Elden Ring Boss Guide: Locations and Rewards

Elden Ring — want to know how to beat its bosses? In any of the best Soulslike games, the most defining moments are the punishing boss fights. They can be deceptive for a few reasons: some are hard to hit consistently, while others can crush you with a single attack. Elden Ring is also an open-world game, which means, as you'd expect, there are plenty of tough enemies with big health bars just waiting to be discovered. In this article, you'll find a list of every Elden Ring boss we know of so far, where to find them, which ones are mandatory, and what items they drop when you beat them.

How Many Bosses Are There in Elden Ring?

There are a huge number of bosses in Elden Ring. Generally, every region of the game world has more than one boss. But it wouldn't be a lie to say the sheer number of bosses in Elden Ring is a bit exaggerated. Limgrave alone has 24 bosses.

Thanks to the game's open-world design, you're pretty free to approach each one whenever you're ready. The moment you realize you can't handle a boss, you can go do other tasks and come back to the same boss later for another shot with better odds.

Bosses in the game are split into different types. For example, there are nine Demigods (main bosses) you'll fight in Elden Ring, plus several Great Enemies (mini-bosses). The vast majority of Elden Ring's bosses are field bosses you'll run into while traveling the Lands Between.

Which Bosses Are in Elden Ring?

We've listed the bosses in every region, their locations, and their item drops. You need to beat all the major bosses to finish the game.

Grafted Scion

Reward: None Location: On the bridge after leaving the Chapel of Anticipation

This boss has multiple arms, long combos, and a scream that will hurt. You're not meant to win this fight. That said, you'll face them again later in the game, and the best advice is to use ranged attacks, get behind them, or bring a shield. Because of the sheer frequency and speed of their combos, beating them by dodging alone is very difficult.

Soldier of Godrick

Reward: Runes Location: Stranded Graveyard. Down the hole next to the sitting ghost when you first wake up.

He wields a great sword, but is essentially just a jumping enemy. Use a jump-charged attack to avoid getting stabbed while he's running and to catch him off guard, then follow up with a riposte to take most of his health.

Margit

Reward: Talisman Pouch Location: Past the ballista at the gates of Stormveil Castle.

Variable attack speed is the toughest thing about Margit. For example, his staff attack is very slow to wind up, but then his other hand will suddenly draw a light blade and slash you before jumping back and throwing knives at you. Those throwing knives can be especially annoying if you're trying to heal after jumping away. At around two-thirds health, he'll enter his second phase. His combos will get longer, mixing in his hammer, throwing knives, and light sword. Since he's very aggressive, damage windows are scarce, and it's best to stay away from his four-hit combo. If you're struggling too much, you can always summon Sorcerer Rogier, who'll help split his aggro a bit.

Godrick the Grafted

Reward: Remembrance of the Grafted (boss remembrance) Location: Stormveil Castle.

Watch out for the earthquake attack, where he'll slam an axe into the ground twice with a bigger area of effect each time. He'll also create a damaging whirlwind AoE that triples in size. On the third one, he also spins into the air and slams his axe down. Fortunately, his regular attacks are easy to avoid, and jump attacks can be effective. Once you've brought him to half health, he'll start screaming and cut off his own arm. Use this window to deal as much damage as possible before his second phase begins. Right at the start of that phase, run to his right side to avoid a fire attack from behind. Now, from his new dragon arm, he'll add fire attacks to his AoE whirlwind and add a third slam to his earthquake. You can summon Nepheli for this fight, but only if you talk to her in a room to the right of the courtyard after dealing with the bladed Stormhawks.

Red Wolf of Radagon

Reward: Memory Stone (increases sorcery memory slots) Location: Raya Lucaria Academy

This big red dog is the first boss of Raya Lucaria Academy and extremely aggressive. If you were just fighting a big, angry dog, it wouldn't be a problem, but this dog also has magic. Throughout the fight, it summons blue swords to fire at you before leaping into a bite. It also forms a red blade in its mouth and swings back and forth with it, then leaps up and slams down on you. If you're a melee fighter, using a summon to give yourself some breathing room is definitely a good idea.

