With all these new ways to quickly jump into its addictive gameplay,Hadeshas enticed new and returning players alike to help protagonist Zagreus escape from his father’s Underworld. To do this, he must first clear many chambers, and kill various bosses on his way to the surface.
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Updated on December 7th, 2021 by Russ Boswell:Hades continues to be one of the best indie experiences ever conceived and it’s been ported to a number of platforms since its release. Players that are just getting into the adventure for the first time are in for a treat thanks to Hades' intense gameplay and amazing storytelling. But exactlyhow many bosses are there in Hades, and how many will players need to defeat to escape? To shine a better light on theHades bossesthat Zagreus will have to run through on his journey to the surface, the following list has been updated.
How Many Bosses Are There in Hades?
There are four bosses players are required to defeat inHadesto complete a run, but there are also a few bonus encounters that can be triggered. The main four bosses are:
Megaera
Megaera is the first real boss that players will encounter, and although she’s the “weakest” (from an introductory standpoint) of the bosses that Zagreus will face, she’s far from an easy foe.
She’s capable of quickly closing gaps by dashing at players while simultaneously tossing out a barrage of projectiles and damaging circles that explode after a short animation. As the fight goes on, Megaera becomes more and more enraged, increasing the speed at which she attacks and dealing heavy damage to Zagreus if she manages to hit him. She also summons additional units to attack players from time to time.
The Bone Hydra
The second boss that Zagreus must face is The Bone Hydra, which starts out relatively simple and quickly devolves into a chaotic struggle for survival in a bullet-hell-esque style. The Bone Hydra can be difficult to get close to and damage thanks to its punishing ground slam and players who don’t keep tabs on the minions it summons will soon be overrun.
The worst parts are when it summons additional Hydra heads around the arena and goes invulnerable. Players will need to take out the newly spawned heads before being able to damage the main boss. Pair this with the ever-annoying lava-filled arena of Asphodel and it’s easy to see why players struggle to surpass this boss in the early game.
Theseus and Asterius
FightingTheseus and Asteriusis a wake-up call for most players. The realm of Elysium is a punishing place in its own right but the duo boss found at the end is a frustrating experience for most. This boss fight is tedious and it’s difficult for players to land consistent damage as they’ll be forced to constantly move around the arena to avoid being targeted by the team.
Asterius will relentlessly pursue Zaregus, doing massive damage with his ax and leaping in to slam the ground nearby the Prince. All of this is capped by Theseus throwing his spear at players. If players do manage to take one part of the duo down, the other will enrage for the remainder of the fight, throwing out stronger and more frequent attacks.
Hades
The big man himself stands between Zagreus and potential freedom and Hades will hold no punches just because Zagreus is his son. Those that make it this far are likely not prepared to face Hades the first time around. His attacks are erratic, fast, and punishing.
To make things even more difficult, Hades will summon enemies, create massive AOE attacks, and has a mammoth healthpool that stands stalwart to Zagreus' strongest attacks. This fight is brutal during most runs, even when players feel at their strongest.
Each of these four bosses inHadeswill appear at the end of an area: Megaera at the end of Tartarus, The Bone Hydra at the end of Asphodel, Theseus and Asterius at the end of Elysium, and Hades at the end of the Temple of Styx. However, there are three additional boss encounters inthe roguelikethat players can activate:
Alecto
One of the furies that players may come across in subsequent runs, Alecto attacks in a similar fashion to her sisters but has electrified attacks and some heavy projectiles. Her rage meter makes her even more dangerous, causing her to attack faster and more consistently when it’s full. To make the fight even harder, once she reaches 25 percent health remaining, she will enter a permanent rage, which persists until she is defeated.
Tisiphone
Perhaps the most eccentric of the Furies, Tisiphone can be easier than her sisters or a downright headache for those that have a hard time getting used to her attacks. Unlike the others, Tisiphone will not summon enemies for assistance, and her room isn’t laden with traps. Instead, she starts the fight against Zagreus in a large square room with ample space to maneuver around her explosive attacks and projectiles.
As the fight goes on, however, Tisiphone will literally close the walls in on players. At certain health thresholds, Tisiphone will shrink the arena, making it harder and harder to avoid her attacks.
Charon
Charon is a secret boss inHadesthat must be triggered in a specific way. After defeating Hades at least once, visiting the Styx ferryman midway through an area will sometimes spawn a sack of gold Obols behind him. The chance of encountering Charon is random, but players are guaranteed to find him if they enter a chamber with the symbol of a skull on a pouch displayed above it.
Once the merchant is found, have a look around him to see if the bag of currency has spawned. If it has, approach it and “borrow” the 300 Obols.Zagreuswill then be teleported by an angry Charon to a secret chamber and forced to battle him.
After the merchant is defeated, Zagreus receives a membership card with a 20% discount. The discount can only be used in that run and will expire if Zagreus dies. This makes defeating the Styx ferryman a very good idea for those who still want to dive back intoHadesto try challenge runs.
Hadesis out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
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