Hades Keepsakes Tier List: Mastering Olympus's Gifts for Every Run

Introduction: The Power of Keepsakes in Hades

In the roguelike masterpiece Hades, every escape attempt from the Underworld is a unique journey filled with challenges, boons, and difficult choices. While Zagreus's skill and the blessings of the Olympian gods are paramount, one often-underestimated element can dramatically shift the tide of your run: Keepsakes. These trinkets, gifted by the various denizens of the House of Hades and beyond, offer powerful, consistent bonuses that can define your early game, shore up weaknesses, or amplify your strengths.

Choosing the right Keepsake at the right time is a crucial skill for any aspiring Prince of the Underworld. This guide will break down every Keepsake, categorizing them into a tier list to help you make informed decisions and finally reach the surface!

What Are Keepsakes and Why Do They Matter?

Keepsakes are special items Zagreus can equip before starting a run, or swap between regions (Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, Temple of Styx). Each Keepsake provides a unique, permanent bonus for that run, or a bonus that recharges. You earn Keepsakes by giving Nectar to various characters you encounter. The more Nectar you give, the more Keepsakes you unlock.

How to Use Keepsakes Effectively

Early Game Focus: Many Keepsakes are incredibly powerful in the early stages, helping you establish a strong foundation for your build.
Build Synergy: Some Keepsakes directly support specific build types, like critical hit builds or cast-focused strategies.
Boss Preparation: Certain Keepsakes are invaluable for specific boss encounters, providing damage reduction or extra lives.
Strategic Swapping: Don't forget you can swap Keepsakes between regions! This is key to maximizing their utility, perhaps starting with a boon-guaranteeing Keepsake and switching to a defensive one for later boss fights.

Hades Keepsake Tier List: Your Guide to Olympian Favor

This tier list is based on general utility, impact on a run's success, and versatility across different weapons and builds. Remember, personal playstyle and specific run circumstances can always shift a Keepsake's value.

S-Tier: Game Changers for Any Run

These Keepsakes provide immense, consistent value and are often excellent choices regardless of your planned build.

Old Spiked Collar (Cerberus): Grants +50/75/100 Max HP. A flat health boost is always good, especially for newer players or high Heat runs. More HP means more mistakes you can afford to make.
Lucky Tooth (Skelly): When your HP is depleted, restore 50/75/100 HP once per escape attempt. An extra life is arguably the strongest defensive bonus in the game, offering a crucial safety net against unexpected damage or boss mechanics.
Evergreen Acorn (Eurydice): In boss encounters, the first 3/4/5 hits you take deal 0 damage. This is an absolute lifesaver for every boss, dramatically reducing the threat of their most dangerous attacks and allowing you to learn patterns more safely.

A-Tier: Strong Choices for Specific Builds or Situations

These Keepsakes are incredibly powerful when used strategically, often guiding your build or excelling in particular scenarios.

God's Keepsakes (e.g., Thunder Signet (Zeus), Eternal Rose (Aphrodite), Olympian Bracelets (Poseidon), etc.): Guarantees a boon from the chosen Olympian in your next encounter, and makes their boons 10/15/20% more likely to appear. Essential for forcing specific builds or Duo Boons. Pick your favorite god and go!
Shattered Shackle (Sisyphus): Your Attack, Special, and Cast deal +10/20/30% damage while you have no Boons from Olympians. Incredibly potent in Tartarus, especially with weapons that don't rely heavily on boons (e.g., Aspect of Zagreus Bow).
Lambent Plume (Hermes): After clearing an encounter quickly, gain +1.0/1.1/1.2% Dodge Chance and Move Speed for the rest of the escape attempt. High risk, high reward. If you can consistently clear rooms fast, this becomes an absurdly powerful defensive and offensive tool.
Pierced Butterfly (Thanatos): After clearing an encounter without taking damage, gain +1/1.5/2% damage for the rest of the escape attempt. Similar to the Plume, but rewards flawless play with pure damage. Can snowball into massive damage if you're skilled.

B-Tier: Niche but Potentially Powerful

These Keepsakes have specific uses or require a certain playstyle to shine, but can be very effective in the right hands.

Cosmic Egg (Chaos): Guarantees a Chaos Gate in the next chamber, and all Boons from Chaos have +20/30/40% chance to be Rare or better. High risk, high reward. Chaos boons can be run-defining, but often come with significant drawbacks.
Skull Earring (Achilles): Deal +10/20/30% damage when striking foes from behind. Excellent for weapons like the Stygian Blade or Twin Fists, or builds that prioritize backstabs.
Black Shawl (Nyx): Deal +10/20/30% damage when striking foes from behind, and take -10/15/20% damage when struck from behind. A solid defensive and offensive choice, particularly against enemies that frequently flank you.
Bone Hourglass (Charon): The effects of any Boons from the Well of Charon last +4/6/8 encounters longer. Can be incredibly strong if you find powerful well items like extra dashes or damage buffs, extending their duration significantly.

C-Tier: Situational or Less Impactful

These Keepsakes generally offer less consistent value compared to higher tiers, or are highly situational.

Chthonic Coin Purse (Hypnos): Start an escape attempt with +100/125/150 Obols. Useful for a quick early purchase, but the amount of Obols quickly becomes negligible compared to what you earn in a run.
Harpy Feather Duster (Dusa): Any healing items you find are 20/30/40% more effective. Healing items are somewhat rare and often small, making this bonus less impactful than direct HP or an extra life.
Frost-Bitten Horn (Demeter): Guarantees a boon from Demeter in your next encounter, and makes her boons 10/15/20% more likely to appear. While Demeter has good boons, her Keepsake is listed here because her boons often scale better later in a run, making an early guarantee less critical than other gods.

Beyond the Tiers: Adapting Your Strategy

While a tier list provides a good starting point, the true mastery of Keepsakes comes from understanding when and how to swap them. For example, you might start with a God's Keepsake to guarantee a core boon for your build, then switch to the Evergreen Acorn before the Elysium boss, and finally to the Lucky Tooth for the final boss of Styx.

Mastering Keepsake Swaps

Remember that you can swap Keepsakes at the start of each new region. This flexibility is key to adapting to the boons you've acquired and the challenges ahead. Don't be afraid to experiment with different combinations and timing to find what works best for your current build and playstyle.

Conclusion: Embrace the Gifts of Olympus

Keepsakes are more than just trinkets; they are strategic tools that can significantly influence your success in Hades. By understanding their strengths and weaknesses, and by learning when to equip and swap them, you'll be well on your way to mastering the Underworld and finally escaping to the surface. Experiment, adapt, and may the gods (and your chosen Keepsakes) be ever in your favor!