How to beat the butcher room boss in Resident Evil 7

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Dueling chainsaws in a tight space makes for a tough time during this troublesome boss encounter.

Resident Evil 7 is an incredible game that will likely stand among the best in the series once the initial relief that it's not another Resi 6 settles. But it’s not without flaws, and the boss battles are among them. Because of the first-person perspective, the one-on-one butcher room chainsaw duel with Jack Baker might look cool as hell, but it’s not very fun encounter.

You might be confused or frustrated, and rightfully so—the battle doesn’t telegraph itself too well and goes on for a bit too long—but by keeping a few things in mind, it becomes a cinch.

Get the shotgun

The more tools at your disposal the better. While the shotgun won’t exactly make the fight a breeze, but having more methods for knocking Jack to ground is definitely a good thing. First, you’ll need the Scorpion Key, which is located beyond a blue gate in the Processing Area of the house in the basement. Once you get it, head back upstairs to where you likely found the Mia tape earlier. Face west, and you’ll see a door with a scorpion on it. Take a guess at what unlocks that. Inside is a broken shotgun. Grab that, head down to the main entrance hall and replace the statue’s working shotgun with the broken one. Boom. There’s your boomstick.

Shoot his knees with the pistol 

Like Resident Evil 4, if you shoot Jack in the knees you can stagger him, which is especially helpful if he’s charging you or wielding massive chainsaw scissors that block his face. Once staggered, he’ll kneel down and present his shiny bald dome to you. If you have the chainsaw, you know what to do. Otherwise, get our your knife and slash. If you’re feeling confident and have deep ammo reserves, keep the pistol out or bring out the shotgun for more damage.

The chainsaw can block most damage 

Don’t forget about your block ability, especially once you’re able to grab the chainsaw. With good timing, you can blot out most of the damage from Jack’s swings, the exception being his charge attack. This doesn’t mean you should stay in his face the whole time though. Block only if you have no other choice. Otherwise, back up and wait for an opening.

There’s an extra health tonic hidden in the corner 

Ah, the magic green hand juice.

Be sure to explore every nook and cranny before the fight and craft as many tonics as possible, but if you end up running out anyway, don’t fret quite yet. There’s another tonic hidden in the corner of the arena. Just make sure to pick it up during a safe window of time.

Most importantly, be patient

Like a Dark Souls boss, rushing in to take a jab before Jack has finished up a moveset means you’ll die quickly. He has a few moves he always telegraphs beforehand. The battle goes on for a long time too, so even if you're on a fifth attempt and need to go to the bathroom, don't rush the process. Exploding a man takes time. 

James Davenport
James Davenport

James is stuck in an endless loop, playing the Dark Souls games on repeat until Elden Ring and Silksong set him free. He's a truffle pig for indie horror and weird FPS games too, seeking out games that actively hurt to play. Otherwise he's wandering Austin, identifying mushrooms and doodling grackles.