There are many dangers in Sea of Thieves — from pirate crews to skeletons to deadly storms. There is one sea-faring creature that almost guarantees a one-way ticket to Davy Jone’s Locker. In pirate lore, the Kraken is one of the most feared creatures an adventurer could be so unfortunate to come across.
The Kraken isn’t so much a boss you hunt down as it is a hazard that appears at random, attacking ships with its huge tentacles. When that happens, crews have to drop everything and make a major coordinated effort just to save their ship and their lives. The Kraken is tough and can be deadly. Normally, your goal should just be to do enough damage to get out of its clutches and escape.
That said, it isn’t invincible — you can defeat the Kraken. A crew working together can fend it off and force the beast to retreat back into the depths. Here’s where to find and how to defeat the Kraken in Sea of Thieves.
Further reading
- The best co-op games for 2020
- All cross-platform games (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC)
- Sea of Thieves beginner’s guide to sailing and plundering
How to find the Kraken
Watch for inky water
You won’t find the Kraken in any specific area. There is no way for you to hunt or track it. The Kraken finds you; you don’t find it. There are, however, a few tricks and stipulations that will help to lure the Kraken to your ship.
For starters, it is incredibly rare for the Kraken to attack smaller ships with a limited crew. The Kraken is just as greedy as any other pirate; it’ll only go for the larger vessels. However, you should chalk this up to the RNGs of the game. Small ships have a meager chance of being attacked by the Kraken. The beast will also only attack in wide-open waters, much like the Megaladon or Skeleton Ships. Unless your RNGs are genuinely against you, your ship won’t encounter the Kraken shortly after departing from an island or outpost.
When preparing to sail the seven seas, especially if your ship would be considered “Kraken bait,” make sure to have plenty of wooden planks and cannonballs on hand. Even if you don’t encounter the Kraken, you’ll still need these items for general repairs and protection.
You’ll know when the Kraken is coming when the water around your ship turns a murky black, as if full of ink. The ink will damage and blind players that are swimming in the ocean. Hopefully, you’re close to your ship when the Kraken decides to attack. You’ll have little time to prepare. So, how should you prepare for the imminent Kraken attack?
How to kill the Kraken
Assign everyone a role
As mentioned, the Kraken will only attempt to destroy larger ships. A large ship means a large crew, so split your pirates up and assign them different jobs. The Kraken deals massive amounts of damage to the haul of your ship. It’ll take on water, begin to splinter, and sink. Perhaps the most essential member of the crew is the pirate sent below deck to bail out water and repair the ship. Keeping your vessel afloat is the only way to prolong the fight. If your crew is limited, it is probably best to fend off the Kraken until you can escape its inky trap.
Next, you’ll want to have two pirates manning the cannons on the port and starboard sides of your ship. The Kraken’s tentacles will be their primary focus. Just be sure they don’t accidentally load themselves into the cannon and shoot themselves at the mighty beast. If they can manage to hit the tips of the Kraken’s tentacles, perfect; this will deal the most damage. More importantly, when the Kraken opens its tentacle-mouths, aim for those. The body of the tentacle is much easier to hit and should be the priority for more damage over time.
Finally, any other crew members should be opening fire with their guns. A scoped rifle will be useful in this fight to place accurate shots on the Kraken’s weak points. The Kraken can also wrap its tentacles around your ship to deal damage. Hack and slash with your cutlass to buck the beast back into the ocean.
The Kraken will use its tentacles to wrap around the ship or pick up crewmates and fling them into the ocean. If the Kraken picks you up, you can use your cutlass to slash away at the tentacles until it spits you back into the water or slams you down onto the ship.
Counter the Kraken’s attacks
When the Kraken appears, its tentacles will surround the ship. They’re dangerous in a number of ways, and you need to do everything you can to mitigate the damage they do to your ship and your crew. Luckily, the Kraken tentacles only have two attacks, and both of them can be countered with concentrated attacks by your entire team.
First, it uses its mouth to suck up a member of your crew, grabbing them off the deck of the ship. You take damage while you’re in the tentacle’s mouth, and it can also fling you way off into the water or slam you down against the deck of the ship. If one of your crewmates gets nabbed by a tentacle, it’s a good idea for the crew to turn their attention and unload on it — if you do enough damage, the Kraken will release them. You can’t use your gun on a tentacle when it has you inside its mouth, but you can hack at it with your sword.
Second, the Kraken goes after the ship itself, slamming a tentacle across the bow to do damage to your hull. When that happens, again, it’s best for the whole crew to turn its attention to the attacking tentacle and wail on it. You can slice the tentacles with your swords when they’re on the deck to damage them, and it’s best to lay into them with everything you have to get rid of them quickly.
Beware of swimming on the surface
Chances are pretty good that at least some of your crew will find themselves in the water at some point during a Kraken attack. When that happens, you need to be careful. While the Kraken’s tentacles won’t go after you while you’re in the water, you will take continuous damage from the ink that spreads over the attack area. To minimize the damage, swim beneath the surface as much as possible. The ink floats on the top of the water, so you only have to take damage when you come up for air or get back on your ship.
Keep up with repairs
The fight with the Kraken can be perilous as you find tentacles popping up or disappearing beneath the waves. With crew members getting snagged by tentacles and tossed overboard, it can be easy to forget that your ship itself is under assault. Make sure your crew is frequently dropping below deck to patch up leaks. It might even be prudent to designate one member of your crew specifically to keep your ship from sinking throughout the battle. The Kraken can do a lot of damage, and if there is a lapse in your attention, it might take you down to the depths with it.
Make your escape
In case it wasn’t clear before, we want to make sure you know: You do not have to kill the Kraken! Even if you want to, though, it’s a matter of pride. We understand — but you should be prepared to cut bait and flee rather than to stand up to it.
Depending on whether you’re losing crew to attacks or taking massive damage, making a getaway might be the best way to stay alive (and keep any treasure you have onboard). You can simply sail away from the Kraken once you knock out enough of its tentacles, and it’s worth noting that if you get attacked while you’re on the move, your sails will still be down and anchor up, so this can happen even by accident. If you can sail out of the inky water, you’ll escape the Kraken’s wrath, so blast away at the tentacles until you can start moving again.
If you’re purposefully hunting down the Kraken, you might not want to have a ton of loot with you. If you have valuable treasures onboard your ship, you might want to transfer some, if not all of them, to a rowboat. This way, you’ll be prepared to jump ship and escape on your rowboat with all your booty while the Kraken is distracted by your ship.
What do you get for killing the Kraken?
Yes, the Kraken is a difficult opponent, but it’s not a real boss. The battle will be ferocious; there’s no doubt about that, but keep in mind that this isn’t exactly a boss fight. Rare’s people claim that the Kraken is like a dangerous storm, a natural force to be reckoned with. It doesn’t matter how you view the Kraken. At the end of the day, it can offer you some incredible treasure, not to mention the valuable battle experience.
You get a piece of treasure every time you defeat one of the Kraken’s many tentacles. So, in reality, you only have to beat one tentacle to earn a reward. With each tentacle you conquer, you get Kraken meat and some treasure; it’s a win-win. It can be risky if you stick around for a while to beat more tentacles. If you’re lucking out and beating multiple tentacles, it may be worth it. Of course, it’s only useful if you can manage to escape and survive along with your ship.
Those who defeat the Kraken will receive the “Kraken Good Job” award as a trophy of their victory.
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