Resident Evil 4: How To Beat Krauser

One of the highlights of the original Resident Evil 4 was Leon's one-to-one knife encounter with Jack Krauser and their battle afterward.

In its 2023 reimagining, Capcom has removed the QTE-based knife encounter for a real-time one. However, the showdown between the two characters remains largely the same. Despite several quality-of-life changes in the remake, taking this boss down is a challenging task. As such, here's our guide explaining how to beat Krauser in Resident Evil 4. 

Krauser Boss Guide: How To Defeat

Once Krauser gets mutated claws-like arms, it's game time. While there are no QTEs, you can dodge several of his attacks whenever the "Evade" prompt pops up.
 Any of the shotguns should be your go-to weapon for this encounter since this is a close ranged-battle, and unlike Mendes and Ramon, Krauser doesn't have any weak spots you need to target with weapons that deal 3x penetrative damage. Simply equip the Shotgun and start blasting. 
Krauser has these charged claw attacks that may not look like they can be parried, but they actually can. Once you have dealt enough damage, he will be stunned, and you can execute a devastating melee attack. 

Also, it's best to stay away from the corners, as Krauser will try to push you away, and while you can save yourself from falling by repeatedly pressing the X/A button, you will unnecessarily lose a lot of your health.

Likewise, it's best to avoid the stairs and the platform above it unless you run out of green herbs to heal yourself. It's best to fight Krauser on the ground, most likely in the center. 

Once you have dealt enough damage, Krauser will escape to the top and say stuff like, "Here's what real power feels like!" This is your cue to start running, as Krauser will immediately jump back in the arena and deal with an attack that could one-shot you to death. This gruesome blow is followed by a grabbing attack which you can escape without losing health if you have a knife.

Continue to deal damage with your shotgun. If you have a Magnum, possibly keep it as a last resort if you run out of shotgun ammo. Eventually, Krauser will be done. 

The boss battle is followed by a rather emotional cutscene where both briefly discuss their past, and Leon delivers the final blow and lays Krauser down to rest.