“ A mad, power hungry ruler. A false prophet. ” |
The Hierophant is the founder and leader of the Vulture cult in the Mountains. He uses different patterns of vortex-squares to defeat the Drifter in combat. He can summon four flying bird minions to assist him in battle.
Attacks[]
- Vortex Trail
- Deals 2 DMG.
- This is the Hierophant's first attack.
- Casts a trail of detonating tiles that follows the player's movements.
- Casted twice when brought down to 70% HP.
- Casted alongside Cross Vortex.
- The Hierophant will no longer use this attack when brought down to 40% HP.
- Cross Vortex
- Deals 2 DMG.
- Detonates the tiles at the player's feet, in a ✕ or a + shape.
- Increased size (4 tiles larger) when brought down to 70% HP.
- Casted alongside Vortex Trail.
- The Hierophant will no longer use this attack when brought down to 40% HP.
- Striped Vortex
- Deals 2 DMG.
- Casts a wave of detonating tiles, crossing the room vertically or horizontally.
- When brought down to 40% HP, this attack will be spammed.
- Vulture Call
- Deals 1 DMG.
- The Hierophant will move to the center summoning 4 Vultures, one in each corner of the arena.
- The Vultures will immediately attack the Drifter, using their regular swooping attack.
- Vultures can be killed by the Hierophant.
Strategy[]
Don't be greedy during this bossfight, and take your time dashing away from his vortex attacks. Blunderbuss is the best weapon, can damage up to 5 HP per shot but it depends on how far you are from the boss.
When the fight starts, use your default gun to shoot all of your bullets. This will take down 8 HP. Next, dodge his attacks until he moves into a corner.
When he moves to the center of the room to cast Vultures Call, slash him as many times as you can. He will always pause for a moment in the center before casting. If you're low on ammunition, this may be a good opportunity to refill. This opening also gives you ample time to heal, if necessary. After summoning the Vultures, he will retreat to a corner and repeat his other attacks.
Once he reaches 40% health, he will spam Striped Vortex at you. Do your best to remain calm during this attack. Though it can be rather intimidating, it is fairly simple to dodge. Try to position yourself relatively close to the middle of where you think an opening will be. This doesn't have to be exact, simply an estimate. When the vortexes reach you, dash towards the direction they're coming from. You should dash into the middle of the opening, or somewhat close to it. Even if you dash into the fading vortex, you may still save yourself from damage if timed correctly.
Eventually, he will be defeated, and you will be victorious.
Lore and Story Analysis[]
Extract from the Monoliths found in the Northern region, see more here.
At first, the Bird People lived a peaceful tribal life steeped heavily in religion and ceremonies. However, an upstart religious fanatic,
the Hierophant, preached a new religion.
This new religion focused on religious sacrifices. It is likely that the supporters were led to believe that by sacrificing on the altars, they would receive sacred benefits. They were willing to sacrifice anything, even their own young. This new religion was founded on fanaticism and violence, eventually killing off most of the non-believers in a surprise massacre. Only two are shown in game to have escaped. They are the Vulture Hermit found in the Hatchery, who fled after grabbing as many eggs as they could carry, and another seen in the background of the hermit's story, who's now living in the town, next to the teleporter to the Monolith Gallery and tending to a single egg.
When the Hierophant is defeated, it is revealed to be merely two birds in a cloak, an allusion to the common gag of multiple underaged children hiding beneath a trenchcoat in an attempt to pass as an older individual. It can be inferred that the Hierophant was participating in a similar fraud, a clear allegory to the term "False Prophet".
- Known as the High Priest, the Hierophant symbolizes the tarot card of the same name, and a strive to bridge the gap between heaven and earth.
Gallery[]
Hyper Light Drifter Bosses ![]() | ||
---|---|---|
Bosses | Judgement • The Archer • The Hanged Man • The Hierophant • The Emperor | |
Mini Bosses | The Reaper • The Sorcerer • The Summoner | |
Switch and iOS Exclusive | Tower Archer | |
Beta Bosses | Alizon • Rivan The Tamer • Xidia |