Which weapon aspects in Hades are actually worth your Titan Blood? There are 24 of them across six weapons, and since you will only have a few Titan Blood to spend at first, it is easy to sink them into an aspect you will never touch again.

The four best aspects are Achilles on the Eternal Spear, Beowulf on the Shield of Chaos, Hera on the Heart-Seeking Bow and Eris on the Adamant Rail. Each of them adds a lot of damage in a way that is easy to set up in almost every room, and all four stay strong well into the higher Heat levels.

Beware that this tier list is only for the first Hades from 2020. Hades II has its own weapons and aspects, and none of the placements below carry over to it.

This guide will rank all 24 aspects, show what changes between rank 1 and rank 5, and tell you where your Titan Blood is best spent and how to reveal the six hidden aspects.

Aspect Tier List

Here is the full list from S down to D. Hidden aspects are marked, since you will have to reveal them before you can buy them.

The tiers are meant for normal escape runs on a moderate Heat level, and they lean on what experienced players agreed on in tier lists and threads from 2023 to 2026. The game files tell you exactly what each aspect does, but how well that plays out in a real run is always going to be a judgment call, so an aspect you enjoy from a lower tier will still carry you through plenty of escapes.

The list also assumes upgraded aspects. Some cheap ones, like Hera and Achilles, already work very well at rank 1, while others only come together at rank 5.

A few aspects move up or down depending on who is playing:

• Chiron is the easiest aspect in the game for beginners. If you are still working towards your first clears, treat it as S tier.
• Zeus, Rama and Hestia climb higher at very high Heat.
• Arthur is loved by casual players, while experts find it too slow.
• Guan Yu is a lot weaker until you get it to rank 5.

All aspect numbers in this guide come from the game files of the current Steam version of Hades (checked October 2026).

S Tier

With the Aspect of Achilles, you will be able to dash to your spear with Raging Rush after you throw your Special, damaging foes on the way. After the Rush, your next 4 Attacks or Casts deal bonus damage: +50% at rank 1 and +150% at rank 5. That bonus sits on Zagreus himself, so throwing, rushing and hitting will keep it going in nearly every encounter. Ares or Dionysus on the Cast are popular pairings, and Zeus on the Attack works too. Since rank 1 costs a single Titan Blood and already plays well, I would say it is the best first aspect for anyone who likes the spear.

Beowulf is the hidden aspect of the Shield of Chaos, and it changes the shield quite a lot. With the Aspect of Beowulf, your Cast no longer fires on its own. It loads your Bloodstones into the Bull Rush instead, and each loaded stone will fire at the end of the move (the game calls this Dragon Rush). Its bonus damage and area grow from +20% at rank 1 to +100% at rank 5, but you take +10% damage at every rank in return.

Speedrunners say a duo boon interaction (Mirage Shot) is part of why Beowulf is so strong, so the classic build puts Poseidon on the Cast and Artemis on the Attack. Keep Poseidon off your Attack, though. Its knockback will push foes out of the blast. Beowulf feels a little bit sluggish at first, and it helps to move the Cast to a button you can reach comfortably.

Hera turns your Cast into ammunition for the bow. With the Aspect of Hera, your Cast loads your Bloodstones into your next Attack, which fires them on impact. Its ranks only set the Bloodstone drop time, 10 seconds at rank 1 and 5 seconds at rank 5 (the normal timer is 16 seconds), so rank 1 already gives you the whole loaded-Cast mechanic. For 2 Titan Blood, that is probably the best deal in the game. Most Cast boons will work well with it, Aphrodite’s in particular.

The Aspect of Eris rewards you for standing in your own explosions. For 4 seconds after you absorb the blast of your Special (the rail’s bomb), you deal more damage: +15% at rank 1 and +75% at rank 5. You are going to throw bombs at your own feet a lot, and it takes a few rooms to get used to. Once it clicks, you simply bomb, step into the blast and shoot. Rinse and repeat. Zeus on the Attack and Artemis on the Special suit it well, and Cluster Bomb and Rocket Bomb are the hammers to look out for.

A Tier

On the shield, the Aspect of Zeus turns your Special into the Blitz Disc. It stays out, deals rapid damage and comes back when you call it, and you can keep attacking in the meantime. Each hit does about 8 base damage at rank 1 and 30 at rank 5 (a normal shield throw does 15), so this one really wants its ranks. Once it is upgraded, you will be able to throw the disc into a group and keep fighting while it grinds them down. At very high Heat it climbs to S tier. On a normal run, it is a little slower than Beowulf.

