To beat Joan of Arc, distinguish her ordinary sword swings from the low slash: sliding can avoid the regular strikes, but the blade-dragging attack needs a jump or retreat. During the later arena-wide attack, use the overhead whip rings to remain airborne. Joan ignites at roughly half health, so keep reading her attacks instead of treating the flames as an opening to rush her.
The encounter is on the Tower Rooftop in the Streets of Paris. The guidance below follows S4G’s fight guide; it does not assume a particular weapon, damage value, or difficulty setting. KONAMI’s character page also identifies Joan as one of the game’s bosses.
Choose your evasion from the sword tell
There is a brief opening before Joan begins attacking. You can use it for a few strikes, but move away as soon as she starts winding up. This is an optional early opportunity, not a requirement to win the fight.
Once her attacks begin, leave enough space to recognize the blade position. Her opening lunge leads into further swings, so avoiding the first movement does not mean the whole combo has finished.
| What Joan does | A supported response | When to attack again |
|---|---|---|
| Winds up and lunges with a regular sword attack | Jump over her or slide beneath the blade | Keep watching for the follow-up swings rather than stopping after the lunge |
| Continues the ordinary combo | Slide under the strikes when there is room to pass behind her | Counter after the swings miss, then prepare to move again |
| Drags the sword along the ground before striking | Jump or retreat; sliding is unsafe against this low slash | Wait until the low attack has passed |
Joan’s armoured appearance and the rooftop setting in KONAMI’s official encounter image.
The important exception is the low slash. A slide that worked against the previous swing can still be hit when the sword is scraping the floor. Use the visible tell to change your response; repeatedly sliding because it worked once turns two different attacks into the same mistake.
Staying behind Joan after passing a regular swing can create a counterattack window. It is a useful position, but not a reason to keep attacking through the next wind-up.
Position first during the rain of fire
The falling fire objects create a different problem from the sword combo. Watch where they will land, then manage the explosions from a safe gap.
- Move between the impact points rather than standing beneath a falling object.
- Settle into that gap instead of running across more marked positions.
- Jump vertically just before the objects explode.
- Reassess Joan’s next action before returning to melee range.
This timing is an author-described way through the pattern, not a promise that a jump at any moment avoids it. If the fire keeps catching you, separate the two checks: whether your starting position was between the impact points, and whether you jumped for the detonation rather than for the initial fall.
Keep the same sword checks after she ignites
At about half health Joan surrounds herself with flames. The regular-swing versus low-slash distinction still matters. Bait a combo, evade it, and use the missed strikes to make space for your response.
Later she rises into the air for a broad attack with bright energy effects. Look above the arena for two whip rings. Attach Rose’s whip to them and remain airborne until the attack finishes; trying to solve this pattern with a ground slide misses the available escape route.
If the rings are the part you are struggling to use, review the whip-swing controls separately. The immediate goal here is to stay out of the dangerous ground area, not to squeeze in another attack while Joan is setting up the pattern.
Check the unlocks after the fight
The fight guide lists the following rewards. Their roles differ: a spell, a movement or defense ability, a weapon, and a progression key are not interchangeable equipment choices.
| Unlock | What it enables |
|---|---|
| The Warrior Arcana | Gives access to Joan’s associated power |
| Infernal Pyre | Creates flames around Rose that ignite enemies and launch them upward |
| Holy Light | Hold its assigned input to disperse Chaos Shards blocking paths |
| Light Parry | Use the Holy Light input just before an attack connects; the timing matters |
| Burnt Sword of Fierbois | A heavy weapon with charged attacks and Blade Dive |
| The Warrior’s Key | One of the three keys used for the sealed Catacombs gate |
A useful next check is a Chaos Shard obstruction you previously could not clear. For parrying, practice the timing against an ordinary enemy before relying on it in a difficult encounter. These are suggested ways to use the unlocks, not additional conditions for receiving them.
Continue from Joan
- Use the Catacombs route and key checks when working toward the sealed gate.
- Review whip swinging if attaching to the aerial rings is the problem.
- Compare the supported Arcana routes when deciding which lead to follow next.