Conquering the Tenebrous Papilla in Genshin Impact

In Genshin Impact, bosses play a crucial role. They not only serve as major plot points but also provide essential items for character ascension. One notable boss introduced in version 5.2 is the Tenebrous Papilla.

This boss poses a greater challenge than previous ones. It has a powerful attack capable of defeating you in one hit, regardless of your health level. If you’re looking to gather important ascension materials for your characters, here’s a comprehensive guide on locating and defeating this formidable enemy.

How to Locate Tenebrous Papilla

To find the Tenebrous Papilla, start by reaching the first teleport waypoint in the hub of the Masters of the Night Wind clan. This location is easily spotted on the map once you unlock the Tezcatepetonco Range Statue of the Seven in Natlan.

As you examine the map, you’ll see that a river runs adjacent to the Masters of the Night Wind clan’s base. The river flows eastward, branching off toward a cave located to the north. Head directly east from the teleport waypoint and position yourself at the boundary wall surrounding the clan base; the cave entrance is hard to miss due to its large size.

Simply fly toward the cave and continue straight ahead. After about a minute of walking, you will come face to face with the Tenebrous Papilla boss. Don’t forget to activate the teleport waypoint here, so you can return quickly when you need to farm materials.

How to Defeat Tenebrous Papilla

The moment you step into the arena, the Tenebrous Papilla will start its assault. This boss can transform into various enemies you’ve encountered during your gameplay, specifically:

Regisvines of all types
Aeonblight Drake
Jadeplume Terrorshroom
Hydro and Electro Hypostasis
Maguu Kenki
Primo Geovishap
Millenial Pearl Seahorse
Legatus Golem
Gluttonous Yumkasaur Mountain King

The transformation is random, and it will mimic their attacks. However, you shouldn’t have trouble handling these since the mimicked versions are temporary, and the Tenebrous Papilla will keep switching between them as it takes damage. After sufficient damage is dealt, the boss will revert to its true form and concentrate in the arena’s center.

At this point, the boss will anchor its branches into the ground and start charging a deadly attack. A Void Ward shield bar will appear below its health indicator. To stop the impending attack, you must fill the void bar before the 13-second window closes; failing to do so will result in instant defeat, regardless of your character’s strength.

To charge the void gauge, utilize Elemental attacks quickly. Once the bar is filled, the boss becomes temporarily immobilized, allowing you to unleash heavy damage. If your characters are properly leveled, you should be able to take down the boss before it can retaliate.

Quick Tip: The longer you take to defeat the boss, the less damage it takes to break the Void Ward shield.

Best Team Composition for Tenebrous Papilla

The Tenebrous Papilla has no resistances, meaning you can select any characters capable of dealing consistent elemental damage both on and off the field. The ideal choice is Arlecchino, known for her rapid Pyro attacks.

A great team setup would include Raiden Shogun, Xiangling, and Yelan, as they can perform elemental reactions like Overloaded and Vaporize. While you focus on managing Arlecchino’s damage output, both Xiangling and Yelan can contribute substantial off-field damage through their ultimate abilities.

To maximize your effectiveness, activate Yelan and Xiangling’s ultimates, followed by Raiden Shogun’s elemental skill, then switch to Arlecchino for on-field combat. This tactic allows you to break the Void Ward shield quickly, setting you up for massive damage during the boss’s vulnerable phase.

If you don’t have access to Arlecchino, consider using the Raiden National team, consisting of Raiden Shogun, Xiangling, Bennett, and Xingqiu. Raiden’s bursts can deal significant damage, while Xingqiu and Xiangling provide effective off-field damage. Though Bennett may not directly assist in breaking the Void Ward shield, he can buff your teammates significantly.