In the Crimson Forest, Yucong, No. 34 Twisted Puppet waits on snowy ground beyond a fog door, just a brief walk from the Threadbound Great Tree bell. The battle has two phases: he uses portals throughout, then brings in ice and purple chaos attacks during phase two.
Quick answer: Yucong fights in two phases, chaining portal dives and long blade crescents in phase 1, then adding icy white frost and purple chaos attacks that reach you at range in phase 2. Defeating him rewards Freezing Chaos.
He is a long-haired puppet in dark robes who carries a long blade. His mask glows magenta. Once his boss bar appears, it reads “Yucong, No. 34 Twisted Puppet”, and his masks talk to you throughout the fight. The subtitles name two of them, Steel Mask and Frost Mask.
Where to fight Yucong in the Crimson Forest
Dying returns you to the Threadbound Great Tree bell; Yucong’s health bar is restored to full for your next visit. Rest there before each try to enter with every gourd charge available.
The Soul Tempered Sanguine Reach and the length of the fight
Yucong’s quest requires the Soul Tempered Sanguine Reach to be equipped before you challenge the Twisted Puppet. Without that weapon equipped, you will face two phases.
This battle can take a while. On Pathbreaker, an initial attempt may end with you dying roughly 69 seconds in, having barely reduced his health bar.
Yucong moveset and attacks
Phase 1: The steel face and its portals
In the opening phase, only the steel face is out. His mask glows magenta, he fights with his blade alone, and he relies heavily on portals.
His blade has considerable reach. A broad crescent sweep sends a pale arc over the snow ahead of him, while a vertical crescent forms a high blade-wind wall that skims along the ground. He can also whirl and send a level ring of blade wind outward in every direction. Watch for the overhead attack: he raises the blade above his head, then brings it down.
His portal moves happen in a chain. He starts by dropping into a dark opening in the ground, briefly leaving the fight. Next, a tall portal appears beside you or ahead of you; he slashes as he emerges or sends a crescent through the opening. Sometimes the portal forms above you instead, and he plunges down from it.
Be prepared to turn around when he disappears into the ground. His return through a tall portal always includes a swing, and the opening may appear beside you or above you.
Up close he spins through a wide sweep. You can parry both the spinning sweep and his drop from an overhead portal, and a clean parry throws orange sparks. The parry and dodge guide covers the timing.
Phase 2: All three faces, ice and purple chaos
After a cutscene, the full three-faced puppet fights you. His attacks change color depending on which face is out. Frost attacks are icy white, and chaos attacks are purple.
The ice burst is a white explosion of ice all around him, so stay out of that space. With the frost face out, he cuts with an icy blade while the Frost Mask cries “N-no…don’t come near me!” If an ice hit lands, you get frosted over in pale blue.
When the chaos face appears, purple fire runs along his blade as he slashes. He sends purple energy streaking over the snow and drives a broad purple wave forward with his blade. Portal dives remain part of his moveset, with purple light flaring from the opening as he emerges.
You can’t avoid these attacks just by staying far away. Both the purple blasts and the wave can hit you at range, while a crackling dark column may come down on the snow far from his position.
Freezing Chaos reward
When the fight ends, a scene plays. The Steel Mask shouts “Damn it! Wake up! Wake up!” and the Frost Mask answers “I’m not fighting…I’m scared…”
Afterward, the Freezing Chaos card appears. It identifies a One-Handed main weapon, showing Damage 324 and Status Effects 144; this confirms the fight is over and the weapon is yours.
