In the Twelve Labors of Hercules, Ladon was the dragon guarding the golden apples.
Ladon was a serpent-like guardian placed in the garden of the Hesperides, where golden apples grew. The garden belonged to the divine realm and was connected with Hera, who had received the apple-bearing tree as a wedding gift from Gaia.
Ancient sources describe Ladon in different ways. He is often portrayed as a hundred-headed dragon, and some traditions say that his many heads could speak in different voices. The Hesperides, divine nymphs associated with the garden, are also described as guardians in certain versions.
Hercules ultimately obtained the apples with help from Atlas. In one common account, Hercules temporarily held the sky while Atlas retrieved the fruit, then used a trick to make Atlas take the burden back. In another, Hercules kills Ladon before taking the apples, so the exact encounter varies by source.