Summary
- New familiars Hecuba and Raki in Hades 2 offer unique benefits to assist Melinoë on her quest.
- Players must defeat Hecuba and use an incantation to unlock familiars in the game.
- Familiars in Hades 2 provide different combat boosts and utility during gameplay.
Hades 2 has just received a major early access update, known as The Olympic Update, featuring a new region, new characters, and new familiars. The popular roguelike is a sequel to Hades, initially released in 2020, and follows Melinoë, a mentee of Hecuba and sister of Hades protagonist Zagreus, as she attempts to defeat Chronos, god of time.
The new familiars are an exciting addition to the two existing animal characters: Frinos the Frog and Toula the Cat. These new familiars, Hecuba the Hound and Raki the Raven have been spotted by players in a variety of locations, including Erebus' Fountain and Echo's Room. Far less is known about these new additions compared with Frinos and Toula, but this expansion and the variety it provides players is proving popular already.
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So what are the benefits of finding and befriending familiars in Hades 2? Primarily, they serve as guardians and assistants to Melinoë throughout her adventure to kill Chronos, each offering different benefits as they work alongside her. It helps to choose a favorite; only one familiar can be brought on a run at a given time. Here are a few tips on how to gather familiars and how to choose which to use.
5 Unlocking Familiars
Which Tasks Must Players Complete First?
Recruiting familiars first requires defeating Hecuba. Before the fight, there is a chance Hecuba will explain through her dialogue about familiars. This unlocks the incantation Faith of Familiar Spirits, which can be performed at the Cauldron at the Crossroads.
This incantation requires 2 Nectar and 1 Lotus Flower. Lotus flowers are found across Oceanus. Nectar is found in rooms with Nectar symbols. Alternatively, it can be purchased from the wretched broker. This incantation produces the indulgence item Witches' Delight, which can be given to familiars to begin a relationship with them.
4 Where To Find Familiars
Each Familiar Resides In A Different Area
Every familiar in Hades 2 is found in a different area of the world, sometimes disappearing and reappearing later. This means sometimes players will have to hunt them down or search on multiple runs. They should also ensure they're carrying their Witch's Delight in order to befriend their familiar of choice.
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At present, the location of the game's two original familiars, Frinos and Toula, is better known than the newer pair, Hecuba and Raki. Frinos the frog can be found near Melinoë's spawn location, ready to find her upon return from runs. Toula the cat is located between the City of Ephyra and the Rift of Thessaly, at the docks. The newer familiars, Raki the Raven and Hecuba the Hound are still somewhat elusive to players, with some reporting Raki has been spotted in the Fountain Room in Erebus, and Hecuba in Echo's Room in the Field of Mourning.
3 Benefits to Melionë
Choose A Stat Boost
Next, it is imperative to check the stats of each familiar, in order to choose who to bring on a run. Different familiars will prove more suited to particular play styles, or different parts of the game. While Toula offers a death-defying heart bond, Frinos' life bond boosts players' health. All familiars can be upgraded three times to improve these abilities.
Frinos' +10 (+20/+30) health bonus is great for facing heavy attacks on runs, while Toula's death defiance is essentially a very feline extra life, restoring Melinoë after she's run out of health points. While this information isn't well known, it is reported that Hecuba offers Melinoë an additional +15 Magic, while Raki improves the player's chances of dealing critical damage. Both these bonuses will prove highly beneficial to players, but it's unclear right now which will prove to be a favorite in the long run.
2 Soul Bonds?
Do All Familiars Offer The Same Benefits?
Frinos the Frog's Tool Support comes in the form of the Tablet of Peace, which allows players to gain Psyche from the Lost Shades. Toula, on the other hand, helps Melinoë fish without needing the Fishing Rod, skipping the fishing mini-game automatically. The utility of these bonds depends upon each player's individual roles. However, some have commented that Toula's fishing skills as particularly useful for saving time on speed runs.
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It waits to be seen whether Hecuba and Raki also offer the same offer of tool support, and which tools they will provide players, but this will ultimately get a lot clearer over time.
1 Combat Stats
Which Familiar Offers The Best Boost?
While Frinos and Toula both offer helpful combat moves, many players have argued that Frinos' Strength Bond far outweighs Toula's Claw Bond. Some have deemed Toula's move frustrating, while Frinos' ability to jump on foes can be really helpful while fighting bosses, often sparing Melinoë's health significantly.
Hecuba and Raki's combat boosts are yet to be thoroughly experienced in gameplay, but it's said that Raki swoops to peck enemies, while Hecuba has the ability to stun Melinoë's foes. Both familiars can be upgraded to increase the probability of these moves, surely creating some formidable assistants to Melinoë's attack on Chronos. Players are sure to determine their favorite familiar to use in combat as they continue to play the game.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- September 25, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Supergiant Games
- Publisher(s)
- Supergiant Games
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Prequel(s)
- Hades
- Franchise
- Hades
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
