Headless Ape

## Fatherless

The **Headless Ape** (首無し獅子猿, Headless Lion Ape) is an optional Boss with two Vitality bars.

He's found in Ashina Depths, after the Guardian Ape of the Sunken Valley is defeated.

## Behaviour and Tactics

### Phase 1

* **Perilous Sweep**: places the blade near the ground and drags it across in a quick motion from left to right.
* **Swan Dive**: leaps high up in the air before diving down on top of Sekiro, performing a Perilous Sweep. If he was kicked during the attack, he follows up with *Charged Overhead.*
* **Death's Growl**: places his head back on his neck and lets out a deadly growl, inflicting damage and Terror build up, covering a huge radius around him. The growl spreads further in front of him than it does behind.
* **Blade Dance**: weaves the sword two times, then another two. He may do one of the following after a hit was deflected:
	+ Another cut and *Charged Overhead.*
	+ Four strong smashes, then a quicker *Charged Overhead*.
	+ Quick *Death's Growl*.
	+ Quick *Perilous Sweep*.
* **Charged Overhead**: a charged overhead with the camera zooming out. Deflecting successfully will topple his balance. He may follow up with this move after any moves was deflected.
* **Mad Swing**: wildly swings his sword two times.
* **Roundabout**: slashes once then does a fake-out, which is him turning back and quickly turn around slashing up to five times. If deflected at any time, he follows up with a *Charged Overhead*.
* **Sliding Slash**: slips and slides forward, swings his sword once.

### Phase 2

* **Mate Calling**: puts the head back on his neck and lets out a deep howl, calls forth a Female Ape which has a limited behavior akin to a Guardian Ape:
	+ **Onslaught**: a five hit combo finishing with jumping smash. Sometimes she would just does a jumping smash with long distance.
	+ **Prey**: dashes quickly towards Wolf and swipes once.
	+ **Rear Chaser**: quickly turns around and claws, before smashing down with her right hand if target was behind.
	+ **Recovering Roll**: if Wolf managed to deal a large amount of damage to her, she falls down, opening for further damage. After taking enough damage during this time, she rolls backward, recovering herself.
	+ **Rumble**: throws a left hook.

Since the use of Prosthetics and Spirit Emblem consuming Combat Arts help immensely, it's advisable to use the Ceremonial Tanto before the fight starts to have as many Emblems available as possible.

In the first phase of the battle, the same strategies of the original Guardian Ape's second phase apply.

A valuable tactic is to deflect the *Charged Overhead* attack, then use the Loaded Spear drag ability to extract the centipede from his body, dealing large amounts of Vitality and Posture damage.

The Mottled Purple Gourd and Pacifying Agent will help to deal with the Terror inflicted by his *Death's Growl*.Phoenix's Lilac Umbrella can also nullify both the damage and Terror build-up of this attack and Ichimonji or Ichimonji: Double can interrupt it all together.

After Wolf lands a deathblow and initiates the second phase, the beast will use *Mate Calling* and summon a brown ape, which fights similarly to the original Guardian Ape, but only using part of his first phase moveset.

Since the female ape is much weaker than the Boss, it's easy to rush down the enemy, while leaving the Headless Ape alive. The Shinobi Firecracker and Flame Vent prosthetics can stagger the female ape and open her up to massive damage to her Vitality and Posture. The Mortal Draw will also damage her greatly.

The female ape will remain mostly passive during the fight and mostly attack after a combo of the Guardian Ape has been deflected.

Once defeated the Guardian Ape here, his corpse will remain in the arena, writhing from time to time. The centipede inside is still alive and a prompt to sever its immortality appears when approached, if Wolf possesses the Mortal Blade.

## Notes

* After the Guardian Ape moves to Ashina Depths, the Poison Pool will be in ruin and Snake Eyes Cannoneers will have replaced the former Snake Eyes Followers. One of these Cannoneers will be found nearly dead outside the den of the Ape.
* While the Headless Ape is immune to poison, it can be inflicted on his mate.
* Killing the female ape isn't mandatory to end the fight: she just disappears, once the Headless Ape is defeated.
* Until his immortality is severed, the corpse of the Boss will remain in the arena, preventing the Shichimen Warrior that drops the Malcontent's Ring from appearing.

Gallery