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Resident Evil 4: How To Defeat Mendes

Mendes is one of the most challenging bosses in Resident Evil 4. Here's how you can beat him.
Resident Evil 4: How To Defeat Mendes

Resident Evil games feature some of the most notorious bosses that are notable not just for the challenge they bring to the table but also for their dumb one-liners that have become quite the norm in the AAA space. 

Resident Evil 4 stays true to the franchise's identity and features multiple memorable bosses. One such challenging and terrifying boss is the Village Chief Mendes, who you come across at the end of chapter 6. Mendes significantly amps up the game's difficulty, and if you're struggling to beat him, you're in the right place. Here's how you can beat Mendes in Resident Evil 4. 

Mendes Boss Guide: How To Beat

resident evil 4 mendes
For the first phase, Mendes has three primary attacks you should watch out for. (Picture: Shreyansh / Capcom)

Mendes has two phases, with the second one being more ruthless. Also, for the first phase, it's best to climb up the ladder and fight Mendes from the platform above rather than the floor, as it would make it much easier to dodge his attacks and deal damage to the weak point on his back. 

For the first phase, Mendes has three primary attacks you should watch out for. The first is where he swings his arms. You get a dodge prompt on the screen every time he does that, so you can easily avoid it. 

The second is a lunge attack. You can use your knife to deflect this, but we recommend not doing so since you can easily sprint past this one. It's best to save up your knives for now (more on that later.)

The third is a whirlwind-style attack that deals a lot of damage. You can't dodge or run past this one when standing on the platform. As such, it's best to fight him near the ladder so that every time Mendes yells, "Judgement," you can easily climb down and get out of harm's way. 

The only way to avoid this attack is to jump down to the floor. The attack animation will never reach you when climbing the ladder, even if Mendes is right next to you.

To deal the most damage, hit Mendes' weak spot, the eye. Some weapons, like the bolt-action rifle and the semi-automatic rifle, deal 3x damage to weak points, so these are your best options to take him down quickly. 

mendes boss
Avoid the flame barrels at all cost. (Picture: Shreyansh / Capcom)

Once you have dealt enough damage, Mendes will fall down, and you can deal a critical attack on its weak point with your knife. If you wasted all your knives, hit the weak point repeatedly with any weapon until he gets up. Keep dealing damage, and a cutscene will trigger, thereby commencing the second phase of this battle. 

As mentioned previously, Mendes is far more aggressive in the second phase. Unlike the first phase, it's best to fight Mendes from the floor below rather than the platform above since the former will give you more space to move around. 

Mendes has four primary attacks in the second phase that you need to watch out for. The first is when he throws flame-covered objects toward you. These are easy to dodge. Instead of frantically moving around (and getting hit by those objects), wait until the last moment to see in which direction Mendes is throwing them and then move accordingly. 

The second and the most devastating of them all is the one when he throws flame barrels toward you. These could chuck away half of your health, if not all, if you're not careful. Shoot them as soon as you see them. Thankfully, Mendes says something like, "Burn in His flame!" before throwing these, so you have a few seconds to get ready. Also, you're better off using a Submachine Gun or a Semi-Automatic Rifle to fend off these barrels, as it's easy to miss your shots with a sidearm like Red9. I died a few times solely because my Red9 shot didn't land on the barrels, and before I could land another one, I was shut down.

The third attack is when Mendes swings towards you to deal with a lunging attack. He says something like, "Recieve your judgment," so you would know when to move out of the way. 
The fourth and final attack is when Mendes holds out one of his arms for a few seconds before lunging toward you with full force. This could instantly kill you, so move away immediately when you hear him say, "You shall perish."
 In the second phase, you don't have to worry about Mendes' weak point, so fire away with all you got. If you have the crossbow with attachable mines, use it when he's hanging by the bars ahead of you. Once you have dealt enough damage, Mendes will fall down, allowing you to deal a critical blow with your knife. Keep following these patterns, and Mendes should be out in no time. 

And that's it! That concludes our guide on how to beat Mendes in Resident Evil 4.