The Evil Santa Boss in 99 Nights in the Forest has taken over Santa’s Workshop, and players need your help to save Christmas! This fake Santa boss is the main challenge from the Christmas Week 3 update, and defeating him requires preparation, strategy, and the right tools. Unlike regular enemies, you’ll need to complete specific objectives before even reaching the boss fight. This guide will show you exactly how to unlock the battle, what items you need, turret locations, and the best strategy to defeat Evil Santa and reclaim the workshop for the elves.
Key Takeaways
- You need 12 Christmas lights to unlock the Evil Santa Boss in 99 Nights in the Forest
- Buy a ladder and shovel before entering the workshop (costs coins)
- Destroy 3 candy turrets before reaching Evil Santa himself
- Focus on attacking Santa directly rather than every turret he spawns
- The boss drops Christmas presents and special event rewards
- Ranged weapons work best for keeping distance from turrets
What is the Evil Santa Boss in 99 Nights in the Forest?
The Evil Santa Boss in 99 Nights in the Forest is a special boss introduced in the Christmas Week 3 update. According to the game’s story, an impostor Santa has taken control of the workshop after the elves finished building it. This fake Santa filled the workshop with dangerous candy turrets and locked the elves out. Players must fight through these defenses to defeat Evil Santa and restore the workshop so the elves can start making presents again. The boss is part of the larger 99 Nights in the Forest Christmas event and offers unique rewards that won’t be available after the event ends.
How to Unlock the Evil Santa Boss Fight?
Before you can face the Evil Santa Boss in 99 Nights in the Forest, you need to complete the Christmas lights objective. The workshop remains locked and unsafe until you make the Christmas village safe by lighting it up.
Getting Christmas Lights
You can collect Christmas lights in two main ways:
- Chop trees without snow that have lights wrapped around them (easiest method)
- Defeat wolves that sometimes have lights wrapped around them (riskier but works)
The tree method is much safer and faster. Look for regular forest trees with colorful lights wrapped around their trunks. These stand out clearly against the white snow. Use your axe to chop them down, and they’ll drop one Christmas light each.
Lighting the Christmas Trees
Once you have 12 Christmas lights, you need to find and decorate 12 special Christmas trees in the North Pole Biome. Here’s how to do it:
- Find the North Pole Biome – It’s located north of your camp on the map
- Locate the 12 special Christmas trees scattered throughout the area
- Place one Christmas light on each tree by walking up to it and holding ‘E’
- Watch the cutscene after placing the 12th light
After lighting all trees, the Christmas Biome becomes safe, and Santa’s Workshop unlocks for the boss fight.
Essential Items You Need Before Fighting Evil Santa
Before entering the workshop to face the Evil Santa Boss in 99 Nights in the Forest, you must buy two essential items from the Christmas shop:
Required Tools
- Ladder (15 coins, or 10 with Santa’s Helper class discount)
- Shovel (20 coins, or 15 with discount)
How to Get Coins
You can earn coins by:
- Looting wells scattered around the map
- Defeating cultists that appear at night
- Exploring buildings and points of interest
- Checking chests in various locations
Without both the ladder and shovel, you cannot progress through the workshop to reach Evil Santa. The ladder helps you reach higher areas, while the shovel clears snow barriers blocking your path.
Complete Evil Santa Boss Fight Strategy
The Evil Santa Boss in 99 Nights in the Forest fight is divided into two main phases: clearing the turret defenses and fighting Evil Santa himself. Here’s the complete strategy:
How to Destroy the First Candy Turret?
As soon as you enter the workshop, you’ll face the first candy turret directly ahead. This turret shoots at you automatically, so you need to be careful.
Strategy:
- Wait until the turret stops targeting you to shoot safely
- Use cover like boxes or walls to protect yourself
- Shoot the turret when it’s not firing at you
- Place your ladder after destroying the turret and climb up
The first turret is relatively easy once you understand its shooting pattern. Don’t rush – take your time to learn when it’s safe to attack.
How to Beat the Second Turret Challenge?
After climbing the ladder, move forward and go down the stairs to find the second candy turret. This area has more cover options.
Strategy:
- Hide behind the wooden wall for protection
- Peek out and shoot when the turret pauses
- Collect the peppermint drop after destroying the turret (it gives a small bonus)
- Stay patient and don’t expose yourself too much
This turret might take a few attempts to destroy safely. The key is using the wooden wall as cover and only attacking during safe moments.
How to Clear the Third Turret Section?
Your path will be blocked by a snow barrier before the third turret. This is where your shovel becomes essential.
Strategy:
- Use your shovel to dig through the snow blocking the path
- Enter the new area carefully – the third turret will start shooting immediately
- Find cover quickly and destroy the final turret
- Move forward to reach Evil Santa’s main area
The third turret is often the trickiest because you have less space to work with. Clear the snow efficiently and be ready to find cover as soon as you enter.
