Elden Ring bosses: every major fight in The Lands Between

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.