Dusk, the Puppeteer Boss #28 of 74 · Village of Lu
- Base HP
- 12,000
- Attacks
- 13
- Blue / red tells
- 2 / 3
- Weakness
- None
- Author
- Dakota Chinnick
- Methodology
- Data Methodology
Dusk, the Puppeteer has 13 attacks: 2 flash blue (parry them) and 3 flash red (dodge them). Base HP 12,000, Sha-Chi 2,400.
How to beat Dusk, the Puppeteer
Our strategy, built from the fight's numbers, followed by the game's own codex entry.
- Parry the blue flashes: 2 of Dusk, the Puppeteer's 13 attacks flash blue before they land, and a timed parry stops them.
- Dodge the red flashes: 3 attacks flash red. They can't be parried, so dodge through them instead of blocking.
- The tightest tell is Two-Puppet Assault: only 0.36s from the flash to the hit, so react to the flash, not the swing.
- Dusk, the Puppeteer's Sha-Chi bar is 2,400: perfect parries and Guard Break attacks drain it, and an empty bar opens the boss to a finisher.
Dusk has no elemental weakness, so bring whatever deals your best damage except Lightning, which he resists by 30% with Shock building 30% slower. Every other element and status works at its normal rate.
He loses 30% less Sha-Chi when hit, but Parries drain him normally, so lean on Parrying to break his 2,400 base Sha-Chi (about 7,540 at level 8). His 12,000 base HP is the highest of the Village of Lu bosses so far and calculates to roughly 56,300 at level 8, before difficulty.
The codex says he uses the Puppeteer's Bell to command puppet constructs and massive severed limbs, and summons doubles to confuse his enemies. Beating him earns 15,600 Remnant Dust, the Puppeteer's Bell Phantom Edge, and the Illusory Pipa Head. Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order is next.
Dusk, the Puppeteer moves & attack patterns
Game dataEvery attack Dusk, the Puppeteer can use, read from its ability data. The cards show the in-game animation with its timing: wind-up, the red or blue flash, the hit window and recovery.
- Attacks
- 13
- Red flash (dodge)
- 3
- Blue flash (parry)
- 2
- Tightest tell
- 0.36s
Three-Puppet Assault
Red flashMix-upRangedSkillRed flash at 0.92s → hit at 1.69s (0.77s to react) · 1 hit · Normal hitTwo-Puppet Assault
Blue flashMix-upRangedSkillBlue flash at 2.52s → hit at 2.88s (0.36s to react) · 1 hit · KnockbackSix-Hit Swimming Combo
Red flashComboMix-upSkillRed flash at 3.73s → hit at 4.28s (0.55s to react) · 6 hits · KnockbackFour-Hit Retreating Combo
Blue flashComboCounterMix-upSkillBlue flash at 2.04s → hit at 2.46s (0.42s to react) · 4 hits · Heavy hitFour-Hit Counter Combo
Red flashComboCounterMix-upSkillRed flash at 1.82s → hit at 2.29s (0.47s to react) · 4 hits · Heavy hit · harder difficulties onlyGiant Hand Slam
Mix-upRangedProjectileSkillFirst hit at 1.16s · 1 hitGiant Hand Shove
Mix-upRangedProjectileSkillFirst hit at 1.16s · 1 hitDouble Ground Spike
ProjectileSpecialFirst hit at 0s · 2 hitsGatling Barrage
RangedProjectileAttackFirst hit at 0.8s · 10 hitsGround Spike
RangedProjectileAttackFirst hit at 0s · 1 hitGiant Hand Shove Slam
Mix-upRangedProjectileSkillFirst hit at 1.08s · 2 hits · harder difficulties onlyRed Thread Flurry
CounterSkillFirst hit at 1.78s · 1 hit · Heavy hit · harder difficulties onlyAll 13 attacks
| Attack | Tell | Hit timing | Hits | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three-Puppet Assault Skill · Mix-up, Ranged | Red flash | 0.77s after flash | 1 | Whole fight |
| Two-Puppet Assault Skill · Mix-up, Ranged | Blue flash | 0.36s after flash | 1 | Whole fight |
| Six-Hit Swimming Combo Skill · Combo, Mix-up | Red flash | 0.55s after flash | 6 | Whole fight |
| Four-Hit Retreating Combo Skill · Combo, Counter, Mix-up | Blue flash | 0.42s after flash | 4 | Whole fight |
| Four-Hit Counter Combo Skill · Combo, Counter, Mix-up | Red flash | 0.47s after flash | 4 | Whole fight · harder difficulties only |
| Giant Hand Slam Skill · Mix-up, Ranged, Projectile | No flash | first hit 1.16s | 1 | Whole fight |
| Giant Hand Shove Skill · Mix-up, Ranged, Projectile | No flash | first hit 1.16s | 1 | Whole fight |
| Double Ground Spike Special · Projectile | No flash | first hit 0s | 2 | Whole fight |
| Gatling Barrage Attack · Ranged, Projectile | No flash | first hit 0.8s | 10 | Whole fight |
| Ground Spike Attack · Ranged, Projectile | No flash | first hit 0s | 1 | Whole fight |
| Giant Hand Shove Slam Skill · Mix-up, Ranged, Projectile | No flash | first hit 1.08s | 2 | Whole fight · harder difficulties only |
| Red Thread Flurry Skill · Counter | No flash | first hit 1.78s | 1 | Whole fight · harder difficulties only |
| Long Ground Spike LineSpecial · Ranged, Projectile | No flash | first hit 0.71s | 1 | Whole fight · harder difficulties only |
Attack names are ours: the game doesn't name boss attacks. Times are seconds from the start of the attack; the reaction time runs from the flash to the first hit after it.
