Path of Exile 2 features some extremely challenging bosses eager to crush you. To defeat them, you must understand their mechanics, strengths, and weaknesses. This guide covers everything you need to know about some of the hardest boss encounters in Path of Exile 2, helping you prepare your character to face them head-on.
Blackjaw, the Remnant in Act 3: Path of Exile 2
Blackjaw can be found in an optional area called The Oubliette, located within Jiquani’s Machinarium in Act 3. While it’s not required, defeating this boss is strongly recommended, as it grants a permanent Fire Resistance upgrade.
What Makes Blackjaw, the Remnant Hard to Beat
Blackjaw has a variety of attacks that require careful timing and positioning. His Slam Attack is a powerful move that deals significant damage, and it’s essential to dodge roll away from the targeted area to avoid it. He can follow up with this attack up to two times, so it’s wise to stay cautious before re-engaging. The Rising Strike is a quick, straightforward attack that delivers standard damage, with little counterplay.
His Flame Exhale is a fire breath attack that sweeps from left to right, causing fire damage and igniting the player. To dodge it, running clockwise and rolling either toward or away from Blackjaw can help avoid the flames. Blackjaw’s Push Back is a quick shove that deals minimal damage, usually not fatal unless the player’s health is already low. When Blackjaw performs his Inferno Slash, he channels fire into his axe and cleaves all enemies in front of him.
Strategies You Can Use Against Blackjaw, the Remnant
Players need to approach the boss and attack it up close. Once near the boss, it will counterattack, but by moving around it, you’ll gain some respite.
Stunning the boss will create a 4-second window, allowing you to either heal or deliver a melee strike. The battle between the boss and the player tends to last longer compared to other bosses.
The Count Geonor in Act 1: Path of Exile 2
Count Geonor is one of the most challenging bosses in Act 1 of Path of Exile 2. You’ll face him at the end of the “Mad Wolf of Ogham” quest, located in the manor. Finding the correct approach to locate and defeat him can be quite tricky due to the complexity of the encounter.
What Makes Count Geonor Hard to Beat
Count Geonor’s boss fight consists of three phases, each with its own set of attacks that require careful attention. The boss telegraphs these attacks, giving you time to prepare.
In the first phase, Geonor uses several direct attacks that can typically be avoided by sidestepping. Once he reaches half health, he transforms into a wolf-like abomination, gaining new abilities that are signaled by visual effects. In the second phase, it’s crucial to avoid his attacks and strike when there’s downtime, especially after Geonor slams his sword into the ground. Be cautious when the boss leaps into the air; his red circle attack causes the most damage and must be avoided at all costs.
In the third phase of the Count Geonor fight, once his health falls below 25%, the battlefield will shrink, and you’ll face multiple enemies. Geonor will periodically charge through the circle, so be prepared to roll as soon as you see him. It’s essential to use your AoE and crowd control abilities to clear the added enemies quickly.
Soon after, Geonor will return in his wolf form, introducing a new attack where red spikes rise from the floor. To survive, you must burn through his remaining health quickly; if you don’t, the combination of these attacks can easily overwhelm you.
Strategies You Can Use Against Count Geonor
Count Geonor is a required boss fight in Path of Exile 2 and serves as the conclusion of Act 1. While winning the battle largely depends on your ability to withstand his attacks and strike back, there are several important factors to keep in mind before stepping into the fight.
First, make sure you’re at least Level 15 before facing off against Count Geonor. If you’ve been following our tips and exploring the maps, you should be around this level, or possibly higher. Once you’ve reached the appropriate level, check the condition of your gear. This is a good habit in general, but it’s especially crucial before a boss fight. Be sure to do a gear check to see if any upgrades are needed, from weapons to the best flasks available.
For more thorough preparation, focus on boosting your Cold Resistance. Count Geonor has several abilities that deal Cold Damage and build up Freeze. Look for equipment or accessories, like charms, that can help enhance your resistance. Alternatively, you can insert runes into a piece of armor to increase your Cold resistance.
The Rathbreaker in Act 2: Path of Exile 2
Rathbreaker is located at the Raider’s Cliffs, on the opposite side of the Maraketh Bazaar in the Vastiri Desert during Act 2.
What Makes Rathbreaker Hard to Beat
Rathbreaker is accompanied by hyenas on the cliffs and below. If you attempt to lure him down, the hyenas will swarm you, causing him to retreat. Staying too close to the cliffs will also result in raiders overwhelming you with spears.
As the fight progresses, the hyenas below will join in, often in large packs. Allow them to approach and use area-of-effect attacks to deal with them. If you don’t have any, be sure to acquire one for this battle, as it’s essential. The key is to lure Rathbreaker to the edge of the cliff and keep him there. While space is limited, it’s out of spear range and funnels the hyenas into a tight group, perfect for cleaving.
Rathbreaker’s most deadly attack is a three-strike combo that unleashes devastating waves of damage. The first two swings are not as damaging, but the final strike hits hard. He tracks your movement during this attack, so you’ll need to dodge just before his blade hits the ground to avoid taking full damage. Before starting the combo, he’ll swipe the ground in front of him. When you see this, stop whatever you’re doing and focus on dodging or simply running out of range.
