The Reborn/Dragon Emperor serves as a challenging late-game boss in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, plunging players into a high-stakes battle that truly tests endurance and skill. This epic encounter features multiple phases, transforming a straightforward combat experience into a marathon filled with strategic challenges, particularly as the boss teleports across the expansive cavern.
Warning: Minor story spoilers below!
Locating The Reborn And Dragon Emperor
The Reborn/Dragon Emperor is an unavoidable storyline boss that players must confront. This confrontation is set to occur at the climax of Chapter 4, located in Worship’s Rise in Ruins. To reach this point, players navigate through the Annalum, battling various optional bosses such as the Nightmare Demon and Bo Magus, before arriving at the Reverent Temple—one of the few remaining fortresses unharmed by the devastating storm.
Upon reaching the Reverent Temple, be prepared to interact with He Youzai, Yu Xia, and Xuangyangzi.It’s essential to complete their questlines if you aim to fully enjoy the game.
The decision to give Xuangyangzi the Jade Ancient Chisel significantly influences the story’s outcome.For a favorable ending, avoid giving him the chisel.
Following the NPCs’ guidance, proceed to the Burning Cavern where you will encounter a shrine. This path ultimately leads you back to the Buddha statue—the initial point of your journey.
Courageously advance through the cavern, battling feathered foes before discovering an expansive arena resembling a frozen lake. It’s here that you will confront The Reborn, standing boldly in the center. Step forward and engage in battle.
Preparing For The Reborn And Dragon Emperor Encounter
The Reborn/Dragon Emperor is surprisingly manageable due to their predictable attack patterns.I successfully defeated them with merely the Pirate armor set and a few helpful Pendants. Here’s the loadout I used during the battle:
| Weapon | Lashing Whip |
|---|---|
| Armor | Pirate Hairpin |
| Pirate Armor | |
| Pirate Bracers | |
| Pirate Boots | |
| Jade Pendants | (ANY) |
| Draocolich Pendant | |
| Fiend-Felling Pendant | |
| Spells | Ethereal Form |
| Divine Ward | |
| (ANY) | |
| (ANY) | |
| Items | Manna Vase |
| Temperance | |
| Crimson Lantern Fruit | |
| Bone Whistle (If you gave Xuanyangzi the Chisel) | |
| Temperance Needle | Flame |
| Notable Impetus Repository Perks | Sword Saint, Windforce |
From what we know, neither the Reborn nor the Dragon Emperor has specific vulnerabilities against damage types. A balanced armor set, such as the Pirate set, is advisable for maximum effectiveness.
The primary challenge during the battle stems from energy-based attacks, which may inflict either Magic or Feathering damage.Consider using the Bo Magus, Night Spectre, or Clerical armor sets, which provide good mitigation against these damage types while sacrificing some physical damage absorption.
Prepare your healing items, such as Manna Vases and Temperance, and consider carrying bone needles or any consumables necessary for stamina recovery and healing.
My longsword build, particularly effective against enemies wielding physical weapons due to its formidable Sword Counter ability, shines against the Reborn/Dragon Emperor. Even without countering, you can bring down this foe with a well-planned strategy.
Choose whatever Discipline you prefer, whether it’s a classic Blink Kick or more dynamic skills like Crescent Moon.
For those opting for a magic-centric approach, utilizing the Echo of Lu Bingzhang provides considerable advantages, as it maintains nearly infinite range once you lock onto an adversary.
Unfortunately, spells are ineffective against the Dragon Emperor due to his d20 artifact that absorbs your magical attacks. Thus, avoiding magical strategies during this encounter is advisable.
Regardless of your build, Ethereal Form is essential for all boss encounters, especially when facing colossal enemies like the Reborn/Dragon Emperor. This spell offers a brief period of near invulnerability—costing one stack of Skyborn Might while refunding a stack for dodged hits.
I focused on enhancing my Benedictions to boost stamina recovery and general survivability, complemented by Jade Pendants that maximized damage output, like the Tiger Pendant. The Fiend-Felling and Dracolich Pendants are particularly advantageous against large enemies, increasing damage and making you immune to stunning effects from roars.
Understanding The Reborn And Dragon Emperor’s Moveset
Phase One: The Reborn
As the battle commences, expect a wide-leaping attack from the Reborn, providing a clear opportunity to dodge and prepare your counters.
Being beast-like, the Reborn primarily uses slow yet wide-reaching claw swipes and smashing slams, which become easier to evade with careful observation of his arm movements.
In contrast to other formidable bosses, bite attacks are not a concern here.The only limb warranting attention is his amplified left hand, which can deal significant damage with his slamming assaults.
