Hades Nectar guide: who to gift Nectar to for Keepsakes

Hades is an action-packed game, but it's choc-full of proper, fully-fledged RPG stuff to deal with. You'll be stacking up buffs, debuffs and abilities to build your ideal character - and that process will inevitably include using Nectar to get your hands on Keepsakes.

Keepsakes are a key element of your character growth, each offering unique buffs for Zagreus that can help tailor his abilities, stats and staying power to your liking. The buffs are in many ways based off the characters you recieve the keepsake from, as they're in a manner of speaking a symbol of your realtionship with that character.

Just like how you'll need to farm lots of Titan Blood in order to grab the Weapon Aspects, trading for Keepsakes requires Nectar.

How to get Nectar in hades

"...The food of the gods is the Underworld's number-one delicacy, and truly perhaps one of the only sources of genuine lightness here within this realm. How the substance came to be here is unclear to me, though even I have something of a taste for it by now, based on the few occasions when I've had the chance to try it for myself. Everyone I know in the Underworld, irrespective of their disposition, categorically enjoys the stuff. It is a prized possession, and anyone who would offer it up willingly does so genuinely as a friend."

Thankfully, Nectar is a decently common drop in the world of Hades, at least by the standards of a rarer, character progression-vital item. It can be received as a reward for clearing a room, through Fishing in Elysium, or in trades with the Wretched Broker NPC in the House of Hades. It can also drop in a few other locations.

A few Boons can also help with getting lots of Nectar - the 'Sunken Treasure' boon from Poseidon has a 10% chance of dropping Nectar, and the Premium Vintage boon from Dionysus can give you a free Nectar when you choose it.

Nectar remains in your inventory even if you die - so you can stock up lots of it over time and then gift Nectar to people all in one go, or you can give it away as you go.

Who to give Nectar to & full Keepsakes list for picking the best Keepsake

There's quite a number of characters you can gift Nectar to in order to receive a Keepsake in return - and each one has a different Keepsake which bequeaths a different effect to Zagreus. Deciding the best keepsakes for you is a tough thing indeed.

The extent of the list below might have you wondering who to gift Nectar to, but the game will make this a little easier: if you check the Codex, you'll get a list of characters who are ready to hand over a proper reward. There are hearts next to the name of each character; this functions as a relationship tracker. Filling the heart will mean you can then grab a Keepsake from that character. 

Early on we'd recommend grabbing the Cerberus Keepsake, the Old Spiked Collar, as early as possible. The health boost will make your life significantly easier in the early stages of the game, making it the best keepsake initially.

Beyond that, your choice of Keepsake will be largely based on your play-style. Achilles' Myrmidon Bracer Keepsake is a great use of Nectar, for instance, as it reduces damage taken from the front. Skelly's Lucky Tooth gives you a 'second wind' style second chance if killed, while Eurydice's Evergreen Acorn can massively help with tough bosses. The list below will help you to decide which best suits you.

Remember that each Keepsake can be upgraded twice - from one star to two, and then from two to three stars, the max. Upgrades simply increase the potency to the effect of the Keepsake. The more a Keepsake is equipped, the better it will become through this system.

