Unlocking Tarnished Eden in The Binding of Isaac: Repentance
Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.
- Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
- Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
- Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.
- Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
- Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
- Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.
The Path to Tarnished Eden
The journey to unlock Tarnished Eden in The Binding of Isaac: Repentance is a unique and somewhat hidden process, requiring a specific sequence of actions. Unlike some characters that are unlocked through defeating specific bosses, Tarnished Eden is tied to a unique in-game event. Here’s the comprehensive answer to how you unlock them:
To unlock Tarnished Eden, you need to find a glitched photo in the starting room of a run. This is not a guaranteed spawn; it appears randomly. Upon locating the photo, you will see a strange door next to it. Stepping through this door will teleport you to an empty Error Room. Within this room, you will find Tarnished Eden lying in the center. Interacting with them will officially unlock Tarnished Eden as a playable character. The run will then end with a screen of TV static. It is important to note that Tarnished Eden cannot be unlocked during seeded runs or special challenge runs. This adds an extra layer of challenge and the joy of discovery to the process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Tarnished Eden and Related Mechanics
1. What is the difference between Eden and Tarnished Eden?
Eden is a character that is unlocked by defeating The Womb for the first time. Every time you beat Mom’s Heart, you receive an Eden Token. Eden starts each run with random stats, health, pickups, a trinket, an active item, and a passive item. In contrast, Tarnished Eden also starts with random stats, but their items and stats are re-rolled every time they take damage (excluding self-inflicted damage). This makes Tarnished Eden a much more chaotic and unpredictable character to play.
2. How does Tainted Eden’s re-roll mechanic work?
Every time Tarnished Eden takes non-self-inflicted damage, all of their stats, passive items, active items, trinket, and their currently-held card or pill are re-rolled. This can lead to incredibly powerful builds or utter disaster, making each run as unpredictable as possible. This mechanic forces players to adapt their playstyle and encourages them to be as cautious as possible when taking damage.
3. Does Tarnished Eden keep transformations?
While Tarnished Eden’s items are constantly rerolling, they will still keep transformations they’ve earned. A transformation will not be lost due to rerolling of a specific item that caused the transformation. This is a big advantage that allows Tarnished Eden to get powerful transformations even when their items are changing constantly.
4. Why is it so difficult to find the glitched photo?
The glitched photo is not a guaranteed spawn, making it one of the most difficult aspects of unlocking Tarnished Eden. It requires a considerable amount of luck to encounter it, which makes the moment when you finally find it all the more satisfying. Players must be patient and prepared to start numerous runs for an opportunity to find it.
5. What are some strategies to try and find the glitched photo?
There isn’t a reliable method to guarantee the glitched photo’s appearance. However, restarting runs quickly and systematically checking the starting room each time is a common approach. Players can also try using different characters to see if that alters the chance, even though this is unconfirmed. Some players like to watch for specific room layouts or patterns that might make the photo spawn more likely, but this is also highly speculative and luck-based.
6. Can I unlock Tarnished Eden in a seeded run?
No, Tarnished Eden cannot be unlocked during seeded runs or special challenge runs. This adds another layer of challenge as the unlocking has to be done in a normal run and through luck. It helps to preserve the integrity of the game and allows for the discovery process to feel even more special.
7. What happens after unlocking Tarnished Eden?
After interacting with Tarnished Eden in the Error Room, you will unlock them as a playable character. This run will immediately end with a screen of TV static, and you’ll be able to select them from the character selection screen in future runs. There is no special reward besides being able to play as the character.
8. How do Eden and Tarnished Eden represent Isaac’s story?
Eden can represent Isaac’s rebirth, explaining why their stats and items are always random. They start as something new, an unknown. In contrast, Tarnished Eden’s chaotic nature and re-rolling mechanics could symbolize Isaac’s struggle with his mental state and emotions. The constant change in Tarnished Eden’s stats could signify a representation of how volatile his inner turmoil is.
9. Is it possible for Eden to start with the Glowing Hourglass?
Yes, it is possible for Eden to start with the Glowing Hourglass. If this occurs, using it immediately will teleport Eden to the Home floor where the game will end as normal. This demonstrates how random the starts can be. It is a rare start that some players try to look for.
10. What other “Tarnished” characters are available?
The Epiphany mod adds “Tarnished” variants for all characters in Repentance. As of now, there are 7/17 characters complete with the project, with a new character added every wave. Each Tarnished character offers a unique playstyle and fresh challenges. Some examples include Tarnished Judas and Tarnished Keeper.
11. How does Tarnished Judas’ shadow clone mechanic work?
Tarnished Judas can create controllable shadow clones by holding Alt (or a bound key) and shooting in a direction. The further the shadows are from Judas, the more damage they deal, capped at Judas’ damage. This unique mechanic makes Tarnished Judas a powerful character when mastered.
12. Can Tainted Keeper have more than 2 coin hearts?
Yes, Tainted Keeper can have more than 2 coin hearts by obtaining the trinket Mother’s Kiss. It’s important to note that these additional coin hearts will disappear if the trinket is dropped. Greed’s Gullet also allows them to harbor more than 2 coin hearts.
13. How does Apollyon get unlocked?
Apollyon is unlocked after defeating Mega Satan for the first time. This makes Apollyon one of the more difficult characters to unlock. This also fits into their lore being a powerful hybrid of many elements.
14. What are some unique aspects of Apollyon?
Apollyon is a unique character that combines elements of a dragon, bear, human, and fish, uniting the elements of water, air, fire, and earth. This character represents the ability to combine animalistic and human traits.
15. Why does Isaac bleed?
Isaac may bleed for a variety of reasons. The item Stigmata boosts health and damage but causes Isaac to bleed from the eyes. If combined with items like Chemical Peel it results in a burn victim crying blood. Furthermore, taking damage can also cause Isaac to bleed, especially if they have the Anemic effect, which spews blood tears around him when hit.