Where you fight: About 32 m north-west of The Sealed Lion Bell (Pangzhen · Mirage Estate)
Nearest Bell: The Sealed LionApproximate: distances are estimated from the game data, and the map painting is not to scale.Open this spot on the map →
How to beat this fight
- Fought at The Sealed Lion bell in Chapter 4, Pangzhen. Defeat You Loong at Lion Dance Hall first to get the You Loong’s Deluge Phantom Edge.
- Spray him with You Loong’s Deluge in Phase 1: putting him in the Wet state extinguishes his flames and completely disables all of his fire attacks.
- Phase 2 is the Final Dance atop the Plum Blossom Stakes. Move only when he shoots projectiles, as hopping between poles has recovery.
- He drops the Dormant Flaming Mane; bring it to Lei Dang at Jingyang Hall to repair it into the Flaming Mane Phantom Edge (which burns wet bramble barriers).
Attacks & how to counter
Attacks seen 7
These labels are our plain descriptions; the game has published no move names.
- Spiked-mane lash Prances around the arena, then lashes at you with its spiked mane.
- Fire breath Spews fire from its mouth.
- Summons minions Summons minions to chip at your health.
- Fire blast A large fiery explosion bursts around the player at close range. Seen in the State of Play deep dive at 14:03.
- Burning ground Trails of fire burn on the ground around the lion and the player. Seen in the State of Play deep dive at 14:05.
- Fire ring at its feet A ring of flame flares up around the lion's feet. Seen in the State of Play deep dive at 14:12.
- Fire columns The lion stands in a ring of fire, then a row of tall fire columns erupts across the arena. Seen in the State of Play deep dive at 15:10.
How to counter 2
- The right Phantom Edge can put out its fire and put it at a disadvantage.
- In the State of Play footage the player fights from its flank, close to the body. As played in the State of Play deep dive, 13:44.
Location, drops & connected quests
- Shown at Gamescom from a later-game save (the studio skipped ahead)
- A relatively late-game save in the October 2026 preview.
- Arena seen: night yard hung with red lanterns and banners, burning posts (State of Play 13:39). Seen in the State of Play deep dive at 13:39.
- Drops The Dormant Flaming Mane.
- Creator claim only: beating it gives the flaming lion head. A Bilibili creator’s claim (BV1gqmzB7EzQ, 11:49).
Phases and mechanics
- A later plate in the same video reads “The Lion Dance Grandmaster’s Final Dance”; see
that entry. - Two phases.
- Dying in phase 2 returns you to phase 2.
- Mechanic: the right Phantom Edge puts out its fire.
- In the footage, phase 1 ends with fire columns erupting around it (14:48–15:19) and the plate then changes to "The Lion Dance Grandmaster's Final Dance" (15:19). Seen in the State of Play deep dive at 15:10.
- Motion-captured from real lion-dance performers (two performers in one costume)
Watch the full fight
The State of Play gameplay deep dive (PlayStation on YouTube) introduces the fight from 12:28, shows the first phase with its plate from about 13:32, and the second from about 15:19 to its end at 17:21. YouTube loads only when you press play.
Frame by frame
The narration over the opening close-ups says why this fight was chosen. No official names for its moves have been published; GamingBible and Game Informer describe them in their own words, quoted where they match a frame.
12:36State of Play deep dive · PlayStation
- Seen The fight is introduced with close-ups of the mask before any plate appears.
- Narration
Our ultimate goal is to draw from the deep well of authentic Chinese folk arts and martial arts. Infusing them into the sleek, visceral, aesthetic we call Kungfupunk. To show you what that looks like in motion, please take a look at this boss encounter.
- Reported Game Informer: the Lion Dance is a traditional dance in which “two performers wear a joined lion costume”, and the boss is “technically-two characters”.
Official frame at 12:36.48, YouTube blh1v1dGJ2s · © PARAWULIN PRODUCTION LIMITED / S-GAME
13:51State of Play deep dive · PlayStation
- Seen The player fights from its flank, close to the body.
