How to defeat the Librarian in Tunic

Once you’ve ascended The Great Library, you’ll come face to face with its guardian, the appropriately named Librarian. This sword-swinging boss glides through the air, sending magic spells and summoning shadowy enemies to trip you up. Here’s how to fight back and win.

First, let’s talk about one thing you should not do: don’t use the Magic Orb to grapple the boss and yank it down to your level. You’ll be able to get off a single attack before it counters with a sword slash. Save your magic for the Fire Orb, which you can use to pelt the boss with flaming attacks when it’s hovering above you. The enemies it summons can drop echoes to resupply your magic meter if you have the right perk equipped; otherwise, you can use Blue Fruits to top yourself off.

The summoned enemies are just one of the Librarian’s tactics, and they’re easily beaten in a few hits — just act quickly so that they’re gone before the boss casts other spells. These include a fast bolt that zips across the screen, which you can dodge by rolling to the side. There’s also a strip of damaging miasma that is cast in the same manner, but it lingers on the ground for a moment. Dodge roll away from it like the other spell, but take care not to step on the dark pool while it’s still present. The last spell is a cluster of black orbs that materialize, pause for a moment, then home in on you one by one. Stay moving to avoid them as they criss-cross the rooftop.

As for sword attacks, the Librarian has two primary ones. The first is a slash that sends it flying across the battlefield. Roll to the side as you would for the spells to avoid taking damage. For the other, the boss will launch high into the sky and charge up with lightning. Look for an icon on the ground when this happens — it indicates where the boss will land and what direction it will face. Stay back a few feet so you don’t get zapped, then rush in from the rear or the sides to deal some damage of your own. This is your best opportunity to fight back. The boss may also attack with the sword if you’re right up on it when it occasionally comes down to your level, so be prepared to dodge or block that as well.

The difficulty in this fight comes from waiting for the opportunity to actually hit the Librarian. Pelt it with the Fire Orb as often you can and make your sword attacks count when you get the chance. In time, the Librarian will fold.