Keepsakes in Hades are items that can be equipped and grant you some kind of perk. There are many different Keepsakes to choose from; 22 to be exact. Clearing enough Encounters with a certain Keepsake equipped will upgrade it to the next level, making its effect stronger. If you are looking for a Keepsakes overview, want to learn which Keepsake is best for a situation or simply want to know how to get all keepsakes in Hades, this article has you covered.
Not sure what weapon to use? See the Hades Weapons Guide.
Defensive Keepsakes
Old Spiked Collar
Gain +25/38/50 Health.
How do you get the Old Spiked Collar?
You get the Old Spiked Collar by gifting a Nectar to Cerberus, the three-headed dog. He can be found in the House of Hades, next to Hades’ throne.
When should you use Old Spiked Collar?
The Old Spiked Collar is a very strong keepsakes for beginners who have not unlocked (many) Health upgrades on the Mirror of Night. The extra health gives you a little more leeway for getting hit or standing in a trap.
Lucky Tooth
When you take lethal damage, miraculously survive with 50/100/150 Health (once per escape attempt).
How do you get the Lucky Tooth?
You get the Lucky Tooth by gifting a Nectar to Skelly, the skeleton training dummy. He can be found in the courtyard at the start of each escape attempt.
When should you use Lucky Tooth?
The Lucky Tooth basically gives you an extra life, which is strong for any player, beginner or more experienced. This keepsake loses value as you get more ranks of Death Defiance in the Mirror of Night. If the revive charge on the Lucky Tooth is used, you can safely switch it out to another keepsake after a boss room, as it no longer has any value that run.
Myrmidon Bracer
Take 20/30/40% less damage from the front, but 10% more from the back.
How do you get the Myrmidon Bracer?
You get the Myrmidon Bracer by gifting a Nectar to Achilles. Achilles is usually guarding the rooms to the left in the House of Hades.
When should you use Myrmidon Bracer?
The Myrmidon Bracer combines well with any ranged weapon that allows you to stand with your back against the wall. When using the Heart-Seeking Bow with boons focused on its Special, for example, the Myrmidon Bracer effectively gives you high damage reduction without being bothered by its downside.
Black Shawl
Whenever you gain Darkness, restore Health for 50/75/100% of the amount.
How do you get the Black Shawl?
You get the Black Shawl by gifting a Nectar to Nyx. She can be found in the House of Hades, left of the door leading to your chambers.
When should you use Black Shawl?
The usefulness of the Black Shawl is limited. It can be strong when you are doing runs purely to collect Darkness for upgrades, since it will heal you up regularly then. When pushing, you usually won’t pick doors with Darkness over doors with Boons or other upgrades, so the Black Shawl is not the optimal choice in that case.
Harpy Feather Duster
Broken urns have a 2/3/4% chance to contain healing items.
How do you get the Harpy Feather Duster?
You get the Harpy Feather Duster by gifting a Nectar to Dusa, the Gorgon head that works as a maid in the House of Hades. She is shy and will often fly away when you talk to her, so try to give the Nectar before engaging in conversation!
When should you use the Harpy Feather Duster?
When you really like going around a room and breaking all urns, or when you don’t have many other Keepsakes to choose from. Honestly, this one is pretty bad.
Evergreen Acorn
When confronting Underworld Bosses, take no damage the first 3/4/5 times they hit you.
How do you get the Evergreen Acorn?
You get the Evergreen Acorn by gifting Nectar to the nymph Eurydice. You can encounter her in Asphodel, between chamber 15 and 25.
When should you use the Evergreen Acorn?
The Evergreen Acorn would be really strong if you could switch Keepsakes just before a boss room. Unfortunately, it is the other way around: you can only switch Keepsakes right after a boss. This means that you will carry this Keepsake with you for a whole zone without getting any use out of it until the very last room of the zone. Only use the Evergreen Acorn if you really struggle with a certain boss, to the extent of it being worth it to have no benefit at all for a whole zone.
Broken Spearpoint
After taking damage, become invulnerable for 0.5/1/1.5 seconds.
How do you get the Broken Spearpoint?
