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Supergiant Games' mythological roguelikeHadesis chock full of chaotic action, fiery dungeon locales, and tough-as-nails gameplay. During this hellish odyssey, Zagreus will need all the help he can gather, as he’ll be bombarded with attacks from demonic foes and ominous bosses.
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While this antihero can gain access to a wealth of power and abilities,Hadesplayers know that all too often, this god-like figure can fall from grace and meet his demise. A group of powerful enemies can quickly whittle down Zagreus' health bar if players aren’t careful. Even whenZagreus is laced with a strong build, he will no doubt run into some fights that will put players' skills to the test.
Thankfully, there is one particularly useful ability that can help weather the storm: the aptly-namedDeath Defiance.
What Is Death Defiance?
Serving as a sort of glorified extra life, Death Defiance gives Zagreus an extra layer of protection. Instead of falling in battle, a charged Death Defiance will deplete, making the hell-fighter impervious for a short time, whilerestoring 50% of his health.
This is all well and good, but what happens when this precious power is lost? Zagreus will perish and return to the House of Hades unless the ability is restored or given an extra charge. Thankfully, there are several ways players can replenish or add stacks to the Death Defiance ability. This guide will cover each of the methods available to do so.
Death Defiance & How To Obtain It
This useful ability can be unlocked by paying a visit to theMirror of Night—the large mirror in Zagreus' room. This object serves as one of the main hubs when it comes to progression and gaining abilities.
While there are plenty of notable abilities, or “Talents” to be had here, Death Defiance is a particularly great one to focus on in the early goings. It can be a true life-saver, and it’s available from the start of the game. The Artifact currency “Chthonic Keys” won’t be needed to unlock this ability, even when opting for the higher-ranked version of Death Defiance.
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Death Defiance can be upgradedtwice, producing a total ofthree extra charges(or essentially three extra lives with half of Zagreus' health restored). However, this will take some time, as players will need to accumulate quite a bit ofDarkness(the game’s currency) to do so.
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How To Replenish Charges
Even if a player has unlocked Death Defiance, they can still find themselves in dire straits fairly quickly if the charge is used up from a lethal enemy hit. But there are a few ways toreplenishthe initial charge, even if Zagreus has only unlocked the first form of the Talent. The methods to replenish Death Defiance are as follows:
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How To Add Charges
Charges can also beaddedin a couple of ways as well. This means that players will gain a separate charge with their own slot, which in turn can also be recharged. The ways to add to the stack of Death Defiance are as follows:
Hadeswas released on August 03, 2025 and is currently available on PC, macOS, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.
