Hades: Theseus and Asterius - Elysium - boss, how to defeat Hades guide, tips
This page of the Hades tutorial contains the description of the fight with the bosses Theseus and Asterion from the Elysium biome. You will learn about their attacks and suggested battle tactics.
Last update: 31 August 2021
On this page of the Hades game guide you will find a walkthrough of the Theseus and Asterius boss fight in the Elysium biome. You will learn about the main features of the battle, the order in which we suggest attacking the bosses, and how to effectively damage Theseus and Asterius while dodging their attacks.
- Bosses in the Elysium biome - general information
- Asterius and Theseus - battle guide
- Asterius as a mini-boss
Bosses in the Elysium biome - general information
The battle against the Elysium biome bosses occurs once you pass through a total of 35 randomly generated chambers in the Tartarus, Asphodel and Elysium biomes. The arena is located in room number 36 (this number appears in the upper right corner of the screen when you open the boons menu, for example). In most trials, before entering the battle arena, you will probably visit Charon's shop and it's a good idea to heal your character and purchase items that will increase your chances of winning. We've described the Elysium biome in more detail in a separate chapter of the guide.
The fight in question is a one on two battle, that is, you must face Theseus and Asterius the minotaur at the same time. We recommend attacking the bosses one by one and you will find our suggested combat tactics further down the page. This battle does not have as many different variants as the previous ones, although, for example, Theseus may ask one of the available gods for help later during the fight.
Important note - our boss fight guide mainly focuses on listing Theseus' and Asterius' attacks and providing general tactics to use during the fight. It's impossible to post a step-by-step description of how to defeat the bosses in Elysium, because the game is highly randomised and each encounter is at least somewhat unique. This is affected by factors such as weapon choice, the boons and upgrades that you found or purchased, the weapon aspects and abilities you unlocked, and the length of your health bar and regeneration ability.
Asterius and Theseus - battle guide
As mentioned earlier, you have to fight two bosses simultaneously. We recommend focusing on Asterius the minotaur first, although this is not required to win the battle.
Despite focusing on Asterius, you cannot ignore Theseus, because he will be throwing his spear throughout the entire battle. You will know that he is about to target Zagreus when the crosshair icon appears on the character. You must then hide behind one of the indestructible obstacles in the arena or keep running and dashing. If you are hit, your character will take significant damage.
It's also worth adding that Theseus and Asterius can perform joint attacks (e.g. Asterius can push Theseus into the main character), but using the tactics described below will help you prevent this from happening.
The best idea is to move around the edges of the arena (clockwise or counterclockwise) and letting Asterius follow Zagreus. In the meantime, of course, you'll be looking for opportunities to damage the minotaur.
This tactic is required when Asterius starts chasing you for a long time. You have to avoid being rammed by the minotaur and run away until the boss ends the attack. Alternatively, you can try to make a lot of turns along the way and take advantage of the fact that the minotaur can't make sharp turns while charging.
In direct combat, Asterius uses his powerful melee weapon, which he can use to perform big swings and other attacks. They are problematic if you are using melee or short-range weapons. You need to react quickly in order to have enough time to avoid the attack or damage the minotaur in other ways.
Asterius' most serious attack is a long jump followed by hitting the ground. You have little time to react and dash away and you will take significant damage if the boss manages to hit you. Asterius likes to jump three times in a row, so don't stop dodging after he completes the first jump.
It's best to attack Asterius when he completes each new series of attacks. The boss will stand still for a while and this is the perfect opportunity to use not only regular attacks but also to backstab the minotaur.
You can also damage Asterius by casting, but only resort to this when you aren't being chased and if you aren't currently in Theseus' crosshairs.
Focus on Theseus once you defeat Asterius. The boss blocks attacks from the front by using his shield. Do not attempt to break through unless you have a weapon that allows you to attack from behind (like the Eternal Spear) or bomb the boss (the Adamant Rail).
Fortunately, damaging Theseus is not very complicated. The strategy requires you to advantage of the fact that the boss intends to throw a spear at Zagreus. Run around the boss (you can also make use of nearby cover) to get him to throw the spear.. Theseus will be defenseless for a short time after performing this attack, giving you the opportunity to dash behind his back and unleash some strong attacks.
While running around the boss, watch out for Theseus' spear-spinning attack, which can get you by surprise and deal some damage. "Encouraging" the boss to throw the spear is the safest tactic.
Once Theseus loses half of his health bar, he will ask one of the gods for support. This is a random choice, and the counter-tactics will be similar regardless of the god summoned by the boss. That's the main reason why defeating Asterius first was important, because now you're going to have extra trouble on your hands.
You will need to avoid the attacks of the gods by dodging the circles that appear on the ground. Unfortunately, this can prove to be more difficult than in the case of the Fury Sisters from the first biome, as the circles are larger and appear in groups. Try to minimize the potential damage you take.
In the second stage of the fight against Theseus, you can still backstab him after he throws the spear. Only hold off on this attack if you have to avoid the god's attack at the same time.
Asterius as a mini-boss
Before you face Theseus and Asterius in the main battle arena, you might encounter the minotaur in one of the earlier chambers in Elysium and the encounter will count as a mini-boss fight.
This battle is a little easier, because you won't have to dodge Theseus' long-range attacks and you will be able to completely focus on damaging Asterius. Unfortunately, the minotaur will retain his long health bar and use all of his main attacks, including the most problematic long jumps.
The battle against Asterius ends when only a small part of his health bar remains. Unfortunately, the minotaur will reappear in the main Elysium battle, but he will be somewhat weakened and you should be able to defeat him sooner.