Valor Mortis packs 10 bosses into its run, and none of them are filler. From the Napoleonic nightmare that kicks things off to the mirror-image final confrontation, each fight demands something different from you. There are no optional bosses, no post-game superbosses, and no summons to bail you out. What you get instead is a tight, well-paced gauntlet where learning each boss's rhythm is the only path forward. This guide covers every boss, where to find them, and the strategies that actually work.
Complete boss list and locations
Before getting into the individual fights, here's the full rundown. Ten bosses, one per area (with a couple of exceptions), and every single one is mandatory.
| Boss | Location |
|---|---|
| General Lothaire, The Eagle Bearer | Valley of Ashes / Abandoned Church |
| The Iron Marshall | Fallen Village |
| Sphinx, Devourer of the Unworthy | Caverns |
| Slaughtermill | Vale of Wrath |
| Anna, The Bride Drowned in Tears | Cursed Hollow |
| High Justicar Aurelius, Last of the Faithful | The Outskirts |
| Experiment 33 | The Outskirts |
| The Orphan | University |
| Captain Raphael of the Nephtis Superioris | University |
| Entity, Voice of the Void | Caverns |
Alongside these named bosses, you'll also run into Eternal Guardsman mini-bosses throughout the entire game. Their movesets evolve as you progress, so don't sleep on them as practice dummies. There are also red-eyed elite enemies scattered across areas, each guarding something worthwhile like a key item or a treasure chest.
How do you beat General Lothaire, The Eagle Bearer?
General Lothaire is your introduction to how Valor Mortis handles its boss fights, and the game makes a point of humbling you first. Your initial encounter in the Valley of Ashes is scripted to end in your death, so don't panic when it happens. The real fight comes later, just before the Abandoned Church.
Lothaire's moveset covers sweeping combos from his mutated arm, lunge attacks, and projectiles from the guns mounted on his back. Most of these can be parried, which rapidly fills his stagger bar and opens him up for a critical hit. Treat this fight as a parry tutorial. If you're struggling, focus on reading his lunge timing and getting comfortable with the first-person parry window. Everything you learn here carries forward.
Valor Mortis Guide: All Boss Locations
How do you beat The Iron Marshall?
The Iron Marshall shows up in the Fallen Village and is, honestly, one of the more forgiving fights in the game. He's slow, telegraphs his swings, and feels noticeably less threatening than Lothaire. That said, his sweeping melee attacks have deceptive range and can catch you off guard if you get too close.
The cleaner approach is to keep your distance and lean on your Fire Transmutation combined with firearms to chip him down from range. His weak spot is on his back, so circling around him while he's recovering from an attack gives you clean shots at it. After this fight, you'll start seeing Remnants of the Iron Regiment as regular enemies, so the patterns you learn here stay relevant.
Valor Mortis Guide: All Boss Locations
How do you beat Sphinx, Devourer of the Unworthy?
The Sphinx fight is where Valor Mortis shifts gears completely. After working through the Caverns, you get teleported to the Pyramids for a fight that's a genuine spectacle. After testing most of the available tools against this boss, the Stasis Transmutation is non-negotiable here.
Sphinx is fast, aggressive, and relentless. Stasis slows them down enough to land meaningful hits, and at its strongest charge, it can freeze them in place entirely. The fight has two health bars, but the second phase introduces a weak spot on Sphinx's face. The arena drops ammunition generously during this phase, so switch to firearms and target that weak spot whenever Stasis has them locked down.
How do you beat Slaughtermill?
Slaughtermill in the Vale of Wrath is the game's most gimmick-forward fight, and it works. The structure involves targeting bulbous weak spots on the creature, and the second half drops you underground into a platforming section with a soundtrack that leans hard into industrial metal energy.
The fight is more about reading the prompts than raw combat skill. Shoot the weak spots when they're highlighted, pull the blue Nepthoglobin nodes when indicated, and grapple across to the building itself when the prompt appears. Between those actions, dodge the tentacle swipes and deal with the Carrion summons quickly so they don't pile up. It's one of the more manageable fights at this stage of the game.
Valor Mortis Guide: All Boss Locations
How do you beat Anna, The Bride Drowned in Tears?
Anna in the Cursed Hollow is fast, hits hard with her butcher knife, and has a nasty habit of calling in Shambling Civilians to swarm you. She's also surprisingly fragile, staggers easily, and melts under sustained Fire Transmutation pressure.
The real danger isn't Anna herself, it's getting surrounded when she summons allies. Keep a Hand Grenade ready specifically for those moments. One grenade clears the crowd and lets you go back to focusing on Anna. When she staggers, follow up with heavy attacks. The Fire status effect keeps her health ticking down even while you're managing the adds.
How do you beat High Justicar Aurelius, Last of the Faithful?
