Hooded Man | Boss Battles Castlevania: LoS 2 Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Hooded Man
The encounter with the Hooded Man is one of the most unusual in the game, because his fighting style is very similar to yours. He uses a whip-like weapon, can throw daggers (which is an unblockable attack) and can dodge and block attacks (as well as use a synchronized block) in the same manner as you do. It can somehow seem that this fight will be a tough one - nothing could be farther from the truth! The encounter is quite easy just because you know how the enemy will fight - there's just only one detail which makes this battle a little harder, which will be explained in a second.
The fight is divided into two stages - in the cathedral-like building in which you start and below it. In the first stage your powers (Void and Chaos Magic and relics) are unavailable to you, which means that your only weapon is the Shadow Whip and that you won't be able to heal yourself in any way - that is precisely why you need to be extra careful during this part and try to dodge attacks instead of blocking them.
When Hooded Man's health drops to 2/3 value, the fight will be moved underground. Here you again use all your powers, meaning that the fight itself is going to be a lot easier now. The enemy can use also use relics (like shield) or special attacks (like shockwave), but they don't affect the course of battle that much. The key rule to all the boss fights still holds true - avoid unblockable attacks and try to block normal ones to expose the enemy to your counterattack. Remember, that the enemy can also use synchronized block to parry your attacks.
When his life reaches zero, he will use a special relic, summoning stone obelisks, which will float around the arena, preventing you from escaping it. The enemy will also be enlarged and you won't be able to harm him with direct attacks - you need to destroy all the obelisks, at the same time avoid the boss' attacks. After destroying all of them, a QTE sequence will be initiated and the boss fight will end.