Is Hades the Final Boss in Hades? Exploring the Underworld’s Ultimate Challenge

Yes, Hades is indeed the final boss in the acclaimed roguelike game Hades. He stands as the ultimate obstacle for Zagreus, the protagonist, in his repeated attempts to escape the Underworld. However, the story and gameplay of Hades are far more nuanced than a simple boss encounter, and defeating Hades is just one piece of a larger narrative puzzle. While he’s the final hurdle in each escape attempt, the game doesn’t truly end when you first triumph over him. Let’s delve deeper into what that means for your journey through the Underworld.

The Fight Against Hades: A Recurring Challenge

The battle against Hades is not a one-and-done affair. Each time you reach the end of the Underworld, you must face him in a two-phase boss battle. The two phases of this fight are quite similar, requiring the player to use their skill and abilities to evade Hades’s attacks while dealing damage of their own. Once you reduce Hades’ health in the first phase, he regenerates his health and starts the second phase. It is a battle of endurance, requiring patience and strategic thinking. It’s not just about brute force, but about mastering the game’s mechanics and building the best boons and weapon upgrades for your Zagreus.

What Happens After Beating Hades the First Time?

Defeating Hades for the first time feels like a significant achievement, but the game promptly sends you back to the House of Hades, restarting your cycle of escape attempts. This isn’t a glitch or a failure—it’s by design. The game uses this as a narrative device to introduce the Pact of Punishment.

The Pact of Punishment is a mechanic that lets you modify the gameplay with increasing difficulty. In exchange, you get more rewards, adding layers of challenge and replayability. It’s a testament to the game’s core design: it doesn’t just end after your initial success, it encourages you to master new strategies and build different skillsets.

Beyond the First Escape: Reaching the True Ending

While defeating Hades is the central goal of each escape attempt, the game’s true ending requires more effort. You have to defeat Hades a total of ten times to trigger the end credits. But even that’s not all.

The True Ending and the Epilogue

After the credits roll, the narrative continues. The story pushes forward, and you’ll need to max out your affinity with multiple characters. This involves gifting them Nectar and Ambrosia, deepening your relationships, and unlocking additional dialogue and storylines.

The epilogue is the final chapter of the story. It’s accessible after you’ve achieved the True Ending and unlocked a specific prophecy named “The Queen’s Plan”. To reach the epilogue, you’ll need to speak with Persephone ten times to unlock this prophecy and continue playing the game to unlock it. This will require numerous runs after you initially defeat Hades. Even after that, however, the game continues, with minor events still unfolding over time.

The End of the Game? It Depends on Your Goal

So, while Hades is the final boss in each escape run, he is not the final challenge of the game as a whole. Hades offers a cycle of progression and narrative that extends well beyond defeating the final boss. You can play Hades infinitely by engaging with the Pact of Punishment or completing various challenges. With randomly generated runs, it provides endless challenges for players to overcome. In a sense, you can make the game “end” by completing the epilogue, but many players continue to engage with Hades simply because the gameplay is so compelling.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hades

Here are some FAQs to further clarify the intricacies of Hades:

1. How many times do I have to beat Hades to finish the game?

You need to beat Hades at least ten times to trigger the initial end credits and achieve what’s considered the True Ending.

2. Does Hades end after you beat Hades the first time?

No, beating Hades the first time only begins a new cycle of escape attempts with the Pact of Punishment.

3. What is the last level of Hades?

The last biome you encounter is The Temple, also sometimes called The House of Hades. This area is structured into five wings, each featuring small chambers leading to a final reward room.

4. Can you keep playing Hades after the epilogue?

Yes, you can keep playing Hades even after the epilogue. The game allows for infinite replayability, with new challenges arising from the Pact of Punishment.

5. Can Zagreus go to Olympus?

While Zagreus has received an invitation to join the gods on Mount Olympus, he cannot leave the Underworld due to a specific rule barring anyone from escaping the domain of Hades.

6. How do you get the epilogue in Hades?

To get the epilogue, you need to:

• Escape 10 times and get to the main end credits.
• Continue doing runs, talking to everyone, and gifting Persephone until you get “The Queen’s Plan” prophecy.
• Reach max hearts with most of the Olympian gods, including Hermes.
• Keep doing runs and talking to Persephone until she reveals her plan.

7. How many times do you have to beat Hades to get the epilogue?

You must beat Hades ten times to reach the True Ending, which unlocks the necessary dialogue for starting the epilogue’s requirements.

8. Is Hades infinitely replayable?

Yes, Hades is infinitely replayable due to its randomized runs, difficulty modifiers with the Pact of Punishment, and the satisfying gameplay loop.

9. Does Hades have alternate endings?

While Hades does not have drastically different endings, it does have a main story that wraps up in the credits, and an extended ending with the epilogue. You also continue to get new dialogue the more you play.

10. Do you have to beat Hades twice?

Yes, you must beat Hades twice during the final boss fight because he regenerates his health after the first elimination.

11. What is the best weapon in Hades?

The Twin Fists of Malphon are a fan-favorite weapon and highly effective, especially with the Aspect of Demeter for aggressive playstyles.

12. Does Hades get easier the more you play?

Yes, Hades generally gets easier as you progress because you unlock permanent character upgrades that make you more powerful. You can always increase the difficulty through the Pact of Punishment.

13. Who can you romance in Hades?

You can attempt to romance three characters: Dusa, Megaera, and Thanatos. Not every character can be romanced, even if you give them Nectar.

14. Is it worth playing Hades after beating it?

Absolutely, there is plenty to do after beating Hades. You can continue to unlock more dialogue, play with the Pact of Punishment and increase the difficulty, and enjoy the game’s endless replayability.

15. Is the game Hades beatable without dying?

While extremely challenging, it is possible to beat Hades without dying, although it requires a high degree of skill and mastery of the game’s mechanics. You have to make sure you use the boons correctly and build your skills.

In conclusion, while Hades is the final boss you’ll encounter in your escape attempts, he’s merely a part of a larger journey. The game’s replayability and deep narrative are what make Hades truly special, extending far beyond a single boss fight. The game encourages you to continue playing, even after you’ve achieved the initial goal of defeating Hades.