Ori and the Will of the Wisps shriek: Final Boss Guide

Understanding Shriek and the Fight’s Three Phases

The Ori and the Will of the Wisps shriek fight can leave you scrambling when the arena disappears beneath your feet. Learning its attack cues matters because the finale replaces solid ground with an aerial battle. This Ori and the Will of the Wisps shriek guide breaks down the three phases, explains what to dodge, and shows where Bash can help.

Spoiler warning: This guide covers the final boss and Shriek’s ending.

The mechanics below follow the fan-maintained Shriek wiki entry. Its attack names are community-created descriptions, rather than official move names. For general information about the game, visit the official Ori website.

Shriek, also called The Stone-Wing, is the owl who stalks the Silent Woods and serves as the game’s main antagonist. Her stone-covered body makes her imposing, but she can also fly, dive, and attack from outside the immediate arena.

The fight changes as her health falls. Understanding those changes helps you recognize when a familiar dodge needs adjusting.

Phase	Health threshold listed by the wiki	Arena conditions	Main change to watch
Phase 1	Opening phase	A platform supports the fight	Learn ground attacks and their visual cues
Phase 2	Begins at 75% health	Platform combat continues, with sections vulnerable later	Swoops gain new directions and attacks can cover the floor
Phase 3	Begins at 10% health or lower	Shriek destroys the remaining platform	Combat becomes entirely aerial

A good approach to the Ori and the Will of the Wisps shriek encounter is to treat movement as your priority. Read the cue, escape the threatened area, then look for an opportunity to attack. Continuing an attack while a purple landing marker appears beneath Ori risks trading a damage opportunity for an avoidable hit.

Phase 1: Read the Ground Attacks Before Committing

The opening phase introduces moves that return later. Use it to distinguish a targeted landing from a sweeping attack, and a close-range threat from a projectile spread.

Shriek communicates several attacks through her movement. A raised stone stilt signals a ground slam, while head movement can precede either her laser or projectile attack. Watching her posture alongside the arena indicators gives you more information than watching Ori alone.

Attack	Cue or behavior described by the wiki	Practical response
Stomp	Shriek raises both talons before striking the ground	Move away from the threatened ground
Crush	A raised stone stilt slams down and sends blue fire waves in both directions	Account for the waves after avoiding the impact
Laser Breath	Head movement precedes a blue beam sweeping toward Ori	Track the beam’s direction and move out of its path
Pounce	A purple glow marks the landing position	Leave the marked area before Shriek descends
Swoop	A moving shadowy column indicates her flight direction	Reposition away from the horizontal flight path
Fire Spit	A head shake and squawk precede arcing projectiles	Avoid the spread or redirect a projectile with Bash or Spirit Edge

Crush requires more than avoiding Shriek’s foot. Its blue fire travels outward in both directions, so a nearby position can remain dangerous after the slam. A good approach is to watch the resulting waves before moving back toward her.

Pounce presents a different problem. Its purple glow identifies where Shriek will land. Once that marker appears, prioritize leaving the marked ground rather than finishing another attack.

For Swoop, follow the moving shadow cue. During this phase, the attack is strictly horizontal. That makes recognizing its flight line useful preparation for the more varied swoops later.

Two additional attacks punish staying close. Screech damages an area around Shriek’s head, while Swipe can trigger when Ori gets too close to her on the ground. Avoid lingering beside her talons or directly around her head while waiting for an opening.

Fire Spit offers a way to respond offensively. The wiki states that its projectiles can be deflected back at Shriek with Bash or Spirit Edge, and at least one projectile is aimed at Ori. A good approach is to redirect a projectile only when you can also track the rest of the spread.

For the opening Ori and the Will of the Wisps shriek phase, focus on three habits:

• Leave purple landing markers promptly.
• Watch for follow-up hazards after ground impacts.
• Use projectile deflection when the surrounding space is manageable.

These habits remain useful as the arena becomes less forgiving.

Phase 2: Adjust to Floor-Wide Hazards and Falling Fire

According to the wiki, phase 2 begins when Shriek reaches 75% health. She opens with a short-range roar from the far left of the platform. This opening attack occurs once during the phase unless the battle restarts.

The larger adjustment is how Shriek uses the arena. Her attacks can now threaten the entire floor, arrive diagonally, or force you toward the platform’s sides.

Attack or change	What happens	Practical response
Background Swoop	Shriek flies from the background toward the viewer, making the floor hazardous	Go airborne or use the blue moss on the platform’s side
Diagonal Swoop	Shriek gains diagonal dashes	Read each flight cue rather than assuming a horizontal path
Fire Rain	Blue rain falls alongside 1–4 violet projectiles that can home toward Ori	Track violet projectiles; Bash can remove their homing effect
Repeated Stomp	Three impacts occur, each marked by a purple shadow	Reposition for each marker
Cover	Purple smoke signals an attack covering the platform	Jump off, time Launch, or use the side’s blue moss
Platform destruction	Below 50% health, certain stomps break sections at the mid-right or far left	Reassess the available ground after impacts

When Shriek approaches from the background, staying on the floor is hazardous across the arena. The wiki identifies getting airborne or moving onto the blue moss at the platform’s side as ways to dodge. A good approach is to notice her background movement early enough to reach one of those positions.

