Bosses are core to Phantom Blade Zero. As you explore the game’s world and progress through the story, you’ll meet loads of bosses, all of which have different weapons and skills. Looking at the Phantom Blade Zero bosses list will give you a good sense of how far through the game you are, and what you can look forward to facing. Our list below will cover all of the boss fights in order, and tips on how to beat them.
Full Phantom Blade Zero bosses list
There are over 50 bosses in Phantom Blade Zero. Below is the full list:
- Jagged Steel, The Frenzied Brute
- Peng Meng, The Axemaster
- Aberrant Three-Faced Puppet
- Hua, Deadly Betrothed
- The Hunt, Sixfold Scythe
- The Gold Masked One(five times)
- Hua Qianxiao, The Sword Fanatic
- Ying Ye, The Outlaw
- Bai Chilian, The Sacrificial Serpent
- Zhuo Bi, The Gatekeeper
- Master Bi Yuan of the Tianxuan Sect
- Master Bi Hai of Kuye Temple
- Dusk, The Puppeteer
- Yuzan, No. 3 Musician Puppet
- Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order
- Blaze, Shadow Warden Captain
- Cavalrybane, Elite Shadow Warden
- Wu Xuan, The Fallen General
- Gu Wanyue, The Wailing Wraith
- Corpse-Eating Xue
- Wan Jun, The Coppermaul
- Red, The Mysterious Swordswoman
- Chief Disciple of the Seven-Stars Formation
- Yubi, No. 21 Swordfighter Puppet
- Xie Qiudong, The Divine Healer
- Chang Hong, The Thunder Spear
- You Loong, Leader of the Blackwater Crew
- Flame, The Lion Grandmaster
- Soulclaimer, Elite Shadow Warden
- Zhu Yuan, The Searing Blade
- Grief-Striken Jin
- One-Eyed Archer
- You-Loong, The Frenzied Blackwater Crewleader
- Yan Qiansui, The Zither Maiden
- Heartpiercer, Elite Shadow Warden
- Iron Butcher, The Frenzied Brute
- Bi Feng, Giant Saber Commander
- Kui Yanyan, The Deranged
- Huangxing, The Kunlun Renegade
- The Puppet Scavenger & Acolyte Hansui
- 4 x Acolytes(One each in four different regions)
There are nine additional boss fights at the end of the game, but we’re not allowed to talk about them yet. They will be added here 24 hours after Phantom Blade Zero’s launch.
How to beat every boss in Phantom Blade Zero
This section will provide a breakdown of what to expect from each boss, what they look like, and what you need to keep an eye on to beat them.
All bosses in Weeping Creek Valley
Jagged Steel, The Frenzied Brute
The Jagged Steel boss is an introductory one, which teaches you how to parry and perfect dodge. It’s pretty simple, so follow the prompts, and you’ll beat it easily.
Peng Meng, The Axemaster
No, this isn’t Benedict Cumberbatch trying to say genguin; this is the first real boss in Phantom Blade Zero. He wields the Dread Axe, which you get as a Phantom Edge when you beat him. You need to be careful of his back slam attack, which will rid you of all of your Sha-Chi if it connects. You need to dodge his sweeping attack, and parry the blue attack after a sequence of stamps.
Aberrant Three-Faced Puppet
So while this is likely the second boss you’ll find in Phantom Blade Zero, it’s actually a hidden boss that you don’t need to fight, and actually won’t be able to early on in the game. Soul will mutter something about needing to learn more about the boss, suggesting you come back later. The issue is, the Three-Faced Puppet is a tanky boss with a lot of health, and you’re unable to do much damage against it.
Once you do return, you need to dodge around as she disappears into mirrors. Sometimes, she does a red attack you need to perfect dodge when she comes out of mirrors, so be prepared. If you come back near the end of the game, which you can, it’s an easy fight.
Hua, Deadly Betrothed
Hua is another secret boss in the game’s first area, but it’s a must-beat. Hidden at the bottom of the first Sha-Chi tower you face, the fight requires you to keep moving so that you don’t get caught up in her flowers on the ground. You get the Scarlet Wraithblade weapon for beating her, and it is one of the best weapons in the first half of the game.
