Hades 2 challenges you to keep trying after every failure. Thankfully, you don't always have to go at it alone. If they like you well enough, you have allies who provide nifty accessories. Here's our guide on how to unlock all Keepsakes in Hades 2. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains minor spoilers.
Hades 2: Keepsakes guide - How to unlock all Keepsakes and what is the best one
Our Hades 2 Keepsakes guide has all the details you need as you progress deep into the Underworld and well above it. We start by discussing the basics on how Keepsakes are unlocked. This is followed by sections on the accessories given by each character. Lastly, we've got suggestions on the best Keepsakes in Hades 2.
Nectar gifts, Keepsake rewards, and the characters you meet
To unlock all Keepsakes in Hades 2, you need a lot of Nectar. You can take a look at our Nectar sources guide to see how you can acquire several of these concoctions.
Now, when you meet a supporting character in the game (or a god's sigil/boon), you might see the Gift option. Press the button and select the Nectar to hand it over. The first time you gift Nectar to an NPC, they'll give you their Keepsake as a reward. There are, however, some caveats when it comes to the characters themselves:
Crossroads NPCs - Most of these characters can be gifted Nectar as soon as you have one. But there are times when they might not be present in the area. You can reenter the main chamber to see if they've respawned. If not, then you might need to do another run to see them reappear in the hub.
Olympians - You give Nectar to (most) Olympian gods by clicking the Gift button when next to their sigil. This must be done before you select the Talk option (i.e. the first time you encounter them in a particular run).
Dungeon NPCs - These characters may not always appear during your dungeon treks. It's all random, so just keep your fingers crossed.
Surface World NPCs - Furthermore, there are some characters that are only found in the surface world (i.e. City of Ephyra and Rifts of Thessaly). There's a fairly convoluted process that allows you to reach new zones. You can learn more about this in our surface world/wards guide.
Kindred Keepsakes and leveling up your collection of accessories
There are 33 unlockable Keepsakes in Hades 2. These accessories can be seen in a repository/cabinet in Melinoe's room.
If you’re looking for the new Keepsakes related to the 1.0 version of Hades 2, make sure to scroll down to the bottom of the list to see the unlock requirements.
Here are a couple of notable tidbits:
The effects of a Keepsake that you've equipped will be improved upon completing several encounters. The idea is to focus on a particular Keepsake that you like until you've maxed out its level.
By default, you're allowed to equip only one Keepsake per run. However, once you've completed the Kindred Keepsakes incantation, the repository will also appear in the transition areas between major zones (i.e. after main boss fights). This allows you to change your current Keepsake for something else, which is useful if you plan on leveling something else or if you want a particular accessory's effects/procs.
The Kindred Keepsakes incantation requires the following materials: 2x Moly - Collect these golden flowers in the Erebus zone.
1x Lotus - Collect these pink flowers in the Oceanus zone.
4x Lime - Equip the Crescent Pick gathering tool. Then, use it to mine Limestone deposits in the Oceanus zone.
Hecate
Location: Crossroads
Keepsake: Silver Wheel
Effect: After spending magick, you can restore the amount over the next three seconds; you can replenish up to 1,000 magick per run.
Nemesis
Location: Crossroads
Keepsake: Evil Eye
Effect: Deal +20% damage to the last foe that vanquished you. Note that this applies to bosses and regular mobs.
Odysseus
Location: Crossroads
Keepsake: Knuckle Bones
Effect: The next Guardian (i.e. main boss) you face loses -5% HP. You take -15% damage from Guardians.
Dora
Location: Crossroads
Keepsake: Ghost Onion
Effect: Whenever you exit a location, fully restore your HP. You can restore up to 50 HP in total per run.
Schelemeus
Location: Crossroads
Keepsake: Luckier Tooth
Effect: When Melinoe's health falls to zero, automatically restore +51 HP (once per run).
Moros
Location: Crossroads - Note that you must complete the Doomed Beckoning incantation for Moros to become a resident of the Crossroads hub.
Keepsake: Engraved Pin
Effect: If Melinoe's HP falls to zero, she becomes impervious/immune to all damage for 10 seconds and gains +30 HP. If you're able to defeat all enemies (including additional spawns), you get to live. If you fail, Melinoe perishes (or uses up a Death Defiance).
Eris
Location: Crossroads - You must first meet Eris in various regions in the Underworld. Later, she'll appear at the Crossroads. She tends to vanish more frequently compared to other NPCs in the hub.
Keepsake: Discordant Bell
Effect: You deal and receive +0.5% more damage; this effect stacks with each encounter that you clear.
Aphrodite
Location: Underworld and surface world
Keepsake: Beautiful Mirror
Effect: Boons from this deity are more likely to appear; you can increase the rarity of this deity's boons once per run.