Strategies You Can Use Against Rathbreaker
Rathbreaker’s boss arena is distinctive because a group of Hyenic Raiders stands above it. If you get too close to the arena’s walls, these Raiders will quickly throw spears at you, dealing substantial physical damage. To avoid being overwhelmed, it’s crucial to keep Rathbreaker in the center of the arena.
Along with the ranged support from the Raiders on the walls, Rathbreaker will summon a horde of Hyenas once he drops to around 75% of his max health, and then every minute thereafter throughout the fight. Make sure you have an AoE ability ready to deal with these adds, as they can quickly overwhelm an unprepared character, especially when facing a dozen Hyenas.
The Hyenas always spawn from the two ramps on either side leading to the arena, so you can anticipate their arrival and preemptively use your AoE abilities when you see them coming. If your skills and gear are strong enough, properly timed AoE attacks should be able to clear most of the pack.
The Doryani in Act 3: Path of Exile 2
Doryani, Royal Thaumaturge, is the final boss you’ll face in Act 3 of Path of Exile 2. He broods in his lair, consumed by the Vaal’s impending destruction, surrounded by cold, indifferent machinery. You’ll find Doryani in the Black Chambers during the Glory of the Vaal quest. He holds Alva captive in The Testing Pit, where he also keeps his greatest creation.
What Makes Doryani Hard to Beat
The battle with Doryani unfolds in two phases. In the first, you face the thaumaturge himself, but once you reduce his health below half, he climbs into his automaton and uses it to try to defeat you.
In the first phase, Doryani floats around the arena, unleashing lightning, lasers, and bursts of flame. He also scatters red crystals that explode after a brief delay. All of these attacks deal moderate damage. If your fire and lightning resistances are above 50%, you can endure them. Otherwise, you’ll need to dodge frequently to avoid taking damage.
To increase the challenge, Doryani will also place glowing pylons into sockets on the ground. If you get too close, they’ll activate and emit lightning damage in a small area around them. The best way to deal with them is to activate all the pylons as soon as they appear. If you move quickly enough, you can pass through without getting hit. Once they’re all cleared, you won’t have to worry about avoiding both the pylons and the laser wheel at the same time.
In phase two, when Doryani reaches about 50% health, he quickly assembles his greatest creation: a massive robotic scorpion that he controls from its back. He gains a new health bar and a fresh set of attacks. Some of the scorpion’s attacks involve cold damage, so now he’s using all three elements.
Strategies You Can Use Against Doryani
In both phases, high single-target damage is crucial. There are no minions to deal with, so you can focus all your efforts on Doryani. Cold damage will be useful throughout the fight, but whatever you can deal the most of will be effective. Be sure to use debuffs to weaken him and damage-over-time effects to continue reducing his health while you maneuver.
The Rust King in Act 1: Path of Exile 2
The Rust King is an Act 1 main boss in Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2). He can be found in the Red Vale area during the Secrets in the Dark main quest. He will spawn near the player once they collect the third and final rune of power.
What Makes The Rust King Hard to Beat
Not only is The Rust King in Path of Exile 2 mobile, but he’s also surprisingly fast. Despite being made of rusted metal, this boss can quickly close the distance between you and him. If he charges at you, he’ll swipe, so make sure to dodge out of the way using the new dodge roll mechanic.
He will perform this several times in succession, so keep moving, attack when you have the chance, and try to predict his position if you’re using ground-based AoE attacks. Occasionally, The Rust King will summon a series of red-hot blades. When this happens, make sure to keep moving to avoid getting hit by them.
When The Rust King stands still and yells, he summons eight swords around him. After a brief delay, these swords will be launched toward you, crackling with energy. You can either position yourself safely between them or dodge roll through them. He can also channel pieces of rusted armor above his head, raising one arm as he does so. This causes a series of blasts to shoot out, similar to his sword attack. Additionally, he may perform an electrically charged slam in front of him, usually approaching you before doing so.
Strategies You Can Use Against The Rust King
The Rust King is heavily armored and resistant to fire damage, making physical and fire attacks ineffective. However, he is vulnerable to lightning damage, so using a move with this damage type will inflict significant extra damage.
The Rust King’s attacks are simple area-of-effect moves. He summons blades that shoot in straight lines, drop from above, or swarm toward you. These can all be avoided by positioning yourself well, blocking, or dodging at the right moment.
Azarian, the Forsaken Son in Act 2: Path of Exile 2
Azarian, the Forsaken Son, is a tall, bloated humanoid with a complicated family history. He is the son of Halani, the Water Goddess, and their relationship is strained. You’ll come across him in Act 2 of Path of Exile 2 while exploring The City of Seven Waters. Azarian can be found in the Halani Shrine, located at the lowest level beneath Keth, the city where you complete The City of Seven Waters quest.
