Cultural Significance, Uses & Benefits

Who Is Gerdy in It Takes Two & How to Defeat Her

Discover the story behind Gerdy, the resentful vacuum in It Takes Two. Learn what motivates her and the teamwork needed to navigate her encounter.

In It Takes Two, the towering, enraged vacuum cleaner Gerdy serves as one of the first major boss encounters for the protagonists, Cody and May. Gerdy represents an early challenge that forces players to learn the game’s core collaborative mechanics. The encounter is a primary test of teamwork.

Gerdy’s Role in the Story

Gerdy’s story is rooted in neglect. She was once the cherished vacuum cleaner of Rose, the daughter of Cody and May. As the parents’ relationship soured, household possessions were overlooked. Gerdy was eventually relegated to the garden shed, abandoned and left to rust.

This abandonment is the source of Gerdy’s anger. When Cody and May, now transformed into small dolls, enter the shed, Gerdy awakens. She sees them as direct symbols of the neglect that led to her current state. Her rage is fueled by a sense of betrayal, transforming her from a simple appliance into a vengeful force.

The Boss Encounter

The confrontation with Gerdy takes place within the cluttered shed. The space is filled with old tools and junk, which become parts of the battle arena. As Cody and May venture deeper, the giant vacuum cleaner stirs. Its single glowing eye fixes upon the doll-sized couple as she unleashes a torrent of angry accusations.

Gerdy’s initial assault is chaotic, as she weaponizes her long, flexible hoses by slamming them down and attempting to suck players in. The arena is multi-layered, requiring players to navigate different levels to gain an advantage. This presents Gerdy as a powerful antagonist whose fury has turned her prison into a battleground.

How to Defeat Gerdy

The battle against Gerdy is a multi-stage affair that demands coordination between Cody and May. In the first phase, Gerdy will attack by slamming her two vacuum hoses onto the platform. One player must bait the attacks while the other prepares to counter. Once a hose is down, the other player must grab the nozzle of the opposite hose and use its suction power to pull the first hose’s nozzle off, exposing a button underneath. This must be repeated for both of her “arms.”

With her arms disabled, the fight transitions. Gerdy will begin sucking in a vortex, pulling junk and the players toward her. Players must run against the current and use grapple points to avoid being drawn in. After this sequence, Gerdy will re-emerge, now using her main body to launch area-of-effect attacks. Players must navigate the cluttered arena, using their abilities to expose and attack weak points that appear on her main canister.

The final part of the encounter involves using the environment against her. Players must work together to load a projectile into a makeshift cannon and fire it at Gerdy. This requires one player to aim while the other ignites the fuse. Successfully landing the shot will subdue the vacuum cleaner, ending the confrontation.

Gerdy’s Symbolism and Resolution

Following her defeat, Gerdy is left broken and sputtering, her rage extinguished. Cody and May see past the monster she became and recognize the neglected object she is. Instead of abandoning her again, they choose to repair her, fixing her broken parts and cleaning the rust from her body. This provides a resolution to her story, transforming her from an enemy into a recipient of care.

Gerdy symbolizes the collateral damage of Cody and May’s failing relationship. She is a manifestation of neglect and the pain of being forgotten. Her journey from a rage-filled antagonist to a repaired object mirrors the central goal of the game: to mend what is broken. By fixing Gerdy, Cody and May take one of their first steps toward repairing their own fractured bond, learning that collaboration and empathy can overcome resentment.

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