Most know the Ankh as a symbol from Egyptian hieroglyphics that represents life. This symbol can sometimes be found in video games touching upon Egyptian mythology and history, such as the archeological adventure that is Spelunky 2.
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In-game, the Ankh is an item that essentially gives the player an extra life, however, it only activates when the player dies before getting used up and disappearing from one's inventory. While this is already an excellent item to have in one's possession at any given time, the Ankh is meant for greater purposes: reaching Abzu and the Duat. Before one can use it to unlock these areas, the player will first need to find it by defeating a specific boss.
One must successfully make their way down through the 3 main levels of the Olmec's Lair, before entering the sub area, though, throughout the 3 main levels there will be a boss fight with the eponymous Olmec. There are important features regarding Ankh usage on some of these floors, so be sure to explore them well while challenging Olmec.
This upper area can be entered from either Volcana or The Jungle and holds gems, chests, and crates on many of its platforms. On this level, Olmec will be in Phase 1 and will stomp around while breaking the floor 1 layer at a time.
On this level, one will find the gateway to the Tide Pool, which the player will need to traverse in order to find the way into Abzu. Players on this level will face Olmec in Phase 2, who will start unleashing projectiles in addition to crushing through the floor.
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This level contains the entryway to the Temple of Anubis, and, it also possesses a lot of lava, which the player will have to be careful of in conjunction with Olmec entering Phase 3. Players must defeat Olmec by tricking the giant gold block of a boss into breaking through the floor to the lava lake below so that the fiend immolates themselves.
Thankfully, their corpse creates a safe platform for the player to stand on and enter one of the dark holes in the background that are actually simple doorways to the Sub Area that houses the sought-after Ankh as well as some treasure and a few minor enemies.
In both of the true functions of the Ankh, as a key to other areas, players will need to use it in combination with setting off certain traps in order to unleash its real potential.
Here, players will need to keep the Ankh in their inventory as they set off a lava trap in the Tide Pool to clear the molten liquid out of the path leading into Abzu's entrance.
The catch is that to activate the lever that clears the area, players will need to stand directly under where the fluid fire gets dumped, meaning that death is almost inevitable. The Ankh will resurrect players who activate and fall victim to this trap near the start of the area, where they can proceed safely through the now lava-free path.
The method of entering The Duat is equally brutal, though a fair deal less extravagant. In The City of Gold, there is a massive bull's head statue overlooking a bloody altar that hints grimly at what must be done.
Players must jump from a high place and die upon the stone altar from the great fall to trigger the Ankh. However, when one gets resurrected, they will no longer be in The City of Gold, they will be in The Duat.