The Grandparent never moves. All three attacks are ranged and all of them knock the player away if they connect. Fighting at close range is riskier than it sounds despite the lack of melee attacks.
Throws rocks at the target. Harder to dodge at close range due to the impact radius. Can be shot down by Captain's Defensive Microbots. Straightforward to avoid at medium range by strafing.
Fires an orb after 1s delay at 15m/s. Creates a 20m gravity well for 10 seconds that pulls players toward it. Passes through all terrain and obstacles. 10s cooldown. Destroyable by Captain's Microbots. Fatal near pits.
Summons a star 100m above for 4s. Creates a 200m sphere for 14s. Every 0.5s in the AoE: one Overheat stack (lasts 2s, refreshed). Above 2 stacks: Burn applied every 0.5s, damage scaled by (stacks - 2). 30s cooldown. Cover blocks line of sight to the star.
The Grandparent's spawn animation launches any players standing near it at extremely high velocity, usually off the map. When a Grandparent is about to emerge, move well clear of the spawn point. Being launched can mean instant death from fall damage or flying into enemy attacks.
Each Overheat stack lasts 2 seconds but is refreshed every 0.5s while still in range. This means if you stay in the AoE even briefly, stacks accumulate rapidly. Above 2 stacks, each 0.5s tick applies a Burn stack whose damage is multiplied by (current Overheat stacks - 2). The longer you stay in, the faster the damage compounds. Cover must block line of sight to the star itself, not the Grandparent. The attack casts shadows that visually show safe zones.
Ben's Raincoat prevents Overheat from being applied entirely, making Solar Flare harmless. Blast Shower clears existing Overheat stacks mid-fight. Void Fiend's Trespass repositions and clears debuffs. The attack also damages all enemies on stage except Parents and other Grandparents, making it useful when you have cover.
The Grandparent is a Base Game boss from the Anniversary Update. It spawns most commonly as a teleporter boss on Sky Meadow or naturally at high difficulty. Several DLC loop-only stages also feature it.
| Stage | Stage # | DLC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Meadow | Stage 5 | Base | Primary natural spawn. Teleporter boss or natural at high difficulty. |
| Commencement | Final | Base | Can spawn naturally on the moon stage. |
| Disturbed Impact | Stage 1 (loop) | SotS | Loop-only night variant of Shattered Abodes. |
| Viscous Falls | Stage 1 (loop) | SotS | Loop-only night variant of Verdant Falls. |
| Iron Auroras | Stage 3 (loop) | AC DLC | Loop-only night variant of Iron Alluvium. |
| Any stage | Any | Base | Artifact of Dissonance allows Grandparent to spawn anywhere. |
Heals 15 HP (+15 per stack) instantly whenever the holder takes any damage. Triggers on DoT, fall damage, and self-damage. Does not trigger from Void Fog. Healing is applied before damage, meaning it can prevent death on hits that would otherwise be lethal. Pairs excellently with Aegis, which converts excess healing into barrier.
The Grandparent does not move. The fight is straightforward if you reach it before it hits 50% HP and understand that the Solar Flare requires physical cover from the star above, not the boss itself.
Burst through 50% HP as fast as possible. If you can kill the Grandparent before Solar Flare resolves, you never deal with it. If Solar Flare fires, immediately find terrain cover using the shadows it casts to identify safe zones. The star is 100m up, so rock faces and large structures block its line of sight effectively.
Get clear before it spawns. The spawn animation launches nearby players at lethal velocity. Identify where the Grandparent will appear and move away before it emerges.
Stay at medium range. The Grandparent has no melee attacks, but Rock Throw and Gravity Orb are harder to dodge up close. Medium range is the optimal distance: close enough for sustained DPS, far enough that both attacks have clear dodge windows.
Cover blocks the star, not the body. When Solar Flare activates, find physical terrain that puts solid geometry between you and the orb above the Grandparent. The attack casts visible shadows, so step into the shadow of any large rock, wall, or structure. If you are inside the shadow you are taking no Overheat stacks.
Kill one Grandparent at a time. If multiple Grandparents spawn, focus one completely before switching. Two Grandparents both below 50% HP means two simultaneous Solar Flares. The overlapping AoE at that scale makes finding cover nearly impossible.
