If you’re anything like us, you’ve nearly pulled your hair out of frustration sometime during your playthrough of Shadow of the Erdtree or the base game.
Elden Ring is one of the more flexible FromSoft titles, and you make it as easy as you want it depending on your build and the tools you use. Considering Hidetaka Miyazaki himself likes to use everything at his disposal to get through the game, there’s no shame in using them.
Despite these tools, some bosses are still an extreme pain to fight. Here’s a list of 11 bosses that will have you nearly slamming your head against a wall in frustration, either because of a skill issue, annoying boss mechanics, or both.
11. Valiant Gargoyles
What starts as a seemingly straightforward 1v1 fight against a massive gargoyle quickly spirals into chaos. The first gargoyle, with its sword and halberd, is challenging enough—its massive size makes it difficult to read its attacks.
Just when you think you might have the upper hand, the second gargoyle swoops and the real nightmare begins. Keeping track of both gargoyles can be hard, but not when they decide to vomit poison mist around themselves while you’re sandwiched in between them. You know exactly where they are then!
10. Morgott
This fight is a rematch after facing Margit in Stormveil, but his true form hits harder and faster. Not to mention his classic delayed attacks that make dodging a nightmare. He’s a true skill-check boss, which is why many players find themselves stuck here, repeatedly getting clobbered until they learn his rhythm.
9. Godfrey
The battle against this demigod is epic, his earth-shattering attacks and delayed strikes keeping you on your toes. But just when you think you might have a handle on things, he transforms into Hoarah Loux.
This berserker ditches his weapon and goes full-on primal. His relentless aggression in this second phase leaves you barely any room to breathe, constantly lunging at you which can easily kill you.
8. Maliketh
It’s one of those bosses that players either breeze through or struggle with endlessly. His first phase as the Beast Clergyman is manageable, but when he sheds his cloak and reveals his true form, the difficulty spikes dramatically.
He makes his way around the arena more than Bloodborne‘s Master Logarius on that rooftop, and combined with his powerful ranged attacks and devastating melee strikes, this is nothing short of a high-pressure battle.
7. Commander Niall
Niall summons two knights at the start of the fight, turning the encounter into a chaotic 3v1 until you can take them down.
His small arena offers little room to maneuver, and his large AOE attacks can quickly fill your frost meter while draining chunks of your health.
To make matters worse, the runback to his arena is filled with enemies that will chase you to the entrance.
6. Putrescent Knight
The boss is the final obstacle between you and an extremely important NPC in the DLC. After a long journey to the bottom of a gigantic hole, you’re greeted by a skeleton charging at you on horseback, giving you only a few seconds to prepare before it launches into a relentless assault.
Its attacks are difficult to dodge, and you’ll need to keep an eye on both it and its horse as they sometimes attack separately. Getting the dodge timings down can be difficult and a matter of patience.
5. Commander Gaius
While you have the advantage of using Torrent for this fight, Gaius moves faster on the back of his hog than you could ever hope to on your mount.
His moveset is particularly annoying, especially as he has a charge attack with a confusing hitbox that many players have complained about. We only have one question, Miyazaki: Why?
It’s a frustrating fight that feels unfair to many, making it one of the most hated encounters in the game despite only being introduced in the DLC.
4. Rellana
This knight may be one of the earlier bosses you encounter in Shadow of the Erdtree, but don’t let that fool you—she’s one of the toughest. Her fast attack patterns don’t leave much room to get many hits in. She also deals massive damage with every hit, and her second phase is a nightmare for anyone who likes to keep their distance or get up close.
3. Bayle the Dread
This massive dragon has a habit of incinerating you with fire or tearing you apart with its claws, and its sheer size makes it difficult to keep track of its movements on screen.
Bayle is fast, hits like a truck, and has a second phase that’s even more visually overwhelming than the first. The camera might be your worst enemy in this fight, as it struggles to keep up with the dragon’s attacks that use every part of his body.
2. Malenia
She has two phases, each having a separate health bar. What makes this fight so frustrating is her ability to heal with every hit she lands.
Then, there’s the Waterfowl Dance move, a flurry of slashes that’s nearly impossible to dodge unless you’ve mastered the timing. Mistime your dodge, and you’ll either be dead or barely alive, with her having healed a huge chunk of her health.
Her first phase lets you run far away and take a breather, but she’s extremely aggressive in her second phase, making it hard to recharge stamina or heal. She also has a few extra moves and can proc Scarlet Rot, so go figure.
1. Promised Consort Radahn
As the final DLC boss, he’s extremely tanky. His first phase is challenging enough, but his second phase cranks the difficulty up to 11.
Radahn deals massive damage with every hit, has AOE attacks that cover almost the entire arena, and will cause light beams to shoot at you from above as he attacks.
His grabs are instant kills if he lands them twice (thanks to a certain someone), and some of his attacks send afterimage clones that will track your movement.
Do you agree with this list? Is there any boss you think is missing? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
