In Hades II you play as Melinoë, Zagreus’ younger sister and Princess of the Underworld. She takes on the forces of the Underworld, clawing her way to try and defeat the Titan of Time, Chronos. Much like the last rogue-like dungeon crawler, you’ll have the Gods of Olympus to aid you. Getting a little better with each death, you’ll start again from the crossroads.
Much like in the game’s predecessor, you gains boons from each god whenever you interact with them. Thus, this guide aims to help you discover the boons that combine the powers of these gods and may trigger dialogue between the pair when you get them. We’ll also reveal the legendary boons, which require certain skills to be offered. While there’s no guarantee that you’ll be offered these boons, if you’re looking to do something specific, it’s worth it to try and grab them anyway.
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Aphrodite’s Boons
Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. Her boons inflict weak and makes enemies deal at least 10% less damage for 3 seconds. Unlike the first game, however, they’re close-range, which is the stand attack of the Moonstone Axe. Her bonuses mainly focus on healing and increasing your max health. Her elemental affinity is air, water, and aether.
Meeting Aphrodite for the first time.
| Boon Name | Olympian | Effect | Boon From Aphrodite | Boon From Olympian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny Disposition | Apollo |
Whenever you create Heartthrobs, create more. Bonus Heartthrobs: +2 |
Heart Breaker |
Nova Strike Nova Flourish Solar Ring Lucid Gain |
| Hearty Appetite | Demeter |
You deal more damage the more life you have. Bonus Damage per 100 Life: +10% |
Shameless Attitude Life Affirmation Healthy Rebound |
Plentiful Forage Winter Coat |
| Soft Caress | Hephaestus |
The first time you would take damage each Encounter, get life instead. Damage turned to Healing: 100% |
Rapture Ring Passion Dash Glamour Gain |
Anvil Ring Smithy Sprint Fixed Gain |
| Soul Mate | Hera |
Foes with Hitch take more damage and are Weak, but only 2 can be afflicted at a time. Damage vs. Hitched foes: +20% |
Rapture Ring Passion Dash Glamour Gain |
Sworn Strike Sworn Flourish Nexus Sprint Nasty Comeback |
| Burning Desire | Hestia |
Up to +12 Lone Shades appear in locations. Sprint into them to launch a fiery blast. Lone Shade Area Damage: 160 |
Rapture Ring Passion Dash Glamour Gain |
Smolder Ring Soot Sprint Hearth Gain |
| Island Getaway | Poseidon |
You take less damage from nearby foes. Boons of Aphrodite treat all foes as nearby. Damage Resistance: 15% |
Flutter Strike Flutter Flourish |
Wave Strike Wave Flourish Geyser Ring Breaker Sprint |
| Romantic Spark | Zeus |
If you Sprint into Blitz-afflicted foes, the effect activates immediately and is stronger. Bonus Blitz Damage: +200% |
Passion Dash Flutter Strike Flutter Flourish Rapture Ring |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish |
Apollo’s Boons
Apollo is finally introduced in Hades II as the god of light. His boons will usually inflict daze. This has a 20% chance to make afflicted enemies deal no damage for 9 seconds. His duo boons mostly consist of increasing the area of effect of your attacks. His elemental affinity is air, fire, and aether.
Meeting Apollo for the first time.