You get the Broken Spearpoint by gifting Nectar to Patroclus. Patroclus can be found in Elysium, similarly to Eurydice in Asphodel and Sisyphus in Tartarus. It will take a while for Patroclus to warm up to you enough to accept a gift. Keep talking to him and his companion Achilles and keep reading his Codex entries until he is ready.
When should you use Broken Spearpoint?
The Broken Spearpoint is arguably the best defensive Keepsake in the game. It is one of the hardest to obtain, but once you have it it’s a very strong defensive option that works well with all of the Infernal Arms.
Offensive Keepsakes
Pierced Butterfly
Gain +1/1.5/2% damage for each Encounter you clear without taking damage.
How do you get the Pierced Butterfly?
You get the Pierced Butterfly by gifting Nectar to Thanatos, the personification of Death. Thanatos can be a hard one to catch: you can sometimes encounter him during runs. After runs in which you encounter him, he can be found in the House of Hades at the end of the hallway on the left.
When should you use Pierced Butterfly?
Pierced Butterfly can be strong when you are confident in your ability to clear the encounters at the start without taking any damage. An ‘encounter’ is counted as completing a full room from start to end. The Pierced Butterfly is therefore a strong option for those who can rush through the earlier rooms with ease but need a little bit extra later in the run. Note that if you take of the Pierced Butterfly later in the run, you will also lose its damage bonus.
Skull Earring
Deal 20/30/40% more damage while at 30% Health or below.
How do you get the Skull Earring?
You get the Skull Earring by gifting Nectar to Megaera, one of the three Fury Sisters. You can only gift her Nectar while she is in the House of Hades; she will not accept a gift when you encounter her as a boss. She can be found in the lounge, or in the hallway next to it if you have not yet unlocked the lounge. Megaera only appears in the House of Hades after a run in which you defeated her, which can make it a bit challenging to obtain her Keepsake.
When should you use Skull Earring?
The Skull Earring is one of the strongest offensive Keepsakes. It will have some use in every run, and its usefulness increases even further if you have more charges of Death Defiance. If you are very confident in your ability to dodge any incoming damage, you could damage yourself on purpose to get under the threshold of 30% Health to benefit from the damage increase.
Shattered Shackle
Rubble falling from damaged pillars deals 200/500/700% damage to your foes.
How do you get the Shattered Shackle?
You get the Shattered Shackle by gifting Nectar to Sisyphus. You will occasionally encounter Sisyphus in one of the rooms in Tartarus, the first zone you escape out of. A room with Sisyphus inside will be marked with an exclamation mark as a reward.
When should you use the Shattered Shackle?
Honest answer: never. If you really insist on using it; in a gimmicky build, probably with a ranged weapon so you don’t get hit by the rubble yourself.
Distant Memory
Deal up to 10/20/30% more damage to distant foes.
How do you get the Distant Memory?
You get the Distant Memory by gifting Nectar to Orpheus. When you start the game, Orpheus is locked up by Lord Hades. You can free him by purchasing the Court Musician’s Sentence from the House Contractor for 1 Diamond.
When should you use Distant Memory?
The Distant Memory Keepsake is an excellent keepsake to use with ranged weapons. The games’ definition of ‘distant’ is fairly generous. When using the Heart-Seeking Bow, the distant required to get the damage buff is about 50% of the length of a fully charged shot. For the Adamant Rail, it is approximately 70% of the maximum range of the gun.
Olympian Keepsakes
Owl Pendant
The next Boon you find will be from Athena. Her blessings have a +10/15/20% chance to be Rare or better.
How do you get the Owl Pendant?
You get the Owl Pendant by gifting Nectar to Athena. You can gift Nectar to Athena by pressing G before accepting one of her boons.
When should you use Owl Pendant?
When the build you are intending to play relies on one of more of Athena’s Boons. Note that equipping the Keepsake does not guarantee the next room will have a Boon of Athena; only that the next time you encounter a Boon, it’s hers. Athena offers many defensive options and Boons with Deflect, therefore the Owl Pendant is also a viable choice when you want to improve your survivability.
Eternal Rose
The next Boon you find will be from Aphrodite. Her blessings have a +10/15/20% chance to be Rare or better.
How do you get the Eternal Rose?
