The secrets of the Umbra Witches are many and well-guarded. Such secrets extend to their combat potential. However, with patience and experience, you can unlock these secrets. Whether you’re an expert or just someone who likes to dig deep, this advanced section is here to help you gain the edge in Bayonetta 2.

Advanced Offense

Air Combos and Juggles

Launch into the air...

...then follow up with aerial melee attacks!

You can even juggle with guns!

Letting loose combos on the ground is great, but air combos come with an extra degree of security—there’s less chance that the enemy can power through your assault and retaliate. Certain moves, commonly called launchers, send enemies flying straight up into the air, setting them up for air combos.

Two such moves are the Witch Strike and the rising version of the After Burner Kick, both of which can be bought from The Gates of Hell. These two moves send the enemy into the sky, with Bayonetta following alongside. Once the move has finished, Bayonetta is free to combo the helpless enemy in the sky to her heart’s content.

Jump Cancelling

In the middle of a move?

No problem! Just jump out of it!

Jump cancelling is the principle that nearly any animation can be interrupted simply by jumping. This can be used for defense to keep yourself out of harm’s way, but it can also be used offensively to quickly move between enemies, or start new attacks before current ones have finished.

Get a Lift from Enemies!

Jump toward the enemy...

...then jump again!

Wherein Bayonetta does her best plumber’s impression! Bayonetta can jump off of enemies to get a boost. Simply jump toward the enemy, and as soon as her feet touch their body from above, jump again! You can perform any aerial moves as if you’d just jumped up from the ground as well.

Wall Bounce

Send the enemy flying...

...and they’ll bounce off the wall.

They’re still helpless! Go get ’em!

Few things are more stylish than bouncing your enemy around like a pinball! Many battle areas in Bayonetta 2 have boundaries, be they physical or magical. Slam enemies against them with enough force and they’ll bounce off of those boundaries, ripe for the comboing.

A great time to take advantage of this ability is after a Wicked Weave (i.e., with Salamandra), or a successfully landed Stiletto (i.e., with Kafka).

Staggering & Dizzied Enemies

Put enough power against an enemy, and they just won’t be able to take it. They’ll recoil, or crumple under the pressure. Whale into an enemy with enough heavy hits and they might even get dizzy!