On this page5 sections
- The
Staff of the Wild is the easiest win: its roots pin Lord Reto in place. - He resists Pierce, Fire and Frost and is immune to Poison. Spirit is his only weakness.
- Never block him with a shield: he breaks any block and the stagger is usually fatal.
- Reach his tomb by following three Mysterious Locations, starting from a Vegvisir in a Putrid Hole.
- He spawns once per world and drops the
Dyrnwyn Hilt Fragment for the 
Dyrnwyn sword.
What Makes Lord Reto So Dangerous
Lord Reto is the most punishing melee enemy in Valheim and the final obstacle between you and the Dyrnwyn sword. He always spawns as a 2-star creature, the only named enemy in the game with stars, which triples his 2,500 base health to 7,500 and puts his damage in one-shot territory.
Even in fully upgraded 
Flametal armor with top Ashlands health foods such as 
Piquant Pie, 
Mashed Meat and 
Fiery Svinstew, a single clean hit can kill you outright.
The tomb
He belongs to the Demons faction and lurks in a small, dark dungeon called the Tomb of Lord Reto. The cave is cramped, with indestructible pillars in the middle that are both your biggest obstacle and your best friend. Only one Lord Reto exists per world and he never respawns, so come prepared.
His one saving grace
His moveset mirrors a Charred Warrior's, scaled to absurd levels. He is strictly melee, walks slowly, never runs, and engages at 1.6 meters. Keep your distance and you control the fight; let him close in and you are almost certainly dead.
Lord Reto Combat Stats (2-Star)
| Health | 7,500 |
| Swing Damage | 480 Slash (3s cooldown, 3m 115-degree arc) |
| Thrust Damage | 460 Pierce (3s cooldown, 3m line) |
| Feint Damage | 500 Slash (8s cooldown, 3m 77.3-degree arc) |
| Thrust Feint Damage | 420 Pierce (3s cooldown, 3m 60-degree arc) |
| Stagger Limit | 0.5 (practically impossible to stagger) |
| Engagement Range | 1.6 meters |
| Faction | Demons |
Understanding His Attacks
Lord Reto has four attacks (damage and arcs in the table above). Reading them is essential if you fight in melee range.
Basic attacks
- Swing: a vertical slash in a wide 115-degree arc.
- Thrust: a forward stab.
Both are on 3-second cooldowns.
The feints
The real danger. The Feint uses the same windup as his Swing, then pauses briefly before delivering a different, harder slash; the timing gap is only about 0.57 seconds. The Thrust Feint mimics the Thrust windup but pivots into an upward swing, with a 0.631-second gap.
Feints exist to punish you for dodging the first windup. If you spot the pause, you have time to parry the real strike, but rolling leaves you exposed unless you fully exit his 3-meter reach.
The veteran rule: if he starts an attack and hesitates, do not roll. Wait for the real strike and parry it, or be far enough away that it misses.
Trying to parry Lord Reto with a shield is one of the most common mistakes players make. His damage output is so high that he will break through any block value in the game. When your block breaks, you get staggered, and the extra damage from being staggered will almost always kill you instantly. Drop the shield for this fight entirely and invest in dodging or ranged options instead.
Resistances and Weaknesses
- Weak (1.5x): Spirit
- Normal: Blunt, Slash, Lightning
- Resistant (0.5x): Pierce, Fire, Frost
- Immune: Poison (Chop and Pickaxe do nothing)
Those resistances rule out many Ashlands weapons you might be tempted to bring. The Staff of the Wild's Poison does nothing to him directly, but its root effect is what makes it so strong here. Frost weapons lose half their elemental damage, so value them for their other damage types.
Spirit sources
Spirit-damage weapons stay relevant deep into the Ashlands because of him. 
Frostner carries 20 Spirit at every quality, while the 
Mistwalker only gains Spirit through upgrades (up to 15 at quality 4) and relies on its Slash damage. The 
Demolisher has no Spirit, but its Blunt damage lands in full with huge knockback.
