How To Beat Azarian, The Forsaken Son in Path of Exile 2

Act 2 of Path of Exile 2 transports you to the harsh and haunting Vastiri Desert, where corruption spreads like wildfire and ancient gods still stir beneath the sands. Your ultimate target here is Jamanra, the Risen King, but before you can track him down, you'll have to complete several major quests, one of which leads you straight into the fiery clutches of Azarian, the Forsaken Son.

This boss guards the Essence of Water, a critical item needed to rebuild the Horn of Orbala, an ancient artifact required to clear the raging desert storms and continue your pursuit of Jamanra. The battle against Azarian is one of the toughest encounters in Act 2, testing your patience, positioning, and ability to adapt. Here's everything you need to know to find, and defeat, the Forsaken Son.

Where To Find Azarian, The Forsaken Son

Your journey begins with the quest "The City of Seven Waters." This mission takes you deep into Keth, a lost city buried beneath sand and myth. As you push through waves of corrupted enemies and navigate its crumbling shrines, you'll eventually descend into the Buried Shrines, a dungeon-like area that culminates in Azarian's lair, the Tomb of the Water Goddess.

This is where the Forsaken Son awaits. Once you enter his arena, the chamber seals behind you. There's no escape, only survival.

Arena Layout and Mechanics

The fight against Azarian unfolds in a square-shaped arena with four massive braziers stationed at each corner. These braziers aren't just decoration, they're one of the key mechanics of the fight.

Any direct hit, from your skills or Azarian's attacks, can ignite or destroy a brazier. When one goes off, it explodes violently, coating that corner of the arena in flame. If all four are destroyed, most of the arena becomes engulfed in fire, leaving only a small patch of safety in the center.

This turns the battlefield into a deadly trap. The more braziers you break, the less room you have to dodge, and Azarian excels at forcing you into tight spaces. The best strategy? Keep the braziers intact for as long as possible. It's tempting to let them blow up early, but doing so makes the fight exponentially harder.

Azarian's Attacks and How To Counter Them

Azarian's moveset revolves around wide arcs of flame, explosive projectiles, and relentless charges that punish poor positioning. Here's a breakdown of his main attacks and the best way to avoid them:

Flaming Advance

Azarian spins his weapons in a whirling blaze while lunging forward in a straight line, damaging everything in his path.

How to avoid: He briefly charges up before lunging, watch for that pause. The instant you see him tense, roll or dash sideways.

Pro tip: Don't try to run backward; he'll close the distance too quickly.

Fireball Toss

Azarian slams one hand into the ground and pulls out searing fireballs, which he hurls in a wide cone. Occasionally, this attack leaves behind walls of fire that linger for several seconds.

How to avoid: Pay attention to which side he digs from, the fireballs will travel in the opposite direction. Use the gaps between the fire trails to reposition.

Flame Shot

A classic cone attack. Azarian spreads his arms dramatically before thrusting them forward, unleashing a torrent of flame straight ahead.

How to avoid: The wind-up is obvious. The moment his arms spread, sidestep to either side of his body.

Flame Slam

Azarian raises both arms before slamming them into the ground, releasing two waves of fire in a short cone. This is one of his heaviest hitters.

How to avoid: Don't dodge too early. Wait until his arms begin to drop, then roll to the side. He sometimes turns slightly mid-animation, which can catch early dodges.

Surviving the Fight

Each of Azarian's abilities is manageable on its own, the real danger comes from how they interact with the arena's fire hazards. The longer the fight drags on, the greater the chance a brazier will explode, turning safe zones into flaming death traps.

Try to position yourself diagonally from Azarian to reduce collateral hits on the braziers. If you're running a ranged or caster build, kite him in a half-circle pattern, using the outer rim of the arena while avoiding the corners.

Melee players will need to be especially cautious of Flaming Advance, as getting clipped can drag you through multiple hitboxes, inflicting massive damage. If you're using a slower melee weapon, time your strikes between his cooldowns rather than trying to trade blows directly.

Recommended Builds and Tactics

Ranged Builds (Bow or Spellcaster): Stay mobile. Movement speed and cooldown recovery are crucial here. Keep flame-resistant flasks ready, and don't let him pin you against a wall of fire.

Melee Builds: Focus on burst windows. Leap in after Flame Slam, get a few hits, then retreat before his next charge.

Totem/Minion Builds: Use your summons to bait his charge and projectile attacks. This creates brief windows for safe damage from a distance.

Rewards

Defeating Azarian rewards you with the Essence of Water, one of the core components needed to reforge the Horn of Orbala. Once you've secured this essence, you can progress further into the Vastiri Desert to continue hunting Jamanra.

On top of that, Azarian's loot table includes several rare and unique fire-themed items, often tied to burn damage or elemental resistance. Smart players can sell or trade these items on the in-game market to earn valuable POE 2 Currency, which can then be used to upgrade gear, craft high-tier modifiers, or fund other builds.

Final Thoughts

Azarian, the Forsaken Son, is a perfect example of what makes Path of Exile 2 so compelling, fast-paced combat, intricate mechanics, and a sense of satisfaction that only comes from mastering chaos. This fight rewards precision and patience. Once you learn to read his movements and manage the arena's hazards, victory becomes inevitable.

So take a deep breath, stock up on your resist flasks, and dive in. With focus, timing, and a bit of flame resistance, you'll put the Forsaken Son to rest, and take one more step toward mastering the desert and earning your rightful share of POE 2 Currency.

MMOexp POE 2 Team