Path of Exile: All endgame bosses, explained

Path of Exile features a variety of boss fights, but the ones everyone wants to take on are the ones reigning over the Atlas. These are some of the most challenging boss fights in the game, which reward you with equally valuable items. But how many endgame bosses are there in PoE?

In this guide, we will cover all the endgame bosses in Path of Exile, along with all the requirements needed to challenge them.

Note: This is not a guide on how to defeat the bosses.

All endgame bosses present in Path of Exile

The endgame bosses are no joke and will be extremely challenging. Reaching them alone can take a long time, especially if you're doing it for the first time.

The Shaper/Uber Shaper

The Shaper taking a stroll (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

The Shaper is one of the most popular pinnacle bosses in Path of Exile, which can be encountered using the Key to the Crucible. This key is formed using four different map fragments acquired by defeating the Guardians of the Void:

Guardian of the Phoenix
Guardian of the Hydra
Guardian of the Minotaur
Guardian of the Chimera

Each guardian can be found inside their respective T16 maps. Defeating each will grant a piece of the map fragment, which can be used in the map device to enter the Shaper’s realm.

Upon defeat, the Shaper will drop either a Fragment of Shape or a Fragment of Knowledge. Both of these are required in addition to two other fragments to fight the Uber Elder. An Uber Shaper encounter is accessible by using five Cosmic Fragments.

The Elder/Uber Elder

The Elder taking down an Exile (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

The Elder is the counterpart to the Shaper and can be challenged using Key to Decay. This key is formed after using the map fragments dropped by each of these Elder Guardians:

The Eradicator
The Constrictor
The Purifier
The Enslaver

There isn’t a special map for the Elder Guardians, and they appear inside a map containing a specific modifier. Defeating them will drop their respective map fragments that can be used to fight the Elder.

Defeating Elders will grant either a Fragment of Terror or a Fragment of Emptiness. Both of these, combined with the ones dropped by The Shaper, will open a portal to the Uber Elder fight.

Venarius

Venarius is a boss whom players don’t fight directly. Instead, you’ll take on his summons who appear across a unique Synthesis map, Cortex (Replica Cortex):

Fractal Gargantuan
Synthete Masterpiece
Fractal Titan
Synthete Nightmare

Defeating the bosses will have Venarius spawn loot, including a guaranteed unique item. To fight the Uber variant of the boss — rather, his minions — you’ll need five Synthesizing Fragments.

The Maven/Uber Maven

The Maven in her Crucible (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Maven’s presence will be there as soon as you reach Tier 6+ maps. However, to fight her in the pinnacle encounter, you’ll need The Maven's Writ, crafted using Crescent Splinters. The splinters can be acquired through challenge invitations inside Maven’s crucible.

Combining 10 will create Maven's Writ, which can be used to challenge Maven. To fight her Uber form, you’ll need five Reality Fragments.

The Eater of Worlds/Uber Eater

Eater of Worlds in Path of Exile (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

The Eater is another pinnacle boss fight in Path of Exile that can only be accessed after defeating the Infinite Hunger. For that, you’ll need to complete the Eater of Worlds quest.

If you have never done it, simply follow the Maven’s quest of defeating map bosses and you’ll eventually stumble upon Writhing Invitation. Defeating the Infinite Hunger will drop Screaming Invitation, where you’ll encounter the Eater.

After defeating him once, every 28th T14+ map influenced by the Eater will drop a Screaming Invitation for the boss encounter. For a pinnacle variant, you’ll need five Devouring Fragments.

The Searing Exarch/Uber Exarch

The Searing Exarch in Path of Exile (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

The Searing Exarch is similar to the Eater of Worlds and can be encountered after defeating the Black Star. This entire process will be a part of the Searing Exarch quest, which will be similar to the Eater quest mentioned above.

To fight the Black Star, you’ll need a Polaric Invitation. After defeating her, she will drop Incandescent Invitation, which will allow you to fight the Exarch. Further invitations will drop inside every 28th T14+ influenced map. Pinnacle boss fight will require five Blazing Fragments.

