Every boss acts as some kind of roadblock when it comes to beatingHades. Don’t let the streamers who beat the game on the “first” try fool anybody, they’ve been practicing against each encounter for a long time in previous playthroughs. And one of the toughest encounters is the one against Theseus and Asterius.
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A boss fight that makes players fight two entities at once is automatically difficult in any game, but especially inHades, where taking damage and losing lives adds up. Here are some tips on not only how to beat this fight, but how to make it through in a condition good enough to take on the final boss himself.
Companion
Shady
Although the Coronacht is the most popular weapon, and with good reason, it’sthe perfect shield buildthat is ideal for taking on the two eternal friends. Nothing will compete with a Chiron aspect bow in terms of damage, but remember that the DPS of a dead Zagreus is zero.
TheAegiswill protect Zagreus from damage that is extremely difficult to avoid with other builds. The damage isn’t bad either; actually, theChaos aspectof the Aegis is likely second only to Chiron in terms of damage. Given a decent boon to Zagreus' special, it’s very powerful. Even if the player hasn’t unlocked this aspect or leveled it up to maximum yet, still use the Aegis, it’s that good against these two.
There are several amazing keepsakes here, but, at least early on, it’s hard to argue against using Skelly’sLucky Tooth. It amounts to an extra charge of Death Defiance, which gives Zagreus an extra chance after dying in battle to come back.
After gaining some confidence with the shield, thePierced Butterflyadds damage every time Zagreus clears an encounter without taking damage. The Aegis blocks pretty much anything when aimed correctly, and even a rather poor gamer will probably gain an extra 20%-30% worth of damage by the time they run into Theseus and Astorius.
As a companion, while Antos is tempting because it deals damage to both bosses,Shady is the better optionbecause the healing it provides directly translates to more time alive and more damage to opponents.Some of the companions can be tough to unlock, so be sure to choose the right upgrades through the contractor.
Mirror Of Night Settings
There is an elevated room for personal preference with this build, but there are a few staples. Shadow Presence gives extra damage when striking foes from behind and, thanks to Bull Rush, the build will have a disproportionate amount of backstabs.
Stubborn Defiance is much weaker thanDeath Defiance. Having multiple do-overs on one hard fight is much better than a single do-over on each room.Boiling Bloodboosts special damage against foes with the cast debuff, which is the primary source of DPS with the Chaos aspect.
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Even great players should takeThick Skinover High Confidence. An extra little bit of damage when above 80% health is nice, but an extra 50 health is flat-out better. Not only will Zagreus be tougher to kill, but this allows him to get more buff damage and variety instead of having to use doors with Centaur Hearts.
Every diety can be good for Zagreus, but not every buff is right for the build, so someFated Persuasioncan help out when in need of a new set of buffs.Beginners learning about the gamewill enjoy getting to roll into boosting their best skills just as much as the experts do.
Ideal Gods And Boons
There really aren’t many bad choices for a boon.Aphroditegets the nod for being the best deity because charm forces Asterius or Theseus to attack the other one. But most gods will do as Chaos shield is good for stacking debuffs, Zeus strikes, or Artermis' attack damage with the special attack and regular attack bonuses apply to bull rush, which will be used just as frequently.
ensure that any boon to Zagreus' special has a hearty damage boost applied to it. This matters more than any particular debuff. There are also somenifty Chaos boons to pick upand thanks to lots of defense, Zagreus should be able to handle the damage and debuff associated with Chaos.
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While no god is outright useless, try toavoid anything that turns Zagreus' cast into an area of effect. Ares and Dionysus are examples of this; the damage is fine, but it won’t give Zagreus the 50% damage boost (at maximum rank) gained from Boiling Blood.
Dealing With Asterius
Astorius' moves can be simplified into three basic attacks:
Always start by attacking Asterius first and leaving Theseus alone. The worst thing that can happen is that both get below 50% at the same time and their moves are faster and improved at the same time. Asterius is the better option to kill first because he defaults to charging Zagreus. Dash to the opposite end of the arena from Theseus andkeep a pillar between Zagreus and Theseus. This allows the player to ignore Thesus completely until Asterius is down.
Aegis makes this simple.Charge up a bull rush, aim toward Asterius, and, when he isn’t dealing damage, let go and charge straight through him. Immediately follow this up with a special attack, then begin charging up the next bull rush. The shield will block the area of effect rings from his moves below 50%. It really is this easy, made even easier witha good boon selection.
Dealing With Theseus
Asterius has many moves, but only three that will occur when fighting Asterius away from him:
Theseus can throw Asterius or create a massive ring of damage when fighting around Asterius. To negate these moves from the equation,always fight on the opposite end of the area from Theseus until Asterius is dead.
This leaves only two moves that Theseus can use, both of which can be blocked by holding onto bull rush and facing him.
When he hits below 50%, he finally gets a move that can actually hit a Zagreus equipped with the Aegis. The Aegis can block these area of effect spells, too, so long as it is aimed toward the center of the detonation.This is the perfect time to use a fully charged call; Aphrodite’s will take away almost all of his remaining health, leaving the player just a few hits needed until mopping up Theseus.
The right legendary booncan make this go even faster, but this strategy will work with even the worst of luck and minimal upgrades. With enough practice, it’s possible to win the battle without losing any health at all, leaving players more than prepared to deal with the final boss.
Hadeswas released on Jul 28, 2025, and is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
