Hades 2: How To Unlock All Animal Familiars

As the direct sequel to Hades, Hades 2 has added numerous new features and abilities aligning with Melinoe's upbringing as a witch under the goddess Hecate, and no witch is complete without her animal familiar. As you progress through the game, Melinoe will gain the ability to befriend the various animals that inhabit the Crossroads as well as the areas she clears on both the surface and Underworld paths. This is something that triggers after you've fought Hecate a few times, so keep running until you get the spell.

There are only two animal companions in Hades 2 right now, Frinos the Frog and Toula the Cat. Both have utility inside and out of battle, and which one you choose will depend on what you value most in your runs. You'll unlock Frinos first, so you won't have a choice for a while, but once you find Toula you'll have to make a decision about which furry friend you bring with you into battle.

Related Hades 2: How To Find (& Beat) Infernal Cerberus (Boss Fight) At the end of the Mourning Fields area, you have to beat the Infernal Cerberus boss to progress in Hades 2, but this fight can be quite the challenge.

How to Unlock Animal Familiars in Hades 2

Eventually, after one of the fights with Hecate, she mentions that Melinoe should seek her own animal companion, and give her the spell "Faith of the Familiar Spirits." This spell takes two Nectar and one Lotus. Nectar can be found in a few places, and Lotus spawns in Oceanus as a pickup. Once you've collected all the necessary ingredients, head to the cauldron in the Crossroads to craft your treats!

One craft of the recipe will create one treat, but not to worry, you'll be able to craft more treats later. The second recipe, the "Beast-Loved Morsel," will appear after the previous one goes away and takes two Lotus and one Stardust. Stardust is collected from completing Chaos Trials, which can be accessed after unlocking the Black Stone shard. This second treat can be given to Toula and presumably any other familiar that is added later in the game.

All Animal Familiars (So Far)

The first animal familiar you unlock in Hades 2 is Frinos, the frog you can confide in after each run. This little guy allows you to commune with spirits even if you don't have the Tablet of Peace with you, so he can be useful to grab some extra Psyche on a run where you have a different tool with you. He can also be upgraded a few times, improving his abilities. Here's everything Frinos can do, including his upgrades:

Ability Upgrades Life Bond Lv 1: +20 life

Lv 2: +30 life

Lv 3: +40 life Soul Bond Lv 1: Can commune with 1 soul per run

Lv 2: Can commune with 2 souls per run

Lv 3: Can commune with 3 souls per run Strength Bond Lv 1: Deals 10 damage when jumping on enemies

Lv 2: Deals 20 damage when jumping on enemies

Lv 3: Deals 30 damage when jumping on enemies

The second of the familiars currently in the game is Toula, a cat you can encounter in the Dock of Thessaly (after beating Charibdys, the Devouring) on the surface as well as the fountain room unlocked by the Woodsy Lifespring incantation in Erebus. Toula can catch fish for you, provides Death Defiance, and will also attack enemies when you sprint through her. Toula's abilities and upgrades are as follows:

Ability Upgrades Heart Bond Lv 1: Gives Death Defiance, provides 10 health

Lv 2: Gives Death Defiance, provides 20 health

Lv 3: Gives Death Defiance, provides 30 health Soul Bond Lv 1: Can fish twice per night

Lv 2: Can fish three times per night

Lv 3: Can fish four times per night Claw Bond Lv 1: Toula attacks one more time

Lv 2: Toula attacks twice more

Lv 3: Toula attacks three more times

To fully upgrade their abilities, keep crafting the Beast-Loved Morsels and giving them to your companion. Each one will allow you to upgrade one skill, which means you'll need 18 total morsels to fully upgrade each companion. Even if you don't love the two companions that are currently offered in the game, keep your eyes peeled as more are likely to come out in the future of Hades 2!