Red Death is one of the most powerful and sought-after characters in Vampire Survivors, but unlocking them requires a very specific setup: you need to kill Death himself, the Reaper that spawns at the 30-minute mark. That might sound like an impossible task—but with the right strategy, gear, and timing, it’s entirely achievable. This guide walks you through the most reliable and accessible method to unlock Red Death, even if you’re not using any secret characters.

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Prerequisites: What You Need First

Before attempting this, make sure you’ve:

• Completed Moongolow progression
• Unlocked the Yellow Sign relic

If you haven’t yet finished the Moongolow arc or obtained the Yellow Sign, look for a progression guide that walks you through this first. The Yellow Sign is essential because it unlocks the Metaglio Left/Right, Silver Ring, and Gold Ring—required for this build.

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Stage & Settings

• Stage: Inlaid Library (chosen for its flat, linear layout and easy item collection)
• Character: Gallo (non-secret, accessible, and ideal for this build)
• Settings: If you have Inverse Mode, turn it on for bonus gains—but it’s not required.

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Weapon & Item Build Overview

Weapons (Limit to 3 for consistency)

• Clock Lancet: Needed for Infinite Corridor evolution
• Laurel: Needed for Crimson Shroud evolution
• Santa Water → La Borra (for general survivability and Guardian control)

Supporting Passives

• Empty Tome: Lowers cooldown—crucial for Clock Lancet and Laurel
• Duplicator: Boosts projectile count, strengthens Santa Water
• Attractorb: Needed to evolve Santa Water
• Bracer (optional): Makes La Borra’s zone larger
• Torrona’s Box: Optional but useful for limit break levels (can be banished to avoid curse penalty)

Pro tip: You can exceed the 6 passive item limit by collecting stage items like Empty Tome and Stone Mask on the map. Gallo benefits heavily from cooldown stacking, so grabbing Empty Tome early is worth it—even before you’ve hit 6 passives.

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Progression Strategy

Early Game (0–10 Minutes)

• Focus on leveling up Santa Water to deal with enemies and Clock Lancet for boss waves.
• Pick up Empty Tome and level it up ASAP—Gallo’s passive plus Tome and Silent Old Sanctuary (Arcana) gives insane cooldown reduction.
• Pick up Attractorb before 10 minutes to evolve Santa Water into La Borra.

Mid Game (10–20 Minutes)

• Defeat the boss at minute 10 and evolve Santa Water.
• Pick up the Silver Ring, Gold Ring, Metaglio Left, and Metaglio Right (can use Mad Groove Arcana to pull them all in instantly).
• Start leveling these four to level 9—you’ll need all maxed to evolve Clock Lancet and Laurel.
• Don’t pick up chests for these evolutions until the items are fully maxed.

Guardian Tip

• Guardians spawn when collecting the rings and arrows. Don’t worry—they’re trivialized by La Borra.
• Use NFT (flamethrower pickup) for quick kills. Combine with a freeze effect to guarantee hits.

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Evolving the Key Weapons

Once all four support items are maxed:

• Clock Lancet + Silver Ring + Gold Ring → Infinite Corridor
• Laurel + Metaglio Left + Metaglio Right → Crimson Shroud

Why These Matter:

• Infinite Corridor: Halves enemy HP with every activation.
• Crimson Shroud: Caps damage taken and retaliates when enemies hit you. Also allows for practical invincibility with enough cooldown.

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How to Actually Kill Death

At 30 minutes, the Reaper spawns with insane HP. Here’s how you bring him down:

1. Infinite Corridor will automatically halve Death’s HP repeatedly.
2. Crimson Shroud damages Death on contact.
3. La Borra and other projectiles help with cleanup if needed.

You don’t even have to chase him down—he’ll walk into your attack zones. You can literally stand still at this point.

Death will die shortly after appearing, and you’ll get your five Golden Eggs plus the White Hand scene, confirming your kill.

If a second Reaper spawns, don’t worry—they’ll also go down the same way.

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Additional Notes

• You don’t need Santa Water or La Borra specifically—they’re just the most effective for Guardian handling.
• You can swap in Garlic or Song of Mana if you prefer different early-game options.
• Max cooldown reduction is the real key—between Gallo’s passive, Empty Tome, and Arcana boosts, your Clock Lancet will trigger nearly constantly.

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Wrap-Up: Why This Works

This method is powerful because it doesn’t rely on RNG, secrets, or risky mechanics. By keeping your weapon pool small and stacking cooldown reduction, you streamline both damage output and survivability. Once the setup is in place, Death simply has no counter.

Reward: Upon killing the Reaper, Red Death will be unlocked and ready for use in future runs.

Now that you know the trick, give it a shot and enjoy one of the game’s best characters. And if you’re after more endgame secrets—this method lays the foundation for unlocking even more.