The Hunt, Sixfold Scythe
The Hunt, who has been chasing you since the start of the game, is the first chapter end boss in Phantom Blade Zero. He’s fast and uses the large arena to the maximum, and he’s also the first boss with two phases.
When he’s in the air, get ready, as he’ll suddenly attack you with a blue attack you need to parry. He also has a whirlwind attack, which you need to dodge away from. Whenever he goes into the air, prepare for an attack you need to perfect dodge, and focus your attacks when you’re close to you on the ground. You get the Hunter Chain Sickle Phantom Edge as a reward for beating him.
The Gold Masked One
This is the first of five optional bosses you’ll stumble across, all of which see you face Donnie Yen’s Gold Masked One character. The first four are pretty similar, and we’ve explained the final one below. To start, the fights are simple; just keep on your toes for when quick red flash attacks arrive. We won’t ruin any more of the fight, as each one adds a lot to the game’s story.
All bosses in Crimson Forest
Hua Qianxiao, The Sword Fanatic
The first fight in The Crimson Forest is against a drunk guy. He will side-spin into swipes, which means a red attack is about to come, and you’ll need to perfect dodge it. Throughout, try to stay close to him, as the drunk sword has decent range. Also, when he spins around in a breakdancing style, dodge away as he’s about to unleash a large area-of-effect attack. You’ll get the Fanatic’s Broken Blade once you beat him.
Ying Ye, The Outlaw
This is the first fight that I struggled with, as the game doesn’t explain the bleed effect well. You fight Ying Ye while he’s on horseback for the first half of his health, then on the floor with a shield for the second half. Before you start the fight, make sure you have a shield breaking weapon, and make it one with a bit of range if you can. When he puts smoke down, prepare for a leaping attack; a blue attack you need to parry comes right after. Otherwise, try to avoid bleeding too much from his shield attacks. You get the Outlaw Warblade weapon for beating him.
Bai Chilian, The Sacrificial Serpent
Bai Chillian is the chapter boss for the Crimson Forest, and it has two phases. She’s the fastest boss you’ll have faced so far, as she’ll rush around the arena, disappearing and reappearing. Be sure to keep lock-on active so you can see blue and red attacks from the sky coming. You’ll need to block a lot, then attack when her Sha-Chi is broken. You’ll get the White Serpent and Crimson Viper swords weapon for beating her.
All bosses in The Village of Lu
Zhuo Bi, The Gatekeeper
The first boss in the area, found in the central Village of Lu, Zhuo Bi is shield-focused. You absolutely need a shield-breaking weapon. Otherwise, the fight is simple. Attack when he lies on the ground after an attack, and keep in mind that most of your damage is done with finishers that take a quarter of his health. Your aim is to break the shield; the health reduction will come. You get the very useful Bastion Phantom Edge for beating him, which is used for some traversal in the game.
Master Bi Yuan of the Tianxuan Sect
This is the first of two Master Bi boss fights. He does a lot of Sha-Chi breaking attacks, so dodge them and parry the follow-ups. Throughout, stay close so he doesn’t send blades flying at you from afar. You get the Tianxuan Bronze Sword weapon for beating him, and it’ll clear the first part of the thread covering the village’s well.
Master Bi Hai of Kuye Temple
This fight is more interesting. Get ready for a red attack after a succession of quick attacks. A few times in the fight, he’ll cover himself in a translucent bell and will spawn three gold warriors who you need ot defeat to destroy the bell and inflict damage. You therefore need a shield-breaking weapon to beat them. You get the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads summoning Phantom Edge as a reward for beating him, and the second set of threads will be removed from the well.
Dusk, The Puppeteer
A hidden boss in the region after you find six memory flowers; it’s a pretty easy two-phase fight. Focus on the summons when they appear, and block when he shoots at you. He’ll break into two for a second phase, but the same rules apply. None of his attacks are hard to see coming or hard to dodge. You get the Puppeteer’s Bell Phantom Edge and the Illusory Pipa Head as rewards for beating him.
