Sifu - The Club Boss Fight Guide: How To Defeat Sean The Fighter

If you made it past the first boss of Sifu, Fajar, you might feel unstoppable…at least until you get to The Club, Sifu's second level. This second action-packed level is capped off with one of the toughest bosses in the entire game. Sean (The Fighter), as he’s called, is tremendously more technical than the previous boss, so it’s easy to understand how a player might get stuck. Here’s how to take down the Sean boss in Sifu and survive The Club.

How to defeat Sean

As soon as the fight begins, you can run to either side of the arena, to pick up a staff, but we actually recommend skipping this since you won’t need it. If you do decide to grab a weapon, you’ll want to run away quickly after you pick it up. Make sure you’re aware of where Sean is so you don’t get hit while arming yourself. Once you’ve got your bearings and have a little distance between you and the boss, slowly approach him so you can begin your assault. Though, given the method we’ll be using, having a weapon isn’t necessary.

The key with this boss is to dodge his attacks by holding L1 and pressing the left stick in the opposite direction of the strike. For instance, to duck under a sweep, hold L1 and press down on the left stick. We advise using this method instead of trying to block, as Sean’s attacks hit hard, causing your structure to break quickly.

Like Fajar, we advise practicing avoiding Sean’s attacks while observing his moves. As soon as he’s open for an attack, strike a couple of times, but don’t get overzealous. Sometimes, it’s much safer to dodge a few consecutive attacks to wait for an opening. Thankfully, once Sean is open for an attack, you can get upwards of 10 strikes in, so it pays to be patient.

We also don’t recommend hitting Sean without dodging an attack first. Trying to strike will result in your Structure bar getting closer to its breaking point, so wait for Sean to strike, avoid the move, and try hitting back.

Just like the previous boss, we also recommend utilizing your Focus attacks when possible. Doing so will allow you to execute an unblockable attack that will not only deal damage, but will stun the enemy afterward so you can follow up with additional strikes. In this case, we still recommend using the Strong Sweep Focus move, which knocks the enemy on his back. Then approach, hold down Circle to strike a few times, and Sean will get up. We will be groggy, allowing you to get a couple more shots in before he defends again.

For this reason, we recommend coming to the fight with the reward that grants you more Focus upon a successful avoid or parry--giving you more opportunities to unleash a Focus attack throughout the battle. Repeat the process of avoiding attacks while striking when possible, and making good use of your Focus moves. Eventually, Sean’s structure will break and you’ll be able to unleash a finisher before getting to the second phase.

Phase two begins with a burning version of the arena you were just in, but the fight itself is quite similar. Once again, let Sean attack, avoid it, and lay into him with a few strikes, just like the previous stage. It’s important to be aware that Sean will utilize more high attacks this time around, so you’ll want to be in the habit of ducking beneath them. But keep in mind, Sean almost always executes three to four attacks in a row, so don’t try to strike until the animation for a combo is over. That’s why we advise paying attention to the boss’ various combos, so you know when it’s safe to strike.

When you get the second phase version of Sean down to around half Structure, it will be increasingly more difficult to find an opening for an attack since he likes to back up after he finishes a combo.

However, when you avoid an attack, your Focus meter fills, so you can use this to your advantage. If you want to play it as safe as possible, avoid his attacks until your Focus meter is full and then use your Strong Sweep (or other moves) to deal damage. Then repeat the process to completely rely on using Focus attacks instead of basic strikes. It’ll take a lot longer to utilize this method, but it’s much safer than miscalculating and taking damage.

For details on how long it takes to beat Sifu, read our guide here.