Use your favourite features in-game with our Desktop AppJing Ye, the Outlaw is the second boss fought in the Crimson Forest. He is found near Outlaw Trap, behind a spike pit that initially looks impassable.
Jing Ye is a very tricky boss with three distinct phases, each with its own attacks, mechanics, and problems to deal with. Because of this, the fight can feel unpredictable at first, but it becomes much easier once you understand what each phase is trying to test.
This guide was written and tested on Hellwalker difficulty.
Jing Ye has three distinct phases:
Each phase introduces different threats, but before breaking them down individually, there is one attack that appears throughout the entire fight.
Jing Ye carries a skull that he uses to generate blood droplets that shoot toward you.
This attack always comes as multiple projectiles in waves, with up to three waves in total. You can parry these projectiles, but blocking them still causes chip damage, so the safer options are usually to dodge or parry them cleanly instead of simply holding block.
He uses Crimson Rain in every phase, although the exact build-up and pacing can change slightly depending on which phase you are in.
Because this attack appears so often, getting comfortable with it early will help a lot over the course of the fight.
In the Mounted Phase, Jing Ye mainly relies on short strings, heavy swings, and a mixture of Red Parry and Blue Parry attacks.
He can also throw sand into your face, which partially obscures your vision. This can be annoying, but if he follows it with a Red or Blue attack, you can still react to the glow, so do not panic just because your screen becomes harder to read.
This phase is not especially difficult once you understand it, but the punish windows are relatively short. Because of that, I recommend using a fast-attacking weapon, since he often does not remain exposed for very long after a successful Blue or Red counter.
Your main goal here is to stay clean and efficient. Do not overcommit after every opening, because the mounted version of Jing Ye can recover fairly quickly.
He will dismount once he reaches around 65% HP.
The Shield Phase is the phase you want to get through as quickly as possible.
Jing Ye gains a spiked shield, and that changes the fight significantly. Whenever you hit him directly during this phase, you take thorns damage in return. This makes light, rapid weapons much worse here, since they deal poor shield damage while causing you to constantly take damage yourself.
Because of that, I heavily recommend using a Two-Handed weapon rather than a One-Handed or Dual-Wield setup.
The best way to handle this phase is to save two Dread Axe tokens and use them here to break his shield immediately. Doing so lets you skip most of the phase's frustration and is absolutely worth planning around, since this is arguably his hardest phase if you try to play through it normally.
If you do not break the shield right away, expect much more pressure. He gains additional combo strings and several parry attacks, and he can also slam his shield into you if you try to attack carelessly.
This makes the phase dangerous both offensively and defensively: hitting him damages you, but waiting too passively gives him more time to pressure you.
For that reason, Shield Phase is less about learning complex new mechanics and more about using the right tool to bypass it efficiently.
After his shield is broken, Jing Ye enters his Sword Phase, which is the phase you will likely spend the most time fighting.
This phase is much more traditional than the Shield Phase, but it is also more dangerous mechanically. He gains longer strings, more Red attacks, and several new Blue attack opportunities that you need to handle properly.
This is the phase where your parry consistency matters the most.
One of his most dangerous attacks always comes after he throws up dirt. He will step back, create a smokescreen, and then leap through it with an attack.
Do not parry or block this attack. It is effectively a grey attack, and trying to block it will destroy your stamina almost instantly. Instead, simply dodge it.
The good news is that he will always follow this leap with a Blue Parry attack, which gives you a very reliable punish opportunity if you are ready for it.
Another major threat in this phase is his Red Parry grabs. If you miss the timing and get grabbed, the attack deals heavy damage and also heals Jing Ye for the amount dealt.
This can drag the fight out much longer than it needs to, so these Red attacks are among the most important mechanics to get right. A missed parry here does not just hurt you; it also resets some of your progress by restoring his Health.
Because of that, Sword Phase is really a test of discipline. You need to stay patient, react correctly to his Red and Blue attacks, and avoid taking unnecessary risks during his longer combo strings.
Jing Ye is a boss that changes a lot over the course of the fight, so trying to approach every phase the same way will usually get you punished.
In the Mounted Phase, play cleanly and use a faster weapon to take advantage of his short openings.
In the Shield Phase, focus on breaking through as quickly as possible, ideally by saving Dread Axe tokens for it. This is by far the most efficient way to handle the thorns mechanic.
In the Sword Phase, slow down and focus on your parry timings. This is the longest and most mechanically demanding part of the encounter, and it is where missed Red counters become the most punishing.
Across the entire fight, make sure you stay comfortable dealing with Crimson Rain, since it appears in every phase and can gradually wear you down if you handle it poorly.
For help with other encounters, browse our Phantom Blade Zero boss guides.