Yuzan, No. 3 Musician Puppet
Once you get inside the village well, you’ll face this boss. When the instrument glows red, get ready to dodge. Be sure to parry white orbs, parry blue projectiles back at her, and at points, she’ll disappear to above the middle of the arena and will send out large grey orbs. When she does that attack, stay to the outside part of the arena and dodge. You’ll get the Heartrend Pipa Phantom Edge as a reward for beating the fight.
Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order
Potentially the most visually impressive boss fight in Phantom Blade Zero, this is the first three-phase fight in the game. In the first phase, after red swipe projectiles come at you, she’ll disappear and reappear with a red attack you need to perfect dodge. When she leaps in the air, prepare for a blue attack.
In the second phase, she is called the Queen of Iron and Jade. After her spiral red and blue glowing sword attack, she’ll immediately follow it up with a red attack, so be ready to perfect dodge. She’ll often do a red attack right after getting Sha-Chi back after being guard broken, too, and you’ll spot it when she lifts her arm in the air.
For the third phase, she summons Jade Dancer, Young Mistress’s Guardian and Iron Fiend, Young Mistress’s Guardian. For the Fiend, the attack to keep an eye out for is high knees and claps followed by a red attack. Throughout, try to guard break both at the same time, or keep them apart by moving a lot, so you can attack one while the other isn’t close. You get the Puppet No. 44’s eye and Fist Fragment: Core as rewards for winning, and this isn’t the last you’ll see of Mu.
All bosses in Pangzhen
Blaze, Shadow Warden Captain
Pangzhen is the biggest map in Phantom Blade Zero, and Blaze is the first boss you’ll fight there. Be sure to take out other enemies when you can to restore health, and because it allows you to use finishers for follow-up attacks. You need to stay at a distance so you can react to the chains he throws.
During his second phase, he is called Blaze, Phosphor Consciousness, and he starts to use poison attacks. After he spins, red attacks are coming. Also, when he jumps in the sky, dodge away to avoid the attack, and when he throws a circle in the sky, get away from it.
Cavalrybane, Elite Shadow Warden
This is the first of four Elite Shadow Wardens you’ll face in the game, but they’re all quite simple. He will blue attack after air spins, so parry those, and when he charges towards you, keep blocking and dodge the kick that comes right after it. You get the Armybreaker weapon once you beat him.
Wu Xuan, The Fallen General
Shortly after, you’ll face Wu Xuan. When he spins his hammer over his head, a blue attack is coming, so parry that. It would also be helpful to bring a shield-breaking weapon with you, as that allows you to do damage. You’ll get a good shield-breaking weapon as a reward for beating him, called the Wolfjaw Phantom Edge.
Gu Wanyue, The Wailing Wraith
Finally, you’ve found out where the wailing is from. This boss is hard to track, as she flies around, so keep locked on. When she starts glowing purple, get ready to parry a blue attack projectile. Then, the area will go black, so keep blocking and you’ll be able to break her guard easily enough.
You’ll get the Fanatic’s Fragment: Fixation item for use later on as a reward for beating her. You’ll also get the Mandate Encampment gate key from the bottom of the well after the fight, which opens up a new area in the Village of Lu.
All bosses in the Mandate Encampment
Corpse-Eating Xue
The Encampment is smaller than other areas, and the first boss there is a secret enemy behind a locked door. Around them will be lots of smaller enemies, so clear them out as quickly as you can. Be sure to block swinging blade quick attacks, and keep in mind that the larger, slow enemies are dangerous too. Beating the boss gives you a side quest to find Xue’s three missing items, rather than a weapon.
Wan Jun, The Coppermaul
When he leaps up to land on his backside, dodge away, then attack when he’s lying on his back, even if he’s not guard-broken. Dodge away when sand covers the screen, as a red attack is about to come. You’ll also need to dodge away when he pushes his hammer along the ground. You unlock the Bashpole Phantom Edge, which can be used to open new areas around the world.
Red, The Mysterious Swordswoman
This boss comes out of absolutely nowhere, on the roof of a random building in the encampment. There’s not much space to move, but it’s an easy fight. Keep an eye on her when she jumps to the spire, and after she grabs you with thread, there’s going to be a red attack shortly after. There’s no reward for beating her, but she says she’ll see you soon once the fight is over. Soul is also convinced that she’s not used all of her power.