The Aspect of Chiron makes your bow Special seek out the foe your Attack hit last. Oddly enough, you will fire fewer arrows than with the normal Special, which spreads 9 of them. Chiron will fire 4 at rank 1 and 8 at rank 5, but all of them go for that one foe, which takes most of the aiming off your hands and makes it play like S tier on lower Heat. It loses ground in speedruns and at very high Heat, because you stand still while you fire, and it also really wants rank 5. Dionysus on the Special with Aphrodite on the Attack is a classic combination, and Relentless Volley and Concentrated Volley are the hammers to hope for.

The bow’s hidden Aspect of Rama gives you a wide, heavy Attack that charges slower but hits harder, and a bouncing triple-shot Special. Foes hit by that Special suffer Shared Suffering, which means that for 7 seconds they will take damage whenever you Attack any foe, at 30% of your Attack damage at rank 1 and 60% at rank 5. It is slow and a little risky. At very high Heat, though, it is arguably the best bow and climbs to S tier. Zeus or Dionysus on the Special and Aphrodite or Artemis on the Attack are the usual builds.

Hestia plays almost like a sniper rifle. The Aspect of Hestia empowers your next rail shot after a manual Reload, with a base damage of 50 at rank 1 and 150 at rank 5 (a normal rail shot does 10). You will be firing, reloading and landing one big shot over and over from a safe distance. The loop only really works at high ranks, so plan to max it. At very high Heat it climbs to S tier as well, and Aphrodite on the Attack is the usual pick.

For 3 seconds after your Special, the Aspect of Nemesis lets your sword Attack crit, with 15% crit chance at rank 1 and 30% at rank 5. You will weave the Special in between your Attack strings to keep that window open. It is the best sword for damage and speed. That being said, it is still a melee aspect, so you will be right in the face of every enemy. Artemis on the Attack and the Double Edge hammer fit it well.

Demeter is the strongest of the fist aspects. After you land 12 strikes, the Aspect of Demeter makes your next Special hit more times, 1 extra hit at rank 1 and 5 at rank 5. The fists hit so fast that you will reach 12 strikes in no time. It shares the weapon’s main problem, since you have to stay close to the enemy the whole time. Aphrodite on the Attack with Artemis on the Special is a popular combination, and it can lead to the Heart Rend duo.

The Aspect of Arthur is the hidden sword aspect. It gives you a heavy, slower Attack, +50 Max Life at every rank, and a Special that creates Hallowed Ground, an aura that lasts 8 seconds, slows foes and reduces the damage you take inside it by 20% at rank 1 and 40% at rank 5. For a relaxed run, this is about as forgiving as Hades gets. Its slow swings keep it at the bottom of A, and for fast runs Nemesis is the better sword.

B Tier

The Aspect of Poseidon makes your sword Special knock Bloodstones out of foes and gives you +10% Cast damage at rank 1 and +50% at rank 5, all the time. It already works fine at rank 1 if you build around the Cast with Artemis or Aphrodite. It sits in B because Achilles does the same job better, and the sword still keeps you in melee range.

With the Aspect of Chaos, your next Special after a Bull Rush throws extra shields, 1 more at rank 1 and 5 more at rank 5. You keep the shield’s safe blocking and get a ranged burst on top, which makes it a solid all-rounder for new players. Ares or Zeus on the Special suit it best.

The fists’ Aspect of Zagreus is the best of the free starting aspects. It adds dodge chance, 5% at rank 1 and 15% at rank 5, and maxing it costs only 5 Titan Blood. That is a small bonus by itself. With Hermes’ dodge boons and the Lambent Plume keepsake, though, you can build a dodge-heavy run that is a lot of fun.

Lucifer is the rail’s hidden aspect. With the Aspect of Lucifer, your Attack becomes a beam whose damage ramps up, and your Special launches Hellfire bombs that radiate damage and explode in a large blast (50 damage at rank 1, 100 at rank 5). It also comes with its own set of hammers, and the usual build pairs Zeus on the Attack with the Triple Bomb hammer, which lets you throw several bombs in quick succession. It is slow and falls off at very high Heat, which is what keeps it in B.

Guan Yu is always the first hidden aspect you will reveal. The Aspect of Guan Yu gives the spear a heavy Attack, an explosive Special, and a Spin that flies out as a wide shot and heals 1 Life per hit. The price is steep. Max Life and healing drop to 30% at rank 1 and 50% at rank 5, which makes it hard to play at low ranks. Once it is maxed, it turns into a strong Special-spam aspect, especially with the Charged Skewer hammer and Aphrodite on the Special. It is very much a love-or-hate aspect.

C Tier

The Aspect of Hades turns your Spin into Punishing Sweep, a huge Spin that makes foes take more Attack and Special damage for 10 seconds afterwards: +30% at rank 1 and +150% at rank 5. The numbers look great. In a real run, though, the Spin is slow and clunky, and unless you find spin hammers like Quick Spin and Massive Spin early on, you will spend a lot of time charging the Spin while foes close in on you.

