Core Gameplay Mechanics

Learn the core gameplay mechanics for Judas in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. Discover his starting stats, unique items like The Book of Belial, and strategies for survival and success.

Judas is a character unlocked after beating Satan for the first time. He starts with 1 Red Heart container, 3 coins, and The Book of Belial. Judas also has a 1.35x damage multiplier.

Black Judas

When a character dies while having Judas' Shadow in their inventory, they will respawn as Black Judas (also known as Dark Judas). Black Judas spawns with two Black Hearts, a damage multiplier of 2x, and a base speed of 1.1. Black Judas has the highest damage multiplier of all the playable characters.

Black Judas can still gain Red Heart containers despite starting with none (except in Rebirth and Afterbirth). In Repentance and Repentance+, Black Judas cannot gain Red Heart containers; items that grant Red Heart containers will give him Black Hearts instead. Black Judas counts as Judas for achievements and unlocks.

Notes

• The Book of Belial's damage increase is very powerful; it should be kept, if possible, until the player has enough damage from other sources. In Rebirth, it also guarantees a Devil Room or Angel Room. In other versions, it increases the chance by 12.5%.
• Due to Judas' low starting health, health upgrades should be prioritized. Devil Room deals can be risky.
• Dead Cat has effectively no downside if found early, as Judas already has one Red Heart container. It is also one of the Guppy items.
• Items that activate on low health, such as Scapular, Monkey Paw, Glyph of Balance, and Whore of Babylon, can be triggered very easily.

Item Interactions

• In Repentance and Repentance+, Birthright makes The Book of Belial a passive item that can be held beneath other active items. The damage boost scales with the charges of the active item above it. This may not work with certain item types and has special interactions detailed on The Book of Belial's page. It stacks with Book of Virtues.