So, you’ve just blitzed through a Mao Kun Reef Map. You’ve killed the living pirates, you’ve talked to Fairgraves at the end of the dock, and you’ve spent the last ten minutes chasing ghosts across the sand like a madman. You’ve opened some chests, dodged a few Spectral Throws, and now you’re standing there with a half-empty inventory wondering where that "insane currency" everyone talks about actually is.
The truth? You probably didn’t find the mao kun final chest.
It’s the most common mistake in this map. People think they’ve cleared it because the "Monsters Remaining" counter hits zero, or because they’ve opened a few "Booty Chests" and the map feels done. But Mao Kun isn't like a regular map. It’s a scripted sequence. If you don't trigger that specific eighth chest, you’re basically leaving the best part of the loot on the table and—more importantly—you won't get that Atlas completion checkmark.
The Frustrating Mechanics of the Mao Kun Final Chest
Mao Kun is honestly one of the weirdest maps in Path of Exile. It’s a Shore/Reef layout that essentially requires you to run it twice. First, you kill the "human" pirates. These guys are basically fodder. They don't drop much, and they aren't the point of the map. Once you reach the end of the island, you find Captain Fairgraves. Talking to him triggers the "undead" phase.
Suddenly, those pirates you just killed stand back up as ghosts. And they hit way harder.
This is where the Booty Chests come in. As you move back through the map, these chests spawn. There are eight in total. The first seven are basically appetizers. When you click one, currency pops out, and a ghostly apparition of Fairgraves, Never Dying appears. He’ll chuck some Spectral Throws at you, maybe summon some Raging Spirits, and then he just... leaves. You can't kill him yet. He’s just there to annoy you and soak up damage.
Identifying the Eighth Chest
The mao kun final chest is different. It’s the eighth one you open.
When you click it, the vibe changes. Instead of just one Fairgraves popping up and dipping out after 20 seconds, a massive circle of ghost pirates spawns around the chest. This is the real fight. Fairgraves appears one last time, but now he has his full kit: Vaal Spectral Throw, Flesh Offering, and significantly more aggression.
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Crucially, this is the only version of Fairgraves in the map that you can actually kill. If he hasn't dropped a pile of loot and stayed dead, you haven't opened the final chest yet.
Where Most Players Lose the Trail
The map layout is a nightmare for completionists. Because the Booty Chests only appear after you trigger the Fairgraves event, you can’t see them on the map during your first pass. If you're zooming too fast, it’s incredibly easy to miss one tucked away behind a rock or at the very edge of the water.
Since the chests spawn roughly where the original pirate packs were killed, if you didn't full-clear the "living" phase, you might struggle to find all eight chests in the "ghost" phase.
One "kinda" dirty trick players used to use was checking the minimap carefully. GGG eventually updated the map so chests show up with icons, but on a cluttered Shore layout with multiple elevation levels, they still blend into the environment. Honestly, if you’re at 0 monsters remaining and the map isn’t "Complete," you’re missing a chest. Period.
Why the Final Loot Matters
Why do people bother? Currency.
Mao Kun is a "bubblegum currency" goldmine. We're talking Orbs of Regret, Scours, Alchemy, and the occasional Exalted Orb (or Divine Orb in modern leagues). The mao kun final chest and the boss kill represent a huge chunk of the map's total value. The loot from the Fairgraves apparitions is actually proportional to how much damage you do to them before they despawn. If you have a low-DPS build, you get less loot. If you delete him instantly, you get more.
But the final chest? That’s the guaranteed payday. It’s where the big stacks of currency live.
Strategic Tips for a Perfect Run
If you want to stop wasting time and actually hit that mao kun final chest every time, change how you run the map.
Don't just run down the middle. Hug the outside edge of the island in a giant clockwise circle. Kill every single living pirate on the coast. Then, go into the center and clear the "jungle" areas. By the time you reach Fairgraves at the end, the entire map should be empty.
When you start the ghost phase, repeat that exact same circle.
- Don't backtrack randomly. Follow the coast again.
- Watch the "Chests Remaining" logic. Even though the UI doesn't have a counter, keep a mental tally. You need seven "fake" Fairgraves spawns before the big guy shows up.
- Check the water. Seriously, some of the mob packs (and thus the chests) spawn so far into the surf they’re barely on the walkable terrain.
Common Misconceptions and Bugs
Some people think Mao Kun is bugged because Fairgraves won't die. He isn't supposed to die until that eighth chest. If you’re fighting him and he’s staying at 1 HP and then vanishing, that’s working as intended. He’s mocking you.
Another common issue: the "Allies Cannot Die" aura. Sometimes a rare ghost pirate spawns near a chest with this aura, making the whole encounter feel like a glitchy mess. Kill the rare first, then focus on the chest loot.
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How to Handle the Difficulty Spike
Don't let the low map tier fool you. Mao Kun has a hidden "Extra Damage as Lightning" mod that can be absolutely brutal. If you’re shocked, those ghostly Spectral Throws will one-shot most glass cannon builds.
I’d honestly suggest swapping in a Topaz Flask or making sure your shock immunity is sorted before clicking that mao kun final chest. When the big circle of pirates spawns, they all attack at once. If you aren't prepared for the burst, you'll be heading back to hideout without your loot.
To wrap this up, the key to Mao Kun isn't just killing things—it's thoroughness. You are a treasure hunter, not just a monster slayer. If the map isn't giving you that completion credit, go back and find the patch of sand you missed. That eighth chest is waiting somewhere.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Run a "Lap" Pattern: Always clear the outer edge of the map first to ensure no pirate packs are missed, which ensures all 8 chests will spawn.
- Count the Apparitions: Keep track of how many times Fairgraves has appeared and vanished; you are looking for the 8th encounter.
- Verify the Kill: Do not leave the map until Fairgraves is actually dead and his nameplate disappears—this is the only way to confirm you opened the mao kun final chest.