The plethora of Elden Ring bosses you’ll be facing in this open-world epic can be a staggering prospect, especially given ForSoftware's penchant for brutal combat.
The game features an incredibly diverse range of foes to fight in the Lands Between, and they won’t discriminate a novice from an Elden Lord when it comes to combat.
Elden Ring is another grim fantasy epic from the team behind Dark Souls and Bloodborne. It stands apart from its siblings because, for the first time, FromSoftware has given us a truly open-world game that champions exploration.
This visually stunning landscape is armed to the teeth with bosses for you to stumble across - and, if you come unprepared, to be humbled by. Over the course of Elden Ring’s long campaign, you will be stabbed, crushed, shot, burned, pummeled, and more during your intrepid quest across these harsh territories.
We have some Elden Ring tips and an Elden Ring classes guide to give you a leg up, but, ultimately, you can expect to be killed often.
This list will help you plot your journey by delineating all major Elden Ring bosses, from the critical ones necessary to complete the game to the many optional ones to be found guarding the vast plains.
Naturally, this guide contains spoilers for the entirety of Elden Ring.
All major Elden Ring bosses
Elden Ring bosses: Margit, the Fell Omen
Likely the first major boss for most players and a challenge that acts like a brick wall, Margit encourages you to rethink your progress and try elsewhere until you’re ready. His moveset is one of the games most complex and if you beat him, you’ll likely find no boss poses nearly as much challenge for a good long while.
If you want some help then Patches, found in Murkwater Cave, sells Margit’s Shackle which can be used to pin him to the ground. This boss is also your first glimpse of those afflicted by the omen curse, a key component in the world of Elden Ring.
Elden Ring bosses: Godrick the Grafted
This monstrous foe is your first shardbearer, Godrick possesses a Great Rune you’ll need to take to reach the capital, Lyndell and the Elden Throne. NPCs offer some warning of Godrick’s “grafting”, in which he cuts off his enemies’ limbs and makes them his own. He uses this ability throughout the right but it goes up a notch when he grafts on a dragon’s head. Godrick is easily one of the vilest characters in all of Elden Ring and a pretty tough fight to boot.
Elden Ring bosses: Flying Dragon Agheel
If you made the unfortunate mistake of exploring the swamp near the starting area early on you might have been ambushed by this fearsome dragon. A hefty challenge even for seasoned players, Agheel will wipe you out as a beginner. With the help of your mount, Torrent, it’s more than possible to whittle this lizard’s sizeable health bar down by weaving through its legs and wings - but one misstep will see you killed if you’ve not leveled up your health bar.
Elden Ring bosses: Tibia Mariner
These necromancers in rowboats aren’t especially tough but they are a really neat little fight, with several of them dotted throughout the world.
Elden Ring bosses: Regal Ancestor Spirit
If you managed to find your way into the wondrous Sofria River then you’ll be able to take on the Regal Ancestor Spirit after lighting the torches littered throughout the region. It’s not a big challenge but it’s a very memorable fight due to the gentle nature of the beast and its music.
Elden Ring bosses: Glintstone Dragon Smarag
Your second big dragon can be found out in the lake of Liurnia and isn’t too much harder than Agheel despite its magical enhancement.
Elden Ring bosses: Erdtree Avatar
Another boss type that’s dotted around the world with a handful of variations. Endtreee avatars are pretty imposing at first but with some careful weaving in and out for quick hits with Torrent, they can be laid low without too much difficulty.
Elden Ring bosses: Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon
This witch, once cast aside by her husband Radagon so he could take the Elden Throne, now lives in a delusion designed to keep her from harm. After you best her in her first phase, Ranni the Witch intervenes to create a formidable illusion of the Queen’s former self. Strength builds will likely find this fight pretty easy as she’s very susceptible to staggering.
Elden Ring bosses: Dragonkin Solider of Nokstella
This massive beast can be found in one of the game’s other major underground regions, the Ainsel River. While their attacks are well telegraphed, their second phase lightning buff can prove a trickier challenge.
Elden Ring bosses: Magma Wyrm Makar
If you choose not to use the Dactus Lift to reach the Altus Plateau, you will find one of the game's neatest and most vertical areas, one which is reminiscent of Dark Soul’s Blight Town. It also includes this fun fight with Makar but he won’t be the last magma wyrm you’ll face in The Lands Between.
