Ethan and Mia’s relationship is central to the plot of Resident Evil 7; unfortunately, it’s a dysfunctional one. The first boss fight in the game pits Ethan against his wife, and she’s quite a bit stronger than she looks. In this guide, we’ll give you the best strategies to defeat Mia before she can cut you to ribbons.

There will be spoilers in this Resident Evil 7 strategy guide for the Mia boss battles. If you wish to play the game spoiler-free, your best bet is not to read below.

How to Beat Mia in the Guest House Study

Mia’s darker side is rising, and she throws Ethan through a previously locked door into the Guest House Study. Luckily, there’s a hatchet close by to where you land. The first boss battle with Mia isn’t very difficult, and it’ll give you a good chance to get used to the melee combat system in Resident Evil 7. When Mia strikes, hold the guard button to block. As soon as you deflect her attack, hold the aim button and press attack for a mighty blow to Mia, then go back on the defensive. You should be able to stave off damage and take her down in less than a minute or so.

How to Beat Mia in the Attic

Unfortunately, Mia got ahold of a chainsaw, and now she’s significantly more of a threat. Luckily, by the time you have to face her, you have access to the M19 Handgun. The second boss battle with Mia begins when you approach the door leading outside in the attic. She bursts into the room, and now you have to put her down again to survive.

The best strategy to survive the boss fight with Mia is to keep your distance. If you climb down the ladder right as she’s bursting through the window, you have a chance to avoid being knocked down. As she lands, she’ll thrust at you with the chainsaw, so don’t stand your ground and attack until you’ve managed to put some distance between you.

You have the ability to attack at range; she doesn’t, so use the wooden support beams in the two ends of the room to inhibit her ability to reach you. She can cut through the beams, but this only triggers if you’re close to one when she is. As long as you keep moving, she will more than likely continue to be impeded by them.

Continue to carefully aim and fire at Mia’s head with your handgun. Don’t panic and waste bullets or she will kill you. Also, don’t be afraid to use any healing items you have. The event that happens after the fight makes you lose your inventory anyway.

We hope these strategies for taking down Mia in Resident Evil 7’s first boss battle helped you. You can learn more great tips for making the best of your RE7 experience with the content in our guide and walkthrough hub.