Bosses
Phantom Blade Zero Bosses: All 8 Confirmed Fights & How Boss AI Works
Eight bosses have shown up in demos and footage, and all of them are side content so far. Here's what makes each one dangerous, plus how the AI changes on the harder difficulties.
Updated Sep 25, 2026
How many bosses are in Phantom Blade Zero?
Eight bosses are confirmed so far — Huangxing, Wan Jun "Coppermaul", Red Wraith, Tie Sha the Frenzy, Iron Mask Killer, Chief Disciple of Seven Stars, Commander Cleave and the Seven Judgments. Every one of them has appeared in a playable demo, trailer or official footage.
The number that matters more: all eight are side content. S-GAME has said outright that main-story bosses have not been revealed yet, which means the launch roster is expected to be larger — and that no article claiming a final boss count is working from official information. The honest answer is 8 confirmed, final count unannounced.
What makes Huangxing dangerous?
Huangxing is the boss players keep talking about — a pyramid-helmeted flail wielder with an instant-kill grab. The grab is the attack you'll want to learn first. It's also the fight S-GAME uses as the Hellwalker AI example, so expect it to get meaner on NG+.
How boss AI works
The August 17 State of Play confirmed the difficulty design. On Hellwalker, bosses stop relying on fixed patterns: they react to your spacing, punish whiffs, and adapt to your habits in real time — fighting-game style. Hands-on coverage describes the same effect: "the enemy learns to read your attacks."
Difficulty modes
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Wayfarer | Cinematic and intuitive — anyone can feel like a kung-fu master |
| Pathbreaker | Standard difficulty |
| Hellwalker | Fighting-game-style adaptive AI on every enemy, bosses included |
| 66 Days | Hellwalker-level AI plus a literal 66-day clock — every defeat costs time, zero = permadeath |
The confirmed boss roster
| Boss | Signature | What makes it dangerous |
|---|---|---|
| Huangxing | Pyramid-helmeted flail wielder | Instant-kill grab; the cited example of adaptive Hellwalker AI |
| Wan Jun "Coppermaul" | Giant mace, ogre-like silhouette | Slow but wide swings with short punish windows |
| Red Wraith | Agile fighter | Forces Ghoststep counters; turtling gets you worn down |
| Tie Sha the Frenzy | Berserker | Rapid mid-fight phase shifts; tempo changes without warning |
| Iron Mask Killer | Masked assassin | Fast attacks and evasive movement; small punish windows |
| Chief Disciple of Seven Stars | Puppeteer-style fight | Seven pawn AIs at once — target priority decides the fight |
| Commander Cleave | Military commander | Heavy cleaving strikes and command presence |
| Seven Judgments | Ensemble formation | Big Dipper formation; disciples sacrifice their own health to heal the leader |
The source for most of these details is demo footage rather than a boss database published by the studio. Where a behaviour comes from a single hands-on report, treat it as reported rather than confirmed — the pages will be rebuilt with real data after launch.
Demo footage with timestamps
An extended 60-minute preview video shows boss fights with timecodes: Coppermaul 45:50 · Commander Cleave 47:20 · Huangxing 51:02 · Tie Sha 53:23 · Iron Mask Killer 56:12 · Chief Disciple 58:xx.
Not shown yet
- S-GAME says main-story bosses have not been revealed.
- Hellwalker (NG+) adds new moves and adaptive AI to every boss, with Huangxing as the cited example.
- A Boss Rush mode is mentioned for post-campaign.
Rematches and Boss Rush
A boss rematch system has been reported, and S-GAME has referred to a post-campaign Boss Rush mode. Neither has been detailed: there is no confirmed unlock condition, reward structure or difficulty setting for either. What is clear is the intent — the studio wants players to be able to return to a fight and beat it properly rather than having to replay the campaign.
If you are the kind of player who learns a boss by dying to it repeatedly, that matters more than it sounds: the 66 Days difficulty makes every death cost in-game time, so a rematch mode outside that clock is the difference between practising a fight and losing progress to it.
Boss questions
How many bosses are in Phantom Blade Zero?
Eight bosses have been confirmed in demos and footage so far — Huangxing, Wan Jun "Coppermaul", Red Wraith, Tie Sha the Frenzy, Iron Mask Killer, Chief Disciple of Seven Stars, Commander Cleave and the Seven Judgments. S-GAME says main-story bosses have not been revealed yet, so the full game roster will be larger.
Are all bosses confirmed?
These 8 were shown in demos/trailers. S-GAME says main-story bosses have not been revealed yet.
Does boss AI change on harder difficulties?
Yes. Hellwalker uses fighting-game-style AI: bosses react to your spacing, punish whiffs and adapt to your habits in real time. 66 Days mode keeps that AI and adds a literal 66-day clock with permadeath at zero.
Can you rematch bosses?
A boss rematch system was reported, and post-campaign Boss Rush mode has been mentioned by S-GAME.
Do bosses change on harder difficulties?
Hellwalker (NG+) adds new moves and adaptive AI, with Huangxing as the cited example.
Sources: PlayStation Blog. Phantom Blade Zero content and assets remain the property of S-GAME.