If you’ve spent any amount of time exploring the lush, combat-heavy world of Where Winds Meet, you’ve almost certainly stumbled into a frustrating, high-stakes showdown by the time where winds meet Zhao Dali. This burly, axe-wielding martial arts master isn’t just a random side boss—he’s a skill check that forces you to stop button mashing and actually learn the game’s core combat mechanics. I spent three straight attempts getting one-shot by his heavy spin attack before I figured out the loopholes in his move set, and I’m breaking every trick I learned down for you here. You don’t need perfect reflexes or a fully upgraded gear set to beat him, just a little patience and the right game plan.
Where Winds Meet Zhao Dali: Exact Spawn Location and Pre-Fight Prep
Zhao Dali spawns in the eastern edge of Green Bamboo Gorge, right by the broken wooden bridge that leads to the Mountain Bandit Stronghold. You won’t trigger the fight automatically when you walk into the area. First you’ll need to speak to the injured traveler curled up by the side of the dirt path, who explains Zhao Dali stole his family’s jade heirloom after attacking him on the road. Once you agree to help, the boss fight will trigger as soon as you walk into the small clearing 50 feet past the traveler.
Before you start the fight, take 2 minutes to get your loadout right, it will make the whole process far less stressful. Always equip a light to medium weight armor set for this fight—heavy armor will slow your dodge speed just enough that you can’t escape his wide spin attack in time. You’ll also want at least 3 medium health potions, and if you have them in your inventory, thunder damage talismans since community data shows Zhao Dali has a 20% weakness to thunder damage. You don’t need to be a high level to take him on either, level 12 is the minimum recommended level, but level 14 gives you a nice health buffer if you’re still getting used to parry timings.
Zhao Dali’s Core Attack Patterns You Need to Memorize
The best part about this fight is Zhao Dali has no random, untelegraphed moves. All of these patterns are consistent every time where winds meet Zhao Dali, so you don’t have to worry about random unexpected moves throwing off your plan. The first move you’ll see most often is his heavy overhead swing: he winds up for 2 full seconds, holding his axe above his head, before slamming it down. You can either parry this attack right as the axe starts to fall, or dodge to his left side, since the swing has a longer reach on his right.
Next is his triple horizontal slash combo, three fast swipes that cover almost 180 degrees in front of him. Don’t try to parry these unless you’re very confident in your timing, just dodge backwards twice and wait for the third swing to end before you move in to attack. The move that kills most new players is his spin attack, He will roar and stomp his foot once before he starts spinning—that’s your cue to run backwards as fast as possible, or dodge three times in a row to get out of range. The spin lasts 4 full seconds, and it can take out 80% of your health in one go if you get caught in it. Finally, he has a grab attack where he reaches out with his left hand to pull you in. Dodge to his right to avoid it easily, because he never grabs with his dominant, axe-holding hand.
Step-by-Step Battle Strategy to Beat Zhao Dali First Try
The fight has two clear phases, with Zhao Dali unlocking one new move once his health drops to 50%. Lots of players assume they need to be over level 20 to win when where winds meet Zhao Dali, but that’s not true at all. Follow this simple, tested strategy and you’ll beat him on your first attempt, no grinding required:
- Start the fight by throwing one thunder talisman at him as soon as the opening cutscene ends. This will deal 10% of his health immediately and stun him for 1 second, giving you time to land 2-3 light attacks before he recovers.
- Stay 2-3 feet away from him for the first phase of the fight, only moving in to attack right after he finishes a combo. Never attack more than 3 times in a row, or you won’t have time to dodge his counter swing.
- When his health drops to 50%, he will roar and swing his axe twice in a wide, full-circle arc. Dodge backwards twice to avoid both hits, then use a health potion if you’re below 70% health before he starts his next attack.
- In phase 2, he will occasionally throw his axe at you from a distance. Dodge to the side immediately, then run in to land 3 hits while he’s pulling the axe back to his hand, since he’s completely vulnerable during this animation.
- When his health drops below 10%, he will do one final, extra long spin attack, then collapse from exhaustion for 3 full seconds. Use all your heavy attacks here to finish him off before he recovers.
Don’t try to rush the fight, that’s the mistake I made my first two attempts. I kept attacking 4 or 5 times in a row to try and end the fight faster, and I got caught by his counter swing every single time. Even if you play super cautiously, the whole fight only takes 3 to 4 minutes total, so it’s worth taking it slow. If you have a companion summon available, use it right at the start of phase 2, it will draw his aggro for 10 seconds, giving you time to land a bunch of free attacks without any risk.
Rewards You Get for Beating Zhao Dali
Beating Zhao Dali gives you far more than just bragging rights, the rewards are well worth the time you spend learning his move set. First, you’ll get the stolen jade heirloom to return to the injured traveler, which gives you 500 silver and a rare light armor chest piece that boosts your dodge speed by 10%—that chest piece is useful for almost every build in the early to mid game. You’ll also get Zhao Dali’s personal battle axe, a top tier heavy weapon for strength builds that has a 15% chance to stun enemies on every hit.
You’ll also unlock a hidden side quest that lets you clear out the nearby Mountain Bandit Stronghold, which rewards you with an extra skill point and a rare crafting material for high level weapons. If you beat him without taking any damage, you also get an exclusive flex emote and a title that shows off your win to other players in co-op mode. Even if you don’t care about any of these rewards, beating Zhao Dali teaches you all the core combat skills you need to beat almost every other early and mid-game boss in Where Winds Meet, so it’s a great investment of your time even if you die a few times in the process.
At the end of the day, the fight you run into when where winds meet Zhao Dali is less about having the best gear and more about learning to read his moves and play patiently. Don’t get discouraged if you die a few times, almost every player struggles with him their first few attempts. Use the tips I laid out here, take your time, and you’ll be walking away with his axe and all the bonus rewards before you know it. Once you beat him, you can even go back later with a weaker build to challenge yourself for the no-damage reward, too.
