Familiars - Hades 2 Guide - IGN (2024)

While at the beginning of Hades 2, it seems Melinoe has to embark on her adventure alone, this isn't the case for the whole game. Eventually, as you progress through the Underworld on your quest to vanquish Chronos, you will unlock the ability to get Familiars. Familiars are pets that can run into the throes of battle with Melinoe and help her out using various combat abilities.

If you want to find out how to get some Familiars to aid you on your journey, you will find everything you need to enlist your own Familiars in this Hades 2 guide.

How to Get Animal Familiars in Hades 2

Like any good mechanic in Hades 2, unlocking Familiars requires casting an Incantation at the Cauldron in the Crossroads first. The Incantation you need is called Faith of Familiar Spirits. This Incantation is unlocked in the mid-to-late game, so don't be disheartened if you have only been playing for a couple of hours and haven't got it yet. Keep battling away in the Underworld and Olympus, and you will receive the Incantation eventually.

If you've unlocked the surface area in Hades 2, don't forget about the Underworld completely. Many of your Incantations will be given to you by Headmistress Hecate after you defeat her in battle, and Faith of Familiar Spirits is no different.

The Faith of Familiar Spirits Incantation calls for 2x Nectar and 1x Lotus Flower. You can get Nectar by completing Encounters in rooms with the Nectar icon on the door. You can also purchase Nectar from the Wretched Broker in the Crossroads for 50x Bones. The Lotus Flowers you need for the Incantation canbe gatheredby hand in Oceanus.

Casting the Faith of Familiar Spirits Incantation grants you 1x Witch's Delight, which you can gift to an animal of your choice to make them your Familiar.

What Familiars Are There in Hades 2?

Hades 2 features two Animal Familiars. Frinos, the frog you may or may not have noticed, sits just outside Melinoe's tent when she arrives back from a run. There is also a cat named Toula that can become your Familiar. You can choose whatever Familiar you feel most drawn to, or both, if you craft the Beast-Loved Morsel Alchemy recipe to get one more Witch's Delight.

Each Familiar has theirownabilities and strengths that they bring to battle with Melinoe, which you can find below.

Frinos the Frog

Frinos is the easiest Familiar to find, as heis always waitingpatiently outside Melinoe's tent to greet her uponher returnfrom her latest run.He doesn't do much besidessimplybe there before you gift him the Witch's Delight, but the moral support is alwaysnice.

Frinos is a decent Familiar to bring into battle and has abilities that can boost your Life, block projectiles coming your way, damage enemies, and grant you one or more free uses of the Tablet of Peace Gathering Tool.

Toula the Cat

Check out our Toula guide to find out how and where to find her!

Toula is a cat Familiar that you will first encounter in Erebus after casting the Woodsy Lifespring Incantation. Toula moves around a lot and can also be found on thePier in the area you visit after defeating Polyphemus in Ephyra and before you board the ship that will deliver you to the Rift of Thessaly. She is rather difficult to pin down, but keep a Witch's Delight on hand and keep visiting bothof thoseareas. She doesn't appear every time, but you will cross paths eventually.

Toula's effects support Melinoe by increasing the amount of life restored after using a Death Defiance, granting her one or more free uses of the Fishing Rod, and she can also pounce on enemies, causing them damage when she's not napping, that is.

How to Upgrade Familiars in Hades 2

The handy abilities that Familiars bring into battle canbe upgradedtwice to make them even more helpful. To upgrade your Familiar's abilities, you will have to craftsomemore Witch's Delights and give them to your Familiars as gifts. You can brew more Witch's Delights using the Beast-Loved Morsel Alchemy recipe at the Cauldron.Thisbecomes available after you cast Faith of Familiar Spirits.

The Beast-Loved Morsel Alchemy recipe requires 1x Star Dust and2x Lotus Flowers.

You can find the Lotus Flowers you need in Oceanus. The Star Dust is a littleharderto get your hands on and canbe collectedby completing Chronos Trials at the Pitch-Black Stone in the Crossroads after casting the Abyssal Night Incantation given to you by Chaos himself.

Each Bond can be upgraded to Rank 3 to unlock your Familiar's full potential.