Entering Hardmode
Hardmode begins the moment you defeat the Wall of Flesh in the Underworld. The world permanently changes: a stripe of Hallow and your evil biome (Corruption or Crimson) cut diagonally across it, tougher enemies appear everywhere, and the first tier of Hardmode ore spawns in the ground. Back up your world first — the change is irreversible.
Hardmode bosses in order
- Queen Slime — Early Hardmode
- Pirate Ship — Early Hardmode
- The Twins — Mech tier (post-WoF)
- The Destroyer — Mech tier (post-WoF)
- Skeletron Prime — Mech tier (post-WoF)
- Plantera — Post-Plantera
- Duke Fishron — Post-Plantera
- Empress of Light — Post-Plantera
- Mothron — Post-Plantera
- Pumpking — Post-Plantera
- Ice Queen — Post-Plantera
- Everscream — Post-Plantera
- Santa-NK1 — Post-Plantera
- Golem — Post-Golem
- Martian Saucer — Post-Golem
- Betsy — Post-Golem
- Lunatic Cultist — Lunar event
- Solar Pillar — Lunar event
- Vortex Pillar — Lunar event
- Nebula Pillar — Lunar event
- Stardust Pillar — Lunar event
- Moon Lord — Post-Moon Lord
Fight them in this order — each unlocks the gear and materials you need for the next. Open any boss for its full strategy guide.
Hardmode ore progression
Each Mechanical Boss you defeat causes the next ore tier to spawn. Mine and smelt them in order:
1. Cobalt Ore or Palladium Ore
2. Mythril Ore or Orichalcum Ore
3. Adamantite Ore or Titanium Ore
After the Mechanical Bosses, farm Chlorophyte Ore in the Underground Jungle, then Luminite drops from the Moon Lord for the final gear tier.
First steps in Hardmode
Craft a Hardmode-tier pickaxe (from a Mechanical Boss's ore or a Pickaxe Axe) to mine the tougher ores, build a long bridge arena for the Mechanical Bosses, and pick your class — see the melee, ranged, magic and summon guides for the best loadout at each tier.