Melee Weapons for Lord Reto
| Stat | Mistwalker | Frostner | Demolisher |  Nidhögg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost damage | 40 (+6 per level) | 40 (+6 per level) | - | - |
| Slash damage | 75 | - | - | 135 (+6 per level) |
| Block armor | 48 | 30 | 52 | 57 |
| Skill | Swords | Clubs | Clubs | Swords |
| Attack stamina | 16 | 12 | 28 | 16 |
| Knockback | 40 | 100 | 210 | 40 |
| Backstab | 3x | 3x | 2x | 3x |
| Durability | 250 (+50 per level) | 200 (+50 per level) | 250 (+50 per level) | 300 (+50 per level) |
| Max quality | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Movement speed | -5% | -5% | -15% | -5% |
| Weight | 0.8 | 2 | 4 | 0.8 |
| Blunt damage | - | 35 | 145 (+6 per level) | - |
| Spirit damage | - | 20 | - | - |
| Crafted at | Black Forge | Forge 3 | Black Forge | Black Forge 3 |
“Lord Reto is the only named creature in Valheim that spawns with stars. Nobody knows exactly why the devs made this choice, but the result is a fight that demands absolute respect for positioning and preparation.
Finding Lord Reto: The Mysterious Location Quest
Finding him is a quest in itself. His tomb is the third stop in a chain of three Mysterious Locations across the Ashlands, and each stop holds a Dyrnwyn fragment for the sword.
Start in a Putrid Hole
Roughly 25% of Putrid Holes, the Ashlands cave dungeons, contain a Vegvisir that reveals the first Mysterious Location. You may need to clear 4-5 before you find one.
The Three Mysterious Locations
Every Mysterious Location is guarded by a Monument of Torment (Elite) that spawns only 2-star Charred enemies, so expect a serious fight at each one. The three sites can sit on different Ashlands islands, and some players spend 2+ hours travelling between them. Set up portals as you go and bring materials for a 
Workbench and bed near the tomb.
Step-by-Step Fight Strategy
- 1
Set Up a Forward Base
Place a bed, portal, chest and Workbench near the tomb entrance. Stock the chest with backup food, spare weapons and repair materials. You will probably die at least once, and a respawn point outside saves enormous time. A nearby Dvergr outpost's workbenches are a bonus.
- 2
Choose Your Approach
- Magic (easiest): spam the Staff of the Wild. Its roots pin him against the wall while dealing continuous damage, and he cannot move or fight back. Even low Elemental Magic skill trivialises the fight.
- Summons: the
Dead Raiser at level 4 raises skeletons to tank while you stay safe. - Ranged: the
Root Fang with 
Silver Arrows; its root effect holds him in place. - Melee: Mistwalker or Frostner for Spirit damage, or the Demolisher for knockback.
- 3
Enter and Use the Pillars
Kite him around the indestructible central pillars to break line of sight and create distance. He only walks, so you can circle to heal, eat or line up attacks. With enough distance he briefly loses track of you, giving a window to sneak back in for a heavy first hit.
- 4
Manage Your Stamina and Stay Patient
With 7,500 HP this is a long fight unless you use the Staff of the Wild. Melee players should favour stamina food. Land one or two hits after he finishes a combo, then roll or run out of his 3-meter reach. Never get greedy. His health recovers only slowly, so you can safely step out of the tomb to heal and come back.
- 5
Collect the Dyrnwyn Hilt Fragment
He drops exactly one Dyrnwyn Hilt Fragment and no trophy. With the Tip and Blade Fragments from the first two locations, you can now craft the Dyrnwyn at a Black Forge.
Recommended Loadouts
Staff of the WildLevel 3+. Roots pin him in place for an easy win. 55 Eitr per cast.Frostner / DemolisherFrostner's Spirit hits his weakness; Demolisher's knockback keeps him at bay.
Staff of ProtectionThe bubble shield lets you survive hits that would otherwise one-shot you.Staff of the WildTwo-handed weapon · AshlandsThe easiest Lord Reto kill: roots pin him in place
- Blunt damage
- 20 (+20 per level)
- Poison damage
- 20 (+20 per level)
- Block armor
- 48
- Skill
- Elemental Magic
Galdr Table (level 2): 15 Ashwood, 10 Fiddlehead, 3 Celestial Feather, 1 Jade
Even if you are a dedicated melee player, carry a Staff of Protection into this fight. Swap one of your HP foods for an Eitr food, and pop the bubble shield before engaging. While the bubble is active, your blocking stats do not matter, meaning you can parry any of his attacks with correct timing and get the stagger-bonus damage. This single change transforms the fight from nearly impossible melee to genuinely manageable.
