Resident Evil 4 avoid Dungeon boss strategy and how to beat the Garrador
It's clawful.
Leon has an unfortunate run-in with a Garrador in the castle's Dungeon area during Chapter 7 in the Resident Evil 4 remake, and you need to either beat this Dungeon boss or run away from it to progress with the story.
The Garrador might not be able to see you, but that doesn't mean it's an easy fight, as its long claws can kill Leon almost instantly on harder difficulties if you get stuck between the strikes. However, there is a way to avoid the fight if you'd rather save your ammo!
To help you get out of the Dungeons, we've detailed how to avoid the Garrador Dungeon boss, and the best strategy for how beat the Garrador Dungeon boss if you do want to take it on in Resident Evil 4.
Please note that this is a guide for the remake of Resident Evil 4 so the exact boss strategy might not be the same in the original version.
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For more help, you can visit our Resident Evil 4 walkthrough.
How to avoid the Dungeon boss Garrador in Resident Evil 4
You don't actually have to fight the Garrador boss in the Dungeon if you don't want to! You'll miss out on a Red Beryl treasure, but will save a lot of ammo, as its a huge bullet sponge, and can use up your knife durability.
To avoid the Garrador fight in the Dungeons, lead it to the gate by making noise near it (hitting the dangling chains should do the trick), then lead the Garrador back to its cell. All you have to do now is run back to the gate and you should have enough time to turn the crank and open it before the Garrador catches up with you.
If you find you don't have enough time, try using a Flash Grenade when its in the cell to immobilise the Garrador while you run away. Or, if you don't have a Flash Grenade or the resources to make one, hit it in the cell so its wounded or attack animation plays, then run to use the crank.
If you want that Red Beryl, or the satisfaction of beating it, we've also got a strategy on how to beat the Garrador in the Dungeons below.
Our Resident Evil 4 walkthrough can help you through the village with guides on the Large and Small Cave Shrine puzzle solutions, the Church dial puzzle, and Del Lago, El Gigante, and Méndez bosses. When you reach the castle, you have to tackle the Treasury sword, Wall With Four Slots, Dining Hall bell, and Grandfather Clock correct time puzzles, along with the Dungeon Garrador, two giants, and Ramón Salazar bosses. The island is up next, and there's still brain teasers with callibration puzzles, keycard locations, and a hidden wrench, along with final bosses Krauser and Sadler.
How to beat Dungeon boss Garrador in Resident Evil 4
If you do decide to take it on, the three most important things you need to do to beat the Garrador Dungeon boss in Resident Evil 4 is to:
- Stay crouched as often as possible
- Don't touch the chains hanging from the ceiling
- Only hit the Garrador's back
Your Dungeon Garrador boss strategy should be to stay as silent as possible by crouching and not touching the dangling chains, and either knife or shoot at its back, whether the parasite is there or not, as the damage will bring out the parasite eventually.
If your knife has good durabilty, or you have plenty of spare knifes, then the quickest way to kill the Garrador is to sneak behind it and use your knife stealth attack.
If using guns, you can hit the front of the Garrador, but we found that it doesn't do as much damage, and you aren't positioned as well for shooting the parasite when it appears.
We managed to kill the Garrador on Standard difficulty with 18 shots of the ordinary Shotgun at Power Level 3. The TMP might be better here if you have ammo to spare (which we didn't), as its quick rate of fire is always helpful when up against anything with a parasite.
Whatever gun you use, just be aware that the Garrador is a big ol' bullet sponge. You might be able to get more ammo by smashing the white pots around the room, but what's inside them is randomised.
If the Garrador does spot you, we recommend running behind the wooden dividers. They'll act as a shield while the boss swings those deadly claws around, and you can get back into a crouching position from here.
Our last piece of advice is to parry if you can! If there's no escape from an incoming attack, a parry can save a lot of health, or your life.
When you defeat the Garrador, you'll get a lovely Red Beryl for your troubles, which can be sold on it's own or inserted into treasures to raise their sell price.
Good luck taking on the Garrador in the Dungeons!
If you'd like more help with the Resident Evil 4 remake, you can visit our walkthrough for more puzzle solutions, boss guides, and Requests.