Talos turns the fist Special into the Magnetic Cutter, which pulls foes in and deals 20 damage. For 6 seconds after that, the Aspect of Talos makes those foes take more Attack and Cast damage, +10% at rank 1 and +50% at rank 5. The bonus will only work on the foes you pulled, so in a crowded room it does a lot less than Achilles or Poseidon.

The Aspect of Gilgamesh is the fists’ hidden aspect. It gives you a heavy Attack, +2 rapid Dash charges (with shorter dashes), and a Dash-Upper that inflicts Maim. Maimed foes take 25% more damage, but they also deal 50% more damage to you for 4 seconds, then take a burst of damage (100 at rank 1, 400 at rank 5). That second part is what holds it back, because every Maim makes an enemy more dangerous until the burst goes off. It is great fun with Dash boons from Athena, Poseidon or Ares, but weak in speedruns and on high Heat.

On the bow, the Aspect of Zagreus adds Attack crit chance, 3% at rank 1 and 15% at rank 5. It is cheap and works nicely with Artemis on the Attack, but the other three bow aspects are much stronger.

The shield’s Aspect of Zagreus adds +3 base damage to your Attack and Dash-Strike at rank 1 and +15 at rank 5. Since this is base damage, your percentage boons will scale it as well, which makes it better than it looks. For most runs, the other shield aspects still give you more.

D Tier

The bottom tier is made up of three free starting aspects. Each of them still has its uses, and maxing one costs only 5 Titan Blood, but their weapons have much stronger options.

• The sword’s Aspect of Zagreus adds Attack and move speed, +3% at rank 1 and +15% at rank 5. You will be using the Dash-Strike a lot with the sword anyway, so the bonus is easy to miss.
• The spear’s Aspect of Zagreus adds Special damage, range and speed, +10% at rank 1 and +25% at rank 5. It only comes alive with the Exploding Launcher or Charged Skewer hammer.
• The rail’s Aspect of Zagreus adds 4 bonus ammo at rank 1 and 12 at rank 5, on top of the normal 12. More ammo does not add any damage, and the Spread Fire hammer is about the only time it shines.

Rank 1 vs Rank 5

Every aspect has five ranks, and each rank improves one main value. The table shows that value at rank 1 and rank 5 for all 24 aspects.

Some aspects are already good at rank 1. Hera is the clearest case. Its ranks do nothing except shorten the Bloodstone drop timer. Achilles starts at +50% post-Rush damage, which is plenty for your first runs, and Poseidon’s sword works fine at rank 1 for a Cast build.

Others really want rank 5. Chiron goes from 4 to 8 homing arrows, Hestia’s empowered shot goes from 50 to 150 base damage, and Guan Yu only lets you keep 30% of your Max Life and healing at rank 1.

Best Starting Weapon

Since the aspect menu stays closed until you own all six weapons, for your first clear the weapon itself will probably matter more than the aspect.

The Shield of Chaos is the safest choice. It will block attacks from the front while you hold your Attack to charge the Bull Rush, and it is also the most common weapon for a first escape. In a 2023 community poll with 4,740 votes, the shield came first with 23.5%, with the bow close behind.

The Heart-Seeking Bow is the next best pick, but mostly with the Aspect of Chiron. The plain bow is a little rough for a beginner, while Chiron does most of the aiming for you.

The Adamant Rail is very safe too, since you fight from a distance, and Hestia is one of the safest aspects in the game. It costs 8 Chthonic Keys, though, and it only shows up once you own the other five weapons, so it is always the last one you will unlock.

The Stygian Blade is the default weapon, and plenty of early wins happen with it, often thanks to the Cursed Slash hammer, which restores 2 Life on every Attack hit but cuts your Max Life by 60%. Later on, though, it is going to be the riskiest of the six, because you have to stay right in the face of every enemy.

If you are still new to the game, the Hades beginner guide has quick references for your first runs as well.

Titan Blood

The aspect menu only opens once you own all six weapons and have picked up your first Titan Blood. The sword is free, and the other weapons cost Chthonic Keys: 1 for the bow, 3 for the shield, 4 for the spear, and 8 each for the rail and the fists. After that, you will find the aspects by interacting with the weapon you are holding in the Courtyard, and what a rank costs depends on the aspect’s slot:

Maxing all four aspects of one weapon costs 51 Titan Blood, and maxing every aspect in the game costs 306. Titan Blood mainly comes from bosses as you push the Heat up, so it will trickle in slowly at first, and the order matters most in the beginning. For your first Titan Blood, I would advise you to go roughly like this:

• Buy Hera or Achilles at rank 1. Rank 1 of Achilles costs 1 Titan Blood and rank 1 of Hera costs 2, and both play like a new weapon right away.
• Unlock rank 1 of a few more aspects. This lets you try them, and it also counts towards Guan Yu, since Achilles will only give you that hint once you have unlocked 5 aspects that are not Aspects of Zagreus.
• Max the aspects you actually play. The Aspects of Zagreus are the cheapest to max at 1 Titan Blood per rank, and the fists, bow and shield versions are the ones worth it.
• Hold off on Chiron, Hestia and Guan Yu until you can afford all five ranks.

