Hades‘ third boss encounter is actually a duo fight against King Theseus and the Minotaur Asterius, the bull of Minos. Unlike the Fury sisters or the Hydra, the Champions of Elysium can be a significant roadblock to reaching the fourth and final level of Hades.
Like all the bosses in Hades, knowing how to beat Theseus and the Minotaur optimally makes the fight almost free, even with Extreme Measures active.
If you meet Asterius on the way to Theseus (he appears as a possible challenge arena behind a skull door), use that time to practice fighting him in isolation and as a barometer for your damage output. If you happen to fight him early, he’ll have less health and won’t have a Damage Control marker during the boss encounter.
Once you make it to the boss room to face Theseus and the Minotaur, your first goal should be to defeat Asterius. Focus on the bull because both he and Theseus have a second phase once they reach half health. The minotaur becomes a little more aggressive but doesn’t change too much. It’s Theseus you need to watch out for.
When Theseus hits half health, he’ll call upon the Olympians for aid, usually blocking off the entire arena with damaging effects that can stack up quickly. Dodge the king’s spear throws by sticking to the outer edges of the arena and using the pillars for cover.
Listen for Theseus to call out to his companion. If Asterius runs back to the king and Theseus calls “Delta Strike,” be prepared to dodge the expanding circle the bosses create. It hits for 20 damage and the hitbox is deceptively large. The bull will then throw Theseus at you for additional damage, but you can avoid the attack by dodging perpendicular to the bosses’ position.
How to Beat the Minotaur
Attacks:
- One or two-swing: Asterius swings his ax in a wide arc in front of him, adjusting to your position if there’s a second swing. There’s a small area directly behind him the attack doesn’t reach, so if you can’t get away from it, get behind him.
- Two-swing into slam: Asterius swings his ax in a wide arc in front of him, then jumps at you, dealing damage both on the way to and on impact. The ax swing will track if you time your dodge behind him poorly. When Asterius lands after jumping, he releases four projectiles in front of him and to the side. In Extreme Measures 3, the slam attack creates a large shockwave on impact, and Asterius does it up to three times.
- Charge: Asterius charges at you with strong tracking. If he hits a wall or a pillar, he stops and is stunned for a moment. Stick to the pillars and the arena’s edge, dodging at an angle to ensure the bull can’t hit you.
- Spin-to-win (Extreme Measures 3 only): After a brief windup, the Minotaur begins spinning his ax in incredibly wide circles while tracking you around the arena. These do around 30 damage per hit without protections. Dodge away from the minotaur when this attack comes out, as the hitbox tends to linger and if you’re inside the attack smear, you will take damage
Dodge his wide swings and go underneath his jumping attack. Keep your eyes on the targeting reticle; when it glows bright pink, Theseus will throw his spear that hits for 20 damage.
Kite the minotaur for as long as it takes to beat him, being mindful of any area of effect attacks that might also be whittling Theseus down. Both bosses have enough health to keep a few errant attacks from doing much harm, but you don’t want to test fate and have both the minotaur and the Olympians attacking you at the same time.
How to Beat Theseus
Attacks:
- Spear Throw: His main attack in the first phase, Theseus will target you for about five seconds before throwing his spear. It covers about half the arena in distance before returning to him. The targeting reticle will glow bright pink just before a throw, so use that as your guide to dodge.
- 360-swing: After a brief windup, Theseus spins a full 360 degrees and moves forward in your direction. This attack’s hitbox also tends to linger, so dodge behind the king and to the side to avoid it.
- Olympian effects (2nd phase only): Theseus is also blessed by Olympus, and at half health or without his chariot, calls on the gods for aid. A good portion of the floor becomes a damage zone that either covers the arena or follows you.
- Bombing Run (Extreme Measures 3 only): With Extreme Measures active, Theseus runs around the arena in a golden chariot. There are two bombing runs types: around the edges and through the middle. As the king travels, he will send large bombs into the air that detonate shortly after. The red circle denotes how far the damage extends. One hit from a bomb is 50 damage. In most cases, Theseus will travel around the arena twice, then make his way through the middle, sending bombs as he goes.
- Gatling Gun (Extreme Measures 3 only): Theseus rides through the middle of the arena shooting his twin Gatling guns as he goes. Dodge to either side to avoid this attack.
- Overrun (Extreme measures 3 only): Standing in front of Theseus’ chariot will deal around 20 damage each time he runs you over. This will happen whether you dodge in front of him or were already in his way; stick behind him even as you spam away at his backside.
In his first phase, get in close to turn him around. You can also use area of effect Boons like Blade Rift to damage him despite his shield. He’ll alternate between throwing his spear and a spin attack. If you’re too close to him after either, he’ll turn around and walk a short distance away. Damage him as much as possible during these moments.
First phase Extreme Measures Theseus has bombs that detonate long after he’s left their damage radius, meaning you can stay behind him and wail on his backside without much fear of reprisal. The main threat is if he suddenly changes direction and you aren’t ready for it.
The real challenge of first-phase Theseus is positioning. If you’re ever in front of him, he will deal about 20 damage again and again until you’re out of his chariot’s hitbox. If you’re a dodging freak temper your mobility, as it’s liable to get you killed.
There are points where Theseus will stop and taunt you for totally free damage in the first phase. Take full advantage of these moments.
To reach second-phase Extreme Measures 3, you need to deal a full 3/4 of Theseus’s health, at which point his chariot explodes. Second-phase then becomes the same as the unmodified fight.
These tips should give you a leg up and help you beat Theseus and the Minotaur. Check out our Hades guides hub for more tips and tricks.