Rennala

Reward: Remembrance of the Full Moon Queen (boss remembrance) Location: Raya Lucaria Academy

In the first phase, she'll float around the ceiling inside a protective cocoon. To bring her down, hit the three childlike scholars with the glowing aura, and the cocoon will shatter. Rennala will then fall to the ground, letting you deal damage for a set period of time. When she starts to glow, back away very quickly to avoid an AoE explosion. In her second phase, Rennala will take you to a moonlit lake and start casting spells on you, starting with a beam that can one-shot you if you're not careful. Watch out for the crystal shards she summons to fire at you rapidly. Fortunately, she staggers fairly easily in this phase, and bleed works especially well against her. If the fight goes on long enough, she'll create an AoE shockwave around herself and summon various enemies, from wolves to a dragon. If you can summon anything to knock enemies down or attack her, it'll make the fight much easier.

Starscourge Radahn

Reward: Remembrance of the Starscourge (boss remembrance) Location: Redmane Castle, Caelid

Radahn is a fun boss, but a tough one because of his size, aggression, AoE attacks, and unpredictable aggro. When you enter the boss arena through the portal, summon allies while dodging Radahn's ranged attacks or using debris to block them. Stay at range until the allies pull Radahn into melee and he draws his swords. Now, mount up. If you have poison or ranged damage, I'd recommend whittling him down while continuing to summon allies via the markers that reappear when they die. If you're a melee fighter, ride Torrent in to land powerful hits on his back/mount when he finishes his combos. Still, keep your distance in general and let your allies draw his attention. Once he's at half health, he'll disappear and come back as a flaming comet. While he's away, ride around the hill and summon more allies. In this phase, he'll create four meteors around himself. Keep summoning Elden Ring Spirit Ashes and whittle him down when you can, but stay close to the hilltop. When he closes in on you, he'll send those meteors flying, so use the top of the hill to block them. If you're a melee fighter, this fight will take a while, since it requires some care to avoid getting hit and to keep from losing Torrent to his seemingly endless attacks. I also wouldn't recommend calling in a friend for this one, since it's even harder without a mount.

Draconic Tree Sentinel

Reward: Dragon Greatclaw hammer, Dragonclaw Shield Location: Blocking the back gate leading to Leyndell

A mounted boss, to end all mounted bosses. This guy is tough because of his powerful AoE attacks and the lightning he calls down from the sky in his second phase. I'd recommend calling in a friend to split his aggression and fighting him on foot. As for attacks, watch out for his mount spitting flames at you, and for lightning striking from the sky in the second phase. The key to avoiding that is to roll while he's bringing his shield down. If you insist on fighting on horseback, deal damage to his shield side, since he can't reach you there with his hammer, and jump to avoid the AoE zones. When he charges at you, he'll jump and slam his hammer into the ground.

Godfrey

Reward: An extra Talisman slot Location: Leyndell, Royal Capital

This axe-wielding spirit giant is quite aggressive, but he's manageable if you can split his aggro between two people, thanks to the shape of the arena. Watch out for his forward charge, which cracks the ground in front of him in a cone shape and damages you if it connects, as well as his stomp. His axe combos are relatively easy to dodge, but he also throws his axe and leaps into the air to slam it down. If you're hitting him and holding his aggro, watch out — he can suddenly turn around and kick you.

Morgott

Reward: Remembrance of the Omen King Location: Leyndell, Royal Capital

Morgott is one of the hardest bosses in the game. He's extremely fast, deals a ton of damage, and his attacks have very wide arcs. I'd recommend summoning Melina and, in the first phase, an NPC ash like Oleg to split his aggro. At first, he'll just hit you with his sword, throw blades, use his hammer, and summon light swords above you that split the arena into sections. If you want Melina to move into her much more useful second phase, it's time to get aggressive. Whenever he turns his back to hurt her, take a bit of a hit, then back off and repeat. Greatshields can also be good in this first phase because of his purely physical attacks. Once his health drops to half, he'll explode within an AoE and his sword will gain what looks like a hidden infusion. Keep going as before, but now be aware of his longer combos, especially when his sword turns red and he's about to attack. If he pulls his sword back as if to stab, he'll lunge forward to impale you. Otherwise, it's a two-hit attack, but since the first stagger locks you in place, you'll likely die if you get hit by either one. The key to Morgott is timed aggression and aggro trading to keep your summons alive while staying aware of his big attacks. He can kill you very quickly in two hits, but if you time things right and dodge properly, you should be able to take him down.