Additionally, avoid trading Titan Blood at the Wretched Broker before you are done with your aspects. There is no refund option in the aspect menu either, so think a little before each purchase.

How to Unlock Hidden Aspects

Each weapon has one hidden aspect, so there are six in total: Arthur (sword), Guan Yu (spear), Beowulf (shield), Rama (bow), Gilgamesh (fists) and Lucifer (rail). They stay hidden until a character gives you a hint and Zagreus speaks a waking phrase at the weapon. Guan Yu always has to come first, and the other five can only follow after him.

Aspect of Guan Yu

Achilles gives you the hint for Guan Yu in the House. He will only do so once you meet all of these conditions:

• You own the Fated List of Minor Prophecies.
• You have opened the aspect menu at least once.
• You have unlocked at least 5 aspects that are not the starting Aspects of Zagreus, counted across all weapons.
• You have reached Hades’ boss room at least once. You do not need to beat him.
• You have already had an earlier talk with Achilles about weapons and aspects.

After Achilles has told you about Guan Yu, go to the Eternal Spear in the Courtyard and interact with it while you hold it. Zagreus will speak the phrase “I see you through the eyes of the crimson phoenix”, and the Aspect of Guan Yu will appear in the menu.

Other Hidden Aspects

Once Guan Yu is revealed, the other five follow the same pattern. For each of them, you need three things:

• Guan Yu revealed, with his phrase already spoken at the spear.
• At least 5 Titan Blood invested in that weapon’s aspects (the Aspect of Zagreus counts).
• The hint from the right character.

The table lists who gives each hint, where you will hear it, and the phrase Zagreus will speak at the weapon.

Once you have heard the hint, go to that weapon in the Courtyard and interact with it while you hold it. Zagreus will speak the phrase, and the aspect will appear in the menu. Revealing an aspect does not buy it, though. You will still have to pay 3 Titan Blood per rank, rank 1 included.

Hint Not Showing Up

If the hint for a hidden aspect will not show up, there are a few things to check:

• The game spaces the hints out: never two in the same run, and never in back-to-back runs.
• You do not need to carry that weapon when the hint itself plays (Beowulf and Gilgamesh have an earlier comment that does need it, see below). To speak the phrase afterwards, you do have to hold the weapon in the Courtyard.
• Make sure the 5 Titan Blood went into that weapon’s aspects. Titan Blood spent on other weapons does not count.
• For Gilgamesh, Asterius has to comment on the Twin Fists once before he gives the hint, and that comment only happens while you carry them.
• For Beowulf, Chaos has to comment on your shield on an earlier visit before he gives the hint, and that comment only happens while you carry the shield.
• For Rama and Lucifer, the Adamant Arrowhead and Thunder Signet keepsakes make your next boon come from Artemis or Zeus, so you will meet them more often.

Story dialogue can also take priority. Players report that important conversations can push the hint back by several runs, so if everything above checks out, the only solution is to keep playing until it comes up.

FAQ

What is the strongest aspect in Hades?

Beowulf on the Shield of Chaos is the usual pick for raw power and speed. Achilles, Hera and Eris sit right next to it in S tier, and Zeus, Rama and Hestia climb up there at the very highest Heat.

What is the worst aspect in Hades?

The Aspects of Zagreus on the Stygian Blade, the Eternal Spear and the Adamant Rail. They are free starting aspects with small bonuses. Outside the Aspects of Zagreus, Hades on the spear and Talos and Gilgamesh on the fists are the weakest.

Do you need to max an aspect?

Not always. For Hera, the ranks only shorten the Bloodstone timer, so rank 1 is enough for most runs. Chiron, Hestia and Guan Yu are the opposite case, since their main value grows a lot with every rank.

Can you refund Titan Blood?

No. There is no refund option in the aspect menu, so every Titan Blood you spend stays in that aspect.

Does this tier list work for Hades II?

No. Hades II has a different set of weapons with their own aspects, so this list only applies to the original game.

Conclusion

Achilles, Beowulf, Hera and Eris are the four aspects to aim for, and Hera and Achilles are the cheapest way to feel a real jump in power. Below that, the A tier is close enough that the aspect you enjoy most is usually the right one to max.

If you just want an easy first clear, the shield or Chiron on the bow is probably the way to go.