Hades Keepsake list: what nectar gets you from each character

• Cerberus - Old Spiked Collar: Gain +25 to your starting health 
  • +38 & +50 Health at Level 2 & 3
• Achilles - Myrmidon Bracer: Take 20% less damage from front attacks, but 10% more damage from back attacks
  • Level 2 & 3 reduce the front damage taken further - 25% & 30% respectively.
• Nyx - Black Shawl: Deal 10% more damage to an undamaged enemy, and also 10% more when hitting an enemy from behind.
  • Level 2 & 3 raise the damage buff to 15% and 20%.
• Charon - Bone Hourglass: Items purchased from the Wells of Charon last for an more enounters
  • The duration buff changes per level - +4 at Level 1, +6 at Level 2, +8 at Level 3.
• Megaera - Skull Earring: When your health is below 30%, deal 120% damage.
  • The bonus amount of damage raises to 130% and 140% at subsequent keepsake levels.
• Thanatos - Pierced Butterfly: Gain a damage buff for every encounter beat without being hit, starting with 1%.
  • Across the three Keepsake levels, the damage buff raises from 1% to 1.5% and finally 2%.
• Hypnos - Chthonic Coin Purse: Get bonus coins for every escape attempt, starting with 100 coins.
  • Level 2 & 3 reward 125 & 150 coins respectively.
• Orpheus - Distant Memory: A damage buff to foes hit from a distance, starting at 10%. 
  • Level 2 & 3 raise the buff to 20% and 30%.
• Dusa - Harpy Feather Duster: Urns that you break have a 2% chance of dropping healing items.
  • The drop chance increases to 3% and 4% at level 2 & 3. 
• Skelly - Lucky Tooth: Survive a lethan blow once per run.
  • At level 1, you'll survive with 50 Health. At level 2, you'll survive with 100. Level 3 lets you walk away with 150 Health.
• Eurydice - Evergreen Acorn: Avoid damage from the first several hits a boss lands on you.
  • At level 1, avoid 3 hits from the boss - then at level 2 & 3, avoid 4 and 5 hits respectively.
• Hermes - Lambent Plume: Gain dodge chance and movement speed every time you beat an encounter quickly.
  • The dodge & move speed boost is 1% at level 1, then 1.1% and 1.2% at subsequent levels.
• Patroclus - Broken Spearpoint: Gain immunity to damage briefly when you're hit - but on a 7-second cooldown.
  • Each level raises the damage immunity period. Level 1 is 0.5 seconds, but later levels grow to 1 and 1.5 seconds respectively.
• Sisyphus - Shattered Shackle: Deal 40% more damage with your Attack, Special and Cast when not empowered with a Boon.
  • The bonus begins at 40%, and leveling up raises the bonus to 60% and 80%. 
• Athena - Owl Pendant: Your next Boon found will be from Athena. It has a 10% chance to be Rare or better.
  • Leveling up grows the chance of getting a Rare Boon to 15%, then 20%. 
• Zeus - Thunder Signet: Your next Boon found will be from Zeus. It has a 10% chance to be Rare or better.
  • Leveling up grows the chance of getting a Rare Boon to 15%, then 20%. 
• Poseidon - Conch Shell: Your next Boon found will be from Poseidon. It has a 10% chance to be Rare or better.
  • Leveling up grows the chance of getting a Rare Boon to 15%, then 20%.
• Aphrodite - Eternal Rose: Your next Boon found will be from Aphrodite. It has a 10% chance to be Rare or better.
  • Leveling up grows the chance of getting a Rare Boon to 15%, then 20%.
• Artemis - Adamant Arrowhead: Your next Boon found will be from Artemis. It has a 10% chance to be Rare or better.
  • Leveling up grows the chance of getting a Rare Boon to 15%, then 20%.
• Ares - Blood-filled Vial: Your next Boon found will be from Ares. It has a 10% chance to be Rare or better.
  • Leveling up grows the chance of getting a Rare Boon to 15%, then 20%.
• Dionysus - Overflowing Cup: Your next Boon found will be from Dionysus. It has a 10% chance to be Rare or better.
  • Leveling up grows the chance of getting a Rare Boon to 15%, then 20%.
• Demeter - Frostbitten Horn: Your next Boon found will be from Demeter. It has a 10% chance to be Rare or better.
  • Leveling up grows the chance of getting a Rare Boon to 15%, then 20%.
• Chaos - Cosmic Egg: You'll be able to enter Chaos Gates without a Health Offering. The chance of getting Rarer Blessings from Chaos rises.
  • At level 1, you'll have a 20% chance of a rare or better blessing. This rises to 30% and 40% at level 2 and 3.