Parry Trainer
Test your timing on Dusk, the Puppeteer's real attacks: parry the blue flashes, dodge the red ones.
Weaknesses and resistances
Game dataExtra damage (+) or reduced damage (−) per element, and how fast each status effect builds up.
| Element | Damage taken |
|---|---|
| Lightning | −30% |
| Status effect | Build-up |
|---|---|
| Shock | −30% |
| Sha-Chi interaction | Resist |
|---|---|
| Sha-Chi lost on hit | −30% |
Dusk, the Puppeteer HP and stats
Game dataBase attributes from the boss's config, and the same values at the level the fight runs at.
| Attribute | Base | At level 8 |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 12,000 | 56,280 |
| Sha-Chi | 2,400 | 7,541 |
| Attack | 100 | 126 |
| Stagger threshold | 1,200 | 5,037 |
Calculated Base values come from the enemy's own config. The game raises them with the area level; enemies in this region are level 7–8 (difficulty multipliers are not included).
Each kill gives 15,600 Remnant Dust at this level.
Dusk, the Puppeteer rewards
Game dataGranted when the fight ends, read from the fight's reward script.
| Reward | Count |
|---|---|
 Puppeteer's Bell | 1 |
 Illusory Pipa Head | 1 |
Where to find Dusk, the Puppeteer
Game dataThe boss's spawn point on the Village of Lu map. Nearest Bell: Broken Puppet Pit Bottom.
Dusk, the Puppeteer lore
The codex entry the game unlocks for Dusk, the Puppeteer.
In-game codexA puppeteer who defected from the High Elder. He wears yellow ritual robes and an ancient bronze mask set with scarlet eyes, its solemn appearance carrying an eerie menace. Using the Puppeteer's Bell, he commands puppet constructs and massive severed limbs to fight alongside him, and can summon doubles to confuse his enemies.
After hiding for so long in the puppet disposal pit, Dusk has nearly lost his mind. The broken bodies piled around him are discarded subjects from the Herald's puppet experiments, still carrying fragments of the villagers' consciousness. Dusk was ordered to cast them into the pit and leave them there. Their voices never cease: Save us, Master Dusk... Can we still be cured... Take us home... Their pleas cut into his mind again and again.
To stop the Lady's descent, he willingly underwent Transcension and feigned allegiance to the Herald. He promised the villagers he would create a medicine to cure the slumbering sickness. He and his junior sister Firefly had also promised that once it was all over, they would find somewhere warm and tend flowers together... Yet this is what became of them.
Consumed by guilt and Sha-Chi, Dusk begs Soul to end his life. With his last shred of clarity, he burns away what remains of his body and reveals to Soul the horrifying ritual of the High Elders.
Boss order
Boss #28 of 74: the previous fight is Acolyte Yanru, the next one Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order.
Data: Phantom Blade Zero 26367565 (CL-302256, UE 5.7.4). How we source this
Dusk, the Puppeteer is boss #28 of 74 in Phantom Blade Zero, fought in Village of Lu at level 7–8 with 12,000 base HP and 2,400 Sha-Chi. Its moveset has 13 attacks: 2 blue-flash attacks that can be parried and 3 red-flash attacks that must be dodged. It has no elemental weakness, so raw Damage and Guard Break matter most. Beating it gives Puppeteer's Bell, Illusory Pipa Head.
See Also
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Dusk, the Puppeteer FAQ
How do you beat Dusk, the Puppeteer?
Dusk has no elemental weakness, so bring whatever deals your best damage except Lightning, which he resists by 30% with Shock building 30% slower. Every other element and status works at its normal rate. Parry the blue flashes: 2 of Dusk, the Puppeteer's 13 attacks flash blue before they land, and a timed parry stops them. Dodge the red flashes: 3 attacks flash red. They can't be parried, so dodge through them instead of blocking.
What attacks does Dusk, the Puppeteer use?
Dusk, the Puppeteer has 13 attacks in its ability data: 2 with a blue flash (parry) and 3 with a red flash (dodge). The moves section shows each one with its in-game animation and timing.
What do the red and blue flashes mean on Dusk, the Puppeteer?
Blue means the attack can be parried: 2 of Dusk, the Puppeteer's attacks flash blue. Red means it can't be parried and must be dodged: 3 attacks flash red. The tightest tell gives you 0.36s from the flash to the hit.
What is Dusk, the Puppeteer weak to?
Dusk, the Puppeteer has no elemental weakness; focus on Damage and Guard Break.
How much HP does Dusk, the Puppeteer have?
Dusk, the Puppeteer has 12,000 base HP; at its area level (7–8) that grows to about 56,280 before difficulty modifiers.
What does Dusk, the Puppeteer drop?
Defeating Dusk, the Puppeteer gives Puppeteer's Bell, Illusory Pipa Head.
Where is Dusk, the Puppeteer in Phantom Blade Zero?
Dusk, the Puppeteer is fought in Village of Lu. It is boss #28 of 74 in story order, after Acolyte Yanru. Nearest Bell: Broken Puppet Pit Bottom.
Which boss comes after Dusk, the Puppeteer?
Dusk, the Puppeteer is boss #28 of 74. Before it comes Acolyte Yanru; next is Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order.