Hidden within Binding of Isaac: Rebirth’s Booster Pack #5 is a secret character known simply as The Forgotten. A peculiar character, The Forgotten does not fire tears to harm enemies. Instead, The Forgotten uses a bone club. The club can either be swung as a melee weapon or charged up and thrown like a boomerang. How The Forgotten fits into Binding of Isaac’s overall lore is still under debate, but we do know how players can unlock the skeletal creature. Read on to find out how.
Unlocking The Forgotten
To unlock The Forgotten, you’ll need to reunite the two halves of Mom’s Shovel. This can be done on either Normal or Hard difficulty, so play on whichever you’re most comfortable with. You’ll have to have beaten the final boss of the game, The Lamb, at least once before you proceed, so don’t try to unlock The Forgotten before then. You’ll just be wasting your time.
Finding the First Half of the Shovel
Start a new run (it cannot be a seeded run) and get moving. You’ll need to defeat the boss of the first floor within one minute. You’ll immediately know if you’ve succeeded, as Mom will start yelling at you. Bomb any spot in the starting room and you’ll be rewarded with half of the Broken Shovel.
As soon as the Broken Shovel is in your hands, Mom will continuously try to stomp you to death. Perhaps this goes without saying, but avoid her. Using the shovel will get her to stop, but she’ll resume her merciless campaign against you as soon as you enter the next room. Do not trade away the Broken Shovel. If you leave it for another active item, the shovel will disappear and you’ll have to start over.
Finding the Second Half of the Shovel
Now for the second piece. Although it requires fewer steps, it will require more skill. Take the piece of the Broken Shovel you already have to XL floors. Defeat both bosses within a minute. After that, you’ll need to clear Boss Rush. Remember to use the Broken Shovel each wave to keep Mom off your case.
Once you’ve won Boss Rush, you’ll earn the second piece of the Broken Shovel. It will combine with your first piece to form Mom’s Shovel. Thankfully, this stops Mom’s murderous rampage against you. You’re also now officially equipped to go dig up The Forgotten.
Finding The Forgotten
Head to the Dark Room. You should see a dirt patch right in the middle of the floor. Stand over the patch and use Mom’s Shovel. Congrats! You’ve found The Forgotten! Now, how do you play with it?
Playing as The Forgotten and The Soul
Like stated before, The Forgotten utilizes a bone club for both close and long range combat. However, the character comes with an additional quirk: The Soul. The Soul is an additional character that’s always chained to The Forgotten. By pressing the swap key, players can switch back and forth between controlling The Forgotten and controlling The Soul.
These two are perhaps the most fascinating dichotomy in the game. The Soul fires regular tears, making it perfect for support duties. Also, while the player controls The Soul, The Forgotten cannot take damage. The same is true for The Soul if the player is in control of The Forgotten.
Swapping back and forth between the two allows players to attack enemies from multiple sides at once, pull off flanking maneuvers, and blindside bosses. There are two annoying downsides to the arrangement though. The Forgotten and The Soul share a health bar, so neither can exceed a maximum of six hearts (as opposed to the normal twelve). Furthermore, if one of the characters die, they both die. Only players who excel at hit-and-run tactics will be able to use the Forgotten and his spectral partner to their best potential.
The trials and tribulations you’ll encounter as Isaac and his many demented companions are long and arduous. If you ever need a helping hand unlocking any of the other characters, finding a certain item, or beating a particularly troubling boss, refer to our The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Wiki.