You get the Eternal Rose by gifting Nectar to Aphrodite. You can gift Nectar to Aphrodite by pressing G before accepting one of her boons.
When should you use Eternal Rose?
When the build you are intending to play relies on one of more of Aphrodite’s Boons. Note that equipping the Keepsake does not guarantee the next room will have a Boon of Aphrodite; only that the next time you encounter a Boon, it’s hers. Aphrodite’s Boons make your attacks inflict Weak (meaning opponents deal 50% less damage for a few seconds) or Charmed (meaning opponents become friendly and fight for you for a few seconds).
Thunder Signet
The next Boon you find will be from Zeus. His blessings have a +10/15/20% chance to be Rare or better.
How do you get the Thunder Signet?
You get the Thunder Signet by gifting Nectar to Zeus . You can gift Nectar to Zeus by pressing G before accepting one of his boons.
When should you use Thunder Signet?
When the build you are intending to play relies on one of more of Zeus’ Boons. Note that equipping the Keepsake does not guarantee the next room will have a Boon of Zeus; only that the next time you encounter a Boon, it’s his. Zeus gives Boons that cause your abilities to emit chain lightning or strike lightning bolts at nearby enemies.
Overflowing Cup
The next Boon you find will be from Dionysus. His blessings have a +10/15/20% chance to be Rare or better.
How do you get the Overflowing Cup?
You get the Overflowing Cup by gifting Nectar to Dionysus. You can gift Nectar to Dionysus by pressing G before accepting one of his boons.
When should you use Overflowing Cup?
When the build you are intending to play relies on one of more of Dionysus’ Boons. Note that equipping the Keepsake does not guarantee the next room will have a Boon of Dionysus; only that the next time you encounter a Boon, it’s his. Dionysus has a versatile array of Boons that improve survivability inflict poison or create Festive Fog.
Conch Shell
The next Boon you find will be from Poseidon. His blessings have a +10/15/20% chance to be Rare or better.
How do you get the Conch Shell?
You get the Conch Shell by gifting Nectar to Poseidon. You can gift Nectar to Poseidon by pressing G before accepting one of his boons.
When should you use Conch Shell?
When the build you are intending to play relies on one of more of Poseidon’s Boons. Note that equipping the Keepsake does not guarantee the next room will have a Boon of Poseidon; only that the next time you encounter a Boon, it’s his. Poseidon offers Boons that improve room rewards and add knockback or splash damage to your abilities.
Adamant Arrowhead
The next Boon you find will be from Artemis. Her blessings have a +10/15/20% chance to be Rare or better.
How do you get the Adamant Arrowhead?
You get the Adamant Arrowhead by gifting Nectar to Artemis . You can gift Nectar to Artemis by pressing G before accepting one of her boons.
When should you use Adamant Arrowhead?
When the build you are intending to play relies on one of more of Artemis’ Boons. Note that equipping the Keepsake does not guarantee the next room will have a Boon of Artemis; only that the next time you encounter a Boon, it’s hers. Artemis’ Boons improve your Cast ability and add Critical chance and Critical damage to your abilities.
Blood-Filled Vial
The next Boon you find will be from Ares. His blessings have a +10/15/20% chance to be Rare or better.
How do you get the Blood-Filled Vial?
You get the Blood-Filled Vial by gifting Nectar to Ares. You can gift Nectar to Ares by pressing G before accepting one of his boons.
When should you use Blood-Filled Vial?
When the build you are intending to play relies on one of more of Ares’ Boons. Note that equipping the Keepsake does not guarantee the next room will have a Boon of Ares; only that the next time you encounter a Boon, it’s his. Ares makes your abilities inflict Doom (makes the victim take a burst of damage after a short delay) or create blade rifts.
Cosmic Egg
Enter Blood Gates without losing Health. Blessings from Chaos have +20/30/40% chance to be Rare or better.
How do you get the Cosmic Egg?
You get the Cosmic by gifting Nectar to Chaos. You can gift Nectar to Chaos by pressing G before accepting one of their boons. You can find Chaos by jumping into a Blood Gate, a hole in the floor that costs Health to enter.
When should you use Cosmic Egg?
