Shadow Lord — Whisper of the Void
Stage 10 · Teleport mix-up specialist — fast, deceptive openings, punishing whiffs.
Shadow Lord is the campaign’s midpoint wall and a complete change of pace from Iron Fist. Where Iron Fist stood still and dared you to punish him, Shadow Lord refuses to stand still at all. He teleports around the arena, appears behind you, and punishes every over-committed attack you throw into empty space.
His 650 HP and 1.5× damage are dangerous, but his real threat is confusion. Players lose to Shadow Lord by chasing him — dashing after a teleport and eating the counter. The fight is won by patience and reaction, not aggression.
Boss stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Stage | Stage 10 |
| Health | 650 HP |
| Speed | Fast (1.2×) |
| Damage | High (1.5×) |
The three phases
Like every boss, Shadow Lord runs a three-phase AI that escalates at 66% and 33% remaining HP. Each transition adds aggression and speed — and opens a brief invincible intro you can use to charge Ki.
Phase 1 (100% – 66% HP)
He teleports occasionally and tests your reactions with Void Slash dashes. Stay grounded, keep your back off the wall, and react to his re-appearance rather than predicting it.
Phase 2 (66% – 33% HP)
Shadow Step frequency ramps up — he now regularly warps directly behind you. Turn-and-punish becomes the core loop. Do not commit heavies unless you have already seen him land and freeze.
Phase 3 (33% – 0% HP)
Eclipse and rapid teleport chains come out. This is the most chaotic phase in the early game. A charged Super Beam catches his re-appearance and stuns him — the single most reliable phase-3 answer.
Signature moves & how to counter them
Shadow Step
Instant teleport. An instant warp that repositions him behind the player, usually followed immediately by an attack from your blind side.
Counter: Watch for the warning flash before the warp. Hold dodge-roll (double-tap ↓) on reaction to the flash — you become invincible through his follow-up — then punish his recovery.
Void Slash
Multi-hit dash. A fast forward dash that connects for several hits and closes distance instantly.
Counter: Depth-dodge (↑/↓) off the line of the dash, or dodge-roll through it. Never try to out-poke a Void Slash head-on — you will lose the trade.
Eclipse
Screen-darkening overhead. A phase-3 overhead that dims the arena and comes down hard, punishing anyone standing still.
Counter: Keep moving as the screen darkens and dodge-roll the descent. Answer with a quick, guaranteed punish rather than a long combo — he recovers fast.
How to beat Shadow Lord
Never commit a heavy unless Shadow Lord is grounded and visibly recovering. Every whiffed Roundhouse (S) is an invitation for a teleport punish. Keep your normals short and cancelable.
Reserve your dodge-roll specifically for the Shadow Step warning flash. Rolling on reaction turns his best mix-up into your best punish window — roll, turn, and hit him with a fast confirm as he reappears.
Build meter methodically in phases 1–2 and hold it. In phase 3, a Super Beam (75%) fired at his re-appearance both catches him and stuns, giving you a free follow-up. It is the cleanest way to break the phase-3 chaos.
Recommended Ki specials
Energy Dash (35%) for an invincible reposition if cornered; Super Beam (75%) saved for phase 3 to catch and stun his teleport re-appearances.
Common mistakes
- Chasing his teleport by dashing after him — that is exactly the whiff he wants to punish.
- Backing into a wall, which removes your room to react to Shadow Step.
- Throwing out long combos on hit; his fast recovery lets him escape and re-teleport.
TL;DR
Stay grounded and patient, dodge-roll the teleport flash to turn it into a punish, and save Super Beam for phase 3.
More boss guides
- Previous: Iron Fist (Stage 5)
- Next: Storm Monk (Stage 11)
See the full boss roster, brush up on the core mechanics, or review the command list before you climb the ladder.