High Justicar Aurelius in The Outskirts is one of the Eternal Guardsman, but something has taken hold of him. Treat the first portion of this fight like a melee duel: poke, parry when openings appear, and layer Fire damage on top for consistent pressure.
The fight changes when Aurelius drinks a flask. He mutates, growing a massive bulbous arm similar to Lothaire's, which gives him enormous reach. The safest play during this phase is to stay mobile and dodge until the flask wears off. His humanoid form is significantly easier to punish, so patience here pays off.
Valor Mortis Guide: All Boss Locations
How do you beat Experiment 33?
Experiment 33 is waiting in the Lighthouse basement, and it looks like it wandered in from a survival horror game. The thing has more limbs than makes sense and spends the entire fight trying to close the gap between you.
The strategy is simple: keep moving, keep distance, and build Fire Transmutation charges every time you have enough Nepthoglobin to do so. Circle the arena, turn to apply Fire when the charge is ready, and use your firearms to hit its weak spots from range. This is also a solid fight to burn through any Nepthoglobin Vials you've been hoarding. Between Fire buildup and ranged weak spot targeting, the fight resolves faster than the creature's appearance suggests it should.
How do you beat The Orphan?
The Orphan fights you in the University inside an arena full of poison vents, which means you're managing two threats at once. His moveset involves long sweeping combos that deal serious damage, but the environmental hazard is what makes positioning genuinely difficult.
The Shield Transmutation earns its keep in this fight, giving you a way to absorb hits while repositioning away from vents. Fire status effect is again the damage backbone here. During the second phase, positioning The Orphan against a wall and throwing Oil Grenades at him opens up a loop: Oil Grenades plus Flaming Whetstones keeps the Fire status effect stacking continuously, which makes the second phase considerably shorter than it might otherwise be.
Valor Mortis Guide: All Boss Locations
How do you beat Captain Raphael of the Nephtis Superioris?
Captain Raphael in the University is the fight that forces you to play aggressively. He wields both a blade and pistol, and he can heal himself during the fight. Every time he reaches for a flask, that's health you have to undo. Passive play simply doesn't work here.
The approach that works is loading up on Nepthoglobin Vials and running the Shield Transmutation throughout. Blocking his sword strikes and deflecting his bullets keeps you close enough to punish him whenever he attempts to heal. Grenades or firearms can also interrupt a healing attempt in a pinch. Keep the pressure on and don't give him breathing room.
How do you beat Entity, Voice of the Void?
Entity, Voice of the Void opens with what looks like a straightforward humanoid fight, but the real challenge is the summons. The Entity calls in a lot of them, and several will be familiar faces you won't be glad to see again.
The Shield Transmutation is the anchor for this fight. As for the summons, each one can be taken out with a single hit, and clearing them before turning attention back to the Entity is the right priority. Trying to fight the boss while ignoring the summons is how this fight falls apart. Use everything you've learned across the full run, because the game expects you to bring all of it here.
Valor Mortis Guide: All Boss Locations
All Lanterns in Valor Mortis
Lanterns are the game's checkpoint and fast travel system, spread across all 10 areas. There are 48 total, with one called Entropy that becomes permanently inaccessible after a certain story point, so activate it before you pass the point of no return.
| Area | Lanterns |
|---|---|
| Abandoned Church | Abandoned Church |
| The Battlefield | Onslaught Arch, Trenches, Field Encampment |
| Valley of Ashes | Guidepost, Demolished Path, The Climb, The Other Side, Military Camp, Quarry |
| Fallen Village | Fields, Marketplace, Orchard, Path of Fire |
| Caverns | Last Sunlight, Weeping Ledge, Old Mine, Mine Cart Route, Ancient Lair |
| Vale of Wrath | Wolfsbane Field, Under The Bridge, Poisoned Camp, Ship Graveyard, Old Windmill |
| Cursed Hollow | Eerie View, Village Church, Deep Water, Silent Cannons |
| The Outskirts | Broken Bridge, Breach, Island of Whispers, Market Square, Lighthouse, Harbour |
| City of Orphans | Tribunal Square, Shamble Street, Sewers |
| University | Main Hall, Lift Shaft, Laboratories, Sewage Drain |
| Fortress | Main Gate, Traverse, Chapel, Ramparts, Courtyard, High Tower |
Knowing where you are in the Lantern list is a decent way to gauge how far through the game you are. If you want a clearer picture of the full runtime, check out our guide on how long Valor Mortis takes to beat.
For everything else you need before starting, including platform availability and pricing details, the Valor Mortis FAQ has it all covered. If you're on Xbox or PC and wondering about Game Pass access, the Valor Mortis Game Pass guide breaks down exactly what subscribers get.
For the full collection of tips, walkthroughs, and strategy guides, head to the Valor Mortis guides hub and work through William's journey with a full resource at your side.
