The Eye of Cthulhu is one of the first bosses the player has to face in pre-hardmode in Terraria. In this article, we will cover in much detail what facing this boss is like and what you should do to prepare for the fight. So get ready for the ultimate guide to beating the Eye of Cthulhu.
Eye of Cthulu can be spawned manually using a Suspicious Looking Eye, or it can arrive automatically depending on some scenarios. Facing it will vary on your class choice, although the melee class is the weakest to deal damage to this boss.
The Eye of Cthulhu is a terrifying flying boss in Terraria that darts around the arena and is hard to fight face-to-face. Learn more about it by reading this detailed boss guide.
How to Spawn Eye of Cthulhu?
To manually summon the Eye of Cthulhu in Terraria, you can use a Suspicious Looking Eye at night, starting from 7:30 PM in-game time. This can only be done on the surface or in space environments.
The Suspicious Looking Eye is a consumable item used for summoning and can be crafted at a Demon or Crimson Altar using 6 Lens. Alternatively, it can be found in Gold/Frozen Chests in the Cavern and the Dungeon or in Ivy Chests in the Underground Jungle.
It’s important to note that the Suspicious Looking Eye will only function during the night. If you try to use it during the daytime or when another Eye of Cthulhu has already been summoned, the Eye of Cthulhu will not appear, and the item will not be consumed.
There is also a 33.33% chance that the Eye of Cthulhu will spawn automatically each night, given certain conditions:
- The Eye of Cthulhu has not been defeated in the current world.
- At least one player in the world has a maximum health of 200 or more and a defense of more than 10.
- There are at least four town NPCs present in the world, including the Traveling Merchant and town pets.
If the boss spawns automatically, you will receive a status message that says “You feel an evil presence watching you…”
However, if you are deep underground, the Eye of Cthulhu will not spawn until you return to the surface. If you remain underground throughout the entire night, the boss will not appear at all.
How to Defeat Eye of Cthulhu?
Defeating the Eye of Cthulhu in Terraria boils down to the class you are using. Some classes will find it harder to beat this boss, while for others, it will be a breeze. We will go over which weapons best suit the class when fighting the boss.
Melee Class Strategy
Melee users have relatively limited options at this stage, as melee weapons primarily serve to eliminate the low-HP Servants of Cthulhu. While some melee weapons can launch projectiles, obtaining them may prove challenging.
Certain melee swords with long-range projectiles offer a safe way to attack from a distance. These include the Enchanted Sword, which is rarely found throughout the world, in Enchanted Sword Shrines, or in Golden Crates. The Ice Blade, Starfury, and, Blade of Grass are other options that can come in handy.
Enchanted Boomerangs can be highly useful due to their extended range. However, missing a boomerang leaves the player vulnerable to counterattacks while it returns. Preferred choices would be the Trimarang, Enchanted Boomerang, Ice Boomerang, or Thorn Chakram.
Yoyos are another melee weapon type that excels against the boss. The most powerful available is the Amazon, although it requires venturing into the Underground Jungle early on. If a substantial amount of Demonite or Crimtane Ore has been obtained, crafting a Malaise or Artery yoyo is possible.
Flail weapons such as the Flaming Mace or Ball O’ Hurt can be valuable due to their high speed and the ability to deal significant damage with a throwing attack.
For those who have found Demonite or Crimtane Ore, riskier but more potent options are the Light’s Bane or Blood Butcherer swords. Both possess special abilities that aid in the fight, with the Light’s Bane spawning additional slashes and the Blood Butcherer inflicting a bleeding debuff.
Spears have the advantage of piercing through the Servants and dealing high damage to the boss. However, they come with the risk of short range. The safest spear options include the Storm Spear, found in the dangerous Underground Desert, and The Rotted Fork, a powerful spear obtained from Crimson Hearts that emits a short shockwave.
Ranged Class Strategy
Guns like the Minishark and Boomstick prove highly effective against this boss, but they can be challenging to acquire. The Minishark requires the arrival of the Arms Dealer, while the Boomstick is exclusively found in the perilous Underground Jungle.
At this stage of the game, easier-to-find options include the Musket or The Undertaker, obtained by breaking Shadow Orbs or Crimson Hearts. It’s worth noting that all guns, except the Musket, greatly benefit from the Sharktooth Necklace or Silver or Tungsten Bullets during the initial phase of the fight when the boss’s defense is higher.
Bows offer a straightforward crafting option with good damage output. Among craftable bows, the Gold Bow or Platinum Bow are the best choices available. However, if the player happens to possess a substantial amount of Demonite or Crimtane Ore, crafting a Demon or Tendon Bow becomes a viable alternative. The Blood Rain Bow is excellent for this encounter but can only be obtained by fishing during a Blood Moon and requires defeating a challenging mini-boss.
