After accepting a bounty related to the kidnappings, you’ll head to Martira to confront the abductor in Metaphor: ReFantazio. In this challenging encounter, you’ll face the Homo Jaluzo boss, who ties together the puzzle of the town’s missing residents. Prepare yourself—this battle is not just difficult but also highly disturbing, ranking among the most unsettling experiences in the game.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead for the Main Story of Metaphor: ReFantazio
Once you reach a point in the game where you discover that Heismay is not the actual kidnapper, you’ll navigate the formidable Kreigante Castle dungeon, with Heismay joining your party as a companion. As you progress through this labyrinth, you’ll catch quick glimpses of the final boss, Homo Jaluzo, lurking ahead.
Preparing for Homo Jaluzo
Gather Supplies & Adjust Your Archetypes
Homo Jaluzo is, distressingly, the human offspring of Joanna and the cause of Martira’s missing people. Though it may not seem as intimidating at first glance, don’t underestimate its power. This baby possesses a high health pool and deals significant damage, capable of wiping out your entire party in just a few turns. To maximize your chance of success, ensure you’re well-prepared to exploit its weaknesses while addressing your own.
Unfortunately, Homo Jaluzo lacks distinct weaknesses or resistances, so your main focus should be on dealing maximum damage. However, at a certain point in the fight, you’ll be instructed to target its eyes, which do have vulnerabilities. Specifically, while both eyes resist slashing damage, they are weak to piercing attacks. It’s essential to have at least one character in your party capable of delivering that type of damage.
If possible, consider doing your shopping during Idles Day in Metaphor: ReFantazio to benefit from discounts at various shops, allowing you to stock up on supplies or invest in better weapons and armor.
Additionally, make sure to gather enough restorative items for both HP and MP, as well as items to cure Daze. Check out weapon and armor stores, and don’t forget to visit the church to see if any of your items can be enhanced using Blessed Water found in some shops. If time allows, you might also want to complete Alonzo’s quest for the Faker Archetype, although it isn’t necessary.
Optimal Party Setup to Conquer Homo Jaluzo
Assemble a Balanced Team with Support and Damage Capabilities
In Metaphor: ReFantazio, you can only have four members in your party at this stage: the protagonist, Strohl, Hulkenberg, and Heismay. With Heismay’s Thief Archetype, you’ll have plenty of options moving forward. One effective strategy for this encounter involves assembling four Merchants to launch a high-damage Gold attack, as demonstrated in Lilith’s YouTube video linked above, which can make the battle significantly easier.
While every playthrough is unique, and different archetypes may be available at different times, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Personally, I managed to win the fight without the Faker Archetype, as I hadn’t completed the quest related to it before tackling the dungeon. However, the Faker is frequently recommended for this battle due to its overarching advantages.
Battle Strategy Against Homo Jaluzo
Maintain Healing & Inflict Attack Damage
While it may seem elementary to recommend keeping your party healed and prioritizing damage in a boss fight, it’s essential advice. Initially, you won’t have access to attack Homo Jaluzo’s eyes. Thus, your initial focus should be on damaging the main body, which has no resistances or weaknesses until the eyes are available for targeting.
Keep an eye out for Homo Jaluzo’s Stare attack, which inflicts Daze on your party members. Your healer will be crucial in removing this condition, but it’s wise to carry items to cure Daze as well.
It’s important to manage your team’s positioning effectively. Ensure your healer remains in the back row to mitigate damage taken while using defensive skills, since Stare does not deal damage but prevents magic and Synthesis skills from being used.
As Homo Jaluzo gains power for larger attacks, make sure to have your party members move to the back row and guard to minimize damage taken, allowing your healer to keep everyone topped up.
Once you’ve worn down Homo Jaluzo’s health, expect a gut-punch moment when Joanna steps in to restore the boss’s HP, forcing you to deplete its health bar again. At this point, focus on using your Synthesis Skills, emphasizing the combinations available between Strohl and Hulkenberg for maximum damage output.
Final Thoughts
After some perseverance and strategic decision-making, you should be able to defeat Homo Jaluzo, despite the tedious nature of this fight. Successfully overcoming this challenge will reward you with one of the most touching cutscenes in Metaphor: ReFantazio, providing a sense of closure and emotional weight.
Source: Lilith/YouTube