Those who manage to make it all the way to the end of Hades should consider it a serious accomplishment. Every enemy in the game wants nothing more than to completely destroy Zagreus, and avoiding their attacks becomes even more difficult as the game progresses. The environment itself seems to want the player dead as well as it is full of traps and explosive devices that can end a run pretty immediately. This is all not to mention the very difficult boss fights at the end of each area.
By far one of the most difficult boss fights in Hades is the one at the end of Elysium against Theseus and Asterius. This double boss fight pits players against a melee-focused brute and a patient long-range fighter simultaneously. Players who don't stay alert at all times or didn't pick the right boons will find themselves dead before they can even blink. This guide shows players how to defeat Theseus and Asterius.
Hades: How to Defeat Theseus and Asterius
This pair of bosses were once mortal enemies while alive as Theseus originally hunted the famed minotaur Asterius. In death though they have become best friends who fight together against Zagreus every time he tries to escape the Underworld. The trick to this fight is knowing exactly what kinds of attacks this pair will throw at the player and which enemy players should bring down first.
Asterius' Attacks:
- Axe Slash- The most basic of Asterius' attacks is a combo with his massive axe right in front of him. Players should be able to pretty easily dodge out of the way of these swings.
- Leap Attack- Asterius will jump in the air before bringing his axe down on top of Zagreus. Players should dodge two times in quick succession to avoid the Axe Slash combo that comes after the Leap Attack.
- Charge- The minotaur will tuck his head and rush at the player to deal massive damage against them. If players are able to duck behind a pillar or dodge near a wall they can stun Asterius momentarily.
- Shockwave- When Asterius' health reaches a certain level he will start creating shockwaves with every attack. Players will have to dodge out of the way to avoid taking damage
Theseus' Attacks:
- Shield- This may not be an attack per se, but Theseus will use his shield to block all damage coming from his front. Players will need to find a way to attack from behind to hurt him.
- Spear Throw- Theseus will mark Zagreus and then after a few moments will throw his spear which deals a huge amount of damage. Players can avoid this by deflecting it, dodging, hiding behind a pillar, or blocking it if they have the Shield of Chaos equipped.
- Spin Attack- If the player gets to close, Theseus will spin in a circle with his spear out.
- Aid Call- Once players reduce his health by a certain amount, Theseus will call on either Ares, Demeter, or Artemis to help him in the fight. No matter which God is selected rings will appear on the ground that launch arrows into the air that deals damage. Depending on which God is chosen the pattern of the attack will change.
The thing that players should keep in mind with this fight is that Asterius is extremely aggressive, so they will want to take of him first. On top of that players really don't want to have to deal with Theseus AOE attacks and the minotaur simultaneously, so its best to eliminate Asterius before Theseus' health drops considerably. Players will just need to continuously dodge Asterius and counterattack whenever he pauses. If they are using a ranged weapon, they can just keep running away while attacking from afar.
Once Asterius has gone down, players can then focus their attention on Theseus. Since he really only has two attacks in the beginning, players should stay out of the range of his spin attack and dash behind him. From here they can attack a few times and dash out of range again. If he tries to throw a spear, players just have to duck behind one of the pillars in the room to avoid damage. Players can also use a deflection boon to knock the spears back at him. Once he calls on a God, the only change in strategy becomes staying outside of the circles that pop up on the ground. One of the best weapons to use against Theseus is the spear, as players can throw it behind him and recall it in order to attack him in the back. Players who remain patient will bring this legendary hero down and be on their way to defeating Hades himself.
Hades can be played on PC and Nintendo Switch.