Given Nintendo's recent reputation for family-friendly games, the level of difficulty on offer throughout Metroid Dread came as a welcome surprise to many. In particular, some of the bosses that Samus comes up against are incredibly challenging; none more so than the game's final boss, Raven Beak.
Given just how effortlessly the Chozo warrior dealt with Samus at the very beginning of Metroid Dread, it was always likely to be a tough fight. Few, however, could have predicted just how difficult it would end up being, with most players requiring multiple attempts to defeat the Mawkin tribe's former leader.
Where to Find Raven Beak
Once players have defeated the Elite Chozo Soldier on Hanubia, they'll find an elevator that takes them up to the floating fortress, Itorash. There, after passing through a save room, they'll come to another chamber with a glowing red tube in the center. Using a Power Bomb here will allow them to access the room's upper level and the elevator that leads to Raven Beak.
How to Beat Raven Beak (Phase 1)
During the first phase of the fight, Raven Beak has access to four main attacks as well as a couple of powerful mele moves. At first, this can make him seem nigh on unstoppable, but all of his phase 1 attacks can actually be dodged fairly easily once players have a better idea of what to expect.
If Raven Beak raises his arm cannon into the air, it means that he's about to use his pink split-beam attack and so players should get in close to avoid being hit. He likes to follow this up with either a single swipe or a wide-reaching three-hit combo, however, so players should be ready to jump and Flash Shift away as soon as the attack ends.
Perhaps the most frustrating attack that Raven Beak has access to is a black energy orb that follows Samus around the room and explodes upon impact. This can be shot down with enough charged shots or missiles, but it's a lot quicker and easier to simply use a Power Bomb to take care of it. It will also provide players with missiles and health when destroyed.
As well as energy-based attacks, Raven Beak also has a particularly nasty charge move at his disposal in which he lifts Samus off the ground and pins her to the wall. Players can dodge this one pretty easily simply by jumping over it, however, and will know when it's coming as the boss' fist will glow red for a second or two immediately before he uses it.
Raven Beak's fourth attack also involves the color red and will see the majority of the screen bathed in an eery red mist before the boss fires a large energy wave across the screen. When this happens, players should use the Morph Ball, after which they'll be presented with a counter opportunity.
In terms of actually dealing damage to the boss, players should hold the R button as they dodge his attacks and hit him with Storm Missiles as often as possible. The key to ending the first phase is the counter opportunity though, which players will need to execute perfectly and then immediately begin firing missiles.
How to Beat Raven Beak (Phase 2)
Once players have successfully countered Raven Beak, he'll begin to glow gold, and the second phase of the fight will begin. He now has access to a new Flash Shift-style attack, which he'll use to quickly get behind Samus. He often follows this up with a charge attack, so players should be prepared to jump immediately after he uses it just in case he does.
When enough damage has been dealt, Raven Beak will stop to taunt Samus, at which point, players should move in close to him. When they get within range, they'll immediately be faced with a counter opportunity and another one follows soon after. Once they've executed the second, players should begin firing missiles right away and continue to do so until the full counter animation has ended.
To end the phase, players will need to perform the taunt counter on two separate occasions, which should lead to Samus tearing off a piece of Raven Beak's armor and the boss sprouting a pair of black wings. If players aren't getting this animation, it's likely because they have only countered once or they didn't start firing missiles fast enough after hitting Y for the second time.
How to Beat Raven Beak (Phase 3)
The third phase of the fight sees Raven Beak using four brand new attacks, the most annoying of which is his machine gun volley. Players will know when it's imminent as a thin red beam will begin to track Samus, after which Raven Beak will start blasting. When this happens, players should use jumps and Flash Shifts to travel in a circular motion around the boss until he stops firing.
Machine-gun fire isn't the only thing coming out of Raven Beak's arm canon during this phase. He'll also start using a powerful pink blaster which can shred through Samus' health bar ridiculously quickly. Thankfully, he'll only be firing this off at a 45-degree angle and requires a few seconds to charge the attack, which makes preempting and avoiding it fairly simple.
The boss' last two attacks for the round involve him diving towards Samus; either vertically or horizontally. If the boss starts out above Samus, players should Flash Shift to the left or right, while if he's to her side, they should jump (or fall, if they are in mid-air) to avoid the attack. It's worth noting that the horizontal dive can be at different heights, so players may be able to "dodge" it simply by standing still.
When it comes to damaging Raven Beak, players should again be firing off Storm Missiles while dodging his attacks. There's no counter opportunity during this phase, so it's simply a case of surviving long enough to dish out enough damage for the end-of-phase cut-scene to play out.
How to Beat Raven Beak (Phase 4)
For all intents and purposes, this is the final phase of the fight and sees Raven Beak reverting back to his phase 2 move set with one or two notable additions. The first is a giant golden ball, which, like the dark energy balls from earlier, should be destroyed with Power Bombs as quickly as possible. As they deal a lot more damage than the smaller balls, players should prioritize the gold ones if they start to run low on Power Bombs.
Raven Beak's other new attack is similar to the pink laser from the previous phase, although now he'll be firing it directly at Samus rather than just down and to his left or right. He'll need to charge the attack first though, so players can use this time to jump up high and then either fall or Flash Shift across the screen to avoid being hit.
Players should still be firing off Storm Missiles as often as possible, and, once enough of them have met their mark, one final counter opportunity will present itself. Players won't need to get close to Raven Beak to trigger it like last time, though they will once again need to hit the Y button twice during the sequence in order to emerge victorious.
How to Beat Raven Beak (Phase 5)
After a three-minute cut-scene, players will find themselves up against a mutated form of Raven Beak down on Planet ZDR's surface. They won't have their missiles anymore and are unable to move, so should instead press and hold the Y button to finish the fiend off. In true Metroid style, they'll then have just three minutes to return to Samus' ship, after which the bounty hunter will escape the exploding planet and the end credits will begin to roll.
