How To Get More Death Defiances In Hades 2

With spawning hordes of enemies and relentless bosses, surviving long enough to reach the final fights in Hades 2 is no easy feat. That’s why Death Defiance is here to give you extra lives when things go south.

There are several ways to get more Death Defiances using Arcana, Keepsake, familiar, Boons, and, of course, Charon’s shop and Hermes’s Shrine. In this guide, you’ll find every possible way to get more extra lives for Melinoe. Plus, there’s an honorable mention method at the end to make your life much easier!

Hades 2 is in Early Access. The information in this guide may change over time.

What Is Death Defiance In Hades 2

Death Defiance is Hades 2’s system of adding extra life. When your health drops to zero, instead of being sent straight back to the Crossroads like in your early runs, Death Defiance immediately revives you with a portion of your HP, allowing you to keep on fighting.

You can start a run with multiple Death Defiances and even replenish them mid-run if needed. Compared to Zagreus’s adventure, Melinoe’s journey in Hades 2 offers many more ways to defy Death. But of course, you must know where to look first.

Getting More Death Defiances Before A Run

Before setting off for Olympus or The House of Hades, you can begin your run with at least five Death Defiances using Arcana, Keepsakes, and familiar.

The Arcana: Death

Arcana Cards are the source of Melinoe’s passives. The X-Death card provides up to three Death Defiances when fully leveled. You can manage and level up your Arcana at the Altar of Ashes. To upgrade your Arcana, you’ll need materials like Ashes and Moon Dust, which you can farm during your runs, buy from the Broker’s Reagent Market, or order from Charon using his box at the Crossroads with his Loyalty Cards.

Skelly’s Keepsake: Luckier Tooth

Commander Schelemeus, or Skelly, is back in Hades 2. His Keepsake, Luckier Tooth, gives you an extra life. It’s also one of the easiest Keepsakes to obtain. You can find Skelly at the Training Grounds in the Crossroads early in the game. Give him a Nectar, and he’ll happily give you his Luckier Tooth.

Moros’s Keepsake: Engraved Pin

In The Warsong Update, Moros’s Keepsake, the Engraved Pin, now grants you an extra life per encounter. However, you’ll need to clear the room within ten seconds. Otherwise, you’ll lose your life. Moros’s Engraved Pin is less reliable than Skelly’s Luckier Tooth, especially against bosses, since taking down a major enemy in ten seconds is nearly impossible.

Toula’s Death Defiance

If you’ve unlocked Toula as a Familiar, you’re getting an adorable cat that claws at enemies and naps while you battle Chronos’ army and an extra life! You’ll find her lounging on the docks where you’re about to enter the Rift of Thessaly. Feed her a Witch’s Delight, and she’ll have your back in any battle. Here’s a guide on how to get and upgrade all Hades 2 familiars if you need it.

Getting More Death Defiances During A Run

There are plenty of ways to get more Death Defiances during a run in Hades 2, so don’t panic if you run out of extra lives. You can replenish them with the help of various NPCs or simply buy them back. Make sure to keep at least 200 gold on hand since that’s the price of a Kiss of Styx.

Unfortunately, Hermes’s Death Defiance, Close Call, was removed in The War Song update and replaced by Paid Dues. The new boon reduces your gold first before chipping away at your HP when you take damage, but it doesn’t give you an extra life anymore.

Athena’s Boons: Renewed Faith And Stalwart Stand

Athena is easily one of the most beloved gods in Hades 2, thanks to her incredible boons that buff both your offense and defense. She also offers two boons directly tied to Death Defiance.

You can run into Athena randomly while climbing Mount Olympus. Whenever you see ‘Divine Intervention,’ it means Athena has arrived!

Athena’s Keepsake: Gorgon Amulet

You won’t run into Athena until you start climbing Mount Olympus, so it’ll take a few runs before you can gift her Nectar and unlock her Keepsake: the Gorgon Amulet. The Gorgon Amulet guarantees that Athena will appear during your run with improved Boon rarity. And with the two boons mentioned above, there’s no doubt that you’d want to meet her if you have burned all your Death Defiances.

Shrine Of Hermes

Shrine of Hermes can offer all sorts of goodies: Mystery Boons, rewards, Star Power for your Path of Stars, and more. To make these shrines appear, you’ll need to cast the incantation Surge of Fresh Air; they are the surface version of Wells of Charon, and just like those wells, Shrines of Hermes also sell Kiss of Styx, letting you restore a spent Death Defiance.

Well Of Charon

You can replenish one use of Death Defiance by buying a Kiss of Styx from the Wells of Charon. These wells are packed with valuable items, so you may want to unlock them by casting Rise of Stygian Wells incantation as soon as possible. Charon’s wells only spawn in the Underworld. So, if you’re heading to Olympus, you’ll need to rely on the Shrine of Hermes instead.

Narcissus

Suffering through Narcissus’s narcissistic conversation can give you many perks. His Life Savings can replenish your Death Defiance and gift you a Lotus. You can find him in Oceanus near the pond, where he admires his own beauty. If you’ve made it through the area and he’s nowhere in sight while you’re running low on extra lives, hold on and try to push through! You’ll soon meet Echo in the next zone.

Echo: Survive Survive Survive

Echo can be found in the Fields of Mourning, which is just one zone away from Narcissus. Among her various gifts, the best one by far is Survive, Survive, Survive, which fully replenishes all spent Death Defiances. Each revival will restore less HP and Magick than the last, but that’s a lot better than having nothing at all.

Echo’s Keepsake, Concave Stone, is a great item to have. It randomly gives you one extra boon once per night. So, consider handing her a Nectar to earn this handy reward.

Chaos Boon: Defiance

Chaos offers a Legendary boon called Defiance, which grants you an extra life for your run. But you’ll need to think twice before sacrificing your HP for the dark portal. Like all of Chaos’s boons, Defiance comes with a price, and there’s no guarantee it’ll even appear as an option when you take the risk. So, if you’re low on Death Defiance, be sure you’re ready to handle whatever curse Chaos throws your way before diving.

Before The Final Bosses

Right before your showdown with Chronos or the final battle with Typhon, you’ll get a much-needed shopping break with either Charon or Hermes. If you’re about to enter The House of Hades, Charon will be waiting for you with his wares. If you’re at the Summit, gearing up for Typhon, Hermes will meet you instead. Both of them offer a variety of useful items to help you prepare for the fight ahead, including The Kiss of Styx, which restores one Death Defiance.

Selene’s Boon: Moon Water

While it’s not officially labeled as Death Defiance, Moon Water functions like one, given that you can hit the button before your HP drops to zero. This Hex is easily one of the most overpowered Moon Boon in the game. It can restore your health up to 11 times in a single night if you’re lucky enough to get a large Star Path and upgrade it fully.

To get more upgrades for your Moon Water, give Selene a Nectar to receive her Keepsake, Moon Beam. It increases your chances of encountering Selene and her Path of Stars. Plus, every time you activate the Path of Stars, Moon Beam gives you extra upgrade choices as well.