Hades Boons: the best Boons and Gods to choose
Learn which Gods bestow the best Boons in Hades
Which gods in Hades grant the best boons? Boons in Hades are one of the most common and powerful types of upgrades you'll come across. Offered by the Olympian Gods themselves, these Boons are the genetic makeup of your build for each run, which means picking the right Boon in the right moment is extremely important if you want to beat the game and escape the Underworld.
Our Hades Boons guide will offer an overview on how Boons actually work, before delving into the strongest Boons in the game and finishing off with a full list of every Boon offered by every God. So, let's jump in!
On this page:
- Hades Boons overview - how do they work?
- Hades best Boons
- Hades Gods and Boons list
- Aphrodite | Ares | Artemis | Athena | Demeter | Dionysus | Hermes | Poseidon | Zeus
Hades Boons overview - how do they work?
Throughout a Hades run, you will be offered various Boons from the Olympians - Zeus, Poseidon, Ares, Aphrodite, and so on. After conversing with a God, you will be offered a choice of three Boons, and must accept just one. Each God has a multitude of Boons which they can offer you, and each Boon can be one of four different rarities. The higher the rarity, the stronger the effect:
- Common (White)
- Rare (Blue)
- Epic (Purple)
- Heroic (Red)
There are also special Boons which only appear under very specific circumstances:
- Duo Boons - require you to have already taken certain Boons from two different Gods, and combine the powers and styles of both Gods into a single Boon.
- Legendary Boons - powerful Boons which require you to have favoured a certain God during a run. Each God has one Legendary Boon to offer.
- Chaos Boons - Boons offered by Chaos, which require you to overcome a curse for a certain number of rooms before the effect activates.
- Bouldy Boons - offered by Bouldy, Sisyphus's Boulder. You must converse with Sisyphus throughout various different runs before the ability to "speak" with Bouldy and offer it Nectar is unlocked.
Upgrading Boons with Poms of Power
Regardless of their rarity, each regular Boon can be upgraded to the next level using a Pom of Power. Like Boons themselves, picking up a Pom of Power will offer you a choice of up to three Boons to level up, and you must select which one you want to upgrade.
Once you get to the shop in the Styx (the fourth realm of the Underworld), you'll find special Poms of Power which upgrade a Boon by two levels instead of just one. And aside from Poms, you can also upgrade existing Boons by speaking with Euridyce in Asphodel.
Hades best Boons
So, what are the most powerful Boons in Hades? The answer is complex, because not only are there an awful lot of Boons in the game, but each one can be offered at various strengths, making their benefits variable.
Overall though, there are certain Gods and Boons which I always gravitate towards when given the option. And thus: here are the very best Boons in Hades:
Aphrodite - Heartbreak Strike
Aphrodite doesn't offer the best Boons on the whole, but Heartbreak Strike still holds a place in my heart for its application of Weakness with each hit. This gives you great control during fights where it's almost impossible to avoid being hit (for instance, in Elysium or Styx). Plus the damage boost is as strong as any other God's "strike" Boon.
Ares - Battle Rage
Ares's Battle Rage Boon is an extremely strong damage bonus for all future encounters. All you need to do is kill one foe in the room, and you'll gain a huge damage bonus for your next attack or Special. Often this leads to powerful builds which allow you to one-shot-kill most enemies.
Artemis - Support Fire
I tend to steer clear from Artemis, because her Boons rely far too heavily on the RNG of critical hits. But one Boon I can definitely get on board with is Support Fire, which fires a 10-16 damage arrow at a nearby enemy every time you attack or use your Cast or Special. That adds up to a lot of extra damage, especially with a fast-firing weapon.
Athena - Divine Strike & Divine Dash
Athena has possibly the strongest Boons of all, because they allow you to deflect attacks, negating all damage from the attack and returning it to its sender. Divine Strike gives the ability to deflect on each attack, and - even better - Divine Dash deflects in all directions each time you dash. It's overpowered.