Frostburn Arrows deal the highest damage to the boss itself and inflict Frostburn, while Jester’s Arrows can dispatch the Servants and harm the Eye simultaneously. Flaming Arrows serve as a reliable backup option in case your primary arrow choice becomes depleted.
Bone Javelins are a cost-effective and powerful option against the Eye of Cthulhu. They deliver heavy damage upon impact and apply a damaging debuff that stacks. Although slightly weaker against the boss itself, the Bone Throwing Knife can pierce through the Servants.
The Snowball Cannon is another rapid-firing weapon that performs decently in both phases of the fight. If you manage to defeat the Painter multiple times, the Paintball Gun proves effective with its high critical strike chance and rapid-fire rate.
Mage Class Strategy
Magic weapons primarily excel in damaging the boss itself, but they can also be used to attack the servants when necessary. It’s important to note that all magic weapons available at this stage possess the ability to pierce through multiple enemies. However, more adventurous players can acquire significantly better weapons, which should be utilized for subsequent encounters:
Gem Staves are straightforward to craft, and their long-range piercing shots make them a perfect choice for the boss battle. The Diamond Staff, Ruby Staff, and Amber Staff are the strongest options, while the Amethyst Staff and Topaz Staff deal significantly less damage and have fewer piercing capabilities.
The Thunder Zapper deals impressive damage but lacks piercing abilities. Obtaining it requires venturing into the dangerous Underground Desert.
The Crimson Rod serves as an excellent secondary weapon. Its clouds can be deployed to clear out the servants while steadily damaging the boss. On the other hand, its Corruption counterpart, the Vilethorn, is less helpful due to its limited range and low damage. However, the lingering thorn can strike the boss and servants multiple times, even passing through walls. Both weapons necessitate exploring hazardous biomes and destroying Crimson Hearts or Shadow Orbs.
The Space Gun, with its fast projectile velocity and piercing effect, is an exceptional choice. To obtain it, a Meteorite must spawn after breaking a Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart. It works best when paired with the Meteor Armor’s set bonus, which eliminates the mana cost of the Space Gun.
Water Bolt can be found on shelves in the Dungeon. If acquired, it can completely replace the Gem Staves. It’s advisable to construct solid-block walls around your arena to maximize the effectiveness of Water Bolt’s ricocheting projectiles.
Summoner Class Strategy
At this point in Terraria, there is a limited selection of summons, but combining the available options with a good whip will prove more than sufficient to defeat this boss within the time limit, particularly in classic mode.
The Flinx Staff is likely the most powerful summon weapon obtainable at this stage of the game. Other alternatives include the Finch Staff and the Slime Staff. The Vampire Frog Staff is even stronger, although it may pose a challenge to acquire at this point, as it requires defeating formidable enemies during a Blood Moon event.
For practicality, the Leather Whip is the recommended choice for a whip at this stage. It can be purchased from the Zoologist NPC. Although the Snapthorn offers greater strength, it necessitates exploring the perilous Underground Jungle.
Other Strategies
Slimy Saddle Strategy
Use the Slimy Saddle for continuous bouncing on top of the boss while simultaneously attacking with a ranged weapon. The eye will move towards you, allowing for continuous damage. Ensure you have means to prevent fall damage, such as the Lucky Horseshoe, Grappling Hook, Umbrella, Cloud in a Bottle, or Fledgling Wings.
Magic Mirror Strategy
In the second Phase, with a nearby spawn point, utilize hit-and-run tactics. Run in one direction, attacking the Eye, and when it’s about to charge, use a Magic Mirror, Ice Mirror, or Recall Potion to teleport to spawn. Then run in the opposite direction, evading the attack and creating an opportunity to unleash your firepower.
Railway Strategy
Construct a 400-block-long railway. When the Eye spawns, continuously move along the railway while attacking it. This method minimizes damage taken and requires minimal mobility.
Pathway Strategy
You’ll need some form of fast running like Hermes Boots or the Fuzzy Carrot.
Create two parallel pathways in the sky using Platforms, at least 4 blocks apart and 200 to 500 blocks in length. Place Campfires every 20 to 40 blocks and consider adding a Heart Lantern and/or a Star in a Bottle near the campfires if possible.
Build a valid NPC house in the middle of the pathways and move the Nurse into it. In multiplayer, add a Bed to the house for respawn purposes.
During the fight, continuously run along the platforms, attacking the Eye. Switch between platforms to dodge attacks and evade the Servants of Cthulhu. If you reach the end of a platform, jump or fall to the other platform and change directions. Using projectile-firing weapons like bows, staves, or magic books is recommended.
