Hades - No Boon Run Unique Dialogues 

Even such a niche and rare situation still has 2 sets of voicelines addressing it. That's Supergiant quality for you, there.

Zagreus approaching Hades without any blessings has the same energy as when a Dark Souls invader comes into your world buck ass naked. You just know you're about to get your ass kicked so hard, you'll still remember it 10 years down the line.

Hades: Have you come all this way without any boons? Zagreus: Wouldn't you like to know, office boi.

Hades in actual mythology: *Wife gone, think about wife... Regret.*

For real, Zagreus getting there without Olympian help is the biggest flex on EVERYONE

One of the fun parts of the game being in early access was all the unique dialogue they added in to justify it and make it actually a part of the evolving narrative. For instance, back when the game ended after Asphodel, beating the Bone Hydra for the first time would get you some unique dialogue. The narrator comments that there's nothing else past that point and that we can just assume Zagreus inevitably dies, and you get sent back to the House of Hades. Zag then marches right up to Hades and lays into him about there being nothing past Asphodel, at which point Hades basically just says "alright listen here you little shit, you KNOW my realm is incomplete and under construction."

I think my favourite interaction in this game is using Hades' call against Hades! "Father!" "Son!"

As stated by the fates: The son of the god of the dead shall die within 1.57 seconds to a battle with his father.

Hades: "What are you? An atheist or something?"

Interesting that he acknowledged the fact you probably did scum the pool of purging for these dialogues since it takes an enormous amount of luck to not get forced into taking a boon.

Zagreus: walks up to Hades Hades: *SNIFF*

Giving hades a "Wouldn't you like to know weather boy" has to be the best zagreus has ever done

I can't even reliably get past Theseus and Asterius _with_ boons and then there's this guy who made it all the way to the final boss without using a single one.

Something I’ll probably never achieve

You just can’t get a compliment from this guy 😀

The first time I did this was also the first time I used Excalibur. So the unique dialogue for using Excalibur played over the no boon dialogue. I felt so defeated, even though I did it, without Hades saying it I felt like I hadn’t.

Dude i thought i beat him on my 15th run. I was so proud of myself. But then there's the second phase. Expectation : Gone Hope : Crushed

Hades: Ew you took the boons Also Hades: Ew you didn't take the boons Zagreus every time: 🥲

Man, I swear, half the fun in the game is feeling like you're actually in the game. Everything feels personal...the fun, the exciment, the anticipation, the annoyance, the relationships themselves. This is character desing done right in every way. Top 5 favorite game for sure.

bruh, the first time i got his health low for it to only shoot back up, my heart dropped... Still kicked his ass that run tho

I'm currently trying to get up to Hades without investing any darkness in the mirror, the fact that there's dialogue for not having any boons gives me hope that it's doable! xD

The delivery of the lines is SO good for both: "Yes I am that Strong", or "Pssshhh, No, I didn't pick up a Single Boon.... None at all... ;)"

Fun fact, it's implied that the Mirror of Darkness doesn't grant Zagreus entirely new power from Nyx, but rather allows Zagreus to focus his own errant power into tangible boosts within himself. So fighting EM4 Hades without Boons with a maxed out mirror is Zag and Hades both fighting at their max power.

This game deserves all the love that it has, it's truly incredible. There's unique dialogue for any situation, it's so good

what if you only have boons from chaos? they aren't an olympian.

Did he actually just snort really hard?

Zagreus isn’t cocky or brags about himself, but isn’t shy enough that he proves or admit that he is capable of something more.

"Doubtless you merely purged their blessings for some coin." -Laughs in Hoarding Slash Excalibur

For once I'd like to know what Olympus smells like

Well, that was interesting, didn't think there was dialogues for this kinda of situation XD They really did a great work with this game.

You could probably actually pull together a win, by using the shackle since it gives enough of a boost.

the game has lines for if you reached hades on the literal first run of the game what did you expect :D

I watched this since I knew I could never achieve a no boon run 😅

damn im amazed at just how much unique dialogue there is in this game that even includes such a rare difficult situation i don't think anyone would normally cross

Let's just say that pact of punishment [puts on sunglasses] took a TOLL on me

1:15 - cut to Zag wearing bling

I've been trying to do this for so long, and I'm glad to see there is actual recognition for it.

wait, that second one, is Hades actually in support of Zagreus getting help from the gods? Or is it just a knowledge that if Zag beats him without assistance then it is definitive proof that Zag is better than him?

This is probably a good way to show that a relatively normal person without any Olympus aid can be capable of escaping the Underworld. Since it’s Zagreus’ job to try everything to escape the Underworld.

The fact that there's multiple dialogues really shows how much care they put in the game.

I did about a million tries to beat hades with no boons just so I could see what dialogue I got for that. Sure wish I could get that time back.

if you do this in max heat,instead of this dialogue Hades will kneel down crying and make Zag the king of the underworld

I love this game so much.