Apollo
Location: Underworld and surface world
Keepsake: Harmonic Photon
Effect: Boons from this deity are more likely to appear; you can increase the rarity of this deity's boons once per run.
Artemis
Location: Underworld and surface world - Note that Artemis' appearance is even more random and unpredictable compared to other Olympians. You can learn more in our Artemis boons guide.
Keepsake: White Antler
Effect: Gain +20% critical hit chance if you have 30 HP or less.
Chaos
Location: Underworld - As far as we've seen, Primordial Chaos' realm only appears in the Underworld. Just like Artemis, it's hard to determine when and if you'd spot it during your attempts. You can learn more in our Chaos boons guide.
Keepsake: Transcendent Embryo
Effect: Gain a random Chaos blessing once per run; this is replaced every eight encounters.
Demeter
Location: Underworld and surface world
Keepsake: Barley Sheaf
Effect: Boons from this deity are more likely to appear; you can increase the rarity of this deity's boons once per run.
Hephaestus
Location: Underworld and surface world
Keepsake: Adamant Shard
Effect: Boons from this deity are more likely to appear; you can increase the rarity of this deity's boons once per run.
Hera
Location: Underworld and surface world
Keepsake: Iridescent Fan
Effect: Boons from this deity are more likely to appear; you can increase the rarity of this deity's boons once per run.
Hermes
Location: Underworld and surface world
Keepsake: Metallic Droplet
Effect: You move, strike, and channel omega abilities 200% faster for the next 200 seconds.
Hestia
Location: Underworld and surface world
Keepsake: Everlasting Ember
Effect: Boons from this deity are more likely to appear; you can increase the rarity of this deity's boons once per run.
Poseidon
Location: Underworld and surface world
Keepsake: Vivid Sea
Effect: Boons from this deity are more likely to appear; you can increase the rarity of this deity's boons once per run.
Selene
Location: Underworld and surface world - The hex granted by Selene is more akin to a super ability. You can learn more in our Selene boons guide.
Keepsake: Moon Beam
Effect: Gain an extra upgrade for your hex in the next Path of Stars sigil that you find.
Zeus
Location: Underworld and surface world
Keepsake: Cloud Bangle
Effect: Boons from this deity are more likely to appear; you can increase the rarity of this deity's boons once per run.
Charon
Location: Underworld and surface world - Charon's shop randomly appears in some dungeon rooms.
Keepsake: Gold Purse
Effect: Gain +100 gold/obols at the start of your run.
Arachne
Location: Underworld (Erebus) - Enter the room that has a hand with the dialogue box symbol.
Keepsake: Silken Sash
Effect: Gain +20 armor; if you have at least +1 armor when entering a new location, gain an additional +2 armor.
Narcissus
Location: Underworld (Oceanus) - Enter the room that has a hand with the dialogue box symbol.
Keepsake: Aromatic Phial
Effect: Fountains restore +20% more HP; the next fountain you drink from also makes one random common boon into a rare variant.
Echo
Location: Underworld (Fields of Mourning) - Enter the room that has a hand with the dialogue box symbol. Note that you have to meet up and speak with Echo a couple of times before the Gift button appears.
Keepsake: Concave Stone
Effect: After choosing a boon, there's a chance that you'll take an extra boon; can only happen once per run.
Heracles
Location: Surface World (City of Ephyra) - Once you've managed to reach the surface world, you're bound to meet Heracles during one of your treks in the City of Ephyra. He appears randomly during encounters, similar to Artemis and Icarus. The first couple of times you see him, you might not be able to gift Nectar. However, you should be able to give a gift on your third meeting onward.
Keepsake: Lion Fang
Effect: Deal +30% bonus damage, but lose 5% of this bonus after each encounter.
Medea
Location: Surface World (City of Ephyra) - Enter the room that has a hand with the dialogue box symbol.
Keepsake: Blackened Fleece
Effect: After you take a total of 250 damage, your omega abilities deal +20% damage.
Circe
Location: Surface World (Rifts of Thessaly) - Reach the portion where you have to battle foes aboard multiple ships. If you're lucky, you might see a door with the hands and dialogue box symbol.
Keepsake: Crystal Figurine
Effect: After the next Guardian boss, you activate one random Arcana Card.
Icarus
Location: Surface World (Rifts of Thessaly) - Icarus appears randomly to help you during encounters at the ships. There's a chance that you won't be able to give a gift during your first couple of meetings. Keep at it and, eventually, luck will be on your side when you cross paths with him again.
Keepsake: Experimental Hammer
Effect: Gain a random Daedalus Hammer effect (for your current weapon); this effect lasts for 10 encounters.