How to Defeat Evil Santa Himself?
After destroying all three turrets, you’ll finally face Evil Santa in the main workshop area. Compared to the turret sections, Evil Santa himself is surprisingly manageable.
Key Things to Know:
- Evil Santa deals low direct damage – he’s not the main threat
- He spawns turrets during the fight that are more dangerous than Santa
- The turrets are distractions – focus on Santa when possible
- Stay mobile to avoid turret fire
Best Strategy:
- Keep moving constantly to avoid turret attacks
- Use cover like crates and boxes inside the workshop
- Focus damage on Santa rather than clearing every turret
- Use ranged weapons to maintain safe distance
- Ignore most turrets and attack Santa whenever you get a chance
Trying to destroy every turret Santa spawns will slow you down and make the fight harder. The fastest approach is to focus on Santa while using cover to avoid turret damage.
Best Weapons and Tips for the Evil Santa Fight
Choosing the right weapons makes the Evil Santa Boss in 99 Nights in the Forest fight much easier.
Recommended Weapons
- Bows – Good range and consistent damage
- Firearms – High damage output if you have ammo
- Snowball cannon – Decent range and damage
- Any ranged weapon that lets you keep distance
Avoid melee weapons because the turrets can overwhelm you quickly when you’re close to Santa.
Pro Tips for the Fight
- Bring healing items like bandages for emergency recovery
- Practice your aim on the turrets before facing Santa
- Learn the workshop layout to know where cover is located
- Stay calm during the fight – panic leads to mistakes
- Focus on Santa’s position rather than getting distracted by turrets
What Rewards Do You Get for Defeating Evil Santa?
Defeating the Evil Santa Boss in 99 Nights in the Forest gives you special Christmas rewards that are only available during the event:
Main Rewards:
- Christmas presents with random valuable items
- Candy canes (event currency)
- Special event-exclusive items
- Workshop access for future present generation
Additional Benefits:
- The present machine activates and starts generating gifts
- Elves return to work in the workshop
- Christmas event completion progress
- Bragging rights for beating the seasonal boss
These rewards are tied to the 99 Nights in the Forest Christmas event and expected to become unavailable once the event ends. Make sure to defeat Evil Santa before the Christmas update concludes to claim all your rewards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Christmas lights do you need to unlock Evil Santa?
You need exactly 12 Christmas lights to unlock the Evil Santa Boss in 99 Nights in the Forest. Each light goes on a special Christmas tree in the North Pole Biome. You can find lights by chopping trees that have them wrapped around the trunks or by defeating wolves that sometimes carry lights. The tree method is much safer and faster for most players.
Can you defeat Evil Santa without a ladder and shovel?
No, you cannot defeat Evil Santa without both the ladder and shovel. The ladder is required to climb up after the first turret, and the shovel is essential for clearing the snow barrier before the third turret. Make sure to buy both items from the Christmas shop before attempting the boss fight. You’ll need coins, which can be found in wells, from defeating cultists, or by exploring the map.
What’s the best weapon to use against Evil Santa?
The best weapons against Evil Santa are ranged options like bows or firearms. These let you maintain distance from the turrets Santa spawns during the fight. Melee weapons are risky because you’ll take more damage from turrets when close to Santa. Any weapon with consistent damage works well – you don’t need burst damage, just reliable attacks that you can use while staying mobile.
How long does it take to defeat Evil Santa?
The time to defeat Evil Santa varies based on your preparation and weapon choice. Most players who come prepared with the right items and weapons can beat him in 5-10 minutes. The turret-clearing phase might take longer than the actual boss fight with Santa. The key is having the ladder and shovel ready before starting, and using good cover during the fight.
Do Evil Santa rewards disappear after the Christmas event?
Yes, Evil Santa rewards are tied to the 99 Nights in the Forest Christmas event and expected to become unavailable once the event ends. The Christmas presents, candy canes, and special event items are seasonal rewards. Make sure to defeat Evil Santa and claim your rewards before the Christmas update concludes, or you might miss out on these exclusive items.
The Evil Santa Boss in 99 Nights in the Forest might look intimidating, but with the right preparation and strategy, you can defeat him consistently. Remember to collect your 12 Christmas lights, buy the ladder and shovel, and focus on attacking Santa directly rather than getting distracted by his turrets. The rewards are worth the effort, and you’ll help save Christmas in the game! For more tips on 99 Nights in the Forest Christmas events, check out our Christmas lights guide and learn about the best classes for seasonal events. If you enjoy Christmas-themed gaming content, explore our Christmas video games recommendations for more holiday fun!