Demeter - Frost Strike & Frost Flourish
Demeter's Frost Strike is enormously powerful. Not only does it add a chunk of damage to your main attack, but it inflicts Chill, slowing down any enemy you hit. The same goes for Frost Flourish, which is better for weapons and builds where you're using your Special a lot - like Varatha or Stygius.
Dionysus - Strong Drink & After Party
Dionysus's health-oriented Boons are really quite excellent. Once you've unlocked Fountains in each realm, Strong Drink can be an absolute life-saver; and After Party allows you to heal back up to a threshold after each encounter, which again can make all the difference during a difficult run.
Hermes - Quick Recovery
If you read my Hades tips guide you'll know that I spend all my time dash-striking. Which means whenever I'm hit, I tend to dash straight away anyway. This is what makes Quick Recovery from Hermes so powerful: it's essentially a huge reduction in your damage taken for the rest of the run.
Poseidon - Poseidon's Aid & Hydraulic Might
Poseidon probably has the best "Call" ability in the game with Poseidon's Aid, which turns you into an invulnerable, high-damage battering ram. But his strongest boon has got to be Hydraulic Might, which dramatically increases your damage for the first few seconds of each encounter - enough to often end the fight before the effect even expires.
Zeus - Lightning Strike & Static Discharge
Zeus's Boons are great for dealing flat damage. His Lightning Strike is probably the best flat damage bonus for an attack, seeing as the bonus also chains to nearby foes. And with a high fire-rate weapon like Malphon or Exagryph, your DPS will soar. Static Discharge is another excellent Boon, but only when you already have another Zeus Boon or two which applies lightning damage. The Jolted effect applied upon each lightning strike adds a heap of extra damage to your build.
Hades Boons - full list of every God's Boons
Now let's end with a full list of every Boon in the game, organised by Olympian:
Aphrodite Boons
| Aphrodite Boons | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Heartbreak Strike | Normal | Your Attack deals more damage and inflicts Weak. |
| Heartbreak Flourish | Normal | Your Special deals more damage and inflicts Weak. |
| Crush Shot | Normal | Your Cast is a wide, short-range blast that inflicts Weak. |
| Passion Dash | Normal | Your Dash inflicts damage where you end up, inflicting Weak. |
| Aphrodite's Aid | Normal | Your Call fires a seeking projectile that inflicts Charm. |
| Dying Lament | Normal | When foes are slain, they damage nearby foes and inflict Weak. |
| Wave of Despair | Normal | After you take damage, damage nearby foes and inflict Weak. |
| Different League | Normal | Resist some damage from nearby foes' attacks. |
| Life Affirmation | Normal | Any Health chamber rewards are worth more. |
| Empty Inside | Normal | Your Weak effects have a longer duration. |
| Sweet Surrender | Normal | Weak-afflicted foes are also more susceptible to damage. |
| Broken Resolve | Normal | Your Weak effects are more potent. |
| Blown Kiss | Normal | Your Cast shoots farther and is stronger vs undamaged foes. |
| Unhealthy Fixation | Legendary | Your Weak effects also have a 15% chance to Charm foes. |
| Curse of Longing | Duo (Ares) | Your Doom effects continuously strike Weak foes. |
| Heart Rend | Duo (Artemis) | Your Critical effects deal even more damage to Weak foes. |
| Parting Shot | Duo (Athena) | Your Cast gains any existing backstab bonuses you have. |
| Cold Embrace | Duo (Demeter) | Your Cast crystal fires its beam directly at you for 4 seconds. |
| Low Tolerance | Duo (Dionysus) | Your Hangover effects stack even more times against Weak foes. |
| Sweet Nectar | Duo (Poseidon) | Any Poms of Power you find are more effective. |
