Joan of Arc is encountered atop a burning tower as the second boss on the run, presented as a corrupted version of the historical saint. She wields a heavy two-handed broadsword and uses full-arena fire-pillar attacks that fill the screen with telegraphed danger zones. After she is sealed, Joan of Arc becomes a cooperative traveling companion rather than staying hostile.
More context
Use Holy Light-class Arcana to parry her broadsword swings, punish recovery frames between fire pillars, and lean on aerial whip grapples to reposition.
On this page
Where to find Joan of Arc
- Encounter order: 2nd boss on a normal run, immediately after The Fallen in the Paris sewers.
- Location: atop a burning tower in early Paris. The path opens once Rose has cleared the sewers and has at least one traversal tool from the demo's opening chain.
How she fights
- Primary weapon: heavy two-handed broadsword with full-arena swings.
- Signature attack: full-arena fire-pillar patterns that cover most of the platform.
- Telegraph: her strikes and pillars are clearly telegraphed, which is why preview coverage describes her as a deadly but readable fighter.
- Weakness class: Holy Light-class abilities can parry her strikes, so the Holy Light / Holy Cross family of Arcana is the natural counter-pick.
Recommended approach
Stay mobile
The fire-pillar pattern punishes standing still; treat the platform like a clock face and orbit her at mid range.
Done when: You avoid standing inside the fire-pillar zones.
Use Holy Light-class Arcana to parry her broadsword swings
Each clean parry is both a damage window and a way to push her out of her rhythm.
Done when: Parries convert to melee windows.
Punish between pillars
Once a fire-pillar pattern resolves, she is committed to recovery frames — that is your melee window, not the start of the pattern.
Done when: You land melee only after a pillar pattern resolves.
Keep the air open
Aerial whip swings and trapeze grapples are the cleanest way to reposition, and they give invincibility frames (i-frames) on the way in.
Done when: Aerial grapples become a regular reset.
Do not over-commit
The preview coverage flags her as 'deadly'; chasing her into the pillars is the fastest way to lose the run before the Catacombs.
Done when: You survive with full health through the pillar sequence.
What you get for sealing her
The Arcana she grants has not yet been revealed in previews, but the surrounding system is clear: Joan of Arc becomes a cooperative traveling companion after being sealed, which is a different post-fight role from Medusa (who stays hostile) and Carmilla (who grants a card without joining). Treat her companion role as a navigation unlock, since sealed bosses can also grant traversal abilities through their Special Action slot.
Where she sits in the run
Joan of Arc is part of the early chain that lets Rose move from Paris streets into the Catacombs. Holy Light-class parries you learn here stay relevant through the rest of the run, because the same Holy Light family is used to parry Isaac's spear attacks later and to dispel cursed platforms during general exploration.