Expedition bosses

Olroth in Path of Exile (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Running Expedition will eventually stumble into an Expedition Logbook, which is the only way to encounter Expedition bosses. Once you have a Logbook, talk to Dannig and enter a special map filled with expedition encounters. The bosses include

Vorana, Last to Fall
Medved, Feller of Heroes
Uhtred, Covetous Traitor
Olroth, Origin of the Fall

After entering the map, you may encounter one of the bosses, marked with a skull. However, certain modifiers on the Logbook will ensure a boss spawn.

Catarina, Master of Undeath

Catarina boss fight in Path of Exile (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

The leader of Immortal Syndicate, Catarina, can be found inside the Mastermind's Lair, accessible through a Syndicate Medallion. Reaching her lair is a long process that requires you to complete one of the Syndicate boards and defeat a Safehouse leader.

The Syndicate Medallion will only drop if the area is Level 78 or higher while fighting the Safehouse leader. The medallion can be used in the map device to open portals to the Mastermind's Lair.

Atziri, Queen of the Vaal/Uber Atziri

Atziri's arena in Path of Exile (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

As the name suggests, Atziri is the Queen of the Vaal civilization and the boss encounter of the Apex of Sacrifice. To access the area, collect your different Sacrifice map fragments. Using them will open a portal to the special area.

Inside the area, you’ll encounter different bosses at different stages, with the final one being Atziri. Here are all the bosses in the Apex of Sacrifice:

Vessel of the Vaal (Room 1)
A'alai (Room 2)
Q'ura (Room 2)
Y'ara'az (Room 2)
Atziri, Queen of the Vaal (Room 3)

To fight the Uber version of Atziri, you’ll need Mortal map fragments instead of Sacrifice. These will open a portal to the Alluring Abyss for the Uber variant.

Breachlords

Uul-Netol in Path of Exile (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

The Breachlords are five endgame bosses who reside in another domain, accessible only through their respective Breachstones. To acquire one Breachstone of any type, collect 100 Breach Splinters by defeating enemies from Breach encounters in your maps. The five endgame bosses are

Xoph, Dark Embers
Esh, Forked Thought
Tul, Creeping Avalanche
Uul-Netol, Unburdened Flesh
Chayula, Who Dreamt

Once you enter their domain, you’ll encounter a Breach with a time limit. Killing enemies will increase the timer. However, if it runs out, the encounter will end, and you’ll be sent back to the Atlas. Reaching the boss arena will remove the timer restriction for the boss fight.

Conquerors

Baran boss fight in Path of Exile (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

The Conquerors were introduced with the Conquerors of the Atlas. This expansion added a new storyline along with five new endgame bosses:

Al-Hezmin, the Hunter
Baran, the Crusader
Drox, The Warlord
Veritania, the Redeemer
Sirus, Awakener of Worlds/Uber Sirus

All the Conquerors were original Exiles like us, with Sirus as their leader. The bosses can be encountered through an Elder Influenced map, which has a chance to be dropped from T14+ map bosses.

Defeating each of the Conquerors will drop their crest, which can be used in your map device to fight Sirus. Uber variant can be fought using Awakening Fragments that drop from T17 maps.

Incarnations

Incarnation of Fear in Path of Exile (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

The Incarnation bosses are the latest addition to Path of Exile's Secrets of the Atlas expansion. These bosses were formed after the Atlas influenced Zana’s childhood memories of her father through various emotions:

Incarnation of Dread
Incarnation of Fear
Incarnation of Neglect

To fight these bosses, complete the entire strand of Memory-Influenced maps on your Atlas tree. Defeating the boss of each final map will drop a map fragment that will lead to the new pinnacle boss fights.

Many of the boss encounters will be available by simply completing the epilogue quest or doing certain League mechanics. It's always better to check out all the boss attack patterns before attempting them.

Check out more on Path of Exile:

About the author

Mayank Singh Rathour is an MMO writer at Sportskeeda. He graduated from college with a degree in Business Administration and has over two years of experience as an esports journalist.

Mayank was introduced to gaming at an early age and played Contra, Double Dragon, Castlevania, etc., on his Nintendo DS. When he was a little older, Counter-Strike — a title that majorly helped develop his passion for gaming — became his favorite pastime. Though he's played a bunch of games since then, his love of CS has remained strong. Shroud, a former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro, is an inspiration to him. He's also a fan of series' esports scene, following teams like Vitality, NAVI, and The Mongols closely.

When Mayank has some free time, he plays basketball and helps people build PCs.

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Edited by Angad Sharma