Previous Boss:Franz the Dejected Assailant
For full progression context, see the Code Vein II Boss Overview Guide.
Josee the Blind Hero is the second major boss encounter in Code Vein II and represents a noticeable shift in pacing compared to Franz. Where the first boss emphasizes patience and stamina control, Josee tests spatial awareness, tracking, and the player’s ability to respond to rapid directional changes.
Boss Overview
Josee is a highly mobile melee boss built around quick lunges, sweeping attacks, and sudden changes in direction. Despite the “blind” title, the fight revolves around heightened sensory awareness rather than limited perception. Josee frequently repositions, closes distance rapidly, and punishes predictable movement.
The arena provides slightly more freedom than the Franz encounter, but Josee’s speed reduces the value of passive play. The fight remains a single escalating phase, with increased aggression and tighter attack chains as health decreases.
Recommended Preparation
Mobility and stamina recovery are more important here than raw defense. Faster weapons with short recovery animations allow players to capitalize on brief openings without being locked into long attack strings.
Blood Codes that emphasize agility or stamina efficiency perform well. Companions remain valuable, particularly for breaking Josee’s momentum and creating breathing room during aggressive sequences. Healing consumables should be readily available, as Josee can quickly punish small positioning errors.
Attack Patterns and Behavior
Josee’s attacks focus on fast, forward-moving slashes and sweeping arcs designed to catch lateral dodges. Many attacks are chained together, with brief pauses intended to bait early counterattacks.
Josee frequently uses short dashes to reposition mid-fight, making it dangerous to attack without confirming an opening. Some lunges track the player’s position aggressively, punishing delayed dodges or excessive backstepping.
As health drops, attack chains become longer and recovery windows shorter, increasing the risk of stamina exhaustion.
Optimal Damage Windows and Rotations
Damage opportunities against Josee are brief and must be taken decisively. The safest rotations consist of a single dodge into an attack string followed by one or two quick hits, then immediate disengagement.
After Josee completes a full lunge or sweeping combo, there is a short recovery window where a two-hit melee string is safe. Attempting a third hit often results in being clipped by a follow-up dash or counterattack.
Buff or damage-enhancing Gifts should be activated only after Josee commits to a long animation. Using them preemptively often results in forced dodging and wasted uptime.
Managing Speed and Pressure
Unlike Franz, Josee rewards controlled aggression rather than pure restraint. Staying too passive allows Josee to dictate the fight and maintain constant pressure. Maintaining mid-range distance helps bait predictable lunges while keeping stamina available for evasive movement.
Dodging sideways is generally safer than dodging backward, as Josee’s tracking attacks punish straight-line retreats. Forward dodges through certain swings can reposition the player behind Josee, but this requires precise timing.
Companion and Stagger Opportunities
Companions are particularly effective in this encounter, as they can interrupt Josee’s movement and briefly stagger her during aggressive attack chains. These moments create some of the safest opportunities for damage, especially when Josee is redirected mid-combo or forced to switch targets. Even so, players should avoid exhausting stamina during these openings and disengage before pressure resumes.
The most effective companions in this fight are those that maintain close-range pressure and reliably draw aggro. By staying engaged with Josee, they help disrupt her movement patterns and reduce the amount of time she spends directly targeting the player. This creates brief but consistent windows to apply short damage rotations or recover stamina.
More passive or ranged-focused companions tend to be less effective here, as Josee’s speed allows her to ignore distant threats and maintain pressure on the player. Regardless of companion choice, companions should be viewed as tools for tempo control rather than primary damage sources.
Chasing staggers aggressively is risky and often leads to overcommitment. Stagger windows should be treated as bonus opportunities rather than a core strategy, reinforcing the importance of controlled, repeatable engagements.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A common error is attempting to match Josee’s speed with long attack strings. This often results in stamina depletion and missed dodge windows. Another frequent mistake is relying on backward dodging, which Josee’s lunges are designed to punish.
Failing to disengage after short damage windows is the primary reason players struggle with this encounter.
Closing Notes on the Fight
Josee the Blind Hero is designed to force players out of purely defensive habits established in the opening fight. Success depends on recognizing brief openings, executing short rotations cleanly, and disengaging before pressure resumes. Mastering this encounter prepares players for later bosses that rely on speed and layered aggression.
Next Boss:One-Armed Hero Lyle
For the complete boss list and progression order, return to the Code Vein II Boss Overview Guide.