5 Most Difficult Elden Ring Boss Battles

Elden Ring has some of the most brutal boss fights you’ll ever encounter in a video game. Here are the five most difficult bosses you’ll need to face in the Lands Between.

It’s no secret that the world of Elden Ring is riddled with death and frustration. It’s easy to see all the red signs that will frequent your path.

Usually, you’ll see a few here and there. But there are areas in the Lands Between that are cluttered with them.

Despite this, plenty of weapons can aid players and even some overpowered Spirit Ashes that will help ease most fights.

But, even then, there are a few boss fights in Elden Ring that will torment you.

It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve farmed in Mohgwyn’s Palace or how many of the Legendary Talismans you have equipped.

The following five bosses will always be challenging to defeat.

Haven’t been able to get past Starscrouage Radahn yet? We have some tips that you might be able to use!

Top 5 Hardest Boss Fights in Elden Ring

These are the most challenging boss battles players will encounter in Elden Ring.

Each of these bosses has a set of moves that be difficult to dodge or completely deplete your health bar within seconds.

5. Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader

First on the list is Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader. She is also one of the only two bosses on this list that are entirely optional.

You’ll find her in the Ringleader’s Evergoal near the Moonlight Altar. You will need to progress Ranni’s quest past the Astel, Naturalborn of the Void boss fight to locate this area.

Alecto is ruthless. She will endlessly pursue you with multiple swift movements that inflict bleed into your character.

Get hit a few times, and the bloodless status effect will end your run quickly.

She also has an area of effect attack that sends out multiple black blades in every direction. She can even grapple you to deliver a finisher with her black blade.

It’s an intense boss battle that will require you to maintain your distance.

Thankfully, defeating her also drops one of the best Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring, Black Knife Tiche.

4. Godfrey, First Elden Lord (Hoarah Loux)

Next up is the First Elden Lord himself, Godfrey. This is a mandatory boss fight for those looking to progress the story.

Godfrey will begin his first phase using his giant golden ax. It’s a pain to dodge. But his most potent ability will be his stomp.

His stomp inflicts a great deal of damage and can even stagger you. Godfrey will stomp repeatedly. This can get frustrating since you’re incapable of countering or healing during these moments.

His second phase will see him sacrifice his armor for hand-to-hand combat.

His speed will increase, and he will have a new set of moves that will pound you to the ground. Including a one-shot move that will pile drive you straight into the stone floor.

Unfortunately, his stomp will remain, so you’ll need to keep an eye out for it.

Thankfully we have some tips that can help you defeat him!

3. Maliketh, the Black Blade

He is required to progress the game into the final stages, and unfortunately, there is no way to skip this fight.

Not that you should want to, Maliketh’s fight is one of the most impressive in Elden Ring. Despite being one of the most difficult, it is also one of the most rewarding.

Learning Maliketh’s move set and successfully dodging his Black Blade is a feat.

Players will start the battle against Beastman Clergy, which has a simple move set. It will rush you, use its Beast Claw on you and throw debris. Its Beast Claw attacks in all directions, so you’ll need to be careful.

Once you deplete its health bar, Maliketh will reveal himself. Maliketh’s move set is fast, varied, and decimate you if you do not dodge correctly.

There is an item that allows you to reflect his black blade at him!

2. Elden Beast

Players will start the fight by engaging with a decomposed version of Radagon of the Golden Order. He will attack primarily with Marika’s Hammer.

If you get caught in the hammer down that he gives, consider your days numbered. He will pound you to the floor, and usually, your health bar will be entirely depleted by the third hit.

He also has a few slam attacks that do holy damage, so watch out for those.

Once his health is depleted, he will turn into the Elden Beast.

Every attack the Elden Beast has can completely deplete your health bar if you are fully caught in it. There is a storm of golden beams that will rain on you.

It also has a few golden wave attacks, and if you get too close, he has an explosive AOE attack. Did we mention that it is also highly mobile and will quickly move about the area?

It’s an incredibly tough fight, so make sure you take enough health flasks.

Check out our full guide for the fight if you need some tips!

1. Malenia, Blade of Miquella

The most challenging boss in Elden Ring has to be Malenia, Blade of Miquella. You need to complete two puzzles even to access her arena.

You need to find the medallions to access the Consecrated Snowfield. Then you need to make your way to Ordina Liturgical Town and solve the altar puzzle.

Once this is done, you can make your way to the Haligtree, an area sprawling with Cleanrot Knights and Putrid Avatars. Reach the roots, and you’ll finally encounter Malenia.

Two things make the Malenia fight incredibly difficult. For starters, she can heal every time she inflicts damage. If you were planning to use a Spirit Ash to tank some damage, it might not work out.

Second, she has a wide array of flurry moves, and her attack increases with successive hits.

If you get her to her second phase, she will blast you with a Scarlet Rot flower that can easily one-shot you. Not to mention that her flurry attacks only seem to increase.

But if you do manage to defeat her, you will get one of the best Katanas in all of Elden Ring.

These are the five most difficult bosses in Elden Ring. All of them have great rewards, stories, and animations. But all of them can be frustrating and might retire you as an Elden Ring player.

We recommend using the Vampire Build which uses the Rivers of Blood Katana to gain health as you attack. The Black Flame Mage build also allows you to make quick work of the Elden Beast and Radagon.