If you've made it as far as the The First Berserker: Khazan, you'll likely have a few more tools than the previous boss thanks to the Trials of the Frozen Mountain. By the time you reach Blade Phantom, you should have access to three weapon types, all of which are accessed during the Bantu trials along with your first choice of skills. The Blade Phantom is the voice inside Khazan's head that's been taunting him this entire time, and it's time the two finally meet face to face.

Blade Phantom is a two-phase boss with fast spear, claw, and hammer attacks that send out columns of red phantom spikes. There are a handful of tricks to avoiding the Blade Phantom's attacks, but as with all The First Berserker: Khazan soulslike bosses, you'll need to get used to the timing of his moves and be able to spot the queues for each attack before it comes. I had the best luck with the spear for this fight, though the other weapon options are viable. It's more important to have skills equipped at this point, regardless of your chosen weapon.

Where To Find Blade Phantom In The First Berserker: Khazan

Complete The Trials Of The Frozen Mountain

After beating Yetuga and being saved by the Bantu, the hierophant Quimik tasks Khazan with completing three challenges in the Trials of the Frozen Mountain. During these trials, Khazan is introduced to some core weapons he'll use throughout the entire game - the Dual Wield option, Spears, and the Great Sword. The first trial unlocks the Ancient Warrior's Worn Greatsword, and requires you to defeat a horde of slow-moving plague spirit enemies that can be overwhelming if you don't take them out in a timely manner.

The second trial unlocks the Ancient Warrior's Worn Spear, and Khazan will have to deal with two Revenant knights (one at a time) with shields and a sword/spear.

There's a chest nearby after completing this trial with the Veteran's Ring in it, a rare ring that will have three random attributes upon picking it up.

The final trial unlocks the Ancient Warrior's Worn Dual Wield, and you will have to fight an abyss version of Khazan himself. After completing the third trial, the ominous ghost voice in your head will be named the Blade Phantom.

How To Defeat Blade Phantom

Brink Guards & Dodges Are Key In Both Boss Phases

The Blade Phantom has a pretty diverse set of moves, but most can be avoided easily once you get the timing down. There are two phases to the Blade Phantom fight, the first of which he will utilize a couple of combo moves, one of which has up to six hits that can all be Brink Guarded or Dodged to end his combo potentially. One version of this, where he takes out a dual-wield combo, can be anticipated when you see a red slash across the screen.

He also has a devastating grab move signaled by a giant red orb and an audio queue that will let you know to dodge out of the way. Another attack to watch out for during the first phase is his Great Hammer slam, which will send spikes flying in a forked pattern from wherever he lands it. You can sidestep with a dodge to avoid the Great Hammer hit and resultant spikes. He may also throw a javelin/spear at you during this first phase if you try to back off too far.

Once you enter the second phase, there are two big moves to look out for. He'll do the first spear move right at the beginning of the phase, prefaced by a series of claw attacks that can be Brink Guarded against. He will throw his spear at you and cause an AoE of spike damage wherever the spear lands. The second major attack is a Great Sword combo with multiple hits, and for the combo finishing move, Blade Phantom pulls out a hammer and slams it on top of you, creating even further spikes.

For an opportunity to perform a brutal attack, wait for one of his multi-swing combos with his dual blades to Brink Guard each one and drain his stamina.

For an opportunity to perform a brutal attack, wait for one of his multi-swing combos with his dual blades to Brink Guard each one and drain his stamina. You will earn both Lacrima and Skill Points as you deal damage to Blade Phantom, even if you don't end up defeating him. This is a nice feature in The First Berserker: Khazan that tweaks the soulslike formula and makes boss encounters less punitive, even incentivizing multiple attempts for more skills and better stats.

Rewards For Beating Blade Phantom

The Soul Eater's Helm & Pants Are Worth Holding On To

After Khazan finally takes down the Blade Phantom, you'll be rewarded with the Soul's Eater Helm and Pants of the Soul's Eater set. This is a heavyweight armor set; if you equip these two pieces, it will boost your max stamina by 100. With the entire set equipped, you can increase your Brutal Attack damage with the five-piece bonus, and you can learn Phantom Judgement, which gives each weapon type a unique ability in specific skills. Along with these items, you will also get the Cleric's Ring, which has one random effect and increases health.

More significantly, the Blade Phantom and Khazan will have words and become best friends - or at least allies for now. He will also give you access to The Crevice, an inter-dimensional central hub where you can interact with various NPCs, level up, etc., similar to the Roundtable Hold in Elden Ring or the Nexus in Demon's Souls. Ultimately, the Blade Phantom and Khazan have a long journey ahead of them in The First Berserker: Khazan, and though defeating him is no easy task, it's the only way to advance through the main story.