- Reported GamingBible: it “prances around the arena with grace before lashing at you with its spiked mane”.
Official frame at 13:51.33, YouTube blh1v1dGJ2s · © PARAWULIN PRODUCTION LIMITED / S-GAME
14:28State of Play deep dive · PlayStation
- Seen A jet comes from the lion’s head while the player is some distance away.
- Reported GamingBible: “it begins to channel the elements as it spews fire from its mouth”.
- Counter GamingBible: “with the right Phantom Edge special weapons, you can extinguish the blaze to put the beast at a disadvantage.” It does not say which Phantom Edge.
Official frame at 14:28.05, YouTube blh1v1dGJ2s · © PARAWULIN PRODUCTION LIMITED / S-GAME
14:35State of Play deep dive · PlayStation
- Seen Smaller enemies with their own health bars join the fight.
- Reported GamingBible: it “summons his minions to chip away at your health.”
Official frame at 14:35.03, YouTube blh1v1dGJ2s · © PARAWULIN PRODUCTION LIMITED / S-GAME
Launch-build boss dossier (29 October 2026)
“Deep in the Sha-Chi-choked ruins of the lion dance hall, fire lights the night. Grandmaster Flame holds the steel lion head high, with Second-in-Command Senior Mo as the tail behind him. The two step onto the burning Plum Blossom Stakes, leaping and turning in perfect sync, their every movement capturing the majesty of the mighty lion. Yet both dancers are controlled by masks sewn onto their faces. Every leap and lunge carries murderous intent. Saw blades whirl on either side of the lion head like a beast’s fangs, devouring whatever stands before them. The fire spewing from the lion’s mouth can no longer drive away evil. Instead, it burns everything around it, fueled by Sha-Chi. The disaster began with the New Year’s Eve bells that stirred the Sha-Chi. The uncontrolled flames unleashed a slaughter, burning the people of the estate and the Lion Dance Disciples alike. Flame himself was gravely wounded and left dying in the inferno, where Leng Tu subjected him to Perfect Transcension and used the mask to control his mind. A lion dancer whose calling was to subdue evil would not become an evil thing himself. With the last of his will, he sealed his own meridians and suppressed his murderous nature. He waits for a new one to pluck the green to come through the flames, end this calamity, and burn away the evils of the world in his stead.”
Flame, the Mask-Bound Lion Dance Grandmaster — Phantom Blade Zero in-game boss dossier
“He still dances amid the flames, as he did in years past to the cheers of the crowd, driving out evil and bringing blessings to the people. At the height of the battle, he stands atop the Plum Blossom Stakes and lets out a long cry, calling his disciples to dance with him. All the lion dancers here have fallen victim to Perfect Transcension, their minds lost. They turn the art of lion dancing into deadly techniques and charge at Soul, only to have Soul defeat them one by one and claim the lion head. Behind the mask, he watches as Soul leaps onto the high stakes and battles in the form of a lion dancer, and sees in him the hope of the art's continuation. The one to pluck the green he had awaited has finally arrived, to perform the final dance alongside him. When the dance reaches its end, Soul dons Flame's lion head. As the lion's bright eyes meet Flame's, his own will breaks free of the mask's control in an instant. Flame knows that his life is nearly spent, and before him stands a new lion dancer. The spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth gathers in those eyes. The Grandmaster can finally depart in peace. The art of lion dancing, and the will to drive out evil, are entrusted to Soul along with the lion head.”
The Lion Dance Grandmaster's Final Dance — Phantom Blade Zero in-game boss dossier
Connected weapon: Flaming Mane. Connected quest: Lion Dance Grandmaster.
Key facts
Boss · Bounty
Lion Dance Grandmaster
A lion-dance boss.
First shown: Trailers, and then the October 2026 previews.
Lion Dance Grandmaster