In Path of Exile 2, pinnacle bosses test not just your build, but your mechanical skill, awareness, and adaptability. Zarohk, the Temporal, is one such test, standing as the final challenge at the end of the Trial of the Sekhemas. A master of time and space, Zarohk bombards players with non-stop projectiles and mechanics that manipulate time, positioning, and tempo, keeping them on their toes. This guide will walk you through the process of reaching Zarohk, preparing for the fight, mastering his mechanics, and ultimately claiming victory.

How to Reach Zarohk

Zarohk lies at the end of the Trial of the Sekhemas, a grueling gauntlet composed of four ascending floors of increasingly difficult enemies and trials. To reach Zarohk, you must defeat three other bosses, manage afflictions and boons, and maintain your honor-a special resource unique to this trial that effectively acts as your real-life pool during the final fight.

Each floor introduces challenges that reduce your defenses or limit your abilities through afflictions. However, they also offer boons-temporary buffs you can choose between floors. Picking the right boons and managing your build around them is key to surviving Zarohk's brutal encounter.

Recommended Boons and Relics

To give yourself the best chance of surviving, prioritize movement speed, damage output, and honor resistance. Mobility is especially crucial in the final battle. Key boons and relics to prioritize:

Hare's Foot: Grants +40% movement speed-a top-tier pick.

Relics with boss damage bonuses: Amplify your damage bursts during short attack windows.

Honor Resistance Buffs: Reduce the rate at which you lose honor, which is your real vulnerability in this fight.

Avoid afflictions that reduce your evasion, movement speed, or defensive layers like armor or spell suppression. Mobility and durability are your best assets.

Zarohk's Fight Mechanics and Phases

Zarohk doesn't rely on high-damage nukes. Instead, he overwhelms you with constant pressure, layering time-altering mechanics, dangerous projectiles, and honor attrition. He has 17 million life, heavy elemental resistances, and is weak only to physical and Chaos damage.

Key Mechanics to Watch For

"You are not in control."

He launches a time orb with a circular field that slows you if caught in its radius.

Keep moving to avoid being trapped in slow fields.

"The hour grows late."

Zarohk teleports to the center and unleashes a ring of lightning.

Move to the outer corners of the room to dodge this attack.

"The sands of time wait for no one."

He vanishes and leaves a glowing circle in the middle.

Stepping on the light initiates the Sands of Time Challenge:

The arena transforms into a giant clock.

You must step on six randomly positioned orbs before the 15-second timer expires.

You slow down each second, so route planning is critical.

Failing the challenge ends the fight instantly.

Fight Progression and New Abilities

66% HP: Zarohk uses the Sands of Time for the first time.

<50% HP: Begins hurling spinning pylons that orbit the battlefield rapidly.

<40% HP: Summons bubbles that slow you if entered.

<33% HP: Creates clockface runes beneath your feet. After 4 seconds, you're warped back to them.

25% HP: Triggers the Sands of Time challenge again.

The deeper into the fight, the more chaotic and projectile-heavy the field becomes. At lower health, you'll be dodging bubbles, lightning, spinning pylons, and time mechanics all at once.

Combat Tips and Strategy

Mobility is survival. Equip skills and gear that boost movement, like Dash, Flame Dash, or Whirling Blades. Any movement delay will cost you honor.

Honor is your life. Zarohk's attacks rarely deal lethal blows but instead chip away at your honor. Avoid taking any unnecessary hits, even if it means delaying your attacks.

Use Damage Over Time (DoT). Applying DoTs like Poison, Bleed, or Chaos damage allows you to keep damaging Zarohk while repositioning.

Save burst damage for safe windows. When Zarohk pauses or telegraphs an attack, go all-in with burst skills and cooldowns.

Practice clock challenge routes. The Sands of Time sequence is a platforming challenge. If possible, run practice trials using similar mechanics to get comfortable reading and routing random orb placements quickly.

Final Phase (Below 33%)

The arena becomes a bullet hell. With honor low and hazards high, here's how to survive:

Use the outer edges of the arena to buy more time between hazards.

Ignore low-impact attacks-start trading small amounts of honor for damage.

Stay aggressive, especially after the second clock challenge. It's your last chance to finish him before more afflictions stack.

Rewards for Defeating Zarohk

Defeating Zarohk yields randomized high-tier loot and special boss rewards depending on the relics you placed in the altar before the Trial began. These may include:

Unique time-themed Path of Exile 2 items

Sekhema trial relics and Path of Exile 2 currency

Exclusive skill gems or support modifiers

You may also unlock achievements or further endgame trials tied to the Pantheon or Eternal Empire timeline (subject to PoE 2's final endgame structure).

Conclusion

Zarohk, the Temporal, isn't about raw power-it's a test of discipline, awareness, and precise movement. Victory depends on your ability to manage time itself, from dodging attacks to solving his orb challenge under pressure. By arriving well-prepared, picking mobility-enhancing boons, and maintaining composure throughout the fight, you'll be able to defeat this pinnacle boss and reap the high-tier rewards waiting at the end of the Trial of the Sekhemas.