| Smoldering Air | Duo (Zeus) | Your Call charges up automatically, but is capped at 25%. |
Ares Boons
| Ares Boons | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Curse of Agony | Normal | Your Attack inflicts Doom. |
| Curse of Pain | Normal | Your Special inflicts Doom. |
| Slicing Shot | Normal | Your Cast sends a Blade Rift hurling ahead. |
| Blade Dash | Normal | Your Dash creates a Blade Rift where you started. |
| Ares' Aid | Normal | Your Call turns you into an Impervious Blade Rift for 1.2 Sec. |
| Curse of Vengeance | Normal | After you take damage, inflict Doom on surrounding foes. |
| Urge to Kill | Normal | Your Attack and Cast deal more damage. |
| Battle Rage | Normal | After slaying a foe, your next Attack/Special deals more damage. |
| Blood Frenzy | Normal | After using Death Defiance, deal more damage that encounter. |
| Black Metal | Normal | Your Blade Rift powers deal damage in a wider area. |
| Engulfing Vortex | Normal | Your Blade Rift effects last longer and pull foes in. |
| Dire Misfortune | Normal | Your Doom effects deal more damage when stacked. |
| Impending Doom | Normal | Your Doom effects deal more damage, after +0.5 Sec. |
| Vicious Cycle | Legendary | Your Blade Rifts deal more damage for each consecutive hit. |
| Curse of Longing | Duo (Aphrodite) | Your Doom effects continuously strike Weak foes. |
| Hunting Blades | Duo (Artemis) | Your Cast creates a faster Blade Rift that seeks the nearest foe. |
| Merciful End | Duo (Athena) | Your attacks that can Deflect immediately activate Doom effects. |
| Freezing Vortex | Duo (Demeter) | Your Cast inflicts Chill, but is smaller and moves slower. |
| Curse of Nausea | Duo (Dionysus) | Your Poison effects deal damage faster. |
| Curse of Drowning | Duo (Poseidon) | Your Cast is a pulse that deals damage to foes around you. |
| Vengeful Mood | Duo (Zeus) | Your Revenge attacks sometimes occur without taking damage. |
Artemis Boons
| Artemis Boons | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Deadly Strike | Normal | Your Attack is stronger, with +15% Critical chance. |
| Deadly Flourish | Normal | Your Special is stronger, with +20% Critical chance. |
| True Shot | Normal | Your Cast seeks foes, with a 10% Critical chance. |
| Hunter's Dash | Normal | Your Dash-Strike deals more damage. |
| Artemis' Aid | Normal | Your Call fires a seeking arrow with +35% Critical chance. |
| Pressure Points | Normal | Any damage you deal has a chance to be Critical. |
| Exit Wounds | Normal | Your foes take damage when your Cast is dislodged. |
| Hide Breaker | Normal | Your Critical effects deal even more damage to Armor. |
| Clean Kill | Normal | Your Critical effects deal even more damage. |
| Hunter Instinct | Normal | Your God Gauge charges faster when you deal Critical damage. |
| Hunter's Mark | Normal | After you deal Critical damage to a foe, a foe near it is Marked. |
| Support Fire | Normal | After you hit with an Attack, Cast or Special, fire a seeking arrow. |
| Fully Loaded | Legendary | Gain extra Cast Ammo for your Cast. |
| Heart Rend | Duo (Aphrodite) | Your Critical effects deal even more damage to Weak foes. |
| Hunting Blades | Duo (Ares) | Your Cast creates a faster Blade Rift that seeks the nearest foe. |
| Deadly Reversal | Duo (Athena) | After you Deflect, briefly gain +20% chance to deal Critical damage. |
| Crystal Clarity | Duo (Demeter) | Your Cast is stronger and tracks foes more effectively. |
| Splitting Headache | Duo (Dionysus) | Hangover-afflicted foes are more likely to take Critical damage. |
| Mirage Shot | Duo (Poseidon) | Your Cast fires a second projectile, though it has reduced damage. |
| Lightning Rod | Duo (Zeus) | Your collectible Cast Ammo strike nearby foes with lightning every 1.5 Sec. |
Athena Boons
