Hades 2 looks like a solitary journey for its protagonist, Melinoë, in its early hours. However, that isn’t the case, as she later discovers that she can bring a helpful companion into battle once she gets a few prerequisites in place.

Called Familiars, these companions are animals that bring special buffs and abilities to any fight that Melinoë takes on. They can also attack independently, making them valuable additions to any build in Hades 2. There are currently two Familiars for Melinoë to acquire in the early access version of the game.

The Beginnings of a Beautiful Bond

While Melinoë encounters her potential Familiars quite early on in the game, she cannot bring them into battle yet. That requires her to perform a specific Incantation at the Crossroads Cauldon called Faith of Familiar Spirits. She receives this from Headmistress Hecate in Erebus after beating her in battle. However, there are a few conditions to be met before doing so.

• Beat Hecate several times.
• Perform the Woodsy Lifespring Incantation to unlock a healing fountain in Erebus. You spot an orange cat you can pet at this fountain. That’s Toula, one of the potential Familiars Melinoë can unlock.
• Complete at least two runs with each of the following Gathering Tools equipped: Silver Spade, Rod of Fishing, and Tablet of Peace.

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With these requirements out of the way, Hecate delivers some secret dialogue before rewarding Melinoë with the Incantation. Perform it at the Cauldron using 2x Nectar and 1x Lotus. While the former can easily be purchased from the Wretched Broker, the latter requires you to find it out in the open as you explore Oceanus, the second major area in Hades 2.

The Incantation rewards Melinoë with 1x Witch’s Delight, which is what she should use to bring a Familiar over to her side.

How to Get Animal Familiars in Hades 2

With the Witch’s Delight in her possession, all Melinoë needs to do is approach a potential Familiar and select the Tame option to win it over. She hands over the Witch’s Delight as a result, and the Familiar then joins her crusade against Chronos.

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At this time, there are two potential Familiars for Melinoë to unlock.

Frinos the Frog

Frinos waits for Melinoë at her tent whenever she returns to the Crossroads, making him very easy to find. Upon ringing him into the fold, he grants Melinoë with a range of special buffs. Besides blocking incoming projectiles, he has the following effects in combat:

• His Life Bond ability can boost your max health by up to 30, depending on its rank.
• The Soul Bond ability grants you up to three free uses of the Tablet of Peace.
• Strength Bond lets Frinos jump at foes, causing up to 30 damage with each hit.

Toula the Cat

Melinoë can encounter Toula at many different points in the game, making her difficult to pin down and unlock as a Familiar. She may be at the fountain of healing in Erebus from the Woody Lifespring Incantation, at the pier where you head to the Rift of Thessaly, or in Ephyra after you defeat Polyphemus.

She brings improvements to Melinoë’s abilities but can be a little eccentric in combat, quickly losing interest in the fight. Her abilities include:

• Heart Bond, which increases the life gained from Death Defiance by up to 30.
• Soul Bond, which increases the use of the Fishing Rod up to three per night.
• Claw Bond, where Toula strikes an enemy up to three times before she loses interest in them.

Each ability a Familiar has can be upgraded to maximize its effects. For this, the Familiar in question must be given a Witch’s Delight for each upgrade. Aside from the one you get from the Faith of Familiar Spirits Incantation, you could use the Beast-Loved Morsel Alchemy Recipe that unlocks upon performing the Incantation.

Each brew of it requires 1x Star Dust and 2x Lotus Flowers to perform, making upgrading your familiars a challenging task. However, you will want to perform it as much as you need to get your Familiar’s abilities working to their full potential. Choose the abilities that complement your play style for the best possible advantage in battle.

While Frinos and Toula can aid Melinoë quite well, it can be safe to say that more Familiars are bound to come along as the game nears its final release. Until then, these Familiars are sure to be helpful against some of the tougher bosses in the game. For anything else you may need in Hades 2, be sure to check out our detailed guides.