Brain of Cthulhu Mask
Treasure Bag
(Drops the Brain of Confusion in Expert Mode)
Brain of Cthulhu Relic
(Dropped in Master Mode)
Brain in a Jar
(Dropped rarely in Master Mode)
Crimson Key(from any enemy, 1/2500 chance)
Crimson Key Mold
(from any enemy, 1/2500 chance)
Soul of Night(1/5 chance)


Vicious Mushroom
Deathweed
Deathweed Seeds(during Blood Moon)
Shadewood(from trees)
Blood Orange
(from shaking trees)
Rambutan
(from shaking trees)
Bladetongue
Hematic Crate
Scaly Truffle
While overlapping an Ice biome
Spread[edit | edit source]
Both the Corruption and the Crimson will spread themselves, similar to the Hallow. This means that they slowly convert certain susceptible tiles that are in the vicinity of existing Corrupt/Crimson blocks. While their spreading capabilities are very limited during pre-Hardmode, they spread much faster and more aggressively after defeating the Wall of Flesh. Defeating Plantera for the first time reduces the overall spread speed of all three biomes by 1/2 (50%).
Corrupted and Crimson Deserts[edit | edit source]


The evil biomes can overlap deserts, and in Hardmode, can spread through them, creating Corrupted and Crimson deserts. In the Corruption, sand is replaced with Ebonsand, and in the Crimson, sand is replaced with Crimsand. Unique enemies not found in the normal Corruption and Crimson can be found in the biome's desert variant.
Purification[edit | edit source]

In Hardmode, the Corruption or Crimson (like the Hallow) can spread out of control; without player efforts, the evil biome and Hallow will together take over the entire world.
In Pre-Hardmode, players can use Purification Powder to purify small portions of the corruption/crimson, and Sunflowers to block spread of infected grass. However, it is not until Hardmode that the spreading biomes become a major issue.
In Hardmode, a good strategy is to dig 3 tile wide tunnels around the corruption/crimson, containing it. However, near the surface Thorny Bushes can spread the corruption up to 6 blocks, so the tunnels there need to be 6 tiles wide or lined with non-corruptible blocks.
Removing the Corruption or Crimson wholesale, or reversing its spread in Hardmode, effectively requires the Clentaminator. This can be purchased for 2 (one of the most expensive items in the game) from the Steampunker, who arrives after at least one mechanical boss has been defeated. Using the Clentaminator with Green Solution (also purchased from the Steampunker) can purify large sections of the evil biomes. However, most players will want to keep some well-contained pockets of the biome, as the enemies there have unique drops (some of which are recommended to advance in the game).
The evil biomes are also blocked by the presence of the Hallow, and vice versa; even before obtaining the Clentaminator, seeding the Hallow is an alternate strategy to limit the spread of Corruption or Crimson. However, this may mean eventually having to deal with an out of control Hallow in the future.
Tips[edit | edit source]
- On the
Desktop,
Console, and
Mobile versions, one-half of the world generation progress bar will be green, and the other half purple or red, depending on if the world is to have Corruption or Crimson. The step in world generation in which the Crimson is created is called "Making the world bloody", and the step in world generation in which the Corruption is created is called "Making the world evil". Also, a tree at the side of the world name in world selection has one green/normal side, the other purple/red (indicating Corruption/Crimson respectively). In Hardmode, part of the tree will be yellow, representing The Hallow.
Notes[edit | edit source]
- On the
Desktop version and
Mobile version, you can create the other evil by buying seeds to the Dryad, making both evil items obtainable without switching of world except evil chest, their content, and Steampunker's items.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- On the
Desktop version and
Mobile version, the world generated by the seed 05162020 contains both world evils.