Tree Sentinel

Reward: Golden Halberd Location: West Limgrave. Outside Stranded Graveyard

Once you have Torrent, the Tree Sentinel becomes much easier and makes for your first real mounted duel. Keep your distance while he swings his halberd, then ride your horse in to land a few hits from behind or on his shielded side. He's dangerous up close, but if you keep dodging and riding away, you'll come out on top. It also doesn't hurt to bring some Golden Runes to heal Torrent.

Flying Dragon Agheel

Reward: Dragon Heart Location: West Limgrave. The lake east of Stranded Graveyard.

Fighting this dragon is tough without Torrent, but otherwise, it's relatively easy to deal damage while dodging its AoE fire breath. One attack to watch for is Agheel flying up into the sky and hovering there, meaning it's about to swoop down on you, but this is easy to avoid if you're moving away from the dragon and not too close. Once it lands, make sure to get a few extra hits on its head for bonus damage. Also watch for its tail swinging around if you're attacking from behind. As always, bring some Golden Runes to heal Torrent.

Night Cavalry

Reward: Ash of War: Repeated Thrust Location: East Limgrave. At night, on the road south of Agheel Lake, near the North Grace site.

This mounted boss is quite aggressive, but you can beat him by keeping some distance and dealing damage whenever you can. Attacks to watch for are a downward diagonal jump attack, which can be dodged either way before he lands a few hits, or his horse's quick sideways barge when you're close. In general, hitting his horse from behind is your best bet. He'll likely die before you do, but if you give him room, he'll summon it again, so keep up the pressure.

Bloodhound Knight Darriwil

Reward: Bloodhound's Fang greatsword Location: Evergaol of the Forlorn Hound, southernmost point of West Limgrave

This Artorias-esque wild swordmaster doesn't have a huge amount of health, but he's extremely aggressive. Since he strings combos together for ages, it's best to keep some distance and take your hit once he's done. Watch for when he drags his claws along the ground to catch you off guard, followed by a quick overhead diagonal slash. He also has a leaping attack with surprisingly deceptive range, so it's best to stay back. Keep sneaking in hits between his combos and he'll go down before you know it.

Crucible Knight

Reward: Aspects of the Crucible: Tail incantation Location: West Limgrave. Stormhill Evergaol.

This knight is found in the Stormhill Evergaol atop the hill, southwest of the Gatefront Grace site in West Limgrave. His first phase has fairly simple moves, so it's relatively easy, but once you knock him to half health, he sprouts wings and a tail. Attacks to watch for are a sword lunge with deceptive range and when he flies up right before attacking you. When he cracks his tail, he also does a tail spin with tremendous range, so be ready to run.

Tibia Mariner

Reward: Skeletal Militiaman Ashes, Deathroot (Summonwater Village), Tibia's Summon (Wyndham Ruins) Location: Multiple locations

These undead boatmen appear across the Lands Between and get tougher with each encounter, but the easiest one is in Summonwater Village and can be beaten with Torrent. It only has three attacks: holding its staff in the air for a very slow AoE shockwave, splashing water, or tipping over its boat to damage you with water, or hurling water at you with its staff. Thanks to your speed, you can outrun the skeletons it summons — just watch out for the one at the back of the village with a scythe who's collecting skulls. There's really no need to rush this boss, so take your time and take down the boatman.

