The second time you face Kaifried, the rules have completely changed. You can actually damage him now, thanks to the Moonmirror shield powered up with Myu magic, but that also means this fight demands something the first encounter didn't: consistent, well-timed parries. Without them, you'll chip away at his health so slowly that the fight becomes a war of attrition you're likely to lose. Get the timing right, and you'll have several-second damage windows that make this feel manageable. Get it wrong, and Kaifried will grind you down.
This guide covers everything you need to know before heading back to the Northern Tower in The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, from the one accessory that makes parrying far less punishing to a full breakdown of every attack pattern in both phases.
What should you prepare before the fight?
Before stepping into the Northern Tower for the rematch, two things matter most: your accessory slot and your healing vials.
The Discerning Monocle
The single best thing you can do before this fight is equip the Discerning Monocle. This accessory doubles your perfect parry timing window, which turns a punishing frame-perfect mechanic into something you can actually execute reliably under pressure. You pick it up by completing the Wonderful Friends side quest in the Age of Magic, obtained from Marnie in Weyzn, the main city of that era. If you haven't done that quest yet, go do it before entering the tower.
Healing vials setup
By the time you reach this fight, you should have at least 4 of the 8 healing vials available. The recommended loadout is 3 vials filled with your strongest healing potion and 1 vial loaded with magic, so you have fuel for Faie's abilities when you need burst damage or extra support. Don't go in with anything less.
Weapon choice
Your weapon type doesn't change how Kaifried's parry mechanics work, but the Spear earns a specific recommendation here. Slot in the Magic Arrow ability, which grants you additional attacks while you're above a certain health threshold. After a successful parry stun, you'll have several seconds to unload on Kaifried, and Magic Arrow adds meaningful extra hits to that window. Keep Faie's Ignite ability ready as well for bonus damage during those same openings.
How do Kaifried's parryable attacks work?
Every dangerous attack Kaifried throws at you follows the same signal: he flashes red before the hit lands. That red flash is your cue to block with the Moonmirror. A perfect parry reflects the attack back at him and opens a stun window. A missed parry means you eat the hit and lose the damage opportunity.
Here's every parryable attack pattern in the first phase:
- Sword dash: Kaifried draws his sword back, flashes red, then dashes forward and slices twice in sequence.
- Orb scatter: He scatters orbs across the arena, then after a red flash they briefly expand and explode. You can technically parry this, but you need to be close, and the risk usually isn't worth it.
- Purple orb ring: Kaifried surrounds himself with purple orbs, flashes red, then sends them outward toward you.
- Teleport slash: He teleports once or twice, then after a red flash dashes forward with a slashing strike.
- AOE knockback: Kaifried moves to the center of the room, charges up, flashes red, and releases a knockback burst.
- Sword charge: He stands in the center and charges at least three times, then after the red flash darts forward and slams you into the wall.
The easiest attacks to parry consistently are the sword slashes. The hardest is the orb scatter, where the timing feels inconsistent even with good execution. Testing against this boss confirms the orb parry window is tight enough that the orbs can still deal damage even on attempts that feel correct. Skip trying to parry the orbs at range and focus on the sword-based attacks instead.
How does the second phase change the fight?
Once Kaifried's health drops into the second half, his attack patterns escalate in two specific ways. The orb shot now fires two blasts back-to-back instead of one, making it considerably harder to parry both. The teleport attack also chains more times before the red flash, so he'll zip around the screen more aggressively to throw off your timing.
Phase two double orb volley
The teleport attack scaling is the one that trips most players up. Early in the fight he teleports once or twice before committing. Deep into the fight, especially in the second phase, he can chain several teleports. Keep your eyes on him, not the last position he was standing. Wait for the red flash no matter how many teleports he chains.
What's the best strategy for the full fight?
The core loop is simple: watch for the red flash, parry, then use the entire stun window to deal damage with your Spear and Faie's Ignite. The Magic Arrow passive adds extra hits during those windows without requiring additional input, so it compounds your damage without disrupting your rhythm.
Prioritize parrying the sword slashes since they're the most readable. Avoid trying to parry the orbs unless you're already close and confident in the timing. For the AOE knockback and sword charge combo, parry the first hit and immediately prepare for the follow-up rather than trying to attack in between.
Magic vial management matters in the second phase. Use Faie's abilities during stun windows rather than holding them in reserve indefinitely. The fight gets harder as his health drops, not easier, so burning resources during good damage windows is the right call.
Faie's Ignite during stun window
Before you fight: side quests worth doing first
The walkthrough confirms that three new side quests unlock just before you head back to the Northern Tower after upgrading the Moonmirror. Completing them before the fight gives you extra time to practice the parry mechanic on regular enemies and ensures you don't miss any content that becomes harder to access later. The Wonderful Friends quest specifically is worth doing before anything else, since it's the source of the Discerning Monocle.
For players who want to explore more of what this action adventure game has to offer before committing to the Kaifried rematch, the Age of Magic has a full map of accessible areas worth clearing first.
Frequently asked questions
Can you damage Kaifried without parrying? Yes, but your damage output will be drastically lower. The parry stun windows are where the majority of your damage comes from. You can technically whittle him down without them, but the fight becomes much longer and harder to survive.
Does weapon type affect the parry mechanic? No. The Moonmirror parry works regardless of what weapons you have equipped. Weapon choice only affects your damage during stun windows.
What if the Discerning Monocle quest is locked? The Wonderful Friends side quest unlocks in the Age of Magic. If it's not available yet, check that you've progressed far enough in the main story to access Weyzn and spoken to Marnie.
For more boss strategies across the game, check out our guide on how to beat The Rathomobile and our breakdown of how to beat Lord of the Maw. The full Adventures of Elliot strategy guide collection has everything else you need to get through the game.