The Complete Guide To Shadows Of Evil Symbols: Unlocking The Apothicon Secrets And Easter Egg

The intricate world of Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies’ *Shadows of Evil* map is a labyrinth of dark jazz, occult rituals, and cryptic Apothicon symbols. As of December 10, 2025, the community’s mastery of this map is absolute, yet new players constantly seek the definitive guide to the map's most crucial visual language: the mysterious symbols that govern everything from weapon upgrades to the main Easter Egg quest.

The symbols are not merely set dressing; they are the keys to progression. They represent the ancient, corrupting influence of the Apothicons, the cosmic entities at the heart of the Zombies storyline. Understanding these hieroglyphs is the difference between surviving a few rounds and successfully trapping the Shadow Man in the city of Morg City.

Decoding the Apothicon Language: The Core Symbol Entities

The entire *Shadows of Evil* experience is built upon the Apothicon language, a cuneiform-like script that appears on walls, artifacts, and in the game’s most critical interactive elements. While a full translation of the language is a massive undertaking, the key symbols needed for gameplay and the main Easter Egg quest fall into three distinct categories: the four Ritual Sigils, the three Pack-a-Punch Fountains, and the Apothicon Sword upgrade sequence.

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Mastery of these three symbol sets is non-negotiable for high-round players and Easter Egg hunters. The latest guides confirm that the process and the symbols themselves remain unchanged, making this information timeless for the *Black Ops 3 Zombies* experience.

1. The Four Ritual Sigils: Unlocking the Rift and Pack-a-Punch

The first major symbol-based task is completing the four rituals to acquire the Gateworms and open The Rift, which houses the Pack-a-Punch machine. Each of the four playable characters—Nero the Magician, Jessica the Femme Fatale, Jack Vincent the Cop, and Floyd Campbell the Boxer—has a ritual item and a corresponding ritual table marked by a unique sigil in their respective district.

These four sigils are the first set of symbols players must interact with. While they are not typically referred to by their Apothicon translation, they are named after the character or the area they represent:

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• Nero's Lair Sigil (The Magician): Found in Nero’s Lair (the starting area). The ritual item is the Fountain Pen.
• Black Lace Burlesque Sigil (The Femme Fatale): Located in the Black Lace Burlesque club in the Footlight District. The ritual item is the Wig.
• Waterfront District Sigil (The Boxer): Situated in the boxing gym in the Waterfront District. The ritual item is the Boxing Glove.
• Footlight District Sigil (The Cop): Found in the police station in the Footlight District. The ritual item is the Badge.

Completing all four rituals and surviving the subsequent Margwa and zombie attacks grants the player a Gateworm—a small, worm-like creature that symbolizes the opening of a dimensional gateway. These four Gateworms are essential to the next symbol step.

2. The Three Pack-a-Punch Fountains: The Activation Sequence

Once all four rituals are complete, the combined power of the Gateworms opens the path to The Rift (the underground area accessible via the train station tunnels). The Pack-a-Punch machine is initially locked behind a forcefield. To activate it, you must interact with three glowing fountains in the area, each marked by a distinct Apothicon symbol.

The symbols on these fountains are the activation sequence for the Pack-a-Punch machine. While their specific appearance is complex, they are often referenced by the order in which they must be activated. There is no random order; the sequence is always the same:

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1. The First Fountain: Located near the entrance to the Pack-a-Punch room.
2. The Second Fountain: Found near the other side of the room, often closer to the stairs leading up.
3. The Third Fountain: Typically located near the final piece of the Zombie Shield.

Activating these three fountains in the correct, predetermined order will raise the Pack-a-Punch machine, allowing players to upgrade their weapons for 5,000 points. This step is a fundamental requirement for the main Easter Egg, as the upgraded weapons are necessary to defeat the final bosses.

3. The Apothicon Sword Symbols: The Wonder Weapon Upgrade

The symbols play an even deeper role in obtaining and upgrading the Apothicon Servant (the map's Wonder Weapon) and the Upgraded Apothicon Swords (Ragnarok DG-4). The sword upgrade process is one of the most complex symbol-based steps in the entire map.

To upgrade the sword, players must first acquire the regular sword by completing a series of steps involving the Civil Protector and a hidden symbol sequence. The upgrade itself requires a player to shoot three specific Apothicon symbols that appear on the walls of the map while looking through the upgraded sword’s sight.

The symbols are part of a larger Apothicon cipher, often translated by the community to reveal lore messages such as "Only the cursed survive." The three symbols you must shoot are randomly generated for each game, meaning players must consult a full Apothicon translation chart to match the symbols on the wall to the correct ones displayed on the sword’s sight. This mechanic ensures that no two games are exactly the same, demanding genuine knowledge of the Apothicon script rather than rote memorization.

Topical Authority: The Deeper Lore of the Symbols

The symbols in *Shadows of Evil* are not just game mechanics; they are integral to the map's dark, Lovecraftian lore. The Apothicon language itself is a direct link to the cosmic horror theme of the map. The entities involved—the Shadow Man, the Margwa, and the benevolent Keepers—all communicate or are represented through these alien glyphs.

The entire city of Morg City is effectively a giant summoning circle, with the ritual sigils acting as anchors for the dark power. The symbols are a constant visual reminder that the four protagonists—Nero, Jessica, Jack, and Floyd—are merely pawns in a much larger, interdimensional conflict between the Keepers and the Apothicons. The final Easter Egg step, which involves trapping the Shadow Man, is the culmination of manipulating these symbols and the dark energy they represent.

For players aiming to achieve the main Easter Egg, a deep understanding of the symbols is paramount. The steps involving the flag (Capture the Flag), the fuse box, and the final battle all rely on players knowing the ritual locations and the functions of the symbols they activated earlier in the game. This symbolic language is the true key to survival and ultimate victory in *Shadows of Evil*.