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To fight the Second Sentinel, first solve the three Cogheart bell puzzles, activate the dormant automaton in Cogwork Core, then unlock the Final Audience wish in Songclave. The duel takes place in a newly opened High Halls room. In the fight, avoid attacking while the Sentinel holds its defensive stance; wait out its counters and punish committed moves after they finish.
Get the Cogheart and activate the Sentinel
The Second Sentinel begins dormant in Cogwork Core. You need the three Cogheart pieces from bell puzzles in Whispering Vaults, Choral Chambers and Memorium. The Nintendo Life Final Audience guide describes the puzzle locations; the Final Audience reference confirms the Cogheart is used to activate the Sentinel.
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- Whispering Vaults: Look in the small room on the left side of the area, below where Trobbio is found.
- Choral Chambers: Find the bell room in the area. It can be approached from Songclave or via the nearby Ventrica route.
- Memorium: Check the first small room on the right after the first long corridor.
Once you have all three pieces, go to the lower half of Cogwork Core. Double Jump is needed for the route to the automaton.
- In the tall room filled with cogs, descend along its left side and take the doorway on the left.
- Cross the platform room and go through the opening in the ceiling.
- On the next screen, use Double Jump to reach the upper platform.
- Break the two walls to the right, then give the assembled Cogheart to the dormant Sentinel.
Unlock Final Audience
Activating the Sentinel does not immediately start the duel. You must meet the quest conditions before Final Audience appears on Songclave’s Wishwall. According to the Second Sentinel reference and the Final Audience reference, the requirements are:
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- Discover the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom! Explore mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors as you ascend to the shining citadel at the top of the world.
- Engage in lethal acrobatic action! Wield a huge suite of deadly moves as you dance between foes in swift, beautiful combat.
- Craft powerful tools! Master an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps, and mechanisms to vanquish your enemies and explore new heights.
- Solve shocking quests! Hunt down rare beasts and solve ancient mysteries to grant the wishes of the downtrodden and restore the kingdom’s hope.
- Face over 200 ferocious foes! Beasts and hunters, monsters and knights. Defeat them all with bravery and skill!
- Activate the Second Sentinel with the Cogheart.
- Meet it at least twice in the Citadel, or once if you have acquired Everbloom.
- Learn Conductor’s Melody.
- Complete at least two Songclave Wishes, including Building Up Songclave.
The Sentinel can appear at more than one Citadel location, and its available spots vary by progression. The listed Act 2 encounters are the hallway east of Cogwork Dancers and a long Choral Chambers hallway below Cogwork Core. If you have completed the enemy gauntlet, it may also appear in the room west of Citadel Spa. In Act 3, another listed spot is a hallway below Citadel Spa and east of Ventrica. After an encounter, rest at a bench before searching another location.
Act 3 also has resting locations: west of Grand Bellway; northwest of Whiteward if The Wandering Merchant wish is complete and Jubilana has been rescued; and in a western High Halls room reached with Clawline above a Choral Chambers bench. These are additional possibilities, not extra quest requirements.
Rank #2
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Explore a vast interconnected world of forgotten highways, overgrown wilds and ruined cities.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!.Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favourites and make your journey unique!.An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation..
Reach the High Halls duel room
Once Final Audience appears, accept it from Songclave’s Wishwall. Follow the quest markers or pins to the newly opened room in High Halls. From the High Halls bench, the route described by Nintendo Life is left one screen, up one screen, then right through the new entryway. Speak with the Sentinel to begin the fight.
How to handle the Second Sentinel’s attacks
The encounter reference’s attack names are descriptive labels, not confirmed official in-game terminology. Focus on the visual cues: several attacks can chain into follow-ups, so do not assume the first dodge or landing is the end of a sequence. The responses below follow from the described move geometry and counter behavior; they are not claims of tested timing.
Rank #3
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
- Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favorites and make your journey unique!
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
| What you see | What may follow | How to respond |
|---|---|---|
| It draws one blade back, lunges, then follows with the other | A ground combo that may continue with another lunge, a counter or a wide X-shaped slash, depending on Hornet’s position | Do not stand directly in front. Wait to see whether the sequence continues before attacking. |
| It jumps forward and dives diagonally | An aerial lunge with possible follow-up attacks | Move out of its landing line, then keep watching for the next attack. |
| It holds both blades behind its back, then swings forward | A large wind projectile; an airborne version can angle downward | Leave the projectile’s path and watch for another aerial move. |
| It briefly charges, makes a small forward jump, then slashes in a large X | A wide X-shaped attack, also possible from the air | Give the slash room rather than trying to attack through its wind-up. |
| It crouches with one blade forward, then jumps and spins before landing | A spinning attack that can chain into other airborne moves | Avoid the spin and do not treat the landing as the end of the sequence. |
| It leaps back to a wall | An aerial lunge, projectile or X-shaped slash; a wall projectile may be followed by another aerial attack | Track the Sentinel until the full sequence resolves. |
| It holds a defensive stance at close range | Incoming attacks are blocked; hitting the stance triggers a far-reaching flurry counter | Stop attacking. Evade the counter, then look for an opening after it finishes. |
| It dashes quickly | A reposition or an attempt to avoid Hornet | Re-center and wait for a clear wind-up before committing. |
The practical rhythm is to prioritize survival through each committed move, then attack during the recovery rather than forcing hits into a guarded or unresolved sequence. Nintendo Life recommends Cross Stitch for the fight, but it is optional; the cited sources do not establish a required tool or loadout.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Final Audience reward
Defeating the Second Sentinel completes Final Audience and awards Reserve Bind. It is an emergency Bind charge that can be used once and must be refilled at a bench, as described by Nintendo Life and the Second Sentinel reference.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
- Leap into minds with the Dream Nail. Uncover a whole other side to the characters you meet and the enemies you face.
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