If you’re playing Hades 2 and wondering how to upgrade familiars hades 2, you’ve come to the right place. Familiars are powerful companions that provide useful buffs and unique perks on your runs, and upgrading them can dramatically boost your effectiveness in battle and resource gains. This guide explains everything from unlocking Familiars to maximizing their bond upgrades step by step.
What Are Familiars in Hades 2?
Familiars in Hades 2 are animal companions that follow Melinoë on her journey, each offering passive bonuses, combat support, and quality‑of‑life benefits like increased fishing spots, extra Death Defiance uses, or more Lost Souls spawning.
Some of the known Familiars include Frinos, which boosts max health and can attack foes; Toula, which grants extra Death Defiance and fishing benefits; and Raki, Hecuba, and Gale, which have other unique perks.
Unlocking the Ability to Upgrade Familiars
Before you can upgrade Familiars, you must first unlock the ability to craft and use Witch’s Delight, the treat required for upgrades. Follow these steps:
- Defeat Headmistress Hecate after reaching the edge of Erebus. She will unlock the Faith of Familiar Spirits incantation.
- Use this incantation at the Cauldron to gain your first Witch’s Delight treat.
- Once you have Witch’s Delight, you’ll be able to tame and begin upgrading Familiars.
Some players find that additional progression, like unlocking the Bravery of Familiar Spirits incantation, is needed to see full upgrade options, this can appear after further runs or dialogue progression with Hecate.
Step‑by‑Step: How to Upgrade Familiars in Hades 2
Upgrading Familiars isn’t complicated, but it requires attention to a few key details.
1. Take a Familiar on a Run
To unlock upgrade opportunities, take a Familiar with you during a run. Once the run ends and you return to the Crossroads, you’ll be able to interact with that Familiar again.
2. Craft More Witch’s Delight
To perform upgrades, you’ll need extra Witch’s Delight treats. Craft these at the Cauldron using the Beast‑Loved Morsel recipe once you’ve unlocked the required incantation. Typical ingredients include Star Dust and Lotus. Star Dust can be obtained by completing Chaos Trials or trading Bones with the Broker.
3. Feed the Familiar
Go to the Crossroads training area and approach your Familiar. When you have Witch’s Delight in your inventory, you will see a “Treat” prompt, select it.
4. Choose an Upgrade
After feeding the treat, the Familiar Bonds menu appears. Each Familiar has three unique abilities, and you can choose one to upgrade per treat. Every skill can be upgraded up to three ranks.
What Upgrades Do Familiars Get?
Each Familiar has its own upgrade tree. Examples include:
Frinos
- Life Bond: Raises Max HP (Rank I to III)
- Soul Bond: Boosts Lost Soul spawn rate
- Strength Bond: Deals damage when Frinos leaps on enemies
Toula
- Heart Bond: Death Defiance heals more
- Soul Bond: More fishing spots appear
- Attack Buff: Toula deals damage in combat
Other Familiars like Raki and Hecuba have similar upgrade paths that improve combat support and utility effects.
Tips for Efficient Familiar Upgrading
1. Always Bring a Familiar
Completing runs with Familiars ensures they become eligible for upgrades the next time you return to Crossroads.
2. Stock Up on Ingredients
Star Dust and Lotus can be scarce early on, prioritize Chaos Trials and exploration to collect enough for brewing multiple Witch’s Delight treats.
3. Plan Your Upgrades
Each Familiar’s skills offer different strategic benefits. Picking upgrades based on your playstyle (offense, defense, utility) makes your runs more effective.
Common Issues & Troubleshooting
Some players report not seeing the upgrade prompt even with treats ready. This is often due to:
- Not having unlocked the Bravery of Familiar Spirits incantation yet
- Not taking the Familiar on a recent run
- Progression requirements not yet met for additional Familiars
If you run into problems, try completing a few more runs and progress Hecate’s story dialogue, this often triggers the missing upgrade ability.
Maximize Your Familiar Upgrades
Understanding how to upgrade familiars hades 2 gives you a big advantage in your runs. By unlocking Witch’s Delight, crafting upgrades with the Cauldron, and choosing the right skills to boost, you’ll make your animal companions powerful allies on every journey through the Underworld. Keep exploring, stock up on ingredients, and always plan your Familiar upgrades based on your playing style for maximum benefit.
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