Previous Boss:One-Armed Hero Lyle
For full progression context, see the Code Vein II Boss Overview Guide.
Hero Holly the Reaper is an early-game boss in Code Vein II that shifts the focus away from raw damage punishment and toward movement discipline and positional awareness. Where One-Armed Hero Lyle tests patience and spacing, Holly emphasizes timing, delayed attacks and punishing predictable dodges.
Boss Overview
Hero Holly the Reaper is a fast, evasive boss built around sweeping scythe attacks, delayed strike timings and frequent repositioning. Her moveset is designed to catch players who dodge too early or rely on consistent rhythms. Unlike previous bosses, Holly frequently disengages after attacking, forcing players to re-establish pressure rather than simply wait for recovery windows.
The arena allows reasonable freedom of movement, but Holly’s wide attack arcs and forward momentum make careless positioning dangerous. As her health decreases, she becomes more aggressive, chaining attacks more tightly and reducing the margin for error.
Recommended Preparation
Mobility and stamina recovery are critical in this encounter. Faster weapons with short recovery animations allow players to respond to Holly’s unpredictable timing without being locked into long commitments.
Blood Codes that favor agility or stamina efficiency are particularly effective. Healing consumables are recommended, as Holly’s attacks often hit in quick succession once momentum swings in her favor.
Attack Patterns and Behavior
Holly’s moveset revolves around wide scythe sweeps, delayed overhead strikes and quick repositioning dashes. Many of her attacks feature intentional delays, designed to punish players who dodge on instinct rather than in response to impact timing.
Her sweeping attacks cover a large area and often carry her forward, catching players who attempt to backstep repeatedly. Delayed strikes are typically followed by quick follow-ups if the player dodges too early.
As the fight progresses, Holly shortens the delay between attacks and increases the frequency of her movement-based repositioning, making it harder to maintain consistent pressure.
Optimal Damage Windows and Rotations
Damage opportunities against Holly are more situational than against previous bosses. The safest windows appear after she completes a full sweeping combo or finishes a delayed overhead strike without chaining into a follow-up.
A reliable rotation consists of dodging laterally as the final swing passes, landing one or two quick attacks, then disengaging immediately. Attempting to extend beyond this window often results in being caught by a sudden reposition or follow-up slash.
After Holly disengages following an attack string, players can briefly re-engage with a single hit if stamina allows, but should avoid committing to extended pressure unless she is clearly locked into recovery.
Damage-enhancing Gifts are best activated after Holly commits to a long animation or when she is briefly focused on a companion. Activating buffs during neutral movement often leads to wasted uptime.
Companion and Stagger Opportunities
Companions play an important role in disrupting Holly’s flow. When Holly targets a companion during her sweeping or delayed attacks, players gain clearer visual cues and safer angles to approach.
Staggers tend to occur during longer attack chains or when Holly commits to overhead strikes while focused away from the player. These moments allow for slightly extended damage rotations, though stamina discipline remains critical.
As with earlier encounters, staggers should be treated as bonus opportunities rather than a primary objective. Forcing stagger attempts often results in overcommitment and missed dodge timing.
Timing Discipline and Reaction Traps
Hero Holly the Reaper is less concerned with where the player moves and more focused on when they react. Her attacks are built around delayed timing and deceptive pacing, designed to punish players who dodge on animation cues rather than impact timing. Reacting too early is consistently more dangerous than reacting late.
Players should allow attacks to fully commit before dodging, especially during delayed overhead strikes and extended sweep chains. Treating the start of an animation as a dodge signal often leads directly into follow-up slashes. Waiting for the moment of impact provides far more reliable positioning, even if it feels counterintuitive at first.
Holly also creates false recovery windows by disengaging briefly after attack strings. These moments are meant to bait re-engagement. Players who rush in assuming the sequence has ended are frequently caught by sudden repositioning attacks. Re-entering the fight should only happen once her movement clearly settles.
The most common mistake in this encounter is attempting to maintain momentum through constant pressure. Holly’s ability to reset spacing on demand makes prolonged aggression risky and often self-defeating. Another frequent error is exhausting stamina while reacting early, leaving no margin to adjust when delayed follow-ups appear.
Success against Holly comes from slowing reaction timing, treating openings with skepticism, and accepting that missed damage is preferable to forced damage. Players who adapt to her pacing rather than imposing their own will find the fight becomes far more predictable.
Closing Notes on the Fight
Hero Holly the Reaper is a deliberate test of timing and restraint. Players who slow down, react to impact timing rather than animation cues, and rely on short, repeatable rotations will find the fight manageable. Mastering this encounter prepares players for later bosses that rely on deceptive timing and movement-based pressure.
Next Boss:Hero Zenon
For the complete boss list and progression order, return to the Code Vein II Boss Overview Guide.