Your Reward: The Dyrnwyn Sword
After all that effort you can craft the Dyrnwyn, Valheim's legendary flaming sword. It is a one-handed sword made at a level 4 
Black Forge from the three fragments plus Flametal and 
Bloodstone. Its orange glow makes it a working light source in dark areas.
Stats in play
- 3-hit combo where the final hit does double damage and 20% extra knockback
- Secondary attack at 3x damage: 435 Slash and 30 Fire at quality 1
- Light at 0.8 weight, 16 stamina per primary attack and 28 per secondary, -5% movement speed
DyrnwynOne-handed weaponLegendary and unique, but barely ahead of a base Nidhögg
- Fire damage
- 10
- Slash damage
- 145 (+6 per level)
- Block armor
- 57
- Skill
- Swords
Black Forge (level 4): 1 Dyrnwyn Hilt Fragment, 1 Dyrnwyn Blade Fragment, 1 Dyrnwyn Tip Fragment, 20 Flametal, 1 Bloodstone
Is it worth it?
Honestly, the Dyrnwyn is underwhelming for the effort. Its Slash is only slightly higher than a base Nidhögg, a far easier Ashlands sword to craft, and its flat Fire damage is lower than a Torch's. The community consensus is that it needs a bigger Fire share to justify the quest.
One per world
The three fragments are non-renewable, so normal worlds get one Dyrnwyn. If you have raised your world's item drop rate setting, extra fragments drop and you can craft more.
Dyrnwyn Crafting & Upgrades
Dyrnwyn Blade Fragment
Dyrnwyn Tip FragmentFrequently Asked Questions
Is Lord Reto always 2-star?
Yes, always. He is the only named creature in Valheim that permanently spawns with stars, by design. As a 2-star creature his 2,500 base health is tripled to 7,500, and his attacks hit for 420 to 500.
Does Lord Reto respawn after I kill him?
No. Only one Lord Reto spawns per world, and he does not respawn after being killed. He also does not activate any new raid events upon death. This is a one-time encounter.
Can I parry Lord Reto?
Technically yes, but practically no. His damage output exceeds every shield's block value in the game. If he breaks your block, you get staggered and take massive bonus damage, which is almost always fatal. The one exception is using the Staff of Protection bubble shield: while the bubble is active, your parry becomes viable because the bubble absorbs the excess damage. Without the bubble, do not attempt to block or parry.
Does his health regenerate if I leave the cave?
His health regenerates very slowly over time, but you need to spend a significant period outside the cave for it to fully restore. Quick trips outside to eat food, swap gear, or repair weapons are perfectly safe and a legitimate strategy. Many players defeat him through repeated hit-and-run cycles.
Is the Dyrnwyn worth the effort?
For raw combat value, not really. At quality 1 its Slash damage is only marginally higher than a standard Nidhögg, and the Fire component is disappointingly low. It is a unique weapon with a built-in light, so completionists will still want it. For effectiveness, the Mistwalker or the enchanted Nidhögg variants offer better value.
What is the fastest way to find the first Vegvisir?
Explore Putrid Holes systematically. About 25% of them contain a Vegvisir that reveals the first Mysterious Location. You might get lucky on your first hole, or you might need to clear a dozen. There is no shortcut. Make sure you thoroughly explore each Putrid Hole, as the Vegvisir stones can be tucked away in corners. Do not confuse these with boss Vegvisirs found in Charred Fortresses, which point to Fader's location instead.
What Defeating Lord Reto Unlocks
From the game files: new recipes, trader stock and raid changes.
Made with Dyrnwyn Hilt Fragment
Lord Reto Data
Exact values from the game files (version 1.0 (build 2026-09-17)).
Stats
| Health | 2500 |
| Run speed | 4 |
Resistances & Weaknesses
- chopIgnore
- fireResistant
- frostResistant
- pierceResistant
- poisonImmune
- spiritWeak
- pickaxeIgnore
Attacks
| Greatsword swing | 240 slash | |
|---|---|---|
| Greatsword thrust | 230 pierce | |
| Greatsword feint | 250 slash | |
| Greatsword thrust feint | 210 pierce |
Base damage on Normal difficulty. 1-star creatures deal 1.5x and 2-star creatures 2x. Spells whose damage comes from a separate projectile are not listed.
Drops
Recent Updates
- Updated for Valheim 1.0: verified Lord Reto's stats and the Dyrnwyn recipe, corrected the Spirit weapon advice, removed outdated Deep North speculation, and reorganised the guide for easier reading.