Elden Ring bosses: Demi-Human Queen Maggie
Another boss that makes several appearances throughout The Lands Between. Is it the same foe? Duplicates? Whatever is going on, she’s not the hardiest of foes but can punish players who get overly confident, with her flurry of attacks.
Elden Ring bosses: Fullgrown Fallingstar Beast
These big bulls seemingly made out of the shards of a meteor come in many varieties but the biggest one is found at the top of Mount Gelmir. It’s easy enough to ride past and reach Volcano Manor without fighting them, a course of action that might be wise given their difficulty and how hard they are to reach in the first place.
Elden Ring bosses: Godskin Noble
There are many Godskin foes in Elden Ring and each one is both an absolutely brilliant but grotesque design as well as a surprisingly tricky fight. They punish over-eager attacks with narrow windows between their moves and have a host of nasty abilities in their second phases. Yet they can still be staggered if you can find a way to consistently attack through their swings.
Elden Ring bosses: God-Devouring Serpent, Rykard, Lord of Blashpemy
Another ghastly foe, this man/serpent amalgamation has ambitions beyond taking the Elden Throne and wields a sword literally made of the still-living heroes he’s slain. Ew. Thankfully this boss comes with a gimmick, the serpent-killing weapon by the door will allow you to blast them with hard-hitting strikes. As long as you’re patient, this fight isn’t nearly as challenging as it seems.
Elden Ring bosses: Decaying Ekzykes
This dragon afflicted by the Scarlet-Rot that has consumed Caelid isn’t much harder than their other brethren but the scarlet rot they inflict is pretty nasty if you have no bolus for curing it.
Elden Ring bosses: Commander O’Neil
This dude, found out in the Aeonia Swamp of Caelid, is a bit of a pushover despite his ability to summon several exiled soldiers. On your mount, Torrent, you should be able to run circles around him. He is however critical to Millicent’s questline, so worth seeking out to acquire the Unalloyed Gold Needle he carries.
Elden Ring bosses: Starscourse Radahn
This beastly general is one of the game’s biggest challenges should you seek him out. You’re encouraged not to do it alone and can summon in several NPCs as part of the Radahn Festival in which plucky heroes try their best to slay the fallen hero. Even with an army of NPCs and cooperative phantoms, Radahn hits hard and can be relentless. Keeping up a steady stream of attacks is key as he can be staggered, allowing you to do serious damage instead of chipping away at him. Watch out for his second phase where he returns to the battlefield as a meteor.
Elden Ring bosses: Valiant Gargoyles
This duo, found in the Eternal City of Nokstella, aren’t tough individually but together they’re a hard battle to juggle. Summon in another player or use some ashes to make this fight markedly simpler.
Elden Ring bosses: Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
This alien creature lurking at the bottom of the world has more than a whiff of something Bloodborne-like to them, an eldritch horror lurking unseen and altering reality around them. As a battle they’re deceptively slow in their attacks, making it seem easier to get hits in than is strictly true. Be cautious and always roll following their teleports to avoid its nasty grab attacks. This boss is critical for Ranni’s questline.
Elden Ring bosses: Glintstone Dragon Adula
This dragon is a straightforward foe but has one or two devastating attacks that can make fighting them a real chore. Use the nearby church for cover if you don’t mind drawing out the fight for an easier time.
Elden Ring bosses: Godfrey, First Elden Lord
This specter of the former Elden Lord, guarding the path to the Erdtree, is a surprisingly simple fight but Godfrey acts more as a tutorial for what’s to come. Remember his moveset, that practice will come in handy later.
Elden Ring bosses: Mohg, The Omen
Hidden beneath the capital Lyndell, Mohg is a no-nonsense fight so long as you can nail down those rolls through their burning bleed attacks. Another one where it's worth remembering their moveset for later…
Elden Ring bosses: Morgott, the Omen King
Margit is back, revealing his true intentions in confronting you earlier. He’s also Mohg’s twin brother, the two born with the omen curse. Coveting the Elden Throne he stands between you and the Erdtree. If you mastered Margit’s fight earlier then Morgott isn’t too much harder as he uses many of the same moves.
