You just took down the King of Spades. You’re standing there, the credits are basically calling your name, and suddenly you realize you forgot the clown. It happens to everyone. You’ve heard the rumors about a chaotic jester locked in the basement of Card Castle, someone who makes the final boss look like a total pushover. Now you're wondering: can you fight Jevil after King, or did you just lock yourself out of the hardest fight in Chapter 1?
The short answer? Yes. Absolutely. But there’s a catch that catches people off guard.
If you’ve already defeated the King and watched the cutscenes, you’re in a weird limbo state. Most players think once the "End" is in sight, the world is closed off. Toby Fox isn't that cruel, though. Unlike some RPGs that hit you with a "Point of No Return" without warning, Deltarune Chapter 1 is surprisingly flexible about its secret boss. You can totally go back and handle business with the guy who "can do anything," provided you haven't stepped through the final door to the Light World yet.
Making the U-Turn in Card Castle
So, you’ve beaten the King. The fountain is right there. Stop. Don't go into the light.
If you want to know if you can fight Jevil after King, the answer depends entirely on your current location. If Kris and Susie are still in the Dark World, you are golden. You just have to walk back. It feels like a long trek because, well, it is. You have to navigate back down through the castle, past the throne room, and find that specific elevator that takes you to "???" floor.
It's actually kinda funny. The atmosphere in the castle changes after the King is deposed. The music is gone. The tension has evaporated. It makes the descent into Jevil’s basement feel even creepier. You’re wandering through a defeated kingdom just to find one guy who is still very much a threat. Honestly, it’s the best time to do it because you don't have any other distractions.
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The Inventory Problem
Wait. Did you get the broken keys yet?
This is where people get stuck. If you’re trying to fight Jevil after King, you still have to do the legwork. You need the three Broken Keys (A, B, and C).
- Key A is given to you by Seam at the shop (you probably already have this if you talked to him).
- Key B is in a chest in the Forest area, hidden behind a ballet-step puzzle in the woods.
- Key C is in a chest in the Field, specifically the area with the diamond-suit symbols.
If you haven't collected these, you have a lot of walking to do. Since the fast-travel doors are still active, you can zip back to the Great Door and start your scavenger hunt. Once you have all three, you have to take them to Malius (the smithy) in the Bake Sale area to fix them. Only then can you head back to the basement of the castle to face the chaos.
Why Some Players Think They're Locked Out
The confusion usually stems from the "Post-Game" state. In Deltarune, once you seal the Fountain, Chapter 1 is over. You wake up in the school classroom. At that point, the Dark World is gone. You cannot go back.
If you are currently playing as Kris in the school, peering into the empty closet, then no—you cannot fight Jevil. You’d have to restart the chapter or load an earlier save file. This is why it’s so vital to check your save points. If you saved after the King fight but before the fountain, you’re in the perfect spot.
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The Reward Difference
Does it matter when you fight him? Not really for the story, but definitely for your gear.
Jevil drops two different items depending on how you beat him. If you use ACTs and "Pacify" him, you get the Jevilstail, an armor piece that boosts basically everything. If you deplete his HP and win through violence, you get the Devilsknife, a weapon for Susie.
If you fight Jevil after King, you’re likely doing it for the challenge or to ensure the "Shadow Crystal" carries over to Chapter 2. See, Jevil is the first of many secret bosses. Each one gives you a crystal. If you skip Jevil in Chapter 1, you can actually still find his "remains" in a hole in the cliffside at the start of Chapter 2, but it’s nowhere near as satisfying as winning the actual duel.
The Reality of the Jevil Fight
Let's be real for a second. Jevil is hard.
He’s significantly harder than the King. While the King has predictable patterns and a lot of monologuing, Jevil is pure mechanical chaos. His attacks move in spirals, he teleports, and his "Final Chaos" attack can wipe a team that isn't at full health.
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When you go back to fight Jevil after the King, make sure you stop by Seam’s shop or the Bake Sale first. You need Dark Burgers. You need the Revive Mint. If you still have the Top Cake, don't use it unless you absolutely have to—or better yet, fix it into the Spin Cake so you have a reusable heal.
- Check your inventory. Do you have the Door Key?
- Go to the "???" floor in the elevator.
- Save at the point right outside his cell.
- Prepare to die. A lot.
Most players spend about 30 to 60 minutes just learning his patterns. It’s a dance. If you’re trying to be peaceful, you’ll be using "Pirouette" and "Hypnosis" constantly. Hypnosis is great because it lowers Jevil's attack power, but it costs a lot of TP. Pirouette is cheaper but has a random effect every turn. It’s a gamble.
Moving Your Progress to Chapter 2
The coolest part about backtracking to fight Jevil is how it impacts your Chapter 2 save. When you finish Chapter 1 and start the next leg of the journey, the game looks at your "Completion" data.
If you defeated Jevil, Seam (the shopkeeper) will have different dialogue in the second chapter. He mentions that you defeated the "Jester" and starts hinting at the larger lore behind the secret bosses and the "Strange Someone" who drove them mad. It adds a layer of depth to the world-building that you miss out on if you just rush through the King’s throne room and call it a day.
Plus, having the Jevilstail in Chapter 2 is a massive help. The stat boosts are significant enough to make the early-game encounters in the Cyber World much smoother.
Actionable Next Steps for Players
If you are currently sitting at the end of the game and want to tackle this challenge, follow this specific sequence to ensure you don't lose your progress:
- Do NOT interact with the Fountain. If the screen goes white and you see the "Chapter 1 Ended" text, it is too late.
- Check your Key Pieces. Open your inventory. If you don't see "Door Key," you need to visit Seam in the Field, the Forest puzzle, and the Field puzzle.
- Teleport to the Smith. Use the fast-travel doors to reach the Bake Sale. Talk to Malius to fuse the pieces.
- Stock up on heals. Since you've beaten the King, you should have a decent amount of Dark Dollars. Spend them all on the best healing items available at Seam's shop.
- Ride the elevator. Head to the "???" floor in Card Castle.
- Save your game. There is a save point right in front of Jevil’s cell. Use it. If you lose, you can just reload right there instead of walking through the castle again.
Winning this fight is a rite of passage for Deltarune fans. Even if you've already seen the "ending" of the chapter, the real ending—the one where you've conquered everything the Dark World has to throw at you—only happens once that jester is back behind bars.