Summary
FromSoftwarehas always been a studio thattakes pride in the games it releases—and with good reason. From the early days ofDark Souls, the developer has had a knack for designing intimidating bosses with challenging movesets and intricate designs that work incredibly well with the dark, apocalyptic world they inhabit.
Elden Ringcontinued this tradition by introducing some of the developer’s most difficult and well-balanced bosses, including Malenia, Hoarah Loux, Mohg, and others. And with the release ofShadow of the Erdtree, players can now expand their horizons andexperience additional challengesin the form of stronger, faster, and more relentless bosses that will put even the most advanced Tarnished to the test. These are thebest bosses inShadow of the Erdtree.
HP
29,723
Rellana, Twin Moon Knightis the ideal choice to start this list, as she’s not only a formidable boss with an amazing and unforgiving moveset but also has a designreminiscent of Pontiff Sulyvahn. For players who’ve never played anotherSoulsbornetitle, that might not ring too many bells, but for those who have and hadn’t noticed the resemblance before, perhaps now it will be evident. Rellana has powerful combos and mighty blows that she delivers with twin swords that become engulfed in different Elements to deal extra damage.
Once a Carian princess, Rellana now roams the Land of Shadow, ready to strike and kill anyone unfortunate enough to cross paths with her. Luckily, she’s optional, so if players don’t want to face her or want to wait until they’ve collected moreScadutree Fragmentitems, that’s possible and perfectly acceptable.
22,571
Ever since the DLC was released, theDivine Beast Dancing Lionhas been a matter of discussion among players. While some say they struggled significantly with this boss, others stated that it’s not that difficult with the right strategy. Whatever the case, one thing is for certain: This humanoid monster makes for one heck of a boss fight. What makes the Divine Beast one of thebest bosses inShadow of the Erdtreeis that it has a unique design that can easily come off as creepy. Also, this boss fight’s music isone of the best in the entire game, and it adds to the suspense and nerve-wracking experience of the merciless combat.
Players who defeat the Divine Beast Dancing Lion will be rewarded with 120,000 Runes, the Remembrance of the Dancing Lion, and the Divine Beast Head. The Runes dropped by this boss aren’t anything exceptional, especially for advanced builds. However, considering that this boss only has about half of the Health points that other bosses in the DLC do, it makes sense that the reward for defeating it isn’t great.
410,000 Runes,Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied Flame
47,171
When it comes to the high points inShadow of the Erdtree, the boss fight againstMidrais definitely in one of the top positions. What makes Midra one of thebest bossesin the DLC is that, at first, he doesn’t seem like much. In fact, he appears to be nothing more than an area NPC. However, once players kill its initial form, they’ll unknowingly unleash Midra’s ultimate power as he becomes theLord of the Frenzied Flame. Midra can be found in Midra’s Manse and, luckily, is an optional boss.
This boss fight is not only memorable because of its difficulty but also because of how hard it is to get Midra’s chunky Health bar to zero. Withupwards of 47,000 HP, he’s even more resilient than Promised Consort Radahn, which is a statement of its power in and of itself. Players who manage to defeat this formidable boss will be justly rewarded with 410,000 Runes and the Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
500,000 Runes, Remembrance of a God and a Lord
46,134
Being the final boss inShadow of the Erdtree, it stands to reason thatPromised Consort Radahnwould be one of thebest bossesin the DLC and potentially the most challenging. Players who’ve already beaten the base game but haven’t reached the end of the DLC will be very pleasantly (or unpleasantly) surprised by this boss fight, as the feral, unintelligent Radahn they faced in Caelid is nothing but a husk of its former self. Promised Consort Radahn is the demigod’s ultimate form, showcasing his true power in his prime years—long before Malenia destroyed his mind with the Scarlet Rot.
This boss fight is very dynamic, giving players nearly no room to rest, heal, or even attack. This is one of those instances where learning to read the boss and identify the rare windows of opportunity is key to success. Luckily, defeating Promised Consort Radahn will reward players with half of a million Runes and the Remembrance of a God and a Lord. Players can trade this Remembrance with Enia the Finger Reader at the Roundtable Hold fora pair of Colossal Swordsthat deal incredible amounts of damage and have an amazing Special Skill.
490,000 Runes,Heart of Bayle
41,612
As far as dragons in video games go, few developers can make them as intimidating, challenging, and overall well-designed as FromSoftware. Dragons are nothing new in theSoulsbornefranchise; however, they seem to get better with every installment. HardcoreSoulsborneplayers who’ve beaten every game in the franchise will greatly appreciate the tangible progress that’s been made between a boss like Black Dragon Kalameet fromDark Souls 1andBayle the Dread.
Thishellish-looking dragonis one of thebest bosses inShadow of the Erdtreefor many reasons. Aesthetically speaking, it’s the most evil-looking dragon in both the base game and the DLC. Add to that its amazing lore and backstory with Farum Azula’s Placidusax, and the result is an outstanding winged creature that will not only push players to the limit during its boss fight but also make them quake in their boots.
400,000 Runes,Remembrance of the Impaler,Messmer’s Kindling
38,981
Saving the best for last,Messmer the Impaleris, as agreed by many, thebest boss inShadow of the Erdtree. Humanoid bosses can be a bit deceiving inSoulsbornegames; sometimes, they can be complete pushovers, whereas, in other instances, they can be some of the most challenging enemies players have ever faced. Messmer is, without a shadow of a doubt, not a pushover in any sense of the word. In fact, it’s safe to say that he’s one of the most punishing, relentless, and quick enemies in the history of FromSoftware’s bosses.
Messmer’s first phase is difficult due to its long spear thrusts, fire attacks, and mighty combos that can quickly kill the Tarnished without the proper dodging skills and timing. However, it all pales in comparison to the boss' second phase, as Messmer will introduce more aggressive attacks and rely on giant serpents that have absurdly long range and deal unfair amounts of damage. Messmer’s boss fight demands patience, resilience, and unmatched dedication, and players who manage to beat him will be justly rewarded with 400,000 Runes, the Remembrance of the Impaler, Messmer’s Kindling, and, naturally, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