Elden Ring bosses: Fia’s Champion
Hidden at the roots of the Erdtree is this encounter with a series of human foes. Avoid getting surrounded and this fight is one of the easier boss battles but essential to completing Fia’s storyline.
Elden Ring bosses: Mohg, Lord of Blood
Mohg’s back! This time with more blood powers. He serves a malicious outer god, the Formless Mother, who wants to sew The Lands Between with Chaos and kidnapped Miquella to achieve his ends. If you hunted down Mohg’s Shackle in the Lyndell Catacombs then you can make his first fight much easier by temporarily pinning him to the ground, much like Margit.
Elden Ring bosses: Borealis of the Freezing Fog
This ice dragon found out in the Mountaintops of the Giants, is one of the easier late-game foes, especially if you’ve been practicing your dragon-slaying throughout the game.
Elden Ring bosses: Fire Giant
Guardian of the Forge of the Giants, this big lad is imposing but resist the urge to mount up and ride Torrent into battle. Staying on foot will allow you to hack at his ankles and take him down relatively quick. He hits hard but his attacks are fairly easy to dodge. Just watch out for his second phase when the face on his torso comes to life and begins vomiting fire everywhere. If you’ve been doing their questline, then it’s possible to summon Iron Fist Alexander for aid.
Elden Ring bosses: Beast Clergyman, Malekith the Black Blade
If you’ve been to the Beast Sanctum then you already know this foe but this fight will reveal them to be Malekith, who once held the Rune of Death, which was stolen by Ranni the Witch. Servant of Queen Marika, he’s the last obstacle between you and being able to burn down the Erdtree.
Elden Ring bosses: Dragonlord Placidusax
This huge dragon was an Elden Lord before Godfrey and the Golden Order, living somewhere outside of time itself. With more than a passing resemblance to King Ghidorah of Godzilla fame, this is a cool fight hidden away at the bottom of Crumbling Farum Azula.
Elden Ring bosses: Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree
If you ventured to Carian Manor earlier in the game then you’ve already fought a spectre of this boss but now it’s time for the real thing. They’re not much harder than before but you’ll need to stay light on your feet to avoid being trampled by their variety of mounted and magical attacks.
Elden Ring bosses: Malenia, Blade of Miquella & Goddess of Rot
Waiting for you at the bottom of the well-hidden area of Miquella’s Haligtree is Malenia. She’s one of the game’s toughest foe thanks to her quick moveset and ability to recover health from attacks. This battle is a real test of your skill and will require careful study of her moves to make sure you avoid undoing all your attacks by letting her get health back from striking you. Be wary though, defeat her and she comes back for a second phase as the Goddess of Rot. Her attacks are a little more telegraphed so stay calm and dodge through those explosions to finish her off for good.
Elden Ring bosses: Sir Gideon Ofnir, the All Knowing
Anyone who knows FromSoftware knows this NPC was too suspect throughout the game not to end up an enemy. He’s got an impressive array of moves, pulled from bosses throughout the game but in spite of that he’s not all that formidable. Be aggressive and he’ll stagger like a regular enemy. His fear of breaking the Golden Order compels him to try and stop you, believing your quest to be futile.
Elden Ring bosses: Godfrey the First Elden Lord, Hoarah Loux, Warrior
He’s back in physical form, the first Elden Lord. His moveset is similar to his spectral self but more than a little beefier thanks to stomp attacks that can clear the room. The tough part is his second phase where he reveals himself as Hoarax Loux and switches up his moves almost entirely for a series of ludicrous grab attacks and wrestling throws. Like you, he is Tarnished, the first actually, robbed of grace by Queen Marika after he waged war for her and now, like you, compelled to return to The Lands Between once more.
Elden Ring bosses: Radagon of the Golden Order
The man responsible for the mess The Lands Between is in, constantly trying to keep the Elden Ring intact and maintain the Golden order’s stranglehold over the world. As a fight he’s tough but with a few good openings you can cut him down to size pretty quickly. Watch out for his area of effect attacks which explode afterward, it’s easy to roll away too early and get caught in the blast. Yet the battle isn’t yet over…
Elden Ring bosses: Elden Beast
An entity sent by The Greater Will, the outer god which seeks to control The Lands Between through order, this final boss is a deceptively tranquil fight. Its slow movements give way to ferocious attacks if you’re not careful. Still, it’s a large target that has big openings for dealing damage. There’s an air of the alien quality of Bloodborne’s stranger foes to this boss, hinting at mysterious powers working behind the scenes of The Lands Between.