Glintstone Dragon Smarag

Reward: Dragon Heart Location: Near a rocky outcrop west of Raya Lucaria Academy

This magic dragon guards the Glintstone Key needed to break the seal on the academy's gate, but you don't need to kill it to get the key. If you do choose to fight it, it has pretty much the same moveset as the Flying Dragon Agheel, but it can also cast spells from its mouth and has a nasty move where it spins around to bite you when you're near its tail. Watch for its attack when it hovers in the air before dropping on you, and its sudden leap into the air to rain down fire. The toughest part of this fight is that it's quite aggressive, and its blue fire can one-shot you, but as with any dragon, there's a lot of it to hit.

Dragonkin Soldier

Reward: Dragon Halberd Location: Siofra River, through the portal in the broken tower next to the Worshippers' Woods Grace site.

This armored, crawling giant is definitely the type you want to fight on horseback. Its main reach attack has a wide range, so you'll want to keep your distance while circling around it to bait an attack, then close the gap once it's committed. Back off and get in a few hits, but be careful when it pulls its arm back to strike. Rinse and repeat.

Beastman of Farum Azula

Reward: Flamedrake Talisman Location: Groveside Cave, West Limgrave

This boss is quite easy to beat, helped by the fact that it doesn't have much health. Dodge and block before catching it off guard with your own attacks. It should go down quickly.

Demi-Human Chiefs

Reward: Sewing Needle and Tailoring Tools. Beating this boss also gives you access to the island south of Limgrave. Location: Coastal Cave, West Limgrave.

These two beastly chiefs fight better individually. Stay by the fire until you draw one out. They're extremely aggressive, so it's worth summoning Old Knight Istvan at the entrance to give yourself some breathing room. Also watch out for the other enemies in the arena, and kill them quickly once the fight starts to avoid getting swarmed.

Stonedigger Troll

Reward: Roar Medallion Location: Limgrave Tunnels, West Limgrave

This boss is essentially the same as the trolls you'll encounter out in the world, but its weapon combos aren't quite as dangerous. Stay close to its legs, move between its front and back when it's about to do a downward slam, and you should take it down easily.

Erdtree Burial Watchdog

Reward: Noble Sorcerer Ashes Location: Stormfoot Catacombs, West Limgrave.

This boss is found in the dungeon northwest of Church of Elleh. It's not as tough as sheer nightmare fuel would suggest — honestly, it looks like someone glued a knife to the paw of one of those bobblehead cats. It's easy to beat, just watch out for the oddly timed hovering attack where it rises into the air and then slams down.

Black Knife Assassin

Reward: Assassin's Crimson Dagger talisman, Deathroot in the chest behind it. Location: Deathtouched Catacombs, West Limgrave.

This boss is found in the catacombs dungeon set into the cliffside east of the Warmaster's Shack in Stormhill. It's fairly easy, especially if you summon a group to help you, but if you need an extra edge, use a weapon that deals holy damage.

Patches

Reward: Cloth Garb and Cloth Trousers Location: Murkwater Cave, West Limgrave.

The lovable Patches triggers when you open a chest in the boss room and tries to rob you. He's easy to beat and surrenders once he drops below half health, letting you talk to him. Try to dodge when his shield goes up, since he'll thrust his spear at you.

Grave Warden Duelist

Reward: Battle Hammer Location: Murkwater Catacombs, West Limgrave.

It's better to stay close to this dual-hammer-wielding gladiator, since most of his attacks won't seem to connect if you're directly in front of him. This also lets you dodge his wide, chained combos. Once you bring him to half HP, he'll roar and enter his more aggressive second phase. You can still stay close to him, but watch out for his grab attack, which will roughly toss you across the room.

Mad Pumpkin Head

Reward: Gain access to Sellen and her sorceries Location: Waypoint Ruins, East Limgrave

This metal-headed giant uses a swing that builds up blood loss and suddenly slams its head into the ground to crush you. It's quite aggressive, and you're fighting it in a small room, so it's better to stay relatively close, circle around its sides and behind it, and avoid its wide swinging attacks. It doesn't have much health, but try to slash from the sides so you're not hitting its armored head.

