Introduction
Elden Ring features 165+ boss encounters, with 15 major Remembrance bosses and numerous optional field bosses, dungeon bosses, and overworld minibosses. This guide covers every Remembrance boss with detailed phase-by-phase strategies, plus the most challenging optional bosses including Malenia, Blade of Miquella, Mohg, Lord of Blood, and the hardest dungeon bosses. Each entry includes HP values, damage types, weaknesses, recommended level, and step-by-step tactics.
Remembrance Bosses: Complete Strategy Index
1. Godrick the Grafted
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Stormveil Castle, Limgrave |
| Recommended Level | 25-30 |
| HP | ~6,000 |
| Runes | 20,000 |
| Remembrance | Remembrance of the Grafted |
| Damage Type | Standard, Fire (phase 2) |
| Weakness | Bleed, Poison, Fire |
| NPC Summon | Nepheli Loux |
Phase 1 (100%-50%): Godrick uses his massive greataxe in wide sweeping arcs. His three-hit combo (right swing, left swing, overhead slam) is his bread-and-butter — roll toward him on the third hit and punish with 2-3 hits. His whirlwind charge (Stormcaller) has a distinct audio cue — sprint away perpendicular. The ground-slam creates an earthquake AoE that can be jumped.
At ~70%, he performs "I command thee, kneel!" — a delayed ground explosion. This is the safest punish window: roll toward his left side immediately after the shockwave.
Phase 2 (50%-0%): "I am the Lord of all that is Golden!" Godrick grafts a dragon head. New attacks:
- Dragon Fire Sweep: Covers front 180 degrees. Sprint to his backside for 4 free heavy attacks.
- Dragon Bite Grab: Quick lunge forward. Dodge sideways, not backward.
- Dragon Fire Barrage: Multiple fireballs. Stagger sideways.
The safest position is behind him — his backward attacks are limited and slow. Summon Nepheli Loux (gold sign outside the fog gate) to split aggro.
2. Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Raya Lucaria Grand Library, Liurnia |
| Recommended Level | 35-45 |
| HP | ~3,500 (shield, per phase) |
| Runes | 40,000 |
| Remembrance | Remembrance of the Full Moon Queen |
| Weakness | Physical, Bleed, aggressive rushdown |
Phase 1: Students crawl across the floor. Three have golden auras — breaking all three's auras drops Rennala. The chandelier-crash after second drop-down does ~500 damage — stand near the center after the second break.
Phase 2: Ranni's illusion arena. Rennala floats and spams:
- Comet Azur (full beam): Sprint perpendicular, never roll
- Full Moon (slow homing orb): Roll through at last moment
- Spirit Summons: Wolves (fast), Bloodhound Knight (aggressive), Dragon (fire), Troll (slow but deadly). Sprint away until they naturally despawn after ~10 seconds
- Carian Retaliation: Don't spam projectiles or she counters
The key: stay aggressive. Rennala has 0 poise — every weapon hit staggers. Summon Lone Wolf Ashes for additional poise-breaking pressure. Kill her before the spirit summons overwhelm you.
3. Starscourge Radahn
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Wailing Dunes, Caelid (Redmane Castle) |
| Recommended Level | 55-65 |
| HP | ~9,600 |
| Runes | 70,000 + Radahn's Great Rune |
| Remembrance | Remembrance of the Starscourge |
| NPC Summons | Up to 8 (Blaidd, Alexander, Patches, etc.) |
Phase 1 (100%-50%): Radahn begins as an archer. His gravity arrows can one-shot low Vigor builds:
- Gravity Rain: Multiple arrows falling from sky. Sprint laterally on Torrent.
- Greatarrow: Single high-damage shot. Dodge when he releases.
Close distance using the debris piles as cover. Summon NPCs via gold signs — they respawn after dying. Once you close to melee range, Radahn switches to dual colossal swords. His combos are wide and slow — stay under him (near Leonard the horse) and attack his legs.
