Of all the returning characters in Hades 2, Hypnos is perhaps the most mysterious, as the formerly talkative figure now remains in a perpetual sleep. While you could take steps to try and awaken Hypnos during Early Access, most efforts proved fruitless to try and wake the god up. However, with the 1.0 official release, you can finally free Hypnos from their magical slumber.
While still one of the gods in Hades 2, Hypnos does not provide traditional Boons to grant you various boosts during a run. Instead, this character is found in the Crossroads, the central hub you return to after each death or successful run. This character won’t have much to say, but they can provide excellent rewards if you manage to stir them awake at some point.
What Do You Need To Wake Up Hypnos?
Several Ingredients For Multiple Incantations
The first steps to waking up Hypnos involve not just speaking to him, but coercing the god into giving you slight hints about their condition while they sleep. These clues manifest into a Minor Prophecy (side quest) called Soundest of Sleepers, which directly lists the objectives tied to eventually waking up Hypnos.
When you start the Prophecy, you have to gift Hypnos 2 Nectar to learn your first clues, as the gifts will cause the god to say a few words. Nectar in Hades 2 can be purchased from Charon or the Wretched Broker NPCs, or found naturally on runs through The Underworld.
Nectar is often used to make progress in romances with different characters, so farming it in large quantities should give you enough left over to gift to Hypnos.
In addition to Nectar, you’ll want to find Poppy Seeds, which will allow you to grow Poppy plants in the Crossroads within your own garden. One instance of Poppy will move the Minor Prophecy forward, pushing you to meet with an apothecary NPC named Madea on a Surface run.
This character, who resides in the Ephyra area, knows the secrets to waking Hypnos up, and gives you the blueprints for multiple Incantations tied to magically lifting the god’s endless sleep. You need to cast three separate Incantations to wake up Hypnos, with each requiring their own set of ingredients required for their spell.
Talking to Madea after each Incantation will help you gain the following one needed for Hypnos’ cure. That being said, you have to complete the Incantations in the right order according to the Minor Prophecy to progress the side quest. The following table has each of the Incantations tied to waking up Hypnos, including what resources they demand in their casting:
|
Incantation |
Required Materials |
|---|---|
|
End To Deepest Slumber |
1x Molly, 2x Mandrake, 3x Poppy Flowers |
|
End To Dearest Slumber |
1x Molly, 3x Mandrake, 3x Poppy Flowers |
|
End To Dumbest Slumber |
2x Poppy Flowers, 1x Shaderot, 1x Soot |
While the first two Incantations were present in Early Access, the final one was not available until the 1.0 version of Hades 2. Using each Incantation will reward you with Dream Vapor, an item you can give to Hypnos to try and awake him. Giving Hypnos Dream Vapor will allow you to peer into the god’s mind, learning more about their sleep in the search for a cure.
Where To Find Soot In Hades 2
The Rarest Material For The Final Spell
The last Incantation may seem easy at first, until you realize that Soot is a material that doesn’t spawn until you beat the main story. You can’t get Hypnos out of his sleep until you defeat the final boss of Hades 2, reach the true ending, and unlock the epilogue portion of the game after a good number of runs.
The following information contains slight spoilers regarding the ending and epilogue of Hades 2.Once you reach the epilogue, start another run heading through The Underworld to the depths of Tartarus. When you reach the area right before the last boss here, speak to Hades, now freed from Chronos’ imprisonment, then give him Nectar. In response, Hades will give you the Soot you need, alongside a valuable Keepsake.
Even if you don’t have the End to Dumbest Slumber Incantation unlocked, you can still collect Soot from Hades after giving him Nectar during one of your Underworld runs during the epilogue.
When you have the items you need, return to the Crossroads and perform the End to Dumbest Slumber Incantation to receive the strongest possible form of Dream Vapors. Give this item to Hypnos to enter his mind one more time, then follow the story events here until you are finally able to bring the god out of his sleep.
Doing this will reward you with two Nightmare items, a form of endgame currency that can upgrade your Nocturnal Arms. These are a gift from Hypnos, who returns to his role in the House of Hades, marking a return to form in Hades 2 that will make veteran players of the series relieved to see a fan-favorite character wake up at last.
- Released
-
September 25, 2025
- ESRB
-
Teen / Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Supergiant Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Supergiant Games
- Engine
-
Proprietary Engine
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