Cover has its own warning: purple smoke across the ground. The listed escape options are jumping off the platform, timing Launch, or using the side moss. Since the threat covers the platform, a short sideways move along its surface does not address the marked danger.

Fire Rain adds another layer. Its violet projectiles can track Ori and have slightly larger explosions than the blue rain. Bash removes their homing effect. That makes violet rain worth watching closely, especially when another attack limits your movement.

The repeated Stomp sequence also demands patience. Shriek strikes three times, with each location marked separately. Avoid treating the first successful dodge as the end of the sequence.

Below 50% health, a stomp at the mid-right or far left can break off part of the platform. After an impact, check where you can still land before choosing your next movement.

The Ori and the Will of the Wisps shriek fight still includes familiar threats here. Laser Breath sweeps the platform from center-screen, and Shriek can approach Ori’s position before Screech. Fire Spit also changes: she appears on Ori’s side and releases projectiles at an angle.

A good approach is to separate the immediate threat from the surrounding hazard. Move out of a stomp marker, then check the falling rain before settling into your next position.

Phase 3: Stay Mobile After the Platform Disappears

The final phase begins at 10% health or lower, according to the wiki. Shriek breaks the ground from left to right until the platform is gone.

That destruction changes the task completely. Ground-based positioning gives way to aerial movement, and projectile rain continues for the rest of the phase.

Mechanic	Final-phase behavior	What to watch
Fire Rain	Projectiles fall continuously; violet rain is absent	The space above and below Ori
Swoop	Horizontal and diagonal attacks occur in a pattern	The direction of each incoming pass
Fire Spit	Shriek attacks from the right with a directional projectile spread	The occupied area rather than a single targeted shot
Ground and laser attacks	Stomp, Pounce, Crush, Cover, Screech, Swipe, and Laser Breath stop	Concentrate on the remaining aerial threats

The final Fire Spit differs from earlier versions. Its projectiles are not intentionally aimed at Ori, but their spread creates a dangerous area. A good approach is to look for open space between hazards rather than assume every projectile will follow your position.

Swoop remains active, alternating horizontal and diagonal attacks. Keep reading each approach instead of repeating the same movement automatically.

For the aerial Ori and the Will of the Wisps shriek finale, Bash is useful to consider as part of your movement toolkit. Earlier phases establish that it interacts with Shriek’s projectiles. Look for usable projectiles while continuing to watch the incoming rain and Shriek’s flight path.

Avoid focusing exclusively on her nearly depleted health bar. A good approach is to preserve safe movement first, then attack when the surrounding hazards allow it. The absence of ground makes losing track of Ori’s position especially costly.

Shriek’s Story, Ending, and Achievement

The Ori and the Will of the Wisps shriek encounter concludes a story shaped by Decay and rejection.

Shriek hatched in the Silent Woods after the Spirit Willow’s death. Decay affected her development, leaving her covered in stone and walking on two stone stilts. Despite those deformities, she retained powerful flight abilities.

As a hatchling, she sought companionship but was rejected by other creatures, including owls. She returned to the Silent Woods, and those experiences shaped her hostility toward the Light and creatures associated with it.

Her conflict with Ori becomes personal when she attacks Ori and Ku. During that encounter, Shriek shatters the ground beneath Ori and sends Ku over a cliff, leaving Ku near death.

Later, Seir repels Shriek with a burst of light. Ori stops Seir from delivering a finishing blow and attempts to show Shriek kindness. Shriek retreats rather than accepting the gesture.

The final confrontation occurs at the Spirit Willow. Shriek intercepts Seir, forcing Ori into the battle covered in this guide. After her defeat, she returns to her childhood nest and collapses between her family’s decayed remains. The wiki identifies this as her death.

Defeating Shriek awards the Stone Cold achievement. Her ending also gives the battle its emotional weight: Ori’s attempt at compassion precedes a final confrontation that ends with Shriek returning to the place where her isolation began.

FAQ

How do you beat the Ori and the Will of the Wisps shriek boss?

Read her landing markers and flight cues, dodge before attacking, and use Bash or Spirit Edge to redirect Fire Spit projectiles when practical. During the final phase, prioritize aerial movement while avoiding continuous rain and swoops.

When does Shriek destroy the platform?

The wiki states that certain stomps can break platform sections below 50% health. At 10% health or lower, Shriek destroys the remaining ground from left to right, beginning the aerial phase.

Can you redirect Shriek’s projectiles?

Yes. The wiki lists Bash and Spirit Edge as ways to deflect Fire Spit projectiles back at her. It also states that Bash removes the homing effect from phase 2’s violet rain.

What achievement do you get for defeating Shriek?

Defeating Shriek awards Stone Cold. After the battle, her story ends with her retreat to the Silent Woods and death beside her family’s remains.