Phase 2 (50%-0%): Radahn leaps into the sky and crashes down as a meteor — this is a one-shot kill. Mount Torrent and sprint away (look for his re-entry visual). After landing, he gains gravity magic attacks:
- Gravity Pull (purple AoE): Pulls you toward him, followed by sword slam. Roll away immediately.
- Floating Meteor Orbs: Four purple orbs surround him, then shoot toward you. Dodge through them.
Keep resummoning NPCs. Bleed weapons proc quickly due to his large health pool. Use Scarlet Rot (Rotten Breath, Rot Grease) for passive damage over time.
4. Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Volcano Manor, Mt. Gelmir |
| Recommended Level | 65-75 |
| HP | ~60,000 (yes, sixty thousand) |
| Runes | 130,000 |
| Remembrance | Remembrance of the Blasphemous |
| Gimmick Weapon | Serpent-Hunter (provided at arena entrance) |
Rykard is a gimmick fight. The Serpent-Hunter Great Spear found at the arena entrance deals massive bonus damage to him. Equip it, upgrade it if possible, and use its unique weapon art for even more damage.
Phase 1 (God-Devouring Serpent): Stay mid-range. The serpent's bite combo is 3 hits. Roll backward for the first two, then toward him for the third. His lava pool attack creates hazardous terrain — reposition.
Phase 2 (Rykard): "TOGETHAAA!" Rykard pulls out the Blasphemous Blade. New attacks:
- Rancorcall (floating skulls): Sprint sideways
- Blasphemous Blade slam: Roll when his arm descends
- Hellfire eruption: Multiple flame pillars. Sprint continuously.
Use the Serpent-Hunter's charged heavy attack for maximum damage. Upgrade it to +6 or higher if you have spare Somber stones. Mimic Tear +10 with Serpent-Hunter equipped trivializes the fight. Stand in the lava to avoid the skulls if your HP is high enough.
5. Morgott, the Omen King
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Leyndell Royal Capital, base of Erdtree |
| Recommended Level | 75-85 |
| HP | ~10,500 |
| Runes | 120,000 |
| Remembrance | Remembrance of the Omen King |
| Weakness | Bleed, Frost, Sleep, Morgott's Shackle |
See the complete main story walkthrough for the full Morgott strategy. Key points: Use Morgott's Shackle (Patches vendor, 5,000 runes) for two free stuns in phase 1. Summon Melina outside the fog gate. Apply Bleed with fast weapons.
6. Fire Giant
See main story walkthrough. Key: target wrapped left ankle in phase 1, then eye/chest in phase 2.
7. Godskin Duo
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Dragon Temple, Crumbling Farum Azula |
| Recommended Level | 100-115 |
| HP | ~26,000 (shared pool) |
| Runes | 170,000 |
| Weakness | Sleep (both extremely susceptible) |
This is one of the most hated bosses. Sleep Pots (1x Trina's Lily + 1x Mushroom, per Fevor's Cookbook [2]) trivialize the fight. One pot puts either Godskin to sleep for ~40 seconds.
Break the Godskin Noble first (he's more aggressive, rolling attack is deadly). Sleep the Apostle with pots, then burst the Noble. Bleed weapons proc quickly on both. Use the pillars to block the Noble's rolling attack. Mimic Tear +10 or Black Knife Tiche +10 split aggro effectively.
8. Maliketh, the Black Blade
Conventional strategy: Blasphemous Claw parries his golden attacks. See the main story walkthrough for full details.
9. Sir Gideon Ofnir
Rush him down before his monologue ends. If you told Gideon about Malenia, Mohg, or Rykard, his fight becomes significantly harder. Heavy weapons with high poise damage interrupt his casts.
10. Godfrey / Hoarah Loux
See the main story walkthrough for full details. Critical: jump over all ground stomps in phase 1, dodge sideways from all grabs in phase 2.
11. Radagon & Elden Beast
See main story walkthrough. Lord's Divine Fortification and Haligdrake Talisman +2 provide massive Holy damage resistance for both phases.
