Disco Elysium: How To Get The Body Down

One of the first major tasks of your investigation in Disco Elysium will be getting the Hanged Man’s body down from the tree, which in any normal situation should be a simple enough task. However, being a down-on-his-luck cop with a case of severe, alcoholic binge-induced amnesia and experiencing a near-total personality reset will result in a number of questionable solutions in ZA/UM’s wonderfully wacky CRPG.

In this guide, we'll explain the multitude of methods available to you in Martinaise to help get the body down, from the simple and incredibly dangerous gun-related solutions, all the way to the convoluted and morally questionable supremacist theory ones too.

How to Get the Body down in Disco Elysium

While it might not be readily apparent upon first glance or attempt, there are a number of ways for you to put a stop to the corpse’s nearly week-long display behind the Whirling-in-Rags, but certainly not by throwing stones at it like Cuno. Thankfully, you can choose to proceed down any of these routes as mucking one of them up won’t stop you from trying another. 

Here are the different ways you can get the body down:

• Fastest - Borrow Kim’s gun, and shoot the body down.

• Longest - Find your own gun, and shoot the body down.

• Most complex - Find and speak to the Union leader, Evrart Claire and ask for his help.

As simple and highly unhinged as the first two options sound, they’ll certainly work given you pass some tough skill checks, while speaking to the union boss is actually the easiest, if a bit convoluted to pull off.

How to Shoot the Body down

If you’re keen on rootin', tootin’, and absolutely shootin’ the poor corpse down from the tree, then it’s best to know that doing so with Kim’s gun is the ideal option, as your own gun won’t become available until Day 3 at the earliest. 

Plus, you’ve got some very valuable and highly limited ammunition in your own gun that you might want to save for a later event. So, if you’re still set on shooting the body down via either method, Kim’s gun should be your first choice.

Borrow Kim’s Gun

Before attempting this wild west solution, you might want to take some Motorics boosting items and equip any clothing that boosts your Hand/Eye Coordination skill. You’ve only got one shot do not miss your chance to blow. (Or save scum, we won’t judge.)

1. Ensure Kim’s with you and head behind the Whirling-in-Rags to inspect the body fully.

2. Speak to Kim and ask him to try shooting it down. Sadly, he’ll always miss the shot.

3. Offer to try the shot yourself, and Kim will oblige, giving you a loan of his gun.

4. Do not let any of Cuno’s or Cunoesse’s digs and insults shake you, simply choose not to react. If you react, the following check will be made harder.

5. Choose to pull off the Hand/Eye Coordination check and shoot the body down. If you fail and want to retry later, you’ll need your own gun.

Find Your Own Gun and Shoot the Body down

This is easily the longest route you can take, as the soonest you can even begin finding your gun is on Day 3 when the water lock to western Martinaise is opened, and by this point, you’ll have been forced into speaking with Evrart in some capacity as he gives you the initial info on your gun’s location in exchange for some favors. 

After completing said favors, Claire will send you to Land’s End after 22:00 where you’ll experience an event with The Pigs that will earn you your weapon. You’re free to retry shooting the body down at this point but be warned, you’ll be wasting some precious ammo.

Get Union Leader Evrart Claire’s Help to Take the Body down

Located in the harbor, past the protest-fronted blockade, you’ll be able to find the leader of the Union, Evrart Claire. Requesting assistance from Evrart is basically your guarantee of getting the body down, but it can come at either the cost of your morality or force you to take the Union’s side publicly. 

Either way, getting access to Claire is the real challenge, as you’ll need to get past the hulking supremacist, Measurehead, who’s guarding the path.

Internalize Measurehead’s Race Theory

If you’re not playing a racist cop, this is obviously not the ideal approach. However, speaking to Measurehead and choosing to “subscribe to his advanced race theory” via a conceptualization check will add the ‘Advanced Race Theory’ thought to your Cabinet. If you internalize it and wait two hours to process it, speaking to Measurehead again will open up new dialogue and he’ll let you through, noticeably upsetting Kim in the process.

Knock out Measurehead

If you’ve built your character with a high Physique in mind, then you’re in luck. A difficult Physical Instrument check is available via the “Knock him out” dialogue option that appears when you speak to Measurehead.

You can do the following to improve your chances in the check:

• Speak to the Scab leader in front of the harbor entrance about Measurehead to get +1 to the check.

• Wear the White Tank Top for +2 to Physical Instrument.

• Pass a Visual Calculus dialogue check to challenge Measurehead’s theory for another +1.

Passing the check will have you throw a mean punch, leaving Measurehead dazed and ready for your pièce de résistance. Choose “Back up and perform a 360 spin-kick” to flatten him and earn your free passage. Make sure you don’t choose to punch a second time, or he’ll catch your fist and you’ll lose -1 health and waste the entire opportunity.

Sneak past Measurehead

Your final option is to find a different route past Measurehead, bypassing any confrontation entirely using a secret path to Evrart.

1. Head to the yard behind the Whirling-in-Rags.

2. Examine the wood planks just to the east of the body and pass a perception check to find a hidden door.

3. Enter and you’ll find yourself in Cuno’s Shack. Use the ladder inside to get up to the roof.

4. There’ll be a coat hanging on a walkway across from the rooftop, clicking it will prompt a Savoir Faire check.

5. Pass the check to jump across, if you make it, you’ll have skipped Measurehead entirely.

You can then follow the direct path to Evrart’s office/storage container and push through all of his dialogue to enlist his help with getting the body down.

That’s it for getting the body down in Disco Elysium, make sure to check out our other guides, just below!

For more Disco Elysium news, be sure to check out our dedicated section or take a look at some of our Guides & Tutorials just below:

TIER LISTS -

Best Disco Elysium Build And Starting Stats | Best Thoughts Tier List

GAME GUIDES -

How to Fast Travel | How Many Days In Disco Elysium | Where To Sleep On Day 1 and How To Sleep For Free | How To Find Your Gun & Get It Back | How To Get The Body Down | Cuno Choices Explained | Where To Find Ruby | Can You Romance Kim & Other NPCs | How to Solve the Egg Head Puzzle | Should You Arrest Klaasje? | Should I Internalize All Thoughts? | Should I Help Evrart Claire? | Should I Take Evrart's Novelty Cheque | Should I Take Speed? | Should I Take the Hanged Man's Boots? | Should I Shave My Beard Or Not? | Should I Report My Badge Missing? | All Disco Elysium Endings, Explained |