As Melinoe battles her way into the Underworld inHades 2, she’ll come across several animal companions that can help her defeat the Titan of Time and save her family. These animals are able to fight alongside her in combat, farm for better materials, and provide passive buffs to Melinoe herself.
See Related:Hades 2 Wiki
However, Melinoe can only bring one familiar with her during each of her runs through the surface or the underworld. Players will have to choose their favorite companion wisely and get to know which ones will best compliment their current build or which familiar will help them gather some much-needed materials.
Updated July 06, 2025, by Christopher Norman W:Supergiant Games has officially released theWarsong updateforHades 2, the second major update of the game’s Early Access period. Along with a variety of other content, this massive expansion brings yet another Animal Familiar into the war against Chronos. In this update, we’ll explain how players can recruit Gale the Polecat, and what perks they will provide.
Unlocking Familiars In Hades 2
A Few Steps To Finish First
Melinoë must cast an Incantation at the Cauldron in the Crossroads to unlock familiars.Specifically, the player will need theFaith of Familiar Spirits incantation. To unlock this incantation, players must prioritize each gathering equipment and use it at least twice. Once that’s done, Melinoe has to defeat Hecate. If done correctly, Hecate will have a dialogue with Melinoe before the fight about familiars.
After returning to the Crossroads, interact with the pot to find the incantation. To cast this incantation, Melinoe will need2x Nectarand1x Lotus Flower. To find Nectar, look for rooms that have the Nectar symbol on them, or purchase it for 50 bones from the Wretched Broker. Lotus flowers are found in various rooms throughout Oceanus. After castingFaith of Familiar Spirits, Melinoe will receive 1 Witch’s Delight. Give this treat to an animal, and they will join Melinoe in her future runs as a familiar.
InHades 2,players have 5 animal companions to choose from - Frinos, Toula, Raki, Hecuba, and Gale. Each one represents a different material Melinoe can gather during her adventures in the Underworld or the Surface. As a result, choosing the best familiar to go after a specific material will not only increase the probability of that material appearing, but it will alsocircumvent the need to play a minigame to gather that material.For example, Toula makes fishing easier and more likely to appear. If Melinoe fishes while Toula is with her, then Toula will automatically catch the fish instead of having the player go through the minigame.
How to Get Frinos The Frog in Hades 2
Loves To Eat Projectiles And Find Psyche
Frinos can be found near Melinoe’s tent. Not only can he boost Melinoe’s maximum HP, but he can also be used to block projectiles. This is particularlyuseful against Hecatesince Frinos can eat the polymorphing curse.
Rank 3
Soul Bond
While together, your added bonus to find Lost Shades increases by 25%.
Together, your added bonus to find Lost Shades increases by another 25%
While together your added bonus to find Lost Shades increases by 25%
Strength Bond
Frinos deals an additional +10 damage when leaping onto foes.
Frinos deals an additional +10 damage when leaping onto foes. (+20 damage in total)
Frinos deals an additional +10 damage when leaping onto foes. (+30 damage in total)
(+20 Max Life in total)
(+30 Max Life in total)
How to Get Toula The Cat in Hades 2
An Extra Life And More Fish
After casting the Woodsy Lifespring Incantation, Melinoe will encounter Toula in the fountain room of Erebus. After interacting with her, Toula will disappear from Erebus and reappear later on the Surface.
Start a surface run, defeat Polyphemus in Ephyra, and head into the Pier area.Before jumping through the exit, keep an eye out for Toula on the far left side of the pier. Give her a Witch’s Delight and she’ll join Melinoe as a familiar.
+1 strike
+1 additional strike (+2 strikes in total)
+1 additional strike (+3 strikes in total)
Restores an additional +10 health. (+30 health in total)
While together, your added bonus to find Fishing Spots increases by 15%.
While together, your added bonus to find Fishing Spots increases by another 25% (+40% in total)
While together, your added bonus to find Fishing Spots increases by another 25% (+65% in total)
How to Get Raki The Raven in Hades 2
More Pecking, More Mining, and More Crits
Raki can be found in thefountain room of the Crossroads. Head past the fountain, and there will be a white raven to the left of the path just before the exits. The first time Melinoe talks to Raki will make Raki disappear.
After that run, jump into another Underworld run until Melinoe comes across thefountain room in Erebuswith Raki in it. Raki will disappear one more time after Melinoe interacts with it. In the next Underworld run, find the fountain room one more time in Erebus, and Raki will have the option to bond with Melinoe. Give the adorable white raven a Witch’s Delight, and it’ll join Melinoe as a familiar.
