The Resident Evil 4 remake was mostly faithful to the original. But there was one omission that baffled and intrigued fans. What the hell happened to U-3? The boss fight was infamous, pitting Leon S. Kennedy against the massive multi-limbed Verdugo. Yet it was absent in the remake until now. U-3, aka “It,” aka Pesanta, is in the RE4 Remake Separate Ways DLC as a boss fight — and we have the guide on how to win.
Separate Ways protagonist Ada Wong runs into U-3 right as the story cracks off. The hulking bug monster infects her with Las Plagas, but she’s able to escape. Unfortunately for her, the infection apparently calls out to U-3. It spends the majority of the campaign chasing Ada down, Nemesis-style.
Related: Separate Ways DLC El Gigante boss fight guide.
Ada versus the “Black Robe”
Your first several confrontations with U-3 (called Black Robe) occur in Chapters 1 and 3, and they’re fairly cut and dried. You duck, weave, and dodge its attacks while avoiding the U-3 hallucinations. Its stab attack can be parried for a quick melee response. I recommend keeping a healthy distance and using your sniper rifle or Blast Crossbow to dish out heavy damage. U-3 will eventually scurry off like the coward it is. The early boss fights are honestly quite fair and quick to finish. But that changes in time.
Guide to beat the U-3 boss fight in the Separate Ways DLC
Phase 1
The real battle against U-3 begins in Chapter 5 and takes place in an awfully familiar location. It’s the same place Leon fought the beast in the original game, but don’t expect things to go the same way. For one, you have a lot less space to maneuver around. The horseshoe-shaped arena is narrow, making this fight feel much more harrowing than before. Surviving against the U-3 boss fight in the Separate Ways DLC takes simple pattern recognition. And U-3 has several moves based on its distance from you:
- At a long distance, it’ll raise its tail and fire pulsating stingers into the ground that explode and cause caustic damage, or it will dig its tail underground to attack you from below
- At a medium distance, U-3 will dart forward and swing at you with its tail
- At close range, it will raise its left arm and grab Ada with tentacle fingers (ugh, why?), or swipe at her with its right arm
Let’s go over what to do when you’re at a long distance. If you see it drop to its hands and raise its tail, move away in a zigzag pattern. It will fire off singers, and getting hit by one causes immense damage. They also act as mines, so watch your feet. Your best bet is to dodge and then shoot the stingers or get on the other side of the arena.
The stingers blow up on their own after a short time. U-3 will also dig its tail into the ground, which appears underneath you after a second. You have a brief window of time to hit the dodge button to avoid damage.
At a closer range, things can get a bit tougher. U-3 will leap forward and swipe at you with its tail. It’s best to avoid the medium range altogether if possible. But if you’re close enough to smell its bug breath, that’s when you’re at your biggest disadvantage. If you see U-3 raise its left arm, just run. I don’t know what those tentacle things do, and I didn’t want to find out. Run. You can block or parry its right-hand attack. But why risk it? Keep at long range and get good at dodging. Plus, being at that distance lets you chunk out a lot of damage with a sniper rifle or the Blast Crossbow.
Phase 2
So you killed U-3 and got its Housekeeper’s Barrette. Great work! But no, it’s actually a trap! The U-3 boss fight has a second phase, and it begins after the beast flings you into a nearby cave and gives pursuit. Take advantage of all the barrels. You might need to stock up on ammo and health items before things really heat up.
U-3 scurries around the arena like a creepy centipede made out of teeth and rage. It leaves behind the pulsating stingers in its wake, preventing you from freely moving around. Take note of new spots to shoot: U-3 has two glowing weak points in the second phase, one at the tip of its tail and the other on its abdomen.
After the sweaty battle before, the second phase against U-3 is much easier. And this is mostly because you’re in a much larger space in which to move around. Plus, U-3 is kind of an idiot. Attack the weak point on its tail until it digs underground and reappears. It’ll start firing stingers in your direction. Pull out your most powerful weapon and strafe a little while shooting at its weak point. It’ll drop once enough damage is dealt, letting you press a melee attack prompt and launch you into a fancy attack animation. Wash, rinse, repeat, and the job is soon finished.
Quick tips
After you dish out enough damage in the second phase, U-3 will get joined by a few Novistadors. Shoot them quickly without hesitation. They’re annoying, and you don’t need them buzzing around you in the middle of a fight. They also drop items you might need. I got lucky in my battle and received three green herbs, saving my sorry ass. U-3, like many infected creatures, is weak to flashbangs. Smoke ’em if you got ’em.
With that, your fight is over and U-3 is dead… again. I am glad to see U-3 return as a boss fight in the RE4 Remake Separate Ways DLC, and to write this guide on how to beat it. The remake earlier this year felt a bit incomplete without this lovely monstrosity.