- Check out these secret Elden Ring map changes discovered by fellow players.
FAQs
Elden Ring bosses: every major fight in The Lands Between? ›
Some of these bosses are unique, while some are just souped-up or redesigned versions of other bosses you encounter in the game. The number of boss encounters is estimated to be around 150, while the number of unique bosses is around 112.
How many bosses are in each area in Elden Ring? ›Some of these bosses are unique, while some are just souped-up or redesigned versions of other bosses you encounter in the game. The number of boss encounters is estimated to be around 150, while the number of unique bosses is around 112.
How many bosses do you have to fight to beat Elden Ring? ›Technically, there are only eight mandatory bosses in Elden Ring, all of which come during the late-game portion where you run through multiple bosses in relatively quick succession.
Can you fight all bosses in Elden Ring in one playthrough? ›Elden Ring has a lot of bosses, and all of them can be killed with one shot, or with one shot per each boss phase for those with multiple. It isn't an easy task for a first playthrough, but the techniques that are used to one-shot bosses can help make the fights easier for new players.
Are Morgott and Margit the same? ›Morgott, The Omen King, also known as Morgott the Grace Given, is a Demigod Boss in Elden Ring. Morgott is the true identity of Margit, the Fell Omen, and the self-proclaimed "Last of All Kings".
Who is the hardest boss in Elden Ring? ›The list is unsurprisingly topped by the infamously difficult Elden Ring boss Malenia, whose encounter was attempted some 329 million times, thus accounting for 5.5% of all in-game boss fights the players initiated to date.
Who are the 4 demigods in Elden Ring? ›A huge amount of the backstory in Elden Ring follows the demigods, the children of Marika, Godfrey, and Radagon. A complex tree of siblings, step-siblings, and half-siblings, they are some of the most prominent figures still active in the Lands Between, fighting the vicious civil wars of the Shattering between them.
What is the max level in Elden Ring? ›What is the Max Level in Elden Ring? Hitting max level in Elden Ring means getting to level 713, which costs 1,692,558,415 runes in total. To accomplish this, Fireman_Artsen beat the game enough times to get to New Game+ 8, while also doing plenty of co-op and rune farming.
What level should I be at Radahn? ›You should be at least level 70 before fighting Radahn, ideally with a powerful weapon suited to your chosen build, such as the Moonveil Katana, or strong spells with good range, including Comet.
Is Caelid completely optional? ›Even so, Caelid is actually an optional zone, meaning that you don't need to visit it, explore it, or defeat the challenging boss Starscourge Radahn at Redmane Castle if you don't care to. However, you do need to beat at least two shardbearers to progress to the end of the game, so Radahn is one option.
Is Radahn a mandatory boss? ›
The challenging Starscourge Radahn is thankfully optional - but is a route to the end of the game if you like.
What is the easiest boss in Elden Ring? ›The Soldier of Godrick is, by far, the easiest boss in Elden Ring and many players constantly joke online that he is the hardest. The boss serves as the tutorial boss and is about as easy as fighting any normal enemy.
How hard is it to 100% Elden Ring? ›Technically, it's impossible to reach 100 percent due to the fact that there are branching point near the end, but you can certainly get pretty close." They also detail that players can finish the game without experiencing everything.
How long is Elden Ring 100 percent? ›When focusing on the main objectives, Elden Ring is about 57½ Hours in length. If you're a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 133 Hours to obtain 100% completion.
Has anyone 100 percent Elden Ring? ›True to From Software form, the company reveals that Elden Ring cannot be 100% completed in one playthrough, requiring multiple to see everything.
Are Mohg and Morgott twins? ›Early Life. Morgott was born of the Golden Lineage, the offspring of the first Elden Lord, Godfrey and Queen Marika, and was the twin brother of Mohg.
Is Godrick margits brother? ›Later into Elden Ring, it is revealed that Margit the Fell Omen is the false identity of Margott the Omen King, a sibling of Godrick's and a fellow Shardbearer.