Ares
Location: Underworld and surface world
Keepsake: Sword Hilt
Effect: Boons from this deity are more likely to appear; you can increase the rarity of this deity's boons once per run.
Athena
Location: Surface world
Keepsake: Gorgon Amulet
Effect: While you have no Death Defiance, Athena may appear once this night to offer boons
Dionysus
Location: Surface world
Keepsake: Fig Leaf
Effect: A single encounter in a region may be blissfully free from foes the rest of this night
Hades and Persephone
Location: Obtained during underworld runs. At the House of Hades, the region where you fight Chronos, make sure to visit the NPC room to find Hades and Persephone. Offer them Nectar, and you'll get the Keepsake. This won't become available until after you've beaten the main story
Keepsake: Jeweled Pom
Effect: While at the Fates' Whim, gain a random Hades blessing and most boons get a bonus level
Zagreus
Location: Obtained after beating Zagreus twice at Elysium--these fights won't become available until you've finished the main story
Keepsake: Calling Card
Effect: While at the Fates' Whim, you can rarify Olympian blessings a couple of times this night
Chronos
Location: Obtained during underworld runs, speaking to Chronos after the fight with Hecate and right before entering Oceanus, near the water fountain. You have to offer him Nectar. It's worth mentioning that this won't become available until you've finished the main story.
Keepsake: Time Piece
Effect: While at the Fates' Whim, you can purge most rewards for gold a couple of times this night
Best Keepsake from Crossroads NPCs: Schelemeus' Lucky Tooth
The best Keepsake in Hades 2, at least in the early-game, is Schelemeus' Tooth. It essentially acts like an extra life or Death's Defiance. In moments when you're unlucky (or careless), it could save you from having to restart your run. You can learn more about extra lives in our Death Defiance guide.
Best Keepsake from Crossroads NPCs: Moros' Engraved Pin
Speaking of Death Defiance, Moros' Engraved Pin is another great option, albeit one that's also extremely risky. Basically, if your HP drops to zero, Moros will start a 10-second countdown of your impending doom. If you manage to defeat all enemies within the time limit, then you just saved your life. If not, Melinoe will perish (or use up one of her Death Defiance tokens).
Engraved Pin is one of the best Keepsakes in Hades 2 since it triggers before all other Death Defiance tokens (the moment your HP reaches zero). Technically, it means you have an unlimited number of extra lives.
The biggest problem is if you're unable to eliminate all hostiles within the 10-second time limit. For instance, maybe an additional enemy wave just spawned or the boss' HP is still too high. It would mean Melinoe's death or a wasted Death Defiance token. Likewise, it only grants a small amount of HP, and you're often at risk of perishing against hard-hitting foes in the later stages of your run.
Best Keepsake from Olympians: Demeter, Apollo, or Hephaestus
A more generalized approach involves equipping a Keepsake from an Olympian whose boons are ideal for your playstyle. For instance, let's say you prefer freezing your enemies dead in their tracks. That means you should bring Demeter's Barley Sheaf to make the appearance of her boons more likely. You may also increase the rarity of her boons once per run.
You can learn about the ideal skills and abilities in our best boons/build guide.
Best Keepsake from dungeon NPCs: Echo's Concave Stone
The reason why we feel that Echo's Concave Stone is one of the best Keepsakes in Hades 2 is that it leads to ideal starts. Imagine the beginning of a run where you see a boon from Hephaestus or Demeter. More often than not, you can only choose one blessing. However, with the Concave Stone, there's a chance that you'd pick an extra blessing automatically. In most cases, this is also beneficial in the long run, such as getting one of Hestia's abilities that applies scorch, as well as a passive that increases the effects of scorch.
Best Keepsake for permanent upgrades in your run: Chaos' Transcendent Embryo
Speaking of the Concave Stone, the Transcendent Embryo is another Keepsake that can truly aid you for the entirety of your run. The way this accessory works is that you receive a random Chaos blessing (without a curse/detrimental modifier) that changes every eight encounters. If you decide to replace this accessory in the transition areas between zones, you get to keep the blessing for the rest of your run.
Here's a good example of how to use these accessories effectively:
Start with Concave Stone to, hopefully, get two abilities that you need early on.
Assuming you've completed the Kindred Keepsakes Incantation, you can switch to Transcendent Embryo after clearing Erebus.
From there, let's say Transcendent Embryo randomly gives you a Chaos blessing like Will or Blood just as you're about to leave Oceanus.
Replace Transcendent Embryo with something else. You'll still keep the Chaos blessing that it granted even if you switch to another Keepsake.
In any case, that does it for our Hades 2 Keepsakes guide. For other unlocks, you can check our Nocturnal Arms weapons/aspects guide, Arcana Cards guide, and Incantations guide.
