All Bosses In Hades 2 And How To Beat Them

Hades 2 has several tough opponents that will annihilate you if you’re not careful. That’s par for the course in this roguelike game, since you’re expected to fail so you can learn and do better with each subsequent try. Still, it’s always a good idea to be well-prepared for the challenges ahead. Here’s our guide on how to beat all the bosses in Hades 2. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.

Hades 2 boss guide: How to defeat all bosses in Hades 2

Our Hades 2 boss guide has details on seven enemy encounters. With the exception of one, these are all Guardian-type bosses, or foes that guard the exit to the next zone. They also offer rare rewards/materials needed for incantations and upgrades.

Also, we’ve listed the bosses in the Underworld first. The bottom half has opponents found in the Surface World, which you can reach after completing a rather convoluted process. You can learn about it in our Surface World wards and areas guide.

Last but not least, we have our best boons/skills guide and weapons/aspects guide that you can check out. We’ve made some suggestions as to the ideal picks that should be viable for your runs.

Hecate (Erebus)

Hecate is the first boss in Hades 2, so this battle is more of a test on how well you can attack and dodge at the proper time. Here are some tips:

Pulsing Rift – There are circular auras that emanate from Hecate (and her clones). You can dash toward Hecate to hit her, then dash back out of the rift as it’s closing in.Clone Wars – It’s up to you if you want to avoid Hecate when she summons her clones. Hitting the correct one will deal damage.Polymorph – At 50% HP, Hecate will cast a curse that homes in on your location: If you get hit, you’ll get transformed into a sheep. You have to run around for several seconds until the curse wears off.You can avoid the curse by dashing toward the direction that it’s coming from around five or six times. The boss will even be surprised that she missed.

Reward: Cinder

Scylla and the Sirens (Oceanus)

We feel that this Hades 2 boss fight is one of the most memorable we’ve ever experienced. This encounter pits you against not one, not two, but three opponents simultaneously.

There’s a lot going on, so it’s totally fine if you fail a few times. This is basically the game’s “bullet hell” boss battle. Here are some tips:

The easiest way to take out all three foes is to stand near the Drummer Siren (who doesn’t move from her original position). Scylla will likely get lured toward you, so it’s all a matter of casting a powerful area-of-effect (AoE) ability.The Guitarist Siren tends to move around a bit. Just watch out for her, as well as the hazards on the floor.Ideal deity boons should be from Hestia or Demeter (casts), or Apollo (omega cast).

Reward: Pearl

Infernal Beast/Cerberus (Fields of Mourning)

The good boy has turned bad, or has he? Well, you still have to subdue him. The good news is that most of Cerberus’ abilities are slow and easily telegraphed. The bad news is that they all hit extremely hard. As a general rule, you should avoid the red circles on the ground, as these are where his Hellhounds erupt.

Reward: Tears

Chronos (Tartarus)

The final boss in Hades 2 (technically) is no pushover. In fact, we think this encounter is tougher than the one from the previous game (i.e. versus Hades himself). Chronos’ abilities hit hard and fast, and some of his melee swings hardly have noticeable tells. Here are some tips:

Pause Patrol – Chronos is the Titan of Time, which means attempting to stop time (i.e. pausing the game) won’t work. He’ll actually chide you for your foolishness, which is one of the funniest, fourth-wall-breaking moments in any game.Phase 1: Flag Summon – When you see four flags appear, quickly destroy them. They create a barrier effect that makes hostiles negate an instance of damage.Phase 1: Verminancer Summon – Later, Chronos will spawn multiple Verminancer mobs who, in turn, will summon a lot of rats. Ideally, you should freeze/nuke entire packs of mobs when they appear so that they don’t cause you further trouble.Phase 1 and 2: Temporal Stop – Circular outlines will appear on the ground. Avoid these since a dome will appear, which will cause Melinoe to stop moving for a couple of seconds.Phase 2: Time’s Up – There are two variations of this move, and they’re both deadly. Basically, parts of the arena will turn dark, and only some spots will glow brighter. You have to drop whatever you’re doing and rush to these spots quickly. Chronos will unleash an insta-kill spell that covers any area that’s darkened.

Reward: Zodiac Sand (i.e. Z. Sand)

Cyclops Polyphemus (City of Ephyra)

After completing the convoluted process to reach and survive in the Surface World, your next goal is to remove the barrier in the City of Ephyra. Once you’re done with that, you’ll come face to face with Polyphemus. As far as his abilities are concerned, think of him as a cross between Hecate and Cerberus–he has an aura-type move, but most of his attacks are slow and easily telegraphed.

Cascading Rift – This is just like Hecate’s Pulsing Rift move, but you just need to dash toward the boss (the rift doesn’t contract toward the boss). However, you have to watch out for Polyphemus’ jumping attack, since his feet can actually hit you and deal damage.Where’s My Sheep? – Polyphemus also has a grab attack that he sometimes does: If he catches you, he’ll chew through your HP and replenish his own health.If he catches the sheep that are running around, he’ll eat them and heal up, too.Ideally, you should move around to lure him away from the sheep, if possible.

Apart from the Ephyra enemy mobs that Polyphemus summons, the encounter itself is somewhat manageable. It’s a bit harder for those focusing on melee combat since you need to watch out for his rifts, stomps, and leaps. The good news is that the City of Ephyra has many boons readily available in multiple chambers, including smaller rooms. These can help you prepare for the battle.

Reward: Wool

Charybdis (Rifts of Thessaly)

Among the enemies discussed here in our Hades 2 boss guide, Charybdis is the only one that’s not a main boss–i.e. it’s not a fixed/mandatory encounter or a boss that guards the exit to the next zone. Rather, this monster can appear as a random encounter in the Rifts of Thessaly, and it’s certainly tougher than the sub-bosses you’ve fought in other regions.

Here’s what you need to know:

Tentacle Thrash – Charybdis summons around five tentacles that will thrash around an area. Again, AoE casts that CC/nuke are your best bet here. If you can hit most of them in one strike, while avoiding their grasp, then you should have no problems.Fireballs of the Deep – Charybdis also has an ability that’s similar to the one used by the Serpent mini-boss in Oceanus. This monster will shoot several fireballs that split into dozens of projectiles, and they all home in on your location. When this occurs, just keep running and dodging so you don’t get hit.

Eris (Rifts of Thessaly)

The last surprise in your run is this Hades 2 boss–Eris, the person who’s been giving you annoying “buffs” whenever you reach new zones. If you thought Hades was tough, then get ready to get ripped apart by this Adamant Rail-wielding goddess. Here are some tips:

Hide behind the pillars – There are two pillars in the arena. You can hide behind them to avoid most of Eris’ attacks, such as her Adamant Rail barrages. While she’s running after you around the pillar, we recommend using a damaging cast ability (i.e. Apollo’s and Hestia’s blessings work wonders).Move away when she does Pinpoint Snipe – This ability is denoted by a purple line on the ground. When you see it, dash away from the pillar. This shot destroys pillars that it hits, which means you could lose your hiding spot.Watch out for Explodey Buff – As the unique and cool term implies, this explosion buffs Eris’ damage by +100%. When this occurs, do your best to avoid her attacks.

In any case, that does it for our guide on how to beat all bosses in Hades 2. Note that once you’ve defeated Eris, Homer will narrate how Melinoe is about to head to unspeakable danger. It’s so unspeakable that there’s no way to show it… because the game is still in early access. You’ll then end up back at the Crossroads.

There’s a good chance that we’ll see more Hades 2 bosses in future updates, so stay tuned.

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