| Athena Boons | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Strike | Normal | Your Attack is stronger, and can Deflect. |
| Divine Flourish | Normal | Your Special is stronger, and can Deflect. |
| Phalanx Shot | Normal | Your Cast damages foes in a small area, and can Deflect. |
| Divine Dash | Normal | Your Dash deals damage and can Deflect. |
| Athena's Aid | Normal | Your Call briefly makes you Invulnerable and Deflect all attacks. |
| Holy Shield | Normal | After you take damage, damage nearby foes and briefly Deflect. |
| Bronze Skin | Normal | Resist damage from foes' attacks. |
| Sure Footing | Normal | Resist damage from Traps. |
| Proud Bearing | Normal | You begin each Encounter with your God Gauge partly full. |
| Blinding Flash | Normal | Your abilities that can Deflect also make foes Exposed for 5 Sec. |
| Brilliant Riposte | Normal | When you Deflect attacks, they deal more damage. |
| Deathless Stand | Normal | Death Defiance makes you Impervious longer. Replenish 1 charge now. |
| Last Stand | Normal | Death Defiance restores more Health than usual. Replenish 1 charge now. |
| Divine Protection | Legendary | You have a barrier that negates incoming damage. |
| Parting Shot | Duo (Aphrodite) | Your Cast gains any existing backstab bonuses you have. |
| Merciful End | Duo (Ares) | Your attacks that can Deflect immediately activate Doom effects. |
| Deadly Reversal | Duo (Artemis) | After you Deflect, briefly gain +20% chance to deal Critical damage. |
| Stubborn Roots | Duo (Demeter) | While you have no Death/Stubborn Defiance your Health slowly recovers. |
| Calculated Risk | Duo (Dionysus) | Your foes' ranged-attack projectiles are slower. |
| Unshakeable Mettle | Duo (Poseidon) | You cannot be stunned, and resist some damage from Bosses. |
| Lightning Phalanx | Duo (Zeus) | Your Phalanx Shot Cast bounces between nearby foes. |
Demeter Boons
| Demeter Boons | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Frost Strike | Normal | Your Attack is stronger and inflicts Chill. |
| Frost Flourish | Normal | Your Special is stronger and inflicts Chill. |
| Crystal Beam | Normal | Your Cast drops a crystal that fires a beam straight ahead. |
| Mistral Dash | Normal | Your Dash shoots a gust ahead that inflicts Chill. |
| Demeter's Aid | Normal | Your Call creates a winter vortex which deals damage every 0.25s inflicting Chill. |
| Frozen Touch | Normal | After you take damage, damage and completely Chill your foe. |
| Rare Crop | Normal | Your Boons become Common, then gain Rarity every 3 Encounter(s). |
| Ravenous Will | Normal | While you have no Cast Ammo, take 10% less damage and deal more. |
| Nourished Soul | Normal | Any Health effects are more potent. Restore +30% now. |
| Snow Burst | Normal | Whenever you Cast, damage nearby foes and inflict Chill. |
| Arctic Blast | Normal | Applying 10 stacks of Chill causes a blast, clearing the effect. |
| Killing Freeze | Normal | Applying Chill to all enemies causes them to Slow and Decay. |
| Glacial Glare | Normal | Your Cast fires longer and inflicts Chill. |
| Winter Harvest | Legendary | Chill-affected foes shatter at 10% hp, inflicting Chill nearby. |
| Cold Embrace | Duo (Aphrodite) | Your Cast crystal fires its beam directly at you for 4 seconds. |
| Freezing Vortex | Duo (Ares) | Your Cast inflicts Chill, but is smaller and moves slower. |
| Crystal Clarity | Duo (Artemis) | Your Cast is stronger and tracks foes more effectively. |
| Stubborn Roots | Duo (Athena) | While you have no Death/Stubborn Defiance your Health slowly recovers. |
| Ice Wine | Duo (Dionysus) | Your Cast blasts an area with freezing Festive Fog that inflicts Chill. |
| Blizzard Shot | Duo (Poseidon) | Your Cast moves slowly, piercing foes and firing shards around it. |
| Cold Fusion | Duo (Zeus) | Jolted status does not expire on your enemies' attacks. |
