007 First Light throws plenty of enemies at you across its runtime, but most of them are standard mercenaries and guards that fold quickly once you know the basics. Damien is different. The psychopathic son of a defense contractor, he shows up in the Time to Die mission and immediately makes it clear that your usual approach won't cut it. The fight splits across two distinct phases, each demanding a different strategy, and the transition between them catches a lot of players off guard.
How to beat Damien in phase one
The opening phase keeps things deliberately tight. Damien herds you into a narrow passage, which strips away most of your movement options. You can only go forward or backward, so fancy footwork is off the table.
The key mechanic here is the throwable objects scattered along the path. Press the Right Trigger to pick one up and hurl it at Damien to stun him, then immediately close the distance and land a few punches before he shoves you back. That's the entire loop for this phase, because direct attacks and grabs don't work yet. Damien will block everything else.
007 First Light Boss Guide: How to Beat Damien
What you do need to watch for is his three-hit grab combo. This is not parryable, so don't try to time a counter. The only answer is chaining avoids to keep him from getting hold of you. On higher difficulty settings especially, a single connected combo can kill you outright, so staying out of his grip matters more than landing extra hits.
Land roughly 5 to 6 hits total and a cutscene triggers, pushing the fight into its second phase.
Damien's grab combo cannot be parried. Chaining avoids is your only option here. One full combo on higher difficulties can end your run instantly.
How to beat Damien in phase two
The arena opens up considerably for phase two, but that doesn't make things easier. Damien is just as aggressive, and without throwable objects available, the stun mechanic shifts entirely to the environment around you.
How do the floodlights work against Damien?
Several floodlights are positioned around the arena. Run to any of them and interact quickly to blind Damien. The lights have a wide range, and since Damien charges directly at you, timing the activation as he closes in is straightforward. Once blinded, move in and hit him a few times before he recovers and shoves you away. Repeat this twice and the fight escalates.
Damien runs straight at you, so you don't need to lure him into a specific position. Reach the floodlight and activate it as he arrives. The wide range does the rest.
What changes when Damien pulls out a gun?
After the second successful stun, Damien produces a firearm and the dynamic shifts. He becomes less aggressive in melee and relies on his range instead. Use the large stone blocks scattered around the arena as cover, and lean on the Dash mechanic to move quickly between positions.
The good news is that Damien can't shoot through or over the blocks, so kiting him around cover is a reliable way to control the pace. Wait for him to start reloading, then sprint to the next set of floodlights and get into position. Once he's close, activate the light to blind him and land a few more hits.
After another successful stun cycle, a cutscene fires and the fight enters its final moment: a struggle over the syringe filled with the toxin Damien has been injecting himself with throughout the mission.
007 First Light Boss Guide: How to Beat Damien
Spam A (Xbox) / X (PlayStation) as fast as possible during this sequence. Keep pressing until Bond jams the syringe into Damien's eye. That ends the fight and closes out the Time to Die mission.
Don't stop pressing the button during the syringe struggle. Slowing down or pausing can cost you the QTE on harder difficulties.
Tips that make the difference
- Prioritize avoiding the grab over landing hits. The three-hit combo is the most dangerous thing in this fight across both phases. A clean escape beats a risky punch every time.
- Sprint to floodlights during Damien's reload animation. That window is your safest opportunity to reposition without eating a bullet.
- Don't linger after a stun. Land your hits and immediately back off before Damien recovers. Staying too close when he shoves you away leaves you out of position.
- Use Dash aggressively in the gun section. The cover blocks are your friend, but only if you're moving between them rather than sitting still.
After testing the fight across multiple difficulty levels, the gun section trips up the most players not because Damien is fast, but because they try to rush the next floodlight without waiting for the reload window. Patience in that stretch makes the whole sequence manageable.
If you're planning your playthrough and want to know what you're committing to, the 007 First Light completion time breakdown covers everything from main story to full completionist runs. More walkthroughs, tips, and system guides are available in the full 007 First Light guide collection.