Why is Margit called Fell Omen? ›Margit the Fell Omen is the alter ego of Morgott, the Omen King, who due to his secretive position as the Veiled Monarch of Leyndell, could not publicly reveal himself to be an Omen.
Who are the saddest bosses in Elden Ring? ›Famously known as one of the most difficult bosses in the game, Malenia, Blade of Miquella also has one of the most tragic origin stories across Elden Ring's pantheon of demigod characters. Malenia and Miquella were born twins by their parents Queen Marika and the Elden Lord Radagon.
Is Godrick the weakest demigod? ›Enia describes Godrick as the weakest of the demigods, which is alluded to when he was driven from the capital and was defeated by Malenia. It is possible to skip phase 2 entirely if you kill him during the phase transition.
Is Ranni a god? ›
Ranni the Witch is a character in Elden Ring. She is one of the Demigods, and the focus of one of the game's most elaborate questlines.
Is Ranni good or bad? ›Julianna Swickard of CBR also debated whether Ranni was good or evil, arriving at the conclusion that while she was morally grey as a character, her ending was the "best possible outcome" of all the game's endings.
How many runes to level 713? ›The highest level possible is a grand total of 713, achievable when all eight attributes are capped at 99 points. This would require 1,692,566,842 Runes in total.
Has anyone made it to level 713 in Elden Ring? ›User Cafenn94 on Reddit managed to achieve Elden Ring's max level, which is a state where every attribute is maxed out at 99, after 580 hours of play, showing the moment they reached level 713 in a video online.
Can you get all stats to 99 in Elden Ring? ›An Elden Ring player manages to max out all eight stats in the game to level 99 and shares the strategy used to accomplish this task. Elden Ring allows gamers to fully customize their builds according to their play style.
Is level 60 good for radahn? ›When should I fight General Radahn in Elden Ring? Despite being just the fourth main boss in Elden Ring, there is a huge jump in power between Radahn and Godick and Rennala. To avoid running up against a solid brick wall we'd recommend being between level 60-75 and rocking as upgraded a weapon as you can muster.
What level is recommended for Godrick? ›That's because Caelid is ravaged by something called Scarlet Rot. The creeping disease infects living things and pools in a huge, fetid swamp, resulting in a whole region filled with putrefying, monstrous creatures.
What is Caelid's weakness? ›As you might expect from a tree boss, the Putrid Avatar is extremely weak to fire-based attacks or fire magic, effectively doubling your damage output.
Is Altus Plateau harder than Caelid? ›Elden Ring's Overworld Has Plenty Of Harder Areas Than Caelid. One area that players will encounter after vanquishing General Radahn in Caelid is the Altus Plateau, an area that is also home to Elden Ring's Volcano Manor. It's not the biggest area of the game, but it can still prove punishingly difficult.
Why does Radahn have no feet? ›
Most fans seem to agree that Scarlot Rot is the root cause of his missing feet, with one user giving examples of other important characters with missing limbs. Some users also believe that years of dragging his feet through sand while riding a laughingly small horse probably did this to him.
Why is Rennala mandatory? ›Rennala is an optional boss, and doesn't need to be defeated in order to advance in Elden Ring. However, she is a shardbearer, and two of the four available shardbearers must be defeated before entering Leyndell, Royal Capital. In addition, she must be defeated to achieve a certain ending.
Is Malenia optional? ›Malenia, Blade of Miquella Boss in Elden Ring
This boss is optional. This is a Demi-God type boss. Multiplayer is allowed for this boss. Spirit Ashes can be summoned for this boss.
| Boss | NG Runes |
|---|---|
| Godfrey | 300,000 |
| Mohg, Lord of Blood | 420,000 |
| Malenia the Severed | 480,000 |
| Elden Beast | 500,000 |
Many players claim that the terrifying Death Rite Birds are their least favorite bosses in Elden Ring, with several also mentioning the fight against the two Valiant Gargoyles. Crystalians are named a few times along with Erdtree Burial Watchdogs, probably because these two boss types can come in groups.
