How Many Turns Does Jevil Have? Understanding the Chaotic Deltarune Boss

Jevil, the secret boss of Deltarune Chapter 1, is notorious for his chaotic and unpredictable battle. A common question among players facing this jester of madness is: how many turns does Jevil have? The straightforward answer is that Jevil does not have a set number of turns. Unlike turn-based systems in many RPGs, Jevil’s actions are dictated by a combination of his current phase, remaining health, and accumulated tiredness. Instead of turns, Jevil utilizes a continuous onslaught of attacks that the player must dodge and counteract. This fluid system makes the fight challenging and requires adaptation and strategy beyond counting turns.

Jevil’s Phases, Health, and Tiredness: A Dynamic System

The battle against Jevil is broken down into five distinct phases, each escalating in difficulty and attack complexity. These phases aren’t based on a number of turns, but rather on Jevil’s remaining health and his ‘tiredness’ level, which the player can manipulate.

Phase Progression

Jevil’s battle phases unfold as follows:

• Phase 1: The initial phase. Jevil begins with a standard set of attacks.
• Phase 2: This phase triggers when either Jevil’s tiredness reaches at least 2 or his HP drops to 2800 (80%) or below.
• Phase 3: This phase starts when Jevil’s tiredness is at least 4 or his HP falls to 2100 (60%) or lower.
• Phase 4: This phase is initiated when Jevil’s tiredness is at least 6 or his HP falls to 1400 (40%) or lower.
• Phase 5: The final and most challenging phase, beginning when Jevil’s tiredness reaches at least 8 or his HP drops to 700 (20%) or below.

It’s crucial to note that Jevil’s phase transitions are not dependent on a set number of turns. Instead, they are dynamically triggered by either reducing his health or by increasing his tiredness. This variable makes the battle less about counting and more about managing Jevil’s states and adapting to his escalating attacks.

Managing Jevil’s Tiredness

Tiredness is a key mechanic unique to the Jevil fight. Players can increase Jevil’s tiredness through specific ACT options:

• Hypnosis: Increases Jevil’s tiredness by 1 point.
• Pirouette: Increases Jevil’s tiredness by 0.5 points.

Although Hypnosis is twice as effective in raising tiredness, it uses up all of the party’s turns, while Pirouette only consumes one turn. Balancing damage output, healing, and manipulating Jevil’s tiredness becomes paramount to success, especially if you’re aiming for a peaceful resolution. You need to get his tiredness to at least 9 to be able to use Pacify.

Why Jevil’s Battle Isn’t Turn-Based

Unlike many other RPGs where enemies take distinct turns, Jevil’s battle operates in a more continuous flow. The player moves their SOUL in real-time to dodge projectiles, while Jevil attacks without a structured turn order. The game focuses on the player’s reaction time, evasion skills, and ability to manage the party’s ACT options and resources. This makes the Jevil fight feel chaotic, mirroring the character’s personality.

Because his actions are driven by his phases, health, and tiredness, there’s no clear-cut answer to how many “turns” he has. The focus isn’t on turns, but on surviving his onslaught and strategically exhausting him or depleting his HP.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Jevil

Here are 15 frequently asked questions about Jevil to provide more context and help players better understand this challenging boss:

General Jevil Battle Questions

1. What are the ways to defeat Jevil?
   There are two ways to defeat Jevil: reducing his HP to zero or using Ralsei’s Pacify after his tiredness reaches at least 9.

2. How many phases does the Jevil fight have?
   The Jevil battle has five distinct phases, each characterized by progressively more difficult attack patterns.

3. What does Jevil transform into after the battle?
   After being defeated, Jevil transforms into the Devilsknife, a powerful weapon that grants an item to the party.

4. Is Jevil stronger than Sans?
   Many players find Jevil more difficult than Sans, because his attacks are less predictable and demand higher reaction time.

5. What kind of attacks does Jevil use?
   Jevil utilizes chaotic attacks involving card symbols, scythes, and other various projectiles, creating a complex and challenging battle.

Jevil’s Character and Background

6. What is Jevil’s origin?
   Jevil is a Darkner from the Card Kingdom, who was once a jester before losing his mind after meeting a “strange someone”.

7. Who locked Jevil away?
   Jevil was locked away beneath Card Castle by Seam, forced by the four Kings due to Jevil’s chaotic nature.

8. What does Jevil look like?
   Jevil is an imp-like creature with grey skin, wearing a black and purple jester cap and cape, along with a sinister smile.

9. What are Jevil’s notable quotes?
   Jevil is known for phrases such as “CHAOS, CHAOS!”, “I CAN DO ANYTHING!”, “METAMORPHOSIS!”, and “THE TRUE AND NEO CHAOS!”.

10. What is Jevil based on?
    Jevil is likely based on the Joker card from a standard 52-card deck, reflecting his chaotic and unpredictable nature.

Jevil’s Mechanics and Tactics

11. How many times do you need to use Hypnosis on Jevil?
    If only using Hypnosis, you would need to use it at least 9 times to reach the tiredness level required to Pacify him.

12. Is there a way to peacefully beat Jevil?
    Yes, by using Ralsei’s Pacify after tiring Jevil out (having his tiredness level at 9 or higher).

13. Is Jevil’s battle harder than Spamton’s?
    Most players consider the Jevil fight more difficult than the Spamton fight, because it requires greater reaction speed and adaptability.

14. How does Pirouette affect Jevil’s tiredness?
    Pirouette raises Jevil’s tiredness level by 0.5 points, making it half as effective as Hypnosis but consuming only one party turn.

15. What is the most efficient way to beat Jevil?
    The most efficient way involves balancing dealing damage, healing, and strategically using Hypnosis or Pirouette to reach the required tiredness level if a peaceful route is desired or focusing damage to bring down his HP.

Conclusion

Understanding the mechanics of the Jevil battle is crucial for success. While the concept of “turns” does not directly apply to this fight, knowing how Jevil’s phases, health, and tiredness interact will allow players to develop effective strategies. Instead of counting turns, the focus is on managing resources, dodging attacks, and adapting to the chaotic nature of the fight. Mastering these aspects will help even the most chaotic player finally conquer this challenging secret boss and witness the dark humor lurking behind the madness of Jevil.