How to demolish the Twilight Wanderer Strider boss fight in Bayonetta 3

Not all werewolves are alike. In Bayonetta 3, the game introduces you to its first reoccurring boss called the “Twilight Wanderer - Strider” (or Beastman) in Chapter 2, who happens to look like a werewolf with the glowing red eyes of an arachnid.

Chapter 2 takes place in broken modern-day Tokyo — complete with derailed subways and crooked skyscrapers. Verse 8, the last section in the chapter, features two parts: an unassuming battle with jellyfish homunculi and the boss fight with the Twilight Wanderer Strider.

If you’re new to Bayonetta, you might have a difficult time getting accustomed to his chaotic attack patterns. Here’s how to get through both phases for Chapter 2 Verse 8 in Bayonetta 3.

How to beat Light Flotation Combat Unit - Pannus (a.k.a. Jellyfish)

Pannus should be familiar homunculi at this point because it served as a higher-level homunculi “boss” at the end of Chapter 1. It has a few attacks to be wary of, including charge attacks, spinning attacks, and duplication:

• Pannus curls its tentacles in, almost like an inhalation, before it uses a charge attack. At these times, wait for it to initiate the attack and then dodge so that you can activate Witch Time and retaliate. It only charges in a straight line, so it should be easier to dodge than if it spread over a wider area.
• Pannus’ head puffs up just as it’s about to use a spinning attack, where it spins like a top around the map. Avoid close-up attacks with your weapons when it’s spinning. Either chip away at its health with Y-button bullets or slam it with demon attacks, especially heavy damage-dealers like Gomorrah.
• Pannus duplicates at odd times, usually after receiving enough damage. It can be overwhelming to attack multiple at once, so lock onto one at a time with R3 before moving onto the next.

How to beat the Twilight Wanderer Strider

The Strider tests your dodges with his emphasis on close combat. He moves far away, baiting you in, but sweeps in just as quickly with a flurry of claws. Here are a few pointers for taking him out:

• It’s easier to attack him up close because how far he swings his arms back before claw attacks makes them obvious cues for a dodge. Just time your dodge before this cue so that you can squeeze in a combo before Witch Time runs out.
• Out of the weapons you have in the beginning, the Colour My World pistols work best because they’re faster than the G-Pillar. Strider recovers quickly, so if your combo doesn’t finish before Witch Time runs out, he might be able to land a hit on you.
• Warning: It’s difficult to use demons against him for any extended period of time because he can one-hit KO them! Sure, Gomorrah might be able to slam a fist or two into him, but wait any longer and Strider will slice through them in no time. Dead demons don’t disappear. However, you need to wait much longer for them to recover from the trauma than you would’ve from calling them back before the fatal blow.

Note: Icons change to a little skull in the lower lefthand corner when demons are “dead,” and switch back to normal when they’re ready to fight again.

Bayonetta 3 is available no for the Nintendo Switch.