Hades 2 Familiars: How to Unlock, Bond – Complete Guide

Why familiars matter

A familiar can add health, help gather resources, or provide extra protection during a run. If you’re working through Hades 2’s progression systems, the right companion can help with combat or collecting materials. This guide to Hades 2 familiars covers how to recruit all five companions, what they do, and how to improve their abilities.

You can bring one familiar with you per night. Each has a different mix of passive bonuses and encounter abilities: Frinos adds health and absorbs some projectiles, while Raki boosts critical chance and helps with mining. The Animal Familiars wiki guide lists their bond abilities, and a player video walkthrough describes one route through their unlocks. For Hades 2 familiars, those distinct effects make it useful to check what each companion offers before setting out.

As you progress, keep an eye on familiar appearances and new dialogue. A familiar may help with a particular resource, while another offers a defensive or combat effect. A good approach is to match the companion’s listed effects to what you want help with during that run.

How to unlock familiars

Your first milestone for Hades 2 familiars is the Faith of Familiar Spirits Incantation, which unlocks Witch’s Delight so you can bond with Hades 2 familiars. The video walkthrough says to unlock gathering tools, use them during runs, and defeat Hecate after she gives a familiar-related dialogue cue. The Incantation costs 1 Lotus and 2 Nectar.

Image: Steam / Supergiant Games

The walkthrough gives a more detailed route to that cue. First, unlock A Knight’s Craftswork with 1 Moly to access the gathering tools. Unlock the pick with 1 Ash, then use it to collect Silver outcroppings in Erebus. The Tablet of Peace costs 4 Silver, and the Silver Spade costs 8 Silver. The video recommends using the gathering tools during a run before defeating Hecate. Once the familiar-related dialogue appears, return to the Crossroads and make Faith of Familiar Spirits.

Frinos is available near the Crossroads’ starting point. The video recommends speaking with him a few times before you have Witch’s Delight. Once you can recruit him, give him a treat; after bonding, you can find him in the area before entering biomes.

Other companions appear in particular regions or rooms, and some require additional encounters or dialogue before you can recruit them. If a companion isn’t there on a given run, keep progressing and check again.

Familiar	Where to look	Progression details
Frinos	Crossroads starting area	Unlock Faith of Familiar Spirits and give him Witch’s Delight.
Toula	Docks between the City of Ephyra and the Rift of Thessaly	The video describes meeting her at the pier after the first surface boss. The wiki says to visit the docks more than once, catch a fish with the Rod of Fishing at least once, and interact with Toula at least once to recruit her.
Raki	Fountain room in Erebus	Interact with him. The video says you need to find the room twice before bonding.
Hecuba	Echo’s room in the Fields of Mourning	The video says to interact with her, then watch for a later Hecate dialogue at the Crossroads.
Gale	The video places her before the third surface boss; the wiki lists Charon’s Shop on Mount Olympus, before Prometheus	Interact with her and watch for a later Hecate dialogue at the Crossroads.

The sources place Gale in different locations: the video walkthrough describes an encounter before the third boss on the surface, while the wiki lists Charon’s Shop on Mount Olympus before Prometheus. Treat those as locations to check, and follow the game’s dialogue for recruitment cues. For Hecuba and Gale, the wiki says recruitment also requires using Frinos to compel a Lost Soul at least once. It lists additional requirements for their appearances: more than 12 nights and at least 2 lifetime Witch’s Delights spent recruiting familiars for Hecuba, and more than 12 nights and at least 3 for Gale.

A good approach is to talk to familiars when you meet them, then return to the Crossroads after major encounters. Witch’s Delight is required to form the bond once the game allows you to recruit a familiar.

What each companion does

Each familiar has three abilities that develop as you strengthen your bond. In Hades 2 familiars, those abilities include resource-finding bonuses and effects that can help during encounters. Treat upgrades can improve the bonuses or enhance other effects. Looking at the specific abilities can help you decide which of the Hades 2 familiars suits the resources or combat effects you want during a run.

Image: Steam / Supergiant Games

Familiar	Starting benefits described in the sources	Resource or encounter help
Frinos	Adds Max Health and absorbs some incoming projectiles.	Increases the chance of finding Lost Shades; can damage foes with a leap after upgrades.
Toula	Provides a Death Defiance.	Improves the chance of finding fishing spots; can help catch fish and strike nearby foes.
Raki	Adds critical chance.	Improves the chance of finding Outcroppings; pecks foes and can apply Marked.
Hecuba	Adds Max Magick.	Improves the chance of finding digging spots; can stun foes and uncover resources.
Gale	Adds dodge chance and movement speed.	Improves the chance of finding flora; can leap in to block damage.