| Boon Name | Olympian | Effect | Boon From Apollo | Boon From Olympian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny Disposition | Aphrodite |
Whenever you create Heartthrobs, create more. Bonus Heartthrobs: +2 |
Nova Strike Nova Flourish Solar Ring Lucid Gain |
Heart Breaker |
| Torrential Downpour | Demeter |
Each time you use your Ω Cast in an Encounter, it gets stronger, but also uses +5 Magick Damage per Omega Cast: +20% |
Solar Ring Blinding Sprint Lucid Gain |
Arctic Ring Frigid Sprint Tranquil Gain |
| Stellar Slam | Hephaestus |
Your blast effects from Hephaestus deal damage in a larger area. Blast Size: +50% |
Nova Strike Nova Flourish Super Nova |
Volcanic Strike Volcanic Flourish Smithy Sprint |
| Sun Worshiper | Hera |
In each Encounter, the first foe you slay comes back to fight for you. Servant Damage: +200% |
Solar Ring Blinding Sprint Lucid Gain |
Engagement Ring Nexus Sprint Born Gain |
| Phoenix Skin | Hestia |
Give up -100 life. If you do not take or deal damage for 3 sec., rapidly restore life. Life restoration: 3/sec. |
Nova Strike Nova Flourish Lucid Gain |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish Smoldering Ring AND one of the following: Burnt Offering Flammable Coating Hearth Gain |
| Beach Ball | Poseidon |
Your Sprint creates a watery sphere behind you. After you stop, it surges ahead and bursts. Blast Damage: 140 |
Blinding Sprint Lucid Gain |
Breaking Sprint Fluid Gain |
| Glorious Disaster | Zeus |
You can channel +30 Magick into your Ω Cast to repeatedly strike foes with lightning bolts. Bolt Damage: 50 |
Solar Ring |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish Thunder Sprint |
Demeter’s Boons
Demeter is the goddess of seasons. Her boons will generally inflict freeze which causes the enemies to freeze in place for 2 seconds. Cyclone is an additional debuff can be applied causing enemies to be 20% slower and their ranged shots to be 60% slower. Her duo boons generally follows these debuffs, freezing or slowing enemies as additional damage is inflicted on them. Her elemental affinity is earth, water, and aether.
Meeting Demeter for the first time.
| Boon Name | Olympian | Effect | Boon From Demeter | Boon From Olympian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hearty Appetite | Aphrodite |
You deal more damage the more life you have. Bonus Damage per 100 Life: +10% |
Plentiful Forage Winter Coat |
Shameless Attitude Life Affirmation Healthy Rebound |
| Torrential Downpour | Apollo |
Each time you use your Ω Cast in an Encounter, it gets stronger but also uses +5 Magick Damage per Omega Cast: +20% |
Arctic Ring Frigid Sprint Tranquil Gain |
Solar Ring Blinding Sprint Lucid Gain |
| Room Temperature | Hephaestus |
Your Blast effects from Hephaestus clear Freeze, so you Freeze foes again right away. Freeze Re-Apply Time: 0 sec. |
Ice Strike Ice Flourish |
Volcanic Strike Volcanic Flourish Smithy Sprint |
| Cherished Heirloom | Hera |
Most other Keepsakes you equip are stronger this night (if possible). Bonus Keepsake Ranks: +1 |
Arctic Ring Frigid Sprint Tranquil Gain |
Engagement Ring Nexus Sprint Born Gain |
| Freezer Burn | Hestia |
Whenever you inflict Freeze, amplify Scorch effects already on the foe. Scorch Damage: +100% |
Ice Strike Ice Flourish |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish |
| Natural Selection | Poseidon |
Location Rewards exclude Max Health increase, Magick increase and Gold. Boons are likely to be Rare or better. Improved Rarity Chance: +20% |
Tranquil Gain Frigid Sprint Winter Coat Cold Storage Rate Crop |
Fluid Gain Breaker Sprint Ocean’s Bounty Sunken Treasure Double Up |
| Apocalyptic Storm | Zeus |
Your Blitz effects last longer, and activate against all Blitz-afflicted foes at the same time. Blitz Duration: +8 Sec. |
Ice Strike Ice Flourish Arctic Ring Frigid Sprint |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish |
Hephaestus’ Boons
Also introduced in Hades II, is Hephaestus, god of craftsmanship the Forge. His boons, including his duo boons, generally revolve dealing high damage with as an area of effect and giving armor to prevent damage. Vent, his status curse, causes foes to to take a burst of damage after 5 seconds. His elemental affinity is earth, fire, and aether.
Meeting Hephaestus for the first time.
