While Diablo 4 has made many changes from past titles, some things stay the same. Diablo's boss fights are legendary and a much-beloved feature of the franchise among fans. Among Diablo 4's bosses, Aridah, Keeper of The Dead, frustrates players by teleporting around her arena, The Apex of Misery, like a ghost.
If you, too, are having trouble beating this Act 2 boss, then keep reading. We'll cover everything you need to know about Airidah - including her attacks, the preparation you can do for an edge, and tips for the fight.
Airidah Explained
Airidah is a boss with a fast attacking ranged caster who survives by virtue of being mobile or invulnerable for a good portion of the fight. She will frequently become mist, teleporting away from the player while raining down lightning strikes and throwing out whirlwinds.
Twice during the fight, she will surround herself in the wind and summon Wraiths. The first time there will be two, while on the second, there will be four. You will need to burst these wraiths down in order to continue attacking her.
Due to her lightning attack's speed, it's very difficult to dodge all of Airidah's damage. However, this is usually okay - her lightning strikes don't hit very hard. The whirlwinds hurt, however, so it is more important to dodge them (tips on that later).
Tips To Prepare For Airidah
Fighting Airidah is the last big boss encounter before Astaroth, the final boss of Act 2. At this point, you'll likely have stumbled your way into eligibility for some power-level upgrades. Before heading into The Apex of Misery, take a visit to the Alchemist, Jeweler, and Blacksmith to see what you can add to your arsenal.
Gear
Taking a quick trip to the Jeweler and Blacksmith prior to any boss fight is a good idea. You can use these NPCs to go through a quick power level checklist and empty your inventory to make ready for that sweet, sweet loot. Before starting the fight with Airidah:
- Repair your gear
- Salvage unwanted gear
- Fill any empty sockets
- Upgrade key gear
And, of course, it goes without saying that you should be wearing the best gear you have. Unless the item has an aspect you love, the best gear will be that which has the highest item level (visible just under the name of the item).
If you don't have a particularly good item for a certain slot, consider equipping one that gives you resistance to Lightning damage. This is always a good start when fighting Airidah. Jewelry with elemental resistance, in particular, is very common.
Healing Potions
Depending on your World Tier, you should have access to a potion upgrade such as Tiny Healing Potions (level 10), Minor Healing Potions (level 20), and maybe even Light Healing Potions (level 30). It can be tempting to forget to purchase this upgrade or to forgo it if you don't have the required Crushed Beast Bones but don't. It's very difficult to avoid taking any damage while fighting Airidah, and potion upgrades massively increase your sustain.
Elixirs
Airidah is a boss who overwhelmingly does Lightning damage. Her attacks will not do massive damage, but they'll slowly and surely chip away at you. If you're struggling to sustain even after upgrading your potions, you can purchase an Elixir of Lightning Resistance to give you an edge. Elixirs are found at the Alchemist, and the resistance ones are dirt cheap to make.
Strategy When Fighting Airidah
While fighting Airidah, mobility is key. The Lightning strikes will spawn under your feet but have a slight delay. The best way to avoid them is to never stop moving. You will also need to be quick on your toes to damage her while she teleports around the arena. This fight tends to be a struggle for melee characters.
The most important attack to avoid in this fight are the Whirlwinds, as they hit hard and knock down your character. This usually results in getting hit by enough lightning to kill you (or at least make it close). As an added challenge, the whirlwinds will follow the player for several seconds. You don't want to be too close to Airidah when these spawn, and the cue for when she makes this attack isn't very clear. The only warning is that she'll raise her arms a little right before they spawn.
To dodge them, you can dash through them while using an ability that makes you invulnerable (several classes have this, notably, the Necromancer's Blood Mist can be used to great effect here). This will trigger the explosion without dealing any damage to you. If you don't have the option to do this, running away until they despawn is your only option.