I like how they accounted for both scenarios of how you could be boonless.

This video is exactly the moment I have fallen in love with Supergiant. Hades is my first SG game and I've heard great things about the others I'm gonna check them out

The true lesson of strength: Rejecting power that you don’t need. Relying on the power within you and getting only what you need from others.

the dialogue was incredible for this game

Hades: "How the...How the fuck did you even get up here?"

When I did it, I was running the Eris Rail and had the Shattered Shackle, which is quite a potent combo. If you're good at timing your dash...

I remember getting this dialog! I would get so annoyed at how Hades taunts you for 'needing help' to get anywhere so out of spite I focused entirely on building up my weapon and Stats for a run. Felt so satisfying to win that Third Phase 'on my own'.

Ah yes..... dialogue I would have never seen on my own.

Greg Kasavin be like: I see you, and I respect you

I forget how good the voice acting and art is for this game.

WHOA! they made dialogue even for this?!?! I didn't even know you could do this!

Sisyphus:”This is where the fun begins.”

Honestly, one of the biggest challenges is trying to get to Hades with NO boons at all

this is why characters feel alive

Thanks for this.

Its actually pretty easy to get 0 boon when facing hades, 2 spesific pact that force you to purge 1 boon when climbing and you take approval process that removes 2 boon option. and you deactivate talent that increased boon encounter. With optimal setup you can cycle through all boons that overide each other, and you can remove minimum 6 boons when climbing, not including random purging well encounter and if you get lucky with satyr chamber you can get even more purging well.

A great boonless run to try is one where you make use of the Canon and roleplay as a mobile artillery unit during the whole run, Sisyphus brace max level and all boonless talents on the Mirror. *Time to go boom*

That Jazz reference tho

Watching this because i would never reach Hades without boons

SuperGiant really prepared dialogs for masochist players.

If you reach hades for the very first time without boons, I wonder if the dialogue would be different. Because here Hades says "No stink of olympus on you, THIS TIME".

Incredible...

I wonder if there's a special line that plays when you never got any blessing - ever. Probably not, as these lines seem to be made to cover both circumstances (with the pool of purging obviously being the most likely one), but it still would be sweet if there was one for those who never even touched the blessings.

I can't believe someone did this. I CAN believe Supergiant had a just in case.

I managed to get this dialogue with Guan Yu and Sysiphe's trinket. Also it works if you get Chaos boons along the way to help you a bit in this journey.

So cool!

Nicely done I'd say.

Is there anything similar for reaching him without any mirror bonuses as well?

finally a fair fight

Isn't there a unique line of dialogue if you get to the surface the first time you start a new save?

Amazing game

I’ve just started playing this and I feel there’s no way I could ever get this dialogue naturally.

Hades: How tf did you survive? Zagreus: Wouldn't you like to know weather boy

Any special phrases after defeating him like that?

No boon runs, need sysiphus keepsake, max aspect (any save Guan Yu unless you're confident that you can fight Hades hit less), get keys whenever possible to get more rerolls, go Hearts, Coin, and Hammer, well of Charon is your friend. The ultimate No Boon Challenge would be ExM4. No one, not even the best have beaten Max Heat. If you were a demigod, you could beat it, if you were a true God, you could do it Boonless. Imagine Kratos faced with such a challenge

I fucking adore this game

I didn’t even know this was possible

I came here looking for the dialogue of defeating *Megaera* without boons. Hades is fine too.

I remember doing this multiple times. Almost lost everytime.

Dammit he knows about the game mechanics

That night or day not sure its hell ! Zagreus walked tall towards his father Hades without boons and received the worst ass whooping of his god dam life .... To never be reborn again ...

I resent that, Father!

"Boonless."

I did this once, absolutely loved it up until the hades right, then hated it, I still won, but that fight is annoying as shit without any boons, especially when he decides to heal and undo all the damage you did in the last 5 minutes

Hades if Zaghave boons: so be it then Hades if Zag dont have any: you either brave or stupid. yeah no wonder Zag being who he is now.

now approach without any health like i always did

Supergiant games is super detail game devs, crazy good details

wohhhh cool

nice

Zagreus after playing dark souls and found the rolly Polly strategy and 🤔 maybe I could do the same. No boons, just avoiding things and my sword

Little details like this is why Supergiant is one of the best game developers out right now.

has anyone done a no boons no mirror run? that'd be absurd.

These lines talk as though this isnt the first time that Zagreus has made it to the end. I wonder if theres unique dialog for being boonless on your first encounter with hades?

Lol, it never even occurred to me not to have boons.

He says one more line if you do it a third time, but only during combat.

What I love about these comments, is that all these people probably got to the point where they can reliably defeat Hades in almost every run, myself included. I love the skill curve of this game and how climbable it is!

did kinda expect hades to be kind proud?