Ammut, Devourer of Hearts

The myth

Ammut, or Ammit, the Devourer, was a composite creature with a crocodile's head, a lion's forelegs and shoulders, and a hippopotamus's hindquarters, the three most dangerous animals of Egypt. In the Hall of Judgment she waited by the Great Balance while the heart of the dead was weighed against the feather of Ma'at, truth. If the heart was heavier, burdened with wrongs, Ammut devoured it, and the person ceased to exist forever. She was not a worshipped goddess but a threat that urged people to live justly.

Why it has this power

An epic level 8 Beast of Darkness with 2900 ATK, the highest attack among the Necropolis epics, and 2500 DEF. It arises through the Weighing of the Heart, with Jackal Guard, Scribe and Mummy: the guardian, the scribe and the dead of the scene. Moon beats Wisp and Bull beats Crown.

Did you know

For the Egyptians, being devoured by Ammut did not lead to eternal torment: it meant ceasing to exist, falling into total oblivion.

Connections

Where to get it

• Ritual: Summoned by the ritual Weighing of the Heart, with the materials Jackal Guard of the Sealed Gate, Scribe of the Forbidden Words, Sand-Woken Mummy.
• It never joins the collection: you summon it mid-duel, by fusion or ritual.

Sources

1. Ammit — Britannica Kids
2. The Book of the Dead (introduction and chapter summaries) — E. A. Wallis Budge (Project Gutenberg)
3. Field of Reeds — Joshua J. Mark (World History Encyclopedia)