The Mirror of the Night in Hades is an upgrade system full of abilities which can be purchased with your hard-earned Darkness. There are a handful of different perks that you can upgrade to in this track, making it hard to know where to spend your Darkness. In this guide, we are going to take a look at some of the best upgrades that you can get from the Mirror of Night list.
Best Upgrades for Mirror of Night
As you’ll no doubt have noticed, some Mirror of the Night upgrades are unavailable at first. Before they can be used, they need to be unlocked using the Chthonic Keys you’ll find all throughout the Underworld. Every ability from the Mirror of Night has two versions, but only one of them can be active at any given time. These can also be separately upgraded, allowing you to switch between the abilities.
So, with that out of the way, here are our picks for the best upgrades for the Mirror of Night perk path in Hades.
Death Defiance
Death Defiance is easily the best Mirror of Night upgrade. This ability will revive you after you die, restoring 50% of your health in the process. Using Death Defiance is effectively the same as carrying extra lives. Even better, it can be upgraded three times, which means you can carry three extra lives with you.
In Hades, it’s always a best policy to try to avoid damage whenever possible. However, there are times when risking damage means earning a greater reward. Having a few charges of Death Defiance means you won’t have to skip over valuable opportunities. And, if you keep your eyes peeled, you can even restore its charges mid-run. The Kiss of Styx from Charon will restore one charge, while the Kiss of Styx Premium from Patroclus restores all charges.
Ultimately, Death Defiance is the best upgrade because it allows you to live longer. You’ll reach further into runs, earn more Chthonic Keys and Titan Blood, and progress through the game much more quickly.
Chthonic Vitality
Chthonic Vitality gives you the ability to heal one point of your Life Total, or health, with every new room you enter. When fully upgraded, this Mirror of Night upgrade will heal for three hearts every time you enter a room. This gives you a chance to recuperate from the previous room’s assault, further increasing how far you can reach into your runs.
The Chthonic Vitality upgrade costs a total of 70 Darkness all together, with the first upgrade costing ten, and the last costing 40 Darkness.
Ruthless Reflex
Ruthless Reflex rewards players who are alert and quick. It offers 50% more damage and a dodge chance for two seconds every time you dash just before being hit by an enemy attack. You ought to be dodging frequently, so with proper timing, this upgrade means you’ll be dealing much more damage overall. Plus, it provides an even greater reason to practice timing, as a well-timed dodge increases the likelihood of the next one succeeding.
The Ruthless Reflex costs 75 Darkness.
Thick Skin
The Thick Skin upgrade within Mirror of Night is a simple one, giving Zagreus an additional five points to his Life Total. This can be upgraded an impressive ten times, giving Zagreus a total of +50 additional health with each upgrade, costing 625 Darkness all together.
Just like Death Defiance and Chthonic Vitality, this is one of the best Mirror of Night because it keeps you alive longer. The longer you can reach into a run, the more rewards you’ll be able to earn.
Shadow Presence
Shadow Presence gives you an extra 10% damage when attacking enemies from behind. Think of it as sort of a rogue’s special. Shadow Presence can be upgraded five times, with players able to do 50% more damage to enemies when attacking from behind. It’s not terribly expensive either, only costing 100 Darkness in total.
Privileged Status
Privileged Status gives Zagreus an extra damage boost when attacking enemies who have been hit with at least two status effects. It might not sound like much at first, but with the right build, it can make a huge difference in damage. In fact, Privileged Status is the centerpiece of one of the best builds for the Twin Fists of Malphon.
This ability can be upgraded twice, buffing up to 40% when up against the enemies with two different “Status Curses.” Enemy who are hit with the Privileged Status de-buff will be identified by a small icon.
While these are clearly the best Mirror of Night upgrades, that’s not to say that the others are useless. Some of the abilities are highly situational, and may only come into play during certain runs. Naturally, just because everyone agrees on the best upgrades doesn’t mean they’re the most efficient for a given build. Take your time, experiment, and find a strategy that works for you. After all, you can’t beat Hades himself unless you show up with a game plan.