That’s a tricky one. Chaos offers you some pretty good upgrades, but always at a cost. For example, you deal extra damage with a certain ability or find more Darkness, but only after experiencing a negative effect for 2-4 rooms. These negative effects can be barely impactful (for example, you cannot collect Bloodstones after a delay, which does not really matter if you are not going a Cast build) or completely ruin your escape attempt (think, you take 5 damage every time you Attack, and you have the Adamant Rail equipped). If you like taking risks and jumping into Blood Gates, this could be a fun Keepsake to use.
Sigil of the Dead
Your Call becomes Hades’ Aid, and you start with 10%/20%/30% God Gauge filled at every encouter.
How do you get the Sigil of the Dead?
Sigil of the Dead is one of the new Keepsakes added in Version 1.0. You can get the Sigil of the Death after beating the game a few times by giving Nectar to Hades. There will be a short cutscene, and after the option to gift Nectar to Hades.
When should you use Sigil of the Dead?
Hades’ Call makes you go unseen/invisible. While unseen/invisible, you move faster and deal more damage. Note that you will not be offered other Olympians’ Calls when having this trinket equipped. Additionally, you cannot switch to this Keepsake while having another God’s Call.
Utility Keepsakes
Lambent Plume
Gain +1.0/1.1/1.2% Dodge chance and move speed for each Encounter you clear quickly.
How do you get the Lambent Plume?
You get the Lambent Plume by gifting Nectar to Hermes. You can gift Nectar to Hermes by pressing G before accepting one of his boons.
When should you use Lambent Plume?
While also an Olympian, Hermes’ Keepsake works differently from that of his fellow Olympian Gods. Instead of guaranteeing you get one of his boons, this Keepsake rewards you each time you clear an Encounter within a certain time limit. You can see the timer on the bottom left, below the keepsake, and it is longer for bosses, mini-bosses and Encounters where Thanatos is present. The Lambent Plume is a good Keepsake when farming content you can easily clear.
Chthonic Coin Purse
Receive 100/150/200 Charon’s Obol to spend as you please (once per escape attempt).
How do you get the Chthonic Coin Purse?
You get the Chthonic Coin Purse by gifting Nectar to Hypnos, the embodiment of Sleep. Hypnos can be found in the House of Hades, on the left side of the hallway through which you arrive.
When should you use Chthonic Coin Purse?
The Chthonic Coin Purse can be very useful when you want some flexibility and/or if you are not yet sure what build you want to go. The extra Charon’s Obol also comes in handy when farming Darkness, since you sometimes get the option to buy Darkness from Charon’s Well or Charon himself. It is always nice to have some coin at hand to buy an upgrade or some extra health, so this Keepsake can be pretty nice to have in any situation. Do note that you only receive the coins once per run. You can safely start a run with the Chthonic Coin Purse and switch it for another Keepsake at the first possible opportunity.
Bone Hourglass
Items from the Well of Charon have durations increased by +3/6/8 Encounters.
How do you get the Bone Hourglass?
You get the Bone Hourglass by gifting a Nectar to Charon. This boatman has in-game shops in all zones. His shops are marked by a sack of gold with a skull on it on the door.
When should you use Bone Hourglass?
The strength of this Keepsake really depends on the items you encounter in Charon’s Wells. Extending the duration of an Attack buff, Health recovery or extra movement speed can be incredibly strong. However, for other items in the well, such as a one-time heal or some extra Darkness, this Keepsake has no effect. The usefulness of this Keepsake also relies on you having enough Charon’s Obol to spend. All-in-all the Bone Hourglass is a bit of a mediocre and inconsistent Keepsake.
Pom Blossom
After completing 6/5/4 encounters, a random Boon gets +1 level.
How do you get the Pom Blossom?
The Pom Blossom is one of the new Keepsakes added in Version 1.0 You get the Pom Blossom by gifting Nectar to Persephone. You can do this after you have beat the game 10 times. Persephone will be in the House of Hades.
When should you use Pom Blossom?
The Pom Blossom can be a very strong keepsake if you manage to pick up some strong Boons, without picking up weaker Boons that might be randomly upgraded by the Keepsake. All in all a Keepsake that can be strong, but can also completely fall flat. A bit of a hit-and-miss.