| Boon Name | Olympian | Effect | Boon From Hephaestus | Boon From Olympian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Caress | Aphrodite |
The first time you would take damage each Encounter, get life instead. Damage turned to Healing: 100% |
Anvil Ring Smithy Sprint Fixed Gain |
Rapture Ring Passion Dash Glamour Gain |
| Stellar Slam | Apollo |
Your blast effects from Hephaestus deal damage in a larger area. Blast Size: +50% |
Volcanic Strike Volcanic Flourish Smithy Sprint |
Nova Strike Nova Flourish Super Nova |
| Room Temperature | Demeter |
Your Blast effects from Hephaestus clear Freeze, so you Freeze foes again right away. Freeze Re-Apply Time: 0 sec. |
Volcanic Strike Volcanic Flourish Smithy Sprint |
Ice Strike Ice Flourish |
| Spiteful Strength | Hera |
Your Attacks and Specials deal more damage while not empowered by boons. Boon-less Damage Bonus: +200% |
Trusty Shield Mint Condition Heavy Metal Tough Trade Uncanny Fortitude Fixed Gain |
Brave Face Nasty Comeback Keen Intuition Born Gain |
| Chain Reaction | Hestia |
If you use your blast effects from Hephaestus just after they recharge, they fire 2 times. Double Blast Timing: .85 Sec. |
Volcanic Strike Volcanic Flourish Smolder Ring |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish Smolder Ring |
| Seismic Hammer | Poseidon |
Your Ω Cast occasionally creates a blast that deals 500 damage in the area. Blast Recharge Time: 15 sec. |
Volcanic Strike Volcanic Flourish Smithy Sprint |
Geyser Ring |
| Master Conductor | Zeus |
Your chain-lightning deals more damage per bounce and can bounce to you. Damage per Bounce: +15% |
Fixed Gain Trusty Shield Heavy Metal Mint Condition Tough Trade |
Static Shock |
Hera’s Boons
Only mentioned in the first game, Hera makes her debut in Hades II. This goddess of marriage is the queen of Olympians, but will only appear once Melinoë has reached the surface. Her boons apply the hitch effect for 8 seconds. It causes enemies to take 30% of the damage dealt to other afflicted enemies. As a bonus, she can also upgrade a boon’s rarity. Hera’s elemental affinity is Earth and Aether.
Meeting Hera for the first time.
| Boon Name | Olympian | Effect | Boon From Hera | Boon From Olympian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soul Mate | Aphrodite |
Foes with Hitch take more damage and are Weak, but only 2 can be afflicted at a time. Damage vs. Hitched foes: +20% |
Sworn Strike Sworn Flourish Nexus Sprint Nasty Comeback |
Rapture Ring Passion Dash Glamour Gain |
| Sun Worshiper | Apollo |
In each Encounter, the first foe you slay comes back to fight for you. Servant Damage: +200% |
Engagement Ring Nexus Sprint Born Gain |
Solar Ring Blinding Sprint Lucid Gain |
| Cherished Heirloom | Demeter |
Most other Keepsakes you equip are stronger this night (if possible). Bonus Keepsake Ranks: +1 |
Engagement Ring Nexus Sprint Born Gain |
Arctic Ring Frigid Sprint Tranquil Gain |
| Spiteful Strength | Hephaestus |
Your Attacks and Specials deal more damage while not empowered by Boons. Boon-less Damage Bonus: +200% |
Brave Face Nasty Comeback Keen Intuition Born Gain |
Trusty Shield Mint Condition Heavy Metal Tough Trade Uncanny Fortitude Fixed Gain |
| Funeral Pyre | Hestia | While you channel your Ω Moves, repeatedly inflict Scorch on nearby foes. |
Sworn Strike Sworn Flourish Engagement Ring Born Gain |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish Smolder Ring Hearth Gain |
| Golden Rule | Poseidon |
You deal more damage the more Gold you have. Bonus Damage per 100 Gold: +5% |
Engagement Ring Nexus Sprint Born Gain |
Geyser Ring Breaker Sprint Fluid Gain AND one of the following: Ocean’s Bounty Double Up |
| Queen’s Ransom | Zeus |
Give up all your boons of Zeus. For each, raise 1 Lv. for all your boons of Hera. Bonus Lv. per Zeus Boon: +2 |
Sworn Strike Sworn Flourish Engagement Ring Nexus Sprint Born Gain |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish Storm Ring Thunder Sprint Ionic Gain |
Hestia’s Boons
Another god to make their debut in Hades II is the goddess of flame and hearth, Hestia. Her boons deal damage over time with scorch. The damage will increase with each additional scorch stack. This makes the fire starter a big damage dealer when it comes to her boons. Her elemental affinity is fire.