What are the Difficulty Differences?
The boss has different stats depending on the difficulty and the phase it is in. These differences are as follows:
Classic Mode
In Classic Mode the Eye of Cthulhu has the following stats in Terraria:
- First Phase:
- Damage: 15
- HP: 2800
- Defense: 12
- Knockback resistance is 100%
- Immune to Confused
- Second Phase:
- Damage: 23
- Defense: 0
- Everything else remains the same.
The Eye of Cthulhu exhibits two distinct phases and possesses the ability to move through solid blocks throughout both phases. In the first phase, it aims to hover directly above the player while simultaneously summoning 3–4 Servants of Cthulhu.
Upon defeat, these servants drop Hearts and Stars. Following this, the boss charges at the player in a sequence of three consecutive charges before repeating the cycle.
Once the Eye of Cthulhu’s health drops below 50%, it undergoes a transformation into its second form. In this form, it sheds its iris, revealing a menacing mouth. It becomes more aggressive, ramming the player with greater intensity three times, followed by a period of suspension in the air. During this phase, it ceases to spawn Servants of Cthulhu, loses its defense, but gains increased contact damage.
Expert Mode
In Expert Mode the Eye of Cthulhu has the following stats:
- First Phase:
- Damage: 30
- HP: 3640
- Defense: 12
- Knockback resistance is 100%
- Immune to Confused
- Second Phase:
- Damage: 36 – 40
- Defense: 0
- Everything else remains the same.
During Expert Mode, the Eye of Cthulhu in Terraria exhibits heightened difficulty. It spawns a greater number of Servants of Cthulhu compared to normal mode, and upon transforming, it summons 4–5 additional servants.
In the second phase, the boss gains an extra powerful rapid chain dash attack, accompanied by a higher-pitched roar with each dash. As the Eye of Cthulhu’s health diminishes, the speed of its dashes increases, and when nearing death, it can execute nearly continuous dashes. The intensity of its attacks escalates to provide an enhanced challenge.
Master Mode
In Master Mode the Eye of Cthulhu has the following stats:
- First Phase:
- Damage: 45
- HP: 4641
- Defense: 12
- Knockback resistance is 100%
- Immune to Confused
- Second Phase:
- Damage: 54 – 60
- Defense: 0
- Everything else remains the same.
The boss’s behavior stays the same as in Expert Mode however, its health pool and damage is increased.
Is Eye of Cthulhu Harder Solo or With Friends?
Having a friend with you will definitely help in chipping this boss’s health. Since it moves around so much, having multiple players will cover a larger arena. Players can also designate turns to aggro the boss while the other teammate can rest or recover health.
In single-player, the biggest advantage is the player can repeatedly pause the game using Autopause in order to properly aim at the Eye of Cthulhu during its dash attacks.
What are the Rewards for Defeating Eye of Cthulhu?
The rewards for defeating the Eye of Cthulhu differ according to your difficulty playing Terraria. Most rewards are the same for all difficulties except a few, and sometimes the drop rates increase at higher difficulties. We will highlight all these rewards and changes below:
Classic Mode Rewards
| Reward | Quantity | Drop Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Coins | 3 | 100% |
| Binoculars | 1 | 2.5% |
| Lesser Healing Potion | 5-15 | 100% |
| Badger’s Hat (if defeated on the same day as the Wall of Flesh) | 1 | 100% |
| Eye of Cthulhu Mask | 1 | 14% |
| Eye of Cthulhu Trophy | 1 | 10% |
| Demonite Ore (Corrupt World only) | 30-90 | 100% |
| Unholy Arrow (Corrupt World only) | 20-50 | 100% |
| Corrupt Seeds (Corrupt World only) | 1-3 | 100% |
| Crimtane Ore (Crimson World only) | 30-90 | 100% |
| Crimson Seeds (Crimson World only) | 1-3 | 100% |
Expert Mode Rewards
| Reward | Quantity | Drop Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Coins | 7 | 100% |
| Silver Coins | 50 | 100% |
| Treasure Bag | 1 | 100% |
| Shield of Cthulhu | 1 | 100% |
| Binoculars | 1 | 3.33% |
| Extra Gold Coins | 3 | 100% |
Master Mode Rewards
| Reward | Quantity | Drop Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| Eye of Cthulhu Relic | 1 | 100% |
| 0x33’s Aviators | 1 | 100% |
| Suspicious Grinning Eye | 1 | 25% |
There you go; this was the ultimate guide to beating the Eye of Cthulhu in Terraria. The difficulty you chose and the class you play will greatly impact your experience, and hopefully, our guide will have pointed you in the right direction.