The Headless are optional enemies that lie in the gap between a mini-boss and an actual boss. They’re frustrating to fight due to the slow-down effect they exert on you. As such, many players opt to avoid fighting them for a long time.
However, with the proper knowledge and items, you can make fighting the Headless manageable. We’ll let you know what to bring along to make beating the Headless easier. The rewards of defeating the Headless are well worth it if you know what to do.
Before You Fight the Headless
You absolutely have to bring these two items, or killing the Headless isn’t an option. They are:
- Divine Confetti
The Headless are almost entirely resistant to your sword attacks, and without Divine Confetti, you’ll only deal minor damage to them. Using this item will let you deal damage to the Headless with your sword. - Pacifying Agent
Terror is an effect the Headless can inflict on you, and if you let it accumulate, you’ll die of fright. The Pacifying Agent slows down your Terror build-up and helps you resists Terror for a while.
Another item that can also do the same thing as the Pacifying Agent is the Mottled Purple Gourd. It has five uses before you must refill it. Refilling is possible by resting at an idol.
Fighting the Headless
The Headless are capable of slowing down time around them. You may assume that it gives you more opportunities to avoid them; however, it makes your controls less responsive, so it’s harder to dodge or jump. As such, you can only rely on your sword and items to kill them.
Before you fight the Headless, you should sprinkle Divine Confetti and consume either the Pacifying Agent or drink from the Mottled Purple Gourd.
When the icons below your Vitality bar disappear, use both items again to stay alive and damage the Headless.
The Headless only have two attacks.
One attack is a sword swings combo that can last from two to five hits, and all hits deal damage to your Vitality, Posture, and Terror gauge. Not even blocking will save you for long.
The second attack is a teleporting maneuver followed by a grab. When the Headless disappear, switch your camera angle to behind you and run away. This attack directly follows the sword combos.
On your part, you can try deflecting the Headless’ sword swings. You’ll receive Posture damage, but you won’t die as quickly as blocking them.
With the help of Divine Confetti, you can deal much more damage than before. Stick to basic sword moves, particularly when the Headless pauses after teleporting or when their combos end.
Jumping isn’t a great option in this fight, as you’ll find it challenging to do so even with mashing. We recommend sticking to the ground and watching the Headless’ movements.
Headless Rewards
Defeating a Headless drops its Spiritfall, and as there are four of them, each Spiritfall has a different effect. You can use them an infinite number of times, though each use consumes 2 Spirit Emblems. Ungo, one of the Headless, also drops a Bulging Coin Purse.
Fighting in Molasses
The time-manipulation effects make actions seem slow, and this makes the fight more challenging. However, with the help of items and proper deflection, you can kill the Headless without too much trouble. Make sure to use Divine Confetti and deal with the Terror often.
What did you find more difficult about fighting the Headless? How many tries did it take to fight all of them? Let us know in the comments section below.