When positioned in front of him, be wary as he may launch either a leaping attack or strike the icy ground, creating shockwaves.
If you stay too close, there’s a risk of being caught in his piercing roar, which will stun you until you button-mash to escape.Equipping the Dracolich Pendant grants immunity to this attack.
An additional attack to watch for involves him winding up for a spinning strike, which can knock you back and inflict heavy damage—even from a flanking position.
Overall, the Reborn provides a manageable challenge in comparison to the Dragon Emperor’s more complex combat mechanics.
Phase Two: Dragon Emperor
Upon defeating the Reborn, a cutscene illustrates his resurrection as the Dragon Emperor, now brandishing a sword and a magical d20.Get ready for an entirely new level of difficulty!
The Dragon Emperor’s combat style evolves significantly, employing low, sweeping sword strikes and formidable area-of-effect magical attacks. Expect sporadic red lightning strikes within his combat zone.
Retaining one of his earlier moves, the Dragon Emperor can stomp the ground, creating an icy shockwave that blankets the arena in danger.
This foe also showcases enhanced agility, teleporting around the arena and inflicting damage upon his landing spots. Always remain attentive to avoid positions near him during these movements.
The Dragon Emperor often begins to create distance before launching a massive, slow-moving energy sphere similar to Goku’s Spirit Bomb. This attack poses a significant threat as it deals damage on impact, pulls you toward it, and detonates once again.
Timing your dodges is crucial; avoid the sphere by rolling as soon as its edge touches the ground.
With his sword and d20, the Dragon Emperor can execute distinct attacks, making it easier to predict his next move.
While uncertain about parrying his sword strikes, mixing them with magical attacks suggests dodging remains the safer option.
Additionally, he can display a variety of attacks, notably:
- Plunge his sword into the ground to summon a ring of spikes that inflict massive damage in a wide radius.
- Stab the ground to cause a line of lightning that strikes straight ahead, dealing damage from a distance.
- Imbue his sword with brilliant energy, unleashing three rapid-moving waves of blades aimed at you.
Regarding his d20 attacks, expect him to swipe in front and leave behind a destructive dust cloud that detonates after a brief delay, reminiscent of Astel, Naturalborn of the Void from Elden Ring.
As he raises his d20, the Dragon Emperor initiates a powerful attack while restoring his health, culminating in a magical explosion around him.
Considering my encounters with him utilizing a longsword, it remains uncertain how spells fare during his absorption phase, but erring on the side of caution by keeping distance is highly advisable during this stage.
Once the Dragon Emperor reaches half health, he teleports to the opposite side of the arena, conjuring around eight gigantic ice comets to rain down on you.
Following this phase, the battle continues similarly, although his absorption attacks become more potent, complicating the task of defeating him. Pay attention to the circles that indicate the range of his absorption to time your evasion accurately.
Strategies To Defeat The Reborn And Dragon Emperor
Fighting large enemies like the Reborn and the Dragon Emperor can be navigated effectively by staying close to their sides or back, as their expansive attack range makes it challenging to hit you accurately. Nonetheless, always be alert and ready to dodge even when the attack seems unlikely to land.
To maximize the effectiveness of the longsword build, remember this straightforward strategy: Maintain at least one stack of Skyborn Might. This allows you to strike twice, activate “Sword Saint, ”and immediately cast Ethereal Form if you sense an incoming attack, thus restoring your Skyborn stack.
This approach allows for near-perpetual invulnerability, activating a dodge mechanic upon taking any damage while Ethereal Form is active for three seconds.
The strategy outlined here can lead to success in this boss encounter and against many large foes: stay close, flank, and continually deal damage to stagger your opponent for an effortless Obliterate attack.
With determination and practice, you can triumph in this boss fight on your first attempt without needing to summon Xuanyangzi, who may be ineffective for this confrontation, and whose presence might signal a bad ending.
Conquering the Reborn and Dragon Emperor: Rewards
Upon defeating the Reborn/Dragon Emperor, revel in a cutscene that unveils a new region, alongside these valuable rewards:
- Vermillion Feather Chisel – Enables weapon upgrades to +10 Mastery.
- Jade Belt Hook – Give this to Tao Qing to acquire the True Dragon’s Hood headgear.
- Echo of Zhu Youjian – Absorbs incoming spells and releases a potent explosion.
Related Articles:
Ranking the 10 Toughest Boss Fights in Hollow Knight: Silksong
6:24
Hollow Knight: Silksong Quest Guide for Overcoming Pain, Anguish, and Misery
6:22
Get Toe Bean Mittens in Monster Hunter Wilds: Tips for Completing The Claws Are Out Quest
6:20
Leave a Reply