Cerberus gave the name "Cerberus" to a genus of Asian snakes, which are commonly called "dog-faced water snakes" in English. Cerberus In Greek mythology, Cerberus (; "Kerberos" ), often called the "hound of Hades", is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. Cerberus was the offspring of the monsters Echidna and Typhon, and usually is described as having three heads, a serpent for a tail, and snakes protruding from parts of his body. Cerberus is primarily known for his capture by Heracles, one of Heracles' twelve labours. Descriptions of Cerberus vary, including
Mythology of The X-Files mythology, and instead focus on a story arc involving Mulder and Scully attempting to track down their son William. Jay Anderson, writing for What Culture, described the mythology entries as "some of the best of the series, featuring many superb acting performances, well-crafted scripts, and nail-biting endings". Anderson added that the mythology "really held the show together". Andrew Payne of Starpulse named the "original" mytharc of seasons 1-6 a "37-way-tie" for the fifth best episode of the series, explaining that it "was the thing that made "The X-Files" the best show on television during its first six seasons". However, he