Meeting Hestia for the first time.
| Boon Name | Olympian | Effect | Boon From Hestia | Boon From Olympian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burning Desire | Aphrodite |
Up to +12 Lone Shades appear in locations. Sprint into them to launch a fiery blast. Lone Shade Area Damage: 160 |
Smolder Ring Soot Sprint Hearth Gain |
Rapture Ring Passion Dash Glamour Gain |
| Phoenix Skin | Apollo |
Give up -100 life. If you do not take or deal damage for 3 sec., rapidly restore life. Life restoration: 3/sec. |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish Smoldering Ring AND one of the following: Burnt Offering Flammable Coating Hearth Gain |
Nova Strike Nova Flourish Lucid Gain |
| Freezer Burn | Demeter |
Whenever you inflict Freeze, amplify Scorch effects already on the foe. Scorch Damage: +100% |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish |
Ice Strike Ice Flourish |
| Chain Reaction | Hephaestus |
If you use your blast effects from Hephaestus just after they recharge, they fire 2 times. Double Blast Timing: .85 Sec. |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish Smolder Ring |
Volcanic Strike Volcanic Flourish Smolder Ring |
| Funeral Pyre | Hera | While you channel your Ω Moves, repeatedly inflict Scorch on nearby foes. |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish Smolder Ring Hearth Gain |
Sworn Strike Sworn Flourish Engagement Ring Born Gain |
| Scalding Vapor | Poseidon |
If foes with Slip are struck by fire from Hestia, they are engulfed in Steam. Steam Damage: 25/0.2 sec. |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish Smolder Ring Spontaneous Combustion Burning Desire Controlled Burn Glowing Coal |
Slippery Slope |
| Thermal Dynamics | Zeus |
Your Blitz effects also inflict Scorch whenever they deal damage. Scorch Damage: 80 |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish |
Poseidon’s Boons
God of the sea, earthquakes, and horses, Poseidon offers the ability slip. This causes enemies to be knocked away and deals damage to them in the process. His duo boons mainly consist of knocking enemies back while dealing high amounts to damage to them. His elemental affinity is water and aether.
Meeting Poseidon for the first time.
| Boon Name | Olympian | Effect | Boon From Poseidon | Boon From Olympian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Getaway | Aphrodite |
You take less damage from nearby foes. Boons of Aphrodite treat all foes as nearby. Damage Resistance: 15% |
Wave Strike Wave Flourish Geyser Ring Breaker Sprint |
Flutter Strike Flutter Flourish |
| Beach Ball | Apollo |
Your Sprint creates a watery sphere behind you. After you stop, it surges ahead and bursts. Blast Damage: 140 |
Breaking Sprint Fluid Gain |
Blinding Sprint Lucid Gain |
| Natural Selection | Demeter |
Location Rewards exclude Max Health increase, Magick increase and Gold. Boons are likely to be Rare or better. Improved Rarity Chance: +20% |
Fluid Gain Breaker Sprint Ocean’s Bounty Sunken Treasure Double Up |
Tranquil Gain Frigid Sprint Winter Coat Cold Storage Rate Crop |
| Seismic Hammer | Hephaestus |
Your Ω Cast occasionally creates a blast that deals 500 damage in the area. Blast Recharge Time: 15 sec. |
Geyser Ring |
Volcanic Strike Volcanic Flourish Smithy Sprint |
| Golden Rule | Hera |
You deal more damage the more Gold you have. Bonus Damage per 100 Gold: +5% |
Geyser Ring Breaker Sprint Fluid Gain AND one of the following: Ocean’s Bounty Double Up |
Engagement Ring Nexus Sprint Born Gain |
| Scalding Vapor | Hestia |
If foes with Slip are struck by fire from Hestia, they are engulfed in Steam. Steam Damage: 25/0.2 sec. |
Slippery Slope |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish Smolder Ring Spontaneous Combustion Burning Desire Controlled Burn Glowing Coal |
| Killer Current | Zeus |
Your lightning deals more damage to Slip-afflicted foes. Bonus Lightning Damage: +30% |
Slippery Slope |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish Storm Ring Thunder Sprint Divine Vengeance Lightning Lance |
Zeus’s Boons
Last but not least, we have the god of the sky and thunder, the ruler of Olympian gods himself, Zeus. His boons cause Blitz which causes enemies to be struck by lightning after taking 120 damage. Of course, his duo boon enhance this damage done to each foe. His elemental affinity is air and aether.
