Are you scouring the Wulin in search of the Three-Faced Puppet in Phantom Blade Zero? This foe might be one of the toughest that you face early in the campaign. If you achieve victory, you’re bound to wonder where your quarry went. Our guide discusses everything you need to know about this opponent and the Triple Threat quest. That said, bear in mind that there will be spoilers ahead.
The Three-Faced Puppet boss battle – Weeping Creek Valley
Your first encounter against the Three-Faced Puppet takes place in Weeping Creek Valley, less than an hour or so after starting the campaign. As you make your way across the cliffside section, you’ll see a ladder that descends to a ledge with a curious-looking statue. The bell right next to it is called The Lady’s Rift.
Interacting with the statue teleports you to a temple where a boss fight awaits. The Aberrant Three-Faced Puppet in Phantom Blade Zero is a tenacious opponent. She will frequently teleport, emerging from rifts to strike you. You need to time your dodges and parries right to avoid damage.
Since this is fairly early in the game, you don’t need to beat her just yet. You can come back later if you wish once you’ve upgraded your weapons and increased your maximum health.
Note: At the very least, try to defeat the boss in The Lady’s Rift before you enter the Mirage Estate. That’s the location that you go to after visiting all four Serpent Houses, and it’s pretty much the tail-end of the campaign.
The Lady’s Rift bell/statue (left) leads to your first encounter with the Three-Faced Puppet (right).
Triple Threat – Learn the Three-Faced Puppet’s identity
Once you’ve defeated the Three-Faced Puppet, you’ll receive the Triple Threat quest. It tells you that you must learn the Three-Faced Puppet’s identity. You can try to scour the world for clues, including locations like the Mandate Encampment and the Mountain of Imprisonment, as they have portals that lead to the domain of the Three-Eyed Puppet.
However, the place that you should visit is actually the aforementioned Mirage Estate. Explore the sprawling complex and look for the Memory Flowers of the Aberrant Three-Faced Puppet:
- I. The Wandering Healer – In the Training Grounds after you beat Yuding, the No. 12 Crescent Blade Puppet.
- II. Frost and Chaos – On an altar in the Mourning Hall where you fight Qiu Feng, the Crimson Boneblade.
- III. Three Souls as One – At the end of a corridor in Leng Tu’s study. Interact with a device to make the scroll move, which reveals a hidden passageway.
Note: After discovering all three Memory Flowers, you’re told to return to the Mirrorwood Entrance–one of the central bells in the Crimson Forest. Do just that and avoid proceeding to the game’s point of no return.
From left to right: The Memory Flowers. in the Training Grounds, Mourning Hall, and Leng Tu’s Study
Mirrorwood – Winter Wonderland and the Blazing Edge
Changes happened in the Crimson Forest when you stepped foot in the Mirage Estate. Parts of the region are now covered in snow, and you should be able to walk across previously frozen rivers and ponds.
As for the Triple Threat quest, your goal is to defeat the Three-Faced Puppet. She’s in the northeastern corner of the zone, where you fought Bai Chilian earlier in the campaign, and you’ll need to use the Blazing Edge to take her out.
The Blazing Edge is a special Soul Temper for the Sanguine Reach that requires two components, both of which are found in Meigu Lake:
- One component is a reward for defeating the Gold-Masked One/Man in Black in the Long Pillar to the east.
- The other component is dropped by a boss named Zhu Yuan, who’s located in the depths of the Sha-Chi Tower.
Once you have the Soul Temper item, use it to reforge the Sanguine Reach into the Blazing Edge. Make sure to level it up and pick a few accessories that boost fire damage and burn buildup, too. When you’re ready and you have the Blazing Edge equipped, go to where the boss is waiting for you.
Yucong – The triple-phase boss battle in the Crimson Forest
How fitting is it that you’re battling the Three-Faced Puppet, and the encounter itself has three phases. The first is mostly similar to how the Weeping Creek Valley encounter played out. The boss, Yucong (in her Steel Mask form), spins and teleports to strike you.
The second phase is when things get a bit more hectic. She will alternate among her three identities: Steel Mask (stronger attacks), Frost Mask (freeze buildup), and Chaos Mask (flames that deplete both health and sha-chi).
The third phase is when the challenge ramps up considerably. Yucong will split into not one, not two, but three entities, each utilizing their respective specialty. If you’re unprepared, you’re going to get consistently smacked around, frozen, and shadow-scorched. Try to focus on one target at a time
Face Yucong (left) and shatter the masked one for eternity (right).
Triple Threat conclusion and reward
Defeating the Three-Faced Puppet for good nets you the Freezing Chaos. It’s a one-handed sword that has a unique perk, as it lets you alternate between Yucong’s three types of states/damage afflictions.
You also receive the Chaos Iron Fragment II. If you already have the other component, you’ll acquire the Chaos Twin Daggers, the Soul Temper material for the Sanguine Twin.
That does it for our guide on how to complete th Triple Threat quest. If you’re still on the lookout for other goodies at this stage of the campaign, then we encourage you to collect all Soul Temper items.
Join Soul as he faces numerous threats in the Wulin and be sure to check out more tips in our Phantom Blade Zero guides hub.