Ulcerated Tree Spirit

Reward: Golden Seed and Banished Knight Oleg (Fringefolk Hero's Grave), Leaden Hardtear and Cerulean Hidden Tear (Mt. Gelmir) Location: Fringefolk Hero's Grave, West Limgrave (also Mt. Gelmir)

The best way to beat this boss early on is to stay to its side and deal damage whenever you can. Just watch out for its downward claw slams. Also watch for this boss's tail attacks, and make sure you back away far enough that you won't get caught by the tail's reach. When it roars and rises into the air, be ready to run, since that grab attack will deal a ton of damage. It usually ends this combo by breathing fire, which is your best window to land a hit. If you deal enough damage, it falls to the ground and lets you go after its glowing eye. Once it reaches around half health, it'll glow before unleashing an AoE explosion that sends pillars of light shooting up from the ground, so pull your target off it and run for your life.

Ruin Golem

Reward: Blue Dance Charm Location: Highroad Cave, West Limgrave

This one's fairly easy to beat if you stay aware of its foot stomps while circling around its ankles. It also likes to slam the tip of its weapon into the ground. Every so often it kneels down to breathe fire, but that's easy to spot and gives you time to get some distance. Like the Tower Knight in Demon's Souls, if you cut its ankles enough, it'll topple over and let you land a hit on its chest.

Ancestor Spirit

Reward: Ancestral Follower Ashes Location: Hallowhorn Grounds, Siofra River

This spirit stag's attacks are fairly easy to dodge. It'll try to gore you with its antlers and unleash slow breath attacks both on the ground and in the air. The main attack to watch for is when it rears up on its hind legs twice before slamming its head down on you. The best approach is to attack from behind those antlers and get under its legs to deal a bit of damage.

Spirit-Caller Snail

Reward: Glintstone Sorcerer Ashes Location: Road's End Catacombs, West Liurnia

Sounds like a strange boss name, doesn't it? This one's a genuinely weird boss! Think of it as Bloodborne's Witch of Hemwick, but as an imaginary snail that can summon Crucible Knights to fight you. The key to this boss is that the snail itself is invisible. Summon a group or an NPC to distract the knight while you look for the glowing patch of light, and deal some damage to that shelled sucker.

Royal Knight Loretta

Reward: Loretta's Greatbow sorcery, Ash of War: Loretta's Slash Location: Carian Manor, north of West Liurnia

This mounted sorcerer knight is a fairly tough fight because of the spells she constantly spams. After a delay, she'll fire homing swords at you and gather magic missiles from under her lance. If you keep your distance, they're relatively easy to dodge. You can deal with her downward slash by dodging into her first, then away, which throws off the third hit of her combo and lets you land a hit. As with other mounted fights, her weak point is behind her horse, but be careful of her kicks. Once she's at half health, her spells get worse: her swords double up, her magic missiles cluster together, and after a long wind-up, she fires a bigger, faster missile. From this point on, dodge at the last second to avoid it, then land a hit if you can before backing off to a safe distance.

Demi-Human Queen Gilika

Reward: Ritual Sword Talisman in the room behind her Location: Lux Ruins, Altus Plateau

She may be the queen of the demi-humans, but this wolf-like giant isn't actually all that powerful. You can find her in the basement of Lux Ruins, north of where the Grand Lift of Dectus lets out on the Altus Plateau. She'll be fairly manageable at the start, so deal plenty of damage, and once she starts jumping, get under her legs and land a few more hits. Just make sure to watch out for her downward slam attacks.

Sanguine Noble

Rewards: Bloody Helice sword Location: Writheblood Ruins, Altus Plateau

You can find this bleed-focused mace-wielder in the basement of the Writheblood Ruins. He sits on the western cliffs overlooking that creepy forest to the north. In this fight, watch out for the blood loss buildup and the AoE pool that causes it. Also watch for his fast attacks and the projectiles he throws. Since he struggles to deal with split aggro, I'd recommend summoning wolves and having them all pile onto him.

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