Dionysus Boons
| Dionysus Boons | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Drunken Strike | Normal | Your Attack inflicts Hangover. |
| Drunken Flourish | Normal | Your Special inflicts Hangover. |
| Trippy Shot | Normal | Your Cast lobs a projectile that bursts into Festive Fog. |
| Drunken Dash | Normal | Your Dash inflicts foes near you with Hangover. |
| Dionysus' Aid | Normal | Your Call inflicts Hangover to foes all around you for 1.5 Sec. |
| After Party | Normal | If your Health is low after Encounters, restore to the threshold. |
| Positive Outlook | Normal | Take less damage while at 40% Health or below. |
| Premium Vintage | Normal | Gain Health when you pick up Nectar. Receive 1 Nectar now. |
| Strong Drink | Normal | Using a Fountain restores all Health and gives you bonus damage. |
| Bad Influence | Normal | Deal more damage while 3 foes are Hangover-afflicted. |
| Numbing Sensation | Normal | Your Hangover effects also make foes move slower. |
| Peer Pressure | Normal | Hangover-afflicted foes contaminate other nearby foes. |
| High Tolerance | Normal | Take less damage while standing in Festive Fog. |
| Black Out | Legendary | Hangover-afflicted foes take bonus damage in Festive Fog. |
| Low Tolerance | Duo (Aphrodite) | Your Hangover effects stack even more times against Weak foes. |
| Curse of Nausea | Duo (Ares) | Your Hangover effects deal damage faster. |
| Splitting Headache | Duo (Artemis) | Hangover-afflicted foes are more likely to take Critical damage. |
| Calculated Risk | Duo (Athena) | Your foes' ranged-attack projectiles are slower. |
| Ice Wine | Duo (Demeter) | Your Cast blasts an area with Festive Fog that inflicts Chill. |
| Exclusive Access | Duo (Poseidon) | Any Boons you find have superior effects. |
| Scintillating Feast | Duo (Zeus) | Your Festive Fog effects also deal lightning damage periodically. |
Hermes Boons
| Hermes Boons | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Swift Strike | Normal | Your Attack is faster. |
| Swift Flourish | Normal | Your Special is faster. |
| Flurry Cast | Normal | Your Cast is faster and fully automatic. |
| Quick Favor | Normal | Your Call charges up automatically. |
| Hyper Sprint | Normal | After you Dash, become Sturdy and run 2x faster for a short time. |
| Greater Haste | Normal | You move faster. |
| Quick Recovery | Normal | After taking damage, quickly Dash to partially recover lost Health. |
| Greater Evasion | Normal | You have +X% chance to Dodge. |
| Greatest Reflex | Normal | You can Dash more times in a row. |
| Second Wind | Normal | After using Call, gain Dodge chance and move speed for 6 Sec. |
| Quick Reload | Normal | Foes drop Cast stuck in them faster. |
| Side Hustle | Normal | Each time you enter a Chamber, gain a bit wealth. |
| Rush Delivery | Normal | You deal bonus damage based on any bonus move speed. |
| Auto Reload | Normal | You regenerate Cast Ammo faster. |
| Greater Recall | Legendary | Your Cast Ammo automatically return to you. |
| Bad News | Legendary | Your Cast deals more damage to foes without Cast on them. |
Poseidon Boons
| Poseidon Boons | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Tempest Strike | Normal | Your Attack deals more damage and knocks foes away. |
| Tempest Flourish | Normal | Your Special deals more damage and knocks foes away. |
| Flood Shot | Normal | Your Cast damages foes in an area and knocks them away. |
| Tidal Dash | Normal | Your Dash damages foes in an area and knocks them away. |
| Poseidon's Aid | Normal | Your Call makes you surge into foes while Impervious for 1.2 Sec. |
| Typhoon's Fury | Normal | You deal more damage when slamming foes into barriers. |
| Hydraulic Might | Normal | Your Attack and Special are stronger the first 5 Sec. in Encounter(s). |