Chief Disciple of the Seven-Stars Formation
This is one of the most unique boss fights in the game. You’re faced with one chief and six weaker enemies. Take out the others first, and focus on parrying for the first phase. The second phase is Chief Disciple, Sword of Despair, and it’s trickier.
He’s tied up above the stage, and after a dash towards you, there’ll be a blue attack you need to parry. When an attack is three swings towards you, the third swing will be a blue attack. Also, when lots of small red things come from him when in the sky, keep dodging away as they get close, as each one does damage, and you’ll die in seconds. You unlock the Swordsman’s Summon Phantom Edge and the Training Grounds Key when you beat the crew.
Yubi, No. 21 Swordfighter Puppet
At the end of the map, you’ll be faced by the first numbered puppet. There are electrical spin attacks, and a red attack comes right after, so try to time the perfect dodge correctly. Also, be prepared for a red attack immediately after she jumps up into the sky or onto the roof of the building in the room. As a reward, you get the Baishan Stormswords, which is a very useful weapon in the second half of the game.
All bosses in the second part of Pengzhen
Xie Qiudong, The Divine Healer
This fight introduces you to the healer characters. They’re able to heal any other enemies around them, if they’re connected to them with red thread. First, kill the characters connected to him at the start, and when he lifts one arm up and pauses, a red attack is coming. Since he heals other characters, there’s no point focusing on them, so attack the boss whenever possible, as that limits the amount of time you’re wasting.
Chang Hong, The Thunder Spear
Another two-phase boss, this one sees you face Chang Hong on two feet for the first one, and him on horseback for the second. For the second, he’s known as The Thunder Lancer, using his weapon in a different way.
After a swipe with his sword, he’ll send electricity towards you on the ground, so dodge that. He’ll also do a red attack when he spins and jumps into the sky, and when the horse lifts its front hooves, so perfect dodge that. For winning, you’ll get the Thunder Spear Phantom Edge.
You Loong, Leader of the Blackwater Crew
This isn’t the only time you’ll fight You Loong, and make sure you complete this fight this before the flame mask boss that comes next. Keep an eye on the bubbles when he’s underwater. A red attack also comes after spinning trident attacks. You’ll also notice that, when the red attack shoots water, you can dodge it and interrupt it by attacking. You get the You Loong’s Deluge Phantom Edge as a reward for beating him.
Flame, The Lion Grandmaster
Another very cool boss fight; the two stages require different tactics. First, equip the You Loong’s Deluge Phantom Edge to put out the boss’s fire. The second stage is The Lion Grandmaster’s Final Dance, and when you’re on poles, just move when he shoots, not all the time, as it can feel a little unresponsive. You get the Dormant Flaming Mane story item/weapon for beating him, but you won’t be able to use it until later in the story.
Soulclaimer, Elite Shadow Warden
The second Elite Shadow Warden, this one is simple, and found just before you get the boat at the edge of Pangzhen. The only real attack to worry about is the attack after he runs away and spins towards you. It’s a blue one you need to parry, but it’s quite easy to see coming. You get the Parting Hooks weapon when you beat him.
All bosses in Meigu Lake
Zhu Yuan, The Searing Blade
The boss can be considered in either Meigu Lake or Pangzhen, since it’s at the bottom of the Sha-Chi tower there. When he glows orange, dodge away or guard break to interrupt it. If he spins around, he’ll send fire on the ground towards you, so dodge that. The next attack after that will often be red, seeing him jump towards you, so be sure not to perfect dodge until he actually reaches you. You get the Scorching Flames item, which is a fragment to soul temper the Sanguine Reach weapon you already have.
Grief-Striken Jin
A simple fight; it’s against a group of enemies, with one being faster and more powerful than the others. Defeat the weaker ones first, then it’s a pretty normal fight against Jin. You get the Embroidered Shoes to Soul Temper the Scarlet Wraithblade weapon.
One-Eyed Archer
This fight requires a good blocking finger, as he’ll fire arrows at you all of the time. He also has one of the most powerful individual attacks in the game. When he begins to charge in the middle of the stage and fires out red lasers, run to the edges of the arena before he fires so that it’s easier to dodge them. The lasers are everywhere, and you may need to jump over the ones that reach the edge of the arena. You get the One-Eyed Bow Phantom Edge when you win the fight.
