How to Defeat Polyphemus in Hades 2

Boss encounters in Hades 2 serve as challenging set pieces that showcase excellent character design and test Melinoë’s skills to their limits. Each boss is deeply rooted in their mythic origins, and their attacks are a reflection of their respective journeys.

As Melinoë manages to make it to the surface from the Underworld, she finds that a challenging opponent awaits her at the end of Ephyra. The towering Cyclops Polyphemus stands between her and Chronos. A spectacular fight between the two is inevitable.

It’s an Eye for an Eye

Polyphemus’ story remains true to his Greek origins, with the Cyclops being blinded by Oddyseus prior to his current stint serving Chronos. His affable personality is offset by his ravenous appetite, making him a credible threat to the Princess of the Underworld. As a simple shepherd, his modest attire hides his stature as a demigod.

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Indeed, Melinoë’s first encounter with him is at a field near Ephyra’s harbor, where she finds him grazing his flock. Clearly, he does not like any interruptions.

With an imposing stature and an equal measure of raw strength, the Cyclops brings an arsenal of attacks to his encounter with Melinoë. He also has a few aces up his sleeve, as she soon discovers. This is an opponent that Melinoë simply cannot take lightly.

How to Defeat Polyphemus in Hades 2

The key to defeating Polyphemus is mixing up your melee and ranged attacks to keep up a constant flow of attacks while Melinoë avoids his moves. It is equally important to stay agile, defeating any additional threats on the field that even include his herd of sheep.

The encounter with Polyphemus occurs over two phases, with the first phase being relatively easier by comparison. The Cyclops may be blind, but his other senses are as sharp as ever, making him tricky to deal with in the field.

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To begin with, Polyphemus takes to the air, sending out a large shockwave when he lands. This is one of his easiest attacks to avoid, as Melinoë simply needs to dodge through the ring it generates and deal damage to him. We recommend attempting to position yourself behind the boss at the end of your dodge, as it is possible to take damage at the front when he lands.

Polyphemus may also attempt to trick you with this attack, landing and stomping the ground to send out multiple shockwaves towards you. Your strategy remains the same. Get behind him and let off a few attacks of your own while being vigilant for his counterattack.

While in the air, Polyphemus may also decide to throw a large boulder at Melinoë. This is another attack that’s easy to handle, as the boulder targets the area she was in when it was launched. Simply stay on the move to avoid a lot of damage.

Polyphemus also uses his size and strength to his advantage, unleashing kick attacks that send out waves of energy toward Melinoë. Dodging through them with the right timing and placement can provide opportunities to respond with some attacks of your own.

In this phase, sticking to ranged attacks and being cautious with your melee strikes goes a long way toward conserving your HP for the second half of this fight. Stay on the lookout for Polyphemus’ sheep; he gorges on them to regain a sizeable chunk of his health bar. Note that only white sheep have this effect, while the green and black ones can damage him (although they are a danger to Melinoë as well).

When you bring him down to about half of his health bar, Polyphemus adds some new attacks to his moveset. For instance, he summons many waves of his minions for Melinoë to contend with while he takes a step back to launch attacks at range. It is important to deal with these minions as quickly as you can to avoid being overwhelmed by them.

Another important move to watch out for is when he launches explosive rings in a wide arc from where he launches the attack. These explode after a few seconds, making them risky to attempt to dodge through. However, this provides a perfect opportunity to counterattack as long as you keep your eye on him and begin to respond as soon as you see him preparing the attack.

He also causes areas of the battlefield to go up in flames that linger for a while, limiting your mobility and damaging Melinoë on contact. Staying cognizant of these little fires is vital to surviving the fight, considering that you are also dealing with the boss and his minions.

By staying mobile and being cautious with your attacks, Polyphemus can be brought down and reward Melinoë with some Wool for his defeat. Note that, unlike other bosses, he does not die but is simply knocked out when he is defeated.

With Polyphemus safely out of the way, Melinoë can continue with her adventures on the surface. There are a lot of valuable materials to find along the way, making subsequent runs easier. Let our Hades 2 guides help you collect them all with ease!