Blood Bond
While together, gain +1% greater chance for any damage you deal to be Critical.
While together, gain +1% greater chance than before for any damage you deal to be Critical. (+2% Critical chance.)
While together, gain an additional +1% for any damage you deal to be a Critical. (+3% Critical Chance.)
Stone Bond
While together, your added bonus to find Outcroppings increases by 15%.
While together, your added bonus to find Outcroppings increases by another 25%. (+40% chance.)
While together, your added bonus to find Outcroppings increases by 25%. (+65% chance.)
Wing Bond
Raki swoops down to peck at foes 25% more often.
Raki swoops down to peck at foes 25% more often than before. (+50% chance to peck at enemies.)
Raki swoops down to peck at foes 25% more often than before. (+75% chance to peck at enemies.)
How to Get Hecuba The Hound in Hades 2
Bigger Magic Pool And Plenty Of Digging For Seeds
To find Hecuba, head to the Underworld andfind Echo in the Fields of Mourning. Follow the road toward the exit, and Hecuba will sometimes be waiting near the exit doors. Be careful not to miss the adorable canine — her black fur makes her blend into the floor.
Talk to Hecuba, and she’ll disappear. Repeat this process and level up the other familiars at the Crossroads until Hecate has an exclamation mark over her head. Speak to the Titaness, and she’ll allow the recruitment of her familiars — Hecuba and Gale — through the “Shared Familiar Bonds” permission.
Jump into one more Underworld run, find Hecuba again in the Fields of Mourning, and this time, Melinoe will have the option togive Hecuba a treat. Give the faithful hound a Witch’s Delight, and she’ll join Melinoe as a familiar.
Spirit Bond
While together, gain an additional +15 maximum Magic.
While together, your added bonus to find Digging Spots increases by another 25%.
Earth Bond
While together, your added bonus to find Digging Spots increases by 25%.
How to Get Gale the Polecat in Hades 2
Increased Dodge Chance and Move Speed, more Flora, and Extreme Scratching:
To recruit Gale, you will need to make sure you’ve completed both theFaith of Familial SpiritsandShared Familiar Bondsincantations. Players returning to the game for theWarsong Updatewill most likely already have these completed, as they are required to recruit all previous animal familiars.
Tofind Gale the Poelcat inHades 2,you’ll need to begin a surface run. Gale is located in the final chamber before reachingPrometheus. This means you’ll need to complete the City of Ephyra and the Rift of Thessaly, then scale the lower levels of Mount Olympus. When you reach the end of Mount Olympus, you’ll find Gale in the same chamber as the shop, on the right of the path just before the door to Prometheus.
We were not able to recruit Gale the first time we encountered him. We spoke to the polecat, then they disappeared. However, we were able to recruit Gale with a treat the second time we encountered them.
Gale’s main ability is blocking attacks, then immediately retaliating with a scratch attack. It appears that Gale will block a certain number of attacks per encounter, though it is hard to tell which attacks specifically will be blocked. As we learn more about the mechanics, we will add our findings here.
We recruited Gale with a returning save file, having progressed through all available content up to the Warsong Update. We are currently checking to see if there are any differences when starting from the beginning with a new save file. While there likely won’t be, should any arise, we will include them here as soon as possible.
Each rank increases Dodge Chance % and Movement Speed
Each rank increases the chance of findingFlora.
Wild Bond
Gale deals increased scratching damage after a block with each new rank.
Upgrading Familiars In Hades 2
Magical Cookies For Your Favorite Animal Companions
To upgrade a familiar, approach it in the Crossroads. To upgrade the familiar traveling with Melinoe, head over to that familiar’s spot in the training area and tell it to rest. From there, give the familiar a Witch’s Delight to upgrade one of its skills to the next rank.
To craft more Witch’s Delight, use theBeast-Loved Morsel Alchemy recipeat the Cauldron. This recipe can be used once Melinoe has cast the Faith of Familiar Spirits incantation. The ingredient that may be a little difficult to find is theStar Dust. To get it, cast theAbyssal Night Incantation, which can be obtained from Chaos at the Crossroads near the Pitch-Block Stone. Alternatively, Star Dust can be obtained by completingChaos Trials, or purchased from the Broker for 600 Bones.