You-Loong, The Frenzied Blackwater Crewleader
The second and final time you fight, You Loong, the fight is pretty similar to the first in Pangzhen. Do keep your wits about you though, as the whole fight starts with a red attack. He’s quicker this time, but his attacks are largely the same, so you can refer to that second of this guide. You get the High-Power Pump to soul temper the You Loong’s Deluge Phantom Edge when you beat him. This is quite a hidden boss, on an island on the lake, so you may miss it.
Yan Qiansui, The Zither Maiden
This is another boss fight that introduces you to a type of attack. With her weapon, she’ll send orbs towards you. You need to parry blue orbs and avoid red ones. You also need to avoid big white orbs, and red attacks often come after coloured orbs dissipate. You get Fanatic’s Fragment: Attachment, Fanatic’s Obsession to soul temper to Fanatic’s Broken Blade, and Illusory Pipa Strings to progress the story when you beat the boss.
Heartpiercer, Elite Shadow Warden
The third of the Elite Shadow Wardens is another pretty hidden boss. His red attack sends spinning blades at you, so dodge them quickly. There’s also a red attack after he spin jumps backwards, so make sure you’re ready for that one as well. You’ll get the Sundering Dual Axes weapon as a reward for beating him.
All bosses in the Mountain of Imprisonment region
Iron Butcher, The Frenzied Brute
An early boss in the small region, you need to dodge when he throws three purple jars, which will poison you. You also need to dodge when he throws one purple jar, as he’ll throw an explosive which does a lot of damage right after. You get the Iron Butcher Mask to soul temper the Jagged Steel weapon as a reward.
Bi Feng, Giant Saber Commander
In this fight, the boss is quite good at hiding his attacks, so you’ll need to be on your toes. After multiple swipes that look grey, he will red attack you, so you need to perfect dodge. You can also parry blade projectiles, and when he leaps directly upwards, it’ll also be a red attack. You get the Juggernaut weapon as a reward.
Kui Yanyan, The Deranged
This is a quick and unexpected boss fight. Stay close to interrupt his attacks, and parry when he throws daggers at you. Other than that, it’s a basic fight. You get the Missing Lift Crank to activate the lift once he’s dead.
Huangxing, The Kunlun Renegade
This is the famous fight you saw in the trailer. In the first stage, when he spins his flail and it gets faster, it ends with a red attack. The only other problem in the first phase is the lack of space, so you need to use the pillars to jump off to avoid some attacks.
In the second phase, he’s known as Huangxing, The Whirling Executioner. You need to dodge just before he reaches you when rolling on the floor. It’s helpful to know that two wind swipes and one sword swipe are followed by a blue attack, and then often a red right after, but if you time the parry correctly, you won’t need to worry about the second attack. You get the Flying Guillotine Phantom Edge as a reward, which opens up locked areas in pretty much every map in the game.
Acolytes
This is a different section, as there are four Acolytes to fight throughout the game, and you interact with certain scarecrows to fight them. Each one is the same kind of enemy, but with unique attacks and different elemental themes.
One cannot be found until a boss fight in the Crimson Mansion, but we’d recommend leaving them all and heading back to beat the other three before you head to the frosty area in Lake Meigu, as they’re needed there. There’s no need to beat them earlier, and that’ll make them much easier to beat. You get a mask for beating each one.
Crimson Mansion
The Puppet Scavenger & Acolyte Hansui
This is where you’ll fight the final Acolyte. The first half is just against the Scavenger, and his blade attacks are slow and easy to block. You’ll face a blue attack second in a sequence, and the acolyte freezes you, so focus on it instead of the Scavenger.
When there’s a circle of ice on the floor, get out of it. You’ll also need to avoid the decoy Acolyte as it explodes with freeze damage. You get the Alloyed Scythe Blade to soul temper the Hunter’s Chain Sickle Phantom Edge, the Yang puppet eye, and the Frost mask as a reward for completing the fight.
To reiterate, there are nine additional bosses to come after this point, which we’ll add 24 hours after the game’s launch. For now, check out the Phantom Blade Zero quest list for more info on what to expect at the end of the game.