Highlights
- Elden Ring features 238 boss fights, with some offering less challenge than others, providing a boost to players before the end-game difficulty spike.
- Some bosses, like Godfrey and Mohg, are easier versions of tougher later bosses and may not live up to the name or offer much challenge.
- While some boss battles, like Rykard and Rennala, may lack difficulty, they make up for it with enjoyable experiences, spectacle, and stunning designs.
Elden Ring was released to almost universal praise. With its mix of spectacle and tough challenges, it wowed audiences as often as it defeated them. Known as Fromsoftware’s most accessible game, Elden Ring pulls no punches when it comes to boss fights, with some of the toughest encounters in any of their games found within The Lands Between.
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Yet not all bosses are created equal, with many offering less of a challenge than others. In total, there are 238 boss fights in Elden Ring, many of which are boss versions of enemies that can be found roaming the world. Even among the unique or main quest bosses, not every encounter has a high skill wall to overcome, providing a much-needed boost to players before the end-game difficulty spike.
10 Godfrey, The First Elden Lord (Golden Shade)
Leyndell, Royal Capital, is one of the most original and striking areas in Elden Ring, with tough challenges waiting around every corner. Eventually, players will come to a boss wall and meet the Golden Shade version of Godfrey, The First Elden Lord.
Godfrey is by no means a pushover, but compared to the real version encountered later in the game, he doesn’t quite live up to the name. By the time the player reaches this boss, they will have come up against tougher challenges and overcome them.
9 Mohg, The Omen
Much like Godfrey, this easier version of a tough later boss is underwhelming. Found below the royal capital, guarding a hidden wall that leads to the frenzied flame, Mohg can dish out some heavy damage but offers little in the way of challenge.
With a limited move set and well-telegraphed attacks, most players will defeat Mohg relatively quickly. Also, like the Golden Shade Godfrey, players will be experienced enough in the game at this point to take on the fight with little to worry about.
8 Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
One of the most iconic fights in Elden Ring for the voice acting alone, Rykard is a terrifying gimmick fight that delivers in droves. What it lacks in difficulty, it makes up for in pure chaotic joy, reveling in its unabashed spectacle.
Found after completing the Volcano Manor legacy dungeon, the fight is more thematic than challenging, with the weapon needed for victory waiting at the opening of the boss room. Rykard is one of the central characters within the lore of the game, and it is a fight that shouldn’t be missed, even though the battle itself is lacking in terms of a challenge.
7 Godrick The Grafted
The Godrick boss fight is one of the highlights of the starting area in Elden Ring. This boss is found at the end of Stormveil Castle, the first major legacy dungeon in the game. The fight can be tough for those less experienced, but having already defeated the tougher Margit, The Fell Omen, players shouldn’t find Godrick to be too much of a challenge.
Although Godrick is one of the easier story bosses within the game, the fight offers a hugely enjoyable experience. Fast-paced, with a fun array of attacks, this battle has a ton of character.
6 Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon
Rennala is another boss battle that is heavier on spectacle than difficulty. A central figure within the world of Elden Ring, the fight is required for the Age of Stars ending. It takes place at the end of The Academy of Raya Lucaria and has two distinct phases.
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Once into the second phase, the fight truly starts. Rennala uses spells that can cause huge damage, but with a few well-timed attacks, her health can disappear quickly, ending the battle before it ever gets a chance to truly begin.
5 Leonine Misbegotten
One of the early notable battles in Elden Ring, this boss isn’t one of the main story characters or even a lesser one. Versions of this boss also appear in the late game as common enemy encounters.
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Found at the end of Castle Morne in the Weeping Peninsula, the boss has a move-set reminiscent of Slave Knight Gael in Dark Souls 3. While it is a fast-paced fight, it has none of the impact of that battle. Nonetheless, the setting of the fight is stunning, and it is a good tester for later battles to come.
4 Red Wolf of Radagon
Midway through the Academy of Raya Lucaria can be found the Red Wolf of Radagon. This is another boss fight that is unique at this point in a playthrough, but other versions of the enemy can be found later on in the game, too.
Set within a lecture hall in the legacy dungeon, the battle is fast and fun, but it ends far too quickly. The fight is also reminiscent of the Great Grey Wolf Sif boss in the first Dark Souls game, which lends a perfect touch of nostalgia to the encounter for fans of soulslike experiences.
3 Commander O’Neil
Deep within the infected swamps of Caelid, players will find Commander O’Neil. This boss fight is needed to progress the Millicent storyline. Unfortunately, the unique and unsettling backdrop of the encounter doesn’t carry over to the fight itself and is one of the more forgettable boss battles in the game.
Commander O’Neil can be easily defeated when using Torrent, giving players little in the way of challenge. A tougher version of this boss, Commander Niall, can be found in Castle Sol in the Mountain Tops Of The Giants area, and defeating him is sure to remind players of how easy it is to beat Commander O'Neil.
2 Ancestor Spirit
Elden Ring is a game full of surprises, and one of the most stunning is revealed when using the lift to get down to the Siofra River area. After lighting all the pillars in this underground level players are treated to a stunning boss fight.
The Ancestor Spirit boss is an easy fight to overcome, offering barely a challenge even to new players, but its beautiful design and eerie atmosphere make it a must for any playthrough of the game. The Regal Ancestor Spirit found in Nokron, Eternal City, is an equally memorable boss fight that only provides a little more challenge.
1 Mimic Tear
Found after entering Nokron, Eternal City, the Mimic Tear is one of the easiest unique fights in the game. Fighting the player's own character should be more of a challenge, but unfortunately, the mimic rarely compares to the real thing.
Encountered partway through the level, the Mimic Tear is almost a forgettable fight but acts as a prelude to finding one of the best items in the entire game, the Mimic Tear Spirit Ashes. Ironically, the Mimic Tear Spirit Summon is one of the strongest in all of Elden Ring, often turning even difficult endgame bosses into easy wins.
Elden Ring
$49 $60 Save $11
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
- Released
- February 25, 2022
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Genre(s)
- RPG , Action
$49 at Amazon