What's the longest game in the world? ›According to HLTB, the crown for longest overall video game belongs to Melvor Idle, a Runescape-inspired idle/incremental game with an estimated playtime of 3,126 hours. On the other end of the spectrum lies Trivia Vault: Super Heroes Trivia with an estimated playtime of 1 minute and 12 seconds.
What game takes the longest to 100? ›Completing Fallout: New Vegas under the completionist method will take players over 100 hours. The main story is about 27.5 hours, but those who take their leisurely time may beat all the game's content in over 300 hours.
Is Elden Ring unnecessarily hard? ›But while each individual block and attack may not be mechanically difficult, Elden Ring can require a lot of focus and endurance to chain moves together into a successful battle (or series of battles). That's especially true when multiple enemies gang up to attack you from all sides.
What video game has the longest story? ›Xenoblade Chronicles X Contains 108 Hours Of Gameplay
Averaging an hour longer than Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Xenoblade Chronicles X takes the ranking for the franchise with 108 hours of main story and side content.
The game becomes a lot easier for the player if they make good use of Spirits, but that doesn't quite drop it beneath DS2's difficulty. Dark Souls 2's overall difficulty is still lower than Elden Ring's thanks to its simple, slow enemies, and Elden Ring's toughest fights take cues from the Fume Knight.
How many hours is the average Elden Ring? ›
If you're pursuing the simplest path to the end without engaging much with side quests, stories, alternative endings or distractions, you can expect a 50-70 hour campaign.
Is 10 the max Elden Ring? ›To level up in Elden Ring, you must spend runes to purchase stat points. Each of the eight stats caps at 99, so the absolute maximum level in Elden Ring is 713.
What is the hardest trophy to get in Elden Ring? ›- 1 Legendary Sorceries And Incantations Will Take You A Long Time To Complete.
- 2 Dragonlord Placidusax Is Hard To Find And Hard To Beat. ...
- 3 Legendary Talismans Are Hidden Very Well. ...
- 4 Shardbearer Mohg Has An Unavoidable Attack. ...
- 5 To Get Legendary Ashes, You'll Need To Explore A Lot. ...
What happens after Journey 8 Elden Ring? Journey 8 (NG+7) marks the end of Elden Ring's new game scaling; all subsequent journeys will have an identical level of difficulty and rewards. At this point, players can choose to pursue their own defined goals such as: Collecting all Armaments.
What level should I be for Godrick? ›As tough as he might be, Godrick is still an early-game boss. As we explained in our Margit, the Fell Omen guide your weapon's upgrade level is what ultimately matters here. We recommend starting the fight with a +4/+5 weapon, and around level 29 for your character.
Is godrick an optional boss? ›First Mandatory Bosses: Margit And Godrick.
How many true bosses are in Elden Ring? ›There are currently 30 achievement bosses.
What is the 4th main boss in Elden Ring? ›Here are the main Elden Ring bosses in order:
Margit the Fell Omen (required boss to reach Godrick) Godrick the Grafted (beat for one of the two required Great Runes) Red Wolf of Radagon (required boss to reach Rennala) Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon (beat for one of the two required Great Runes)
The boss that has been defeated by the fewest players is Dragonlord Placidusax, a legendary enemy located in the Crumbling Farum Azula.
Is Godrick weak to bleed? ›Margit and Godrick are vulnerable to a couple of status effects, including bleed and poison.
What is Godrick's weakness? ›
Godrick's Weaknesses
He is particularly weak to Bleed damage, which is typically best used on fast weapons to build up the hidden Bleed meter much faster. He is also weak to Poison damage, and can be poisoned for consistent damage in this already-lengthy fight.
After defeating Radahn with a veritable army of summons, a lot of new paths open up for players to take - most notably, perhaps, the path to Nokron. Players can also progress several questlines, gain entry to Leyndell, and increase their power by using Radahn's Remembrance or by activating Radahn's Great Rune.
Can you beat Elden Ring without Melina? ›You may think this sounds easy, that you'll just miss out on a couple of side quests and vendors, righ? Wrong. ymfah states that they will only talk to NPCs that are absolutely required to progress the main story, but they also show us early on in the video that talking to Melina is actually optional.
Who can I summon against Godrick? ›If you are struggling to defeat Godrick alone, use your spirit summons or Nepheli Loux, who can be summoned from outside the boss arena.