Meeting Zeus for the first time.
| Boon Name | Olympian | Effect | Boon From Zeus | Boon From Olympian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romantic Spark | Aphrodite |
If you Sprint into Blitz-afflicted foes, the effect activates immediately and is stronger. Bonus Blitz Damage: +200% |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish |
Passion Dash Flutter Strike Flutter Flourish Rapture Ring |
| Glorious Disaster | Apollo |
You can channel +30 Magick into your Ω Cast to repeatedly strike foes with lightning bolts. Bolt Damage: 50 |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish Thunder Sprint |
Solar Ring |
| Apocalyptic Storm | Demeter |
Your Blitz effects last longer, and activate against all Blitz-afflicted foes at the same time. Blitz Duration: +8 Sec. |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish |
Ice Strike Ice Flourish Arctic Ring Frigid Sprint |
| Master Conductor | Hephaestus |
Your chain-lightning deals more damage per bounce and can bounce to you. Damage per Bounce: +15% |
Static Shock |
Fixed Gain Trusty Shield Heavy Metal Mint Condition Tough Trade |
| King’s Ransom | Hera |
Give up all your boons of Hera. For each, raise 1 Lv. for all your boons of Zeus. Bonus Lv. per Hera Boon: +2 |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish Storm Ring Thunder Sprint Ionic Gain |
Sworn Strike Sworn Flourish Engagement Ring Nexus Sprint Born Gain |
| Thermal Dynamics | Hestia |
Your Blitz effects also inflict Scorch whenever they deal damage. Scorch Damage: 80 |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish |
| Killer Current | Poseidon |
Your lightning deals more damage to Slip-afflicted foes. Bonus Lightning Damage: +30% |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish Storm Ring Thunder Sprint Divine Vengeance Lightning Lance |
Slippery Slope |
Legendary Boons
Legendary boons are extremely potent effects offered by each god. Each of them, except for Selene, has one of these boons and can be upgraded with the path of stars. They only offered when you’re able to get the required boons from the same god. It’s extremely useful to have and use the Change of Fate ability if you plan on getting any one of these boons.
Meeting Hermes for the first time.
| Olympian | Legendary Boon | Effect | 1st Boon Needed | 2nd Boon Needed | 3rd Boon Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aphrodite | Ecstatic Obsession |
During Encounters with multiple foes, 1 foe is always afflicted with Charm. Foes Required: 3 |
Broken Resolve Sweet Surrender |
Rapture Ring Passion Dash Glamour Gain |
Flutter Strike Flutter Flourish |
| Apollo | Exceptional Talent |
Your Ω Attack and Ω Special fire 2 times, but use more Magick. Omega Move Cost: +20 |
Nova Strike Nova Flourish |
Solar Ring Lucid Gain |
Extra Dose Super Nova |
| Demeter | Winter Harvest |
Freeze afflicted foes shatter at 10% life, dealing damage in the area. Shatter Area Damage: 100 |
Ice Strike Ice Flourish |
Plentiful Forage Winter Coat |
Weed Killer Cold Storage |
| Hephaestus | Fine Tuning |
Your Aspect of the Nocturnal Arms is even stronger. Bonus Aspect Ranks: +1 |
Volcanic Strike Volcanic Flourish |
Heavy Metal Trusty Shield Mint Condidtion |
Tough Trade Molten Touch Furnace Blast |
| Hera | Brave Face |
Automatically use Magick to resist up to 50% of any damage. Magick cost per Damage Point: 5 |
Sworn Strike Sworn Flourish |
Born Gain Keen Intuition |
Hereditary Bane Dying Wish |
| Hestia | Pyro Technique |
Your Scorch effects deal damage faster Scorch Damage Rate: +100% |
Flame Strike Flame Flourish Smolder Ring Spontaneous Combustion |
Natural Gas Flammable Coating |
Glowing Coal Controlled Burn |
| Poseidon | King Tide |
Your Splash effects from Poseidon are larger and deal bonus damage to Guardians. Splash Damage vs. Guardians: +150% |
Wave Strike Wave Flourish |
Slippery Slope | Crashing Wave |
| Zeus | Shacking Loss |
Most foes may be instantly destroyed as soon as they enter the Encounter. Instant Destruction Chance: 7% |
Heaven Strike Heaven Flourish Storm Ring Thunder Sprint Ionic Gain |
Double Strike Toasting Fork |
Static Shock Electric Overload |
| Hermes | Close Call |
Gain +1 use of Death Defiance that makes everything move 90% slower. Slow Duration: 9 Seconds |
Swift Strike Swift Flourish Hard Target Saved Breath Witty Retort Greater Evasion Midnight Oil Mean Streak Nitro Boost |
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| Chaos | Defiance |
Gain +1 Death’s Defiance this night. |
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