Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice How to Kill Great Serpent Boss Guide PS4 PlayStation 4

How do you kill the Great Serpent in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice? You'll encounter this enormous albino snake a few times throughout the game, and believe it or not, you'll get the opportunity to kill it once and for all. While not really a boss fight in the traditional sense, this is still a key enemy in Sekiro that you'll need to deal with to achieve certain endings and unlock the PS4 trophy.

Below, we'll go through each encounter with the Great Serpent and explain how to eventually kill it.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - How to beat the Great Serpent

The Great Serpent isn't your regular boss fight, although it is a huge, intimidating enemy that will crop up a few times throughout Sekiro.

First encounter - traveling to Ashina Castle

Early on in the game, you'll go off the beaten path as you head towards Ashina Castle. You'll run into the Great Serpent as you hug a wall to scoot around it. Make your way through this area, staying hidden as much as possible. At this point in the game, the giant snake will make short work of you if it catches you. Eventually, you'll find an area with lots of tall grass you can sneak through. The Great Serpent will be looking around for you. When he isn't looking, head inside the small shack with the cloth over the front. Hide in here until the snake peers inside. Wait for the Shinobi Death Blow marker to appear, then attack -- you'll stab it in the eye, causing it to flail wildly. It'll still damage you while doing this, but this is your time to leave, as there's nothing more to do to the Great Serpent here.

Second encounter - going through Sunken Valley

After the Gun Fort area, you'll go through a temple, open a door, and cross a rope bridge. The Great Serpent will appear again, destroying the bridge and sending you into the water below. Fortunately, there are places you can hide as you make your way through the lake -- you can hide under rocks or among reeds to stay out of sight. This isn't too tricky. Just stick to these hiding places and make your way to the pathway at the far end. You'll be able to rest up at the Riven Cave Sculptor's Idol.

Third encounter - near the start of the Senpou Temple area

For this encounter with the Great Serpent to trigger, you'll first need the Puppeteer Ninjutsu. You get this by defeating the Folding Screen Monkeys. Once you've done this, travel back to the first Sculptor's Idol in the Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo area. Head out and down to where the kite is, on the right. Use the Puppeteer Ninjutsu on the small enemy by the kite mechanism -- this will make him turn the wheel and make the kite fly out. Climb up further past the first temple and you should be able to use the kite as a grapple point, up near the old lady. Do this to get to a previously unreachable area. Past the Sunken Valley Cavern Sculptor's Idol, there's a wooden plank you can walk across. Below you is the Great Serpent. Jump down and deliver two Death Blows to kill it. Done! You'll earn the Fresh Serpent Viscera key item and unlock the Great Serpent trophy.

Can you kill the second Great Serpent?

Hold on, there's another one of these things? Yes, you can find another Great Serpent, and you'll need to in order to find the Dried Serpent Viscera key item. However, you won't be able to kill this snake -- only sneak past it.

To find the second Great Serpent, locate the Bodhisattva Valley Sculptor's Idol and head down and to the right. There will be an area with poisonous water. You need to make your way through and find the Toxic Memorial Mob merchant. Behind him is a cave, and deep inside is the other Great Serpent.

To get the Dried Serpent Viscera, you need to make your way to the left and use the Puppeteer Ninjutsu on the monkey, which will make it distract the snake. This gives you a window to grapple up and reach the shrine, where you'll find the Dried Serpent Viscera. Again, don't try and kill this Great Serpent -- you can't.