| Ocean's Bounty | Normal | Any Gemstone, Darkness or Coin chamber rewards are worth more. |
| Sunken Treasure | Normal | Gain an assortment of Gemstone, Darkness, Coin and Health. |
| Razor Shoals | Normal | Using knock-away effects also Rupture foes. |
| Boiling Point | Normal | Your God Gauge charges faster when you take damage. |
| Breaking Wave | Normal | Slamming foes into walls or corners creates a watery blast in the area. |
| Wave Pounding | Normal | Your boons with Knock-Away effects deal bonus damage to bosses. |
| Rip Current | Normal | Your Call pulls in foes and the effect lasts longer. |
| Huge Catch | Legendary | You have a greater chance to find Fishing Point in each Chamber. |
| Second Wave | Legendary | Your knock-away effects shove foes a second time after the first. |
| Sweet Nectar | Duo (Aphrodite) | Any Poms of Power you find are more effective. |
| Curse of Drowning | Duo (Ares) | Your Cast is a pulse that deals damage to foes around you. |
| Mirage Shot | Duo (Artemis) | Your Cast fires a second projectile, though it has reduced damage. |
| Unshakeable Mettle | Duo (Athena) | You cannot be stunned, and resist some damage from Bosses. |
| Blizzard Shot | Duo (Demeter) | Your Cast moves slowly, piercing foes and firing shards around it. |
| Exclusive Access | Duo (Dionysus) | Any Boons you find have superior effects. |
| Sea Storm | Duo (Zeus) | Your knock-away effects also cause foes to be struck by lightning. |
Zeus Boons
| Zeus Boons | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning Strike | Normal | Your Attack emits chain-lightning when you damage a foe. |
| Thunder Flourish | Normal | Your Special causes a lightning bolt to strike nearby foes. |
| Electric Shot | Normal | Your Cast is a burst of chain-lightning that bounces between foes. |
| Thunder Dash | Normal | Your Dash causes a lightning bolt to strike nearby foes. |
| Zeus' Aid | Normal | Your Call makes lightning strike nearby foes repeatedly. |
| Heaven's Vengeance | Normal | After you take damage, your foe is struck by lightning. |
| Lightning Reflexes | Normal | After you Dash just before getting hit, a bolt strikes a nearby foes. |
| Storm Lightning | Normal | Your chain-lightning effects bounce more times before expiring. |
| High Voltage | Normal | Your lightning bolt effects deal damage in a larger area. |
| Double Strike | Normal | Your lightning bolt effects have a chance to strike twice. |
| Static Discharge | Normal | Your lightning effects also make foes Jolted. |
| Clouded Judgement | Normal | Your God Gauge charges faster when you deal or take damage. |
| Billowing Strength | Normal | After using Call, you deal more damage for 15 Sec. |
| Splitting Bolt | Legendary | All your lightning effects create an additional burst. |
| Smoldering Air | Duo (Aphrodite) | Your Call charges up automatically, but is capped at 25%. |
| Vengeful Mood | Duo (Ares) | Your Revenge attacks sometimes occur without taking damage. |
| Lightning Rod | Duo (Artemis) | Your collectible Casts strike nearby foes with lightning every 1.5 Sec. |
| Lightning Phalanx | Duo (Athena) | Your Phalanx Shot Cast bounces between nearby foes. |
| Cold Fusion | Duo (Demeter) | Jolted status does not expire on your enemies' attacks. |
| Scintillating Feast | Duo (Dionysus) | Your Festive Fog effects also deal lightning damage periodically. |
| Sea Storm | Duo (Poseidon) | Your knock-away effects also cause foes to be struck by lightning. |
Congratulations! You've reached the end of our Boons guide for Hades, which means you now know just about everything there is to know about the Boons that each Olympian can offer. If you're looking for more ways to increase Zagreus's power as he strives to escape the underworld, check out our guides on the best Hades Keepsakes and the best Hades weapon upgrades.