Path of Exile 2: How to get and use Against the Darkness Unique Jewel
Against the Darkness is a Unique Time-Lost Jewel in Path of Exile 2. Like all other Time-lost Jewels, its modifiers are applied as individual bonuses to each Passive Node that's within its radius. And at a generous 1300 Radius, Against the Darkness is indeed quite a good Time-Lost Jewel — when they have the right modifier for your build.
If you're unsure why Against the Darkness is used in many Path of Exile 2 endgame setups, or how you can get it, this guide is for you.
How to get Against the Darkness Unique Jewel in Path of Exile 2
Against the Darkness is a potential drop from defeating Zarkh, the Temporal boss in Path of Exile 2. This boss can only be fought with a 4-Floor Trial of Sekhemas run, meaning a Djinn Barya of level 80 is required. If the initial restrictions of the Sanctum weren't already a big ask, you have to do four of these back-to-back, and then properly engage with the time-based boss mechanics to emerge victorious.
Generally, Against the Darkness is not a guaranteed loot drop from Zarokh. You can use a Unique Relic called The Desperate Alliance Vase, which beefs up Zarokh's damage output and defenses, but makes Against the Darkness a guaranteed drop as a tradeoff.
On the flip side, this Unique Relic itself goes for upwards of 2 Divine Orbs on the market, so it's hardly worth buying in a trade league just to farm an Against the Darkness.
To clarify one common question: you cannot obtain an Against the Darkness by using Orbs of Chance on Time-Lost Diamonds.
What does Against the Darkness actually do in Path of Exile 2?
Against the Darkness, as mentioned before, acts like any other Time-Lost Jewel, but very unlike what you would expect of a "Unique-rarity" trinket. The only guaranteed stat on Against the Darkness is its huge radius of 1300 when slotted into a Jewel Socket.
It can have up to two modifiers, and what these modifiers can be is decided randomly when the Jewel is identified — drawn from a rather large pool of modifiers. Some of these are relatively situational, such as +1% Maximum Resistance towards a specific element, or reduced duration of an Ailment.
If you're kitting out your build with Against the Darkness in Path of Exile 2, you're far better off shopping for it on the official trade site. As of writing, the search index on this site does not have the option to sort your results by many of the affixes Against the Darkness can rock. Instead, your only option is to sort it by your budget and then seek the specific ones that will benefit your build.
For example, if you are a MoM Mana-stacker, you're looking for "Small Passive Skills in Radius also grant 1% increased maximum Mana."
We will update this guide with a list of affixes that can roll on Against the Darkness when discovered.
Check out our other guides on the game:
- Path of Exile 2 Skill Gems and Gemcutting guide
- Path of Exile 2 Endgame systems guide
- Path of Exile 2 Item Crafting guide
- Path of Exile 2 Runes and Sockets guide
- Path of Exile 2 Defense guide: Energy Shield, Armor, and Evasion explained