Watch for the Gravity Orb near edges. On Sky Meadow and other stages with drops, a Gravity Orb catching you near the edge of a platform can pull you off the map. Stay aware of your position relative to any drop-offs when fighting the Grandparent.
Solar Flare kills enemies. If you have cover and the Grandparent hits 50% HP during a teleporter event with lots of enemies in the open, the Solar Flare can clear the entire wave for you. This turns its strongest attack into a free clear as long as you are behind cover.
The Grandparent is stationary and has no melee attacks, making it ideal for sustained ranged DPS. Any survivor who can burst through 50% HP quickly or counter the Gravity Orb passively has a significant advantage.
The Grandparent is stationary, making it the ideal target for Railgunner's XQR weak point system. A well-loaded Supercharge shot deals massive damage and can drop the Grandparent below 50% and kill it before Solar Flare resolves. Keep distance to stay safe from Gravity Orbs.
High burst melee with grapple mobility. Grapple lets her close distance instantly and disengage before Solar Flare fires. Charged Gauntlet handles the health pool fast. High barrier generation means Overheat DoT is easier to survive during the dash out.
Defensive Microbots passively destroy both Rock Throw projectiles and Gravity Orbs, completely removing two of the three attacks. Diablo Strike deals massive burst from range. The fight becomes almost trivial with Microbots active.
Poison scales well against the Grandparent's large HP pool. Acrid can poison and disengage before Solar Flare fires, dealing consistent damage from safety. Blight DoT stacks keep ticking while in cover during Solar Flare.
Ion Surge gives flight, making it easy to reposition behind terrain cover before Solar Flare fires. Snap Freeze can briefly disable the Grandparent if it triggers. Charged Nano-Bomb burst is effective against a stationary target.
Turrets left near the Grandparent will be destroyed by Solar Flare once it hits 50% HP. Place turrets behind cover relative to the sun's position, or accept you will need to replace them mid-fight. Active play rather than turret passivity is required here.
Void Fiend's Trespass can clear Overheat debuffs, which is a genuine advantage. However, low mobility on the ground form makes escaping Solar Flare more dangerous. Manage corruption meter carefully to have Trespass available when Solar Flare activates.
Sky Meadow (Stage 5) is its primary natural spawn as a teleporter boss or natural high-difficulty monster. It also appears on Commencement and several loop-only stages with SotS and AC DLC: Disturbed Impact, Viscous Falls, and Iron Auroras. With Artifact of Dissonance it can appear anywhere.
Solar Flare creates a 200m sphere around a star summoned 100m above the Grandparent. Everything inside it without cover takes an Overheat stack every 0.5 seconds. Above 2 stacks, Burn is applied every 0.5 seconds with scaling damage. To survive, break line of sight with the star directly - use the shadows it casts to find safe spots behind terrain, rocks, or any solid obstacle. The Grandparent casts shadows that clearly show you where cover is.
The Grandparent can only use Solar Flare when below 50% HP. It has a 30-second cooldown after that. If you can burst through 50% quickly and kill it before Solar Flare resolves, you avoid the attack entirely.
Yes. Solar Flare affects all entities except Parents and Grandparents. This means it will kill other enemies on the stage, and also destroy your drones and allies. It can clear an entire teleporter boss wave if multiple enemies are caught in the open.
Planula heals 15 HP (+15 per stack) each time the holder takes damage. It triggers on DoT, fall damage, and self-damage. It drops at a 15% chance to replace the Uncommon reward when the Grandparent is a teleporter boss. It does not drop from natural spawns.
No. Despite being in the Parent monster family, the Grandparent is specifically excluded from the Parent family event. It cannot be summoned by the family event and does not count toward triggering it.
The Gravity Orb travels at 15m/s and pulls you in with a 20m radius. It passes through all terrain. Keep moving to avoid being pulled into it. Captain's Defensive Microbots destroy it automatically. Void Fiend's Trespass clears debuffs and repositions instantly. On stages with pits, being caught by a Gravity Orb near an edge is lethal.
Yes. The Grandparent's spawn animation launches nearby players at very high velocity, often off the map. When a Grandparent is about to spawn, move well away from its spawn location to avoid being flung.
