The best keepsakes in Hades solve the problem of a run that has not started yet. A keepsake either guarantees your opening boon or covers a weakness once the build is set, and the slot decides how much it is worth.
Value here means how much a keepsake changes a run, scored against the slot it suits. A trinket that only pays off late ranks below one that steers the opening, unless the late payoff is a spare life.
How this tier list is ranked
Ranking starts with certainty. A keepsake that guarantees a specific god removes a gamble, and the opening chambers are where a run is won or lost.
The second check is the slot. An item built for the first two biomes loses value if you take it late. A defensive trinket is wasted on a build that already survives.
Falling off is the third check. A keepsake that stops helping after the opening ranks below one that still contributes in Elysium and beyond.
S-tier keepsakes
S-tier keepsakes either lock in your opening or hand you a second chance. Both belong in a plan you can repeat.
The god keepsakes lead. Thunder Signet, Conch Shell, and Owl Pendant each guarantee a first boon from Zeus, Poseidon, or Athena, so your build starts on purpose.
Lucky Tooth covers the other end. It grants a spare revival, and a spare life at the final boss is worth more than a small bonus early.
A-tier keepsakes
A-tier keepsakes are strong and specific. Each one tilts your run toward a plan that a clear-eyed player can build.
Lambent Plume rewards fast clears with rising dodge and speed, so it suits a player who already moves well. Cosmic Egg raises your odds of finding Chaos boons, a payoff for the patient.
Bone Hourglass stretches the value of shop items across more chambers, which turns one good shopping trip into a long investment.
B-tier keepsakes
B-tier keepsakes give a steady effect with no steering. They help, but they rarely decide the shape of a run.
Old Spiked Collar and Myrmidon Bracer both buy survivability. One adds max health, the other softens damage from the front.
Pierced Butterfly and Broken Spearpoint belong to the risky end. Each rewards clean play, so a scrappy run leaves them idle.
C-tier keepsakes
C-tier keepsakes are situational. They can shine in one narrow run and do little in the next.
Shattered Shackle only pays while a move still lacks a god boon, so it fades as your build fills out. Skull Earring waits for low health, a state you want to avoid.
Where does every keepsake rank?
Each row notes the slot that suits the keepsake, because the same trinket can be excellent early and idle late.
| Tier | Keepsake | Why it ranks there |
|---|---|---|
| S | Thunder Signet (Zeus) | Opening slot. Guarantees a Zeus boon, and Zeus effects chain across grouped foes. |
| S | Conch Shell (Poseidon) | Opening slot. Guarantees a Poseidon boon, whose knockback works from the first room. |
| S | Owl Pendant (Athena) | Opening slot. Guarantees an Athena boon, and her deflect answers incoming damage. |
| S | Lucky Tooth (Skelly) | Late slot. A spare revival covers a misread at the final boss. |
| S | Pom Blossom (Persephone) | Opening to mid slot. Boon levels rise as you clear chambers, so early use pays more. |
| A | Eternal Rose (Aphrodite) | Opening slot. Guarantees an Aphrodite boon, and Weak cuts the damage you take. |
| A | Adamant Arrowhead (Artemis) | Opening slot. Guarantees an Artemis boon, tilting your damage toward critical hits. |
| A | Blood-Filled Vial (Ares) | Opening slot. Guarantees an Ares boon, and Doom fits a hit-and-run plan. |
| A | Lambent Plume (Hermes) | Mid to late slot. Rewards fast clears with rising dodge and move speed. |
| A | Bone Hourglass (Charon) | Mid to late slot. Shop items last longer, so one good purchase carries further. |
| A | Cosmic Egg (Chaos) | Opening slot. Raises your odds of a Chaos boon, the rarest upgrade in a run. |
| B | Overflowing Cup (Dionysus) | Opening slot. Guarantees a Dionysus boon, pointing the build toward Hangover. |
| B | Frostbitten Horn (Demeter) | Opening slot. Guarantees a Demeter boon, whose Chill slows a whole room. |
| B | Old Spiked Collar (Cerberus) | Any slot. Extra max health, a plain buffer that never breaks a build. |
| B | Myrmidon Bracer (Achilles) | Any slot. Softens damage from the front, useful while you learn to face enemies. |
| B | Pierced Butterfly (Thanatos) | Opening slot. Damage rises per clean chamber, so it rewards careful play. |
| B | Broken Spearpoint (Patroclus) | Late slot. A brief window of protection after you take a hit. |
| C | Shattered Shackle (Sisyphus) | Opening slot. Pays only while a move lacks a god boon, so it fades as the build fills. |
| C | Skull Earring (Megaera) | Late slot. Waits for low health to add damage, a state you want to avoid. |
| C | Harpy Feather Duster (Dusa) | Late slot. A sustain keepsake for runs where chip damage adds up. |
Which keepsake fits the opening slot
The opening slot belongs to a god keepsake. Pick the god whose core boons you want, then take the trinket that guarantees a first drop from that god.
- Zeus, Poseidon, Athena: the three safest openers. Their effects work on their own, so the first boon pays right away.
- Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis: openers for a damage plan. Weak, Doom, and crits all scale through the whole escape.
- Dionysus, Demeter, Hermes: openers for a slower build. Hangover, Chill, and speed need a few rooms before they pay off.
Which keepsake fits the late run
The late slot belongs to survival or utility. Once your core boons land, a spare life or a resource trinket does more than another damage nudge.
Swap when you reach the biome where mistakes cost the most. A defensive keepsake held through Elysium often saves a run that a damage keepsake would have ended.
Turning the list into a plan
A keepsake tier list only pays if you plan the swap. Decide your opening god before the run, then decide which item you want for the last two biomes.
The keepsake and the weapon choose each other. Read the weapon tier list and the aspect tier list before your next attempt.
Next: Keepsake guide or the boon tier list.