Major Optional Bosses
Malenia, Blade of Miquella
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree |
| Recommended Level | 120+ |
| HP | ~18,500 (phase 1) + ~15,000 (phase 2), heals on hit |
| Runes | 480,000 |
| Remembrance | Remembrance of the Rot Goddess |
| Weakness | Bleed, Frost, Fire, Stagger |
Phase 1: Malenia heals on every hit, including blocked hits. Key attacks:
- Waterfowl Dance (3 flurries): Run away from first flurry, dodge into second, dodge into third. Or throw a Freezing Pot to cancel the startup.
- Lunge + triple slash: Dodge left twice
- Kick (low damage but fast): Followed by overhead slam if it connects
- Grab: Dodge backward, she extends her right arm
Cheese Strategy: Dual-wield Rivers of Blood +10 + Blood Uchigatana +25. Spam Corpse Piler from Rivers of Blood — it procs Bleed every 2-3 casts. Mimic Tear +10 with the same setup doubles the Bleed pressure. Equip Lord of Blood's Exultation and White Mask for +30% AR on each Bleed proc. Stay aggressive — her low poise means she staggers from every hit.
Phase 2: Starts with Scarlet Aeonia dive-bomb. Sprint toward her (under the dive) then backward to avoid the rot explosion. She gains:
- Scarlet Aeonia (repeats 2-3 times): Same dodge pattern
- Phantom Spirits (7 clones): Sprint backward, dodge the final clone
- All phase 1 attacks with Scarlet Rot build-up added
Use Preserving Boluses to cure Rot. Flame, Cleanse Me incantation (12 Faith requirement) cures Rot for 14 FP.
Mohg, Lord of Blood
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum (underground) |
| Recommended Level | 100-120 |
| HP | ~18,500 |
| Runes | 420,000 |
| Remembrance | Remembrance of the Blood Lord |
| Weakness | Bleed (ironically), Hemorrhage, Physical |
Phase 1: Mohg uses bloodflame attacks and spear thrusts. His bloodflame leaves lingering fire on the ground. Stay close to avoid the spear-throw (long range, hard to dodge). His claw swipe is the best punish window.
At 50%/40%/30% HP (thresholds), Mohg casts "Tres! Duo! Unus!" (NIHIL!). Each cast deals massive damage and heals him. Use the Purifying Crystal Tear (from Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger at Second Church of Marika in Altus) in your Physick — it negates all three NIHIL curses.
Phase 2: Mohg gains wings and bloodflame attacks:
- Flying bloodflame spray: Roll through, not away
- Bloodboon spear (ground eruption in a line): Dodge sideways
- Aerial dive: Roll as he descends
Cheese: You can enter Mohg's arena without triggering the fight by approaching from the right-side cliff using Torrent. Then use Comet Azur from behind him. This skips phase 1 entirely.
Dragonlord Placidusax
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Crumbling Farum Azula (hidden area) |
| Recommended Level | 110-125 |
| HP | ~26,000 |
| Runes | 280,000 |
| Remembrance | Remembrance of the Dragonlord |
| Weakness | Pierce, Physical |
Access: From the "Beside the Great Bridge" Grace, turn around, go down the elevator, exit the building, drop down the floating rubble along the cliff to a platform. Lie down to enter the arena.
Placidusax's attacks are massive AoEs. Stay behind him (near the base of his tail) to avoid most attacks. Key attacks:
- Lightning nuke (phase transition, 50%): Massive AoE lightning storm. Sprint to the edge of the arena.
- Lightning claws: He disappears into a cloud and reappears with a claw dive. Dodge when you see the cloud reform.
- Dual laser beam (phase 2): Covers nearly the entire arena. Sprint to the side.
Use Ancient Dragons' Lightning Strike incantation — each bolt hits multiple times on his large hitbox. Pest Threads also shreds large targets. Black Flame percentage-based damage is effective.