These effects can help you choose a companion for a run. For example, if you want help gathering materials, Raki’s Outcropping bonus or Hecuba’s digging bonus may be relevant. If you want extra protection, Frinos’ health and projectile absorption or Toula’s Death Defiance are options to consider. Those are ways to match the listed mechanics to your needs, not guarantees of a particular outcome.

The details of each ability matter. The wiki says Toula strikes when you sprint near her, and that her strike deals 99 damage. The video describes running through her to trigger attacks. For Frinos, the wiki notes that some projectiles pass through him, including Charybdis’s bombs and Auto-Watcher’s laser barrage. Check ability descriptions as you upgrade, especially if you’re relying on a familiar’s encounter effect.

Raki offers both a critical chance bonus and help finding Outcroppings. The wiki also says his pecks apply Marked, which increases the chance that an affected foe takes critical damage for one hit. Hecuba’s abilities include stunning nearby foes and digging up health or Magick during encounters. Gale can block incoming damage a limited number of times per region, according to the wiki. These details can help you decide which companion’s specific utility fits the run you’re planning.

Strengthening bonds and changing forms

To unlock familiar leveling for Hades 2 familiars, make progress with your companions and complete Bravery of Familiar Spirits. The wiki says you need at least three familiars and that the Incantation costs 1 Wool and 3 Wheat. This lets Hades 2 familiars develop their abilities through Witch’s Delight. The video walkthrough also recommends unlocking Greater Favor of Gaia, the gathering-tool upgrade Incantation, before looking for Bravery of Familiar Spirits.

Image: Steam / Supergiant Games

Progression item	Cost or requirement	What it enables
Faith of Familiar Spirits	1 Lotus, 2 Nectar	Unlocks Witch’s Delight so you can bond with familiars.
Bravery of Familiar Spirits	1 Wool, 3 Wheat; at least 3 familiars, according to the wiki	Allows you to strengthen familiar bonds with additional treats.
Beast-Loved Morsel	1 Stardust, 1 Nectar	The video walkthrough says this alchemy recipe produces Witch’s Delight.
Alteration of Familiar Forms	6 Fate Fabric, 6 Wool, 1 Flux	Unlocks familiar forms after you speak with Circe.

The video walkthrough says to make Beast-Loved Morsel to produce Witch’s Delight. It describes getting Stardust by completing challenges at the Pitch-Black Stone, which becomes available after the Abyssal Insight Incantation. The walkthrough also notes that Stardust can be purchased from the Broker for 1,500 Bones. A good approach is to check the recipe and your available ingredients before planning how many treats to make.

For cosmetics, speak with Circe after meeting the form-unlock requirements and complete Alteration of Familiar Forms. The video says a familiar must have all its abilities fully leveled before you can change its form. The wiki describes forms as alternate appearances that can be bought with Kudos and other reagents. Form costs vary by familiar, so check the listed cost before spending materials.

A good approach is to focus on bonding with the familiar you plan to bring most often before spending resources on cosmetic options. The sources describe familiar abilities as upgradeable through Witch’s Delight and forms as a separate unlock with their own costs.

FAQ

How many familiars are in Hades 2?

The sources list five: Frinos, Toula, Raki, Hecuba, and Gale. You can bring one familiar with you per night.

How do you bond with a familiar?

Unlock the Faith of Familiar Spirits Incantation, make Witch’s Delight, and give a treat to a familiar when the game allows you to recruit it. Frinos is found at the Crossroads; the others appear during progression in specific areas.

How do familiar upgrades work?

Complete Bravery of Familiar Spirits to unlock bond upgrades. The wiki says you need at least three familiars and the Incantation costs 1 Wool and 3 Wheat. You then use Witch’s Delight to improve a familiar’s abilities.

Which Hades 2 familiar should I take on a run?

Choose based on the effect you want. Frinos offers health and projectile protection, Toula provides a Death Defiance, and Raki adds critical chance and mining help. Check each familiar’s current ability descriptions to see which bonuses fit your run.