What Makes Azarian, the Forsaken Son Hard to Beat
When you enter the boss room for Azarian, the Forsaken Son, in Path of Exile 2, you’ll notice four fiery braziers, one in each corner. If either you or Azarian break these, they will permanently ignite that section of the floor. Any attacks can damage the braziers, so it’s important to be cautious about where you position the boss.
Additionally, having a Fire Charm and Fire Resistance will be crucial due to the numerous fire hazards you’ll face in this Path of Exile 2 boss fight. Azarian, the Forsaken Son, can perform a spinning fire attack that moves in a line, setting the ground behind him ablaze. This attack is highly dangerous. Azarian can also launch fast-moving fire projectiles toward you. During my playthrough, when he reached about 75%, he fired a projectile at one of the braziers, breaking it and setting that entire section of the battlefield on fire.
In addition to his ranged attacks, Azarian has powerful melee strikes and a fire cone attack that shoots directly in front of him, making close-range combat risky. When he was around 50%, he broke another brazier, so it’s important to stay mindful of your positioning, as he can destroy them at any moment.
Strategies You Can Use Against Azarian, the Forsaken Son
Despite being the keeper of the Essence of Water, Azarian wields fire in battle. All of his attacks are fire-based, so bringing a Fire Charm will be crucial for this fight—it could make all the difference. While keeping him away from the fire lamps, you’ll also need to dodge his various area-of-effect attacks.
Most of Azarian’s attacks originate from his front, but if you try to get behind him or circle around, it will be hard to prevent him from breaking the fire lamps. Instead, keep him moving back and forth across the room. This way, you’ll be ready to move away when he raises his arms for a powerful slam. It will get trickier when he creates a line of fire blocking part of the room, but if you position him on one side of the fire, you should be able to avoid it.
The Viper Napuatzi in Act 3: Path of Exile 2
Viper Napuatzi is the leader of the Vaal troops encountered during Act Three in Path of Exile 2. She guards the entrance to Aggorat, the renowned Vaal structure that overlooks the Vaal Jungle. Napuatzi is encountered while exploring Utzaal in the past during the Glory of the Vaal quest. You are sent there after ascending the Temple of Kopec and activating a time-travel gateway.
What Makes Viper Napuatzi Hard to Beat
When armed, Viper Napuatzi can perform several attacks, including Cleave, Lunge, Flurry Slice, and Super Combo.
Cleave is a wide, sweeping strike with her weapon, while Lunge allows her to quickly dash forward and stab. Flurry Slice consists of a forward swing followed by a jumping sweep and slam. Spear Combo combines a sweeping attack, a fast stab, and a jumping slam. She can also use Viper Mortar, launching projectiles that leave poisonous patches on the ground.
In addition, she has abilities like Soaring Viper, Thundering Lance, and Poison Guard. Soaring Viper fires two spiraling, snake-like projectiles. Thundering Lance involves throwing her weapon at a phalanx wall, generating bouncing lightning projectiles. Poison Guard embeds her weapon in the ground, creating a poisonous area.
Strategies You Can Use Against Viper Napuatzi
The key to winning this battle is speed and mobility. You must move quickly to dodge her area-of-effect attacks, and as the fight progresses, the space you have to maneuver will shrink. Therefore, the most important stats to focus on for this encounter are movement speed and damage output. It’s also beneficial to have a ranged attack, even if you’re playing a melee class.
When Napuatzi ascends into the air, she summons progressively larger comets that crash down around her. Staying in motion is essential to avoid them. A circle will form within the area of effect as the comet descends, and when the glow reaches the edge of the circle, you must move out of it. Before that point, it’s safe. You’ll often face situations where there’s no safe space to move to, so you’ll need to stand in the circles that haven’t been hit yet to avoid the incoming ones.
The Zicoatl in Act 3: Path of Exile 2
Zicoatl, Warden of the Core, is a massive construct encountered during Act 3 of Path of Exile 2. It guards the Large Soul Core at the heart of Jiquani’s Sanctum, where you’ll face it during the Legacy of the Vaal quest. This core is essential to powering the Waterway Mechanism in the Infested Barrens.
What Makes Zicoatl Hard to Beat: Strategies You Can Use
Zicoatl is a slow-moving automaton with predictable attacks, all of which deal lightning damage. Any lightning resistance you bring will be beneficial. The serpents on its back will either shoot lightning beams or slam the ground in front of it.
Most of Zicoatl’s attacks originate from the front. The exceptions are the random-pattern beams that cross the room and the red triangle that spreads damage across the arena. The best way to avoid most of its attacks is to stay behind it. As a ranged fighter, you’ll need to circle around it throughout the fight. As a melee fighter, you can dodge through it when it turns to face you.
Zicoatl’s most devastating attack is the red triangle that spreads damage across the room. Fortunately, there’s a way to avoid it. The damage radiates from the sides of the triangle, so simply moving outside one of its points will let you avoid the attack entirely. It’s much easier to do this if you keep Zicoatl in the center of the room, giving you three clear safe spaces to run to.
And there you have it—eight of the hardest bosses you’ll face in Path of Exile 2. Keep in mind, however, that opinions on difficulty may vary from player to player.