Lichdragon Fortissax
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Deeproot Depths (Fia's questline) |
| Recommended Level | 90-105 |
| HP | ~12,000 |
| Runes | 90,000 |
| Remembrance | Remembrance of the Lichdragon |
| Weakness | Pierce, Physical |
Fortissax uses Death Lightning (red lightning with Death blight build-up). Stay under/behind him. His lightning spear AoE covers his entire body — sprint away when he rises on hind legs. Death blight buildup from the lightning floor can kill instantly if the bar fills — bring Rejuvenating Boluses.
Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Grand Cloister, Lake of Rot (Ranni's questline) |
| Recommended Level | 90-100 |
| HP | ~12,500 |
| Runes | 80,000 |
| Remembrance | Remembrance of the Naturalborn |
| Weakness | Physical, Scorpion's Stinger (Rot weapon) |
Astel is a cosmic horror with a massive skull weakpoint. Target the head. Key attacks:
- Gravity Beam: Dodge sideways
- Teleport Grab: He disappears, reappears behind you, and grabs. Roll forward immediately when he vanishes.
- Meteor Shower: Multiple rocks fall. Sprint and serpentine.
- Pincer Strike: Quick double claw swipe. Block or dodge.
Stay at mid-range, baiting the pincer strike and punishing the head. Rock Sling and Meteorite of Astel deal bonus damage (gravity magic vs gravity being).
Hardest Dungeon Bosses
Crucible Knight (Stormhill Evergaol)
- HP: ~3,200
- Strategy: Parry. Crucible Knight is the best parry teacher in the game. Use Buckler (sold by Gatekeeper Gostoc) for larger parry frames. His overhead slash, horizontal slash, and thrust are all parryable. In phase 2 (50%), he grows wings — dodge the dive and parry as before. Or use Flame of the Redmanes (2 casts stagger).
Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader
- HP: ~8,000
- Location: Ringleader's Evergaol, Moonlight Altar
- Strategy: Alecto is fast and applies Destined Death. Her jumping slam has a long recovery — punish with 2-3 heavy hits. Stay at mid-range and punish missed attacks. She can be backstabbed during recovery animations. Black Knife Tiche ashes are the reward — worth the pain.
Commander Niall (Castle Sol)
- HP: ~8,500
- Strategy: Niall summons two Banished Knights at the start. Use Bewitching Branches (crafted with Miquella's Lily + Sacramental Bud) on the dual-sword Knight — he turns on Niall for massive damage. Once the knights are dead, Niall uses lightning leg AoEs and a charge attack. Stay close, dodge the leg, punish.
Boss Difficulty Tier List
| Tier | Bosses |
|---|---|
| S (Hardest) | Malenia, Malenia (phase 2 again), Maliketh (no Blasphemous Claw) |
| A | Godskin Duo (no sleep), Mohg, Placidusax, Radagon/Elden Beast, Malenia (co-op scaling) |
| B | Fire Giant, Commander Niall, Alecto, Crucible Knight Duo, Godfrey/Hoarah Loux |
| C | Morgott, Astel, Fortissax, Draconic Tree Sentinel, Rykard (without Serpent-Hunter) |
| D | Godrick, Rennala, Radahn (with summons), Gideon (rushed), Red Wolf, Erdtree Avatar |
General Boss-Fighting Tips
- Jump over shockwaves — many ground-based AoEs can be jumped (Godfrey stomps, Godrick quakes, Radahn pull waves)
- Bosses input-read your healing — create distance before healing, or heal during a boss recovery animation
- Guard Counters deal massive poise damage — after blocking a hit, R2 immediately for a counter that deals 30+ poise damage
- Status effects are percentage-based kills — Bleed deals ~15% max HP, Frostbite deals ~7% + debuff, Scarlet Rot ticks for minutes
- Every Remembrance boss can be co-op'd — if stuck, summon another player at the Effigy of the Martyr near each boss arena
- Spirit Ashes scale with upgrade level, not stats — a +10 Mimic Tear or Tiche can solo many bosses regardless of your build
