Top 5 Hardest Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Bosses

It’s no surprise hearing that Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is hard. However, even hardcore Souls fans are finding the bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree to be extra punishing. Here are the five hardest bosses in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

Top 5 Hardest Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Bosses

If we’re counting all PvP battles, bosses that drop remembrances upon defeat, and numerous “Great Enemies,” there are approximately 78 bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree. Some of these are repeated multiple times, like the Death Knights, but as long as an enemy has a health bar that pops up beneath it when you approach it, then it’s valid for this list. Also, keep in mind that difficulty is subjective, so the bosses on this list are ones that generally give people the most headaches, to the point where we begin to question our sanity. With that said, here are the Top 5 hardest Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree bosses!

5) Needle Knight Leda and Her Allies

Leda is an interesting fight because the difficulty of it is entirely contingent on how many side quests and NPCs you’ve befriended on your quest, which has her fall to the fifth rank in our hardest bosses in Elden Ring list. At the beginning of the DLC, you meet Leda and her allies and slowly learn their motivations and desires once Miquella’s spell breaks. If you’re just barreling through the DLC without bothering to explore, then this fight becomes absolutely brutal as you have to fight against seven opponents PvP style as they’re gradually summoned into the ring. It can be completely overwhelming at times, given each of their unique spells and attacks. However, if you’ve done a handful of quests, then you can reduce the number of enemies significantly and even bolster your own forces. When I fought her, I had three allies and her small squad was reduced down to four. It still led to a thrilling fight that kept me on my toes, but the potential to make this fight a solo blitz is frightening.

4) Rellana Twin Moon Knight

There are only a few mandatory bosses that Shadow of the Erdtree makes you fight, but Rellana may be the first boss to appear like an insurmountable challenge. At first, the rhythm of her twin blades may be hard to grasp. But with enough practice, you’ll be able to weave in between her strikes to land some blows of your own. It’s when the second phase starts that all sense of balance gets thrown out the window as she launches two different elemental attacks your way with absurd speed and range. At times, these moves feels next to impossible to avoid, leading to numerous deaths for many players. It might even feel like certain moves are almost impossible to avoid, like her Twin Moon attack that sends two moons slamming into the ground with a shockingly large AOE. If you gave up at Rellana, I wouldn’t blame you. But it’s better to learn how to parry her fast attacks and jump her special moon ability, instead.

3) Commander Gaius

There are bosses with balanced difficulty, and then there’s Commander Gaius. Gaius one of the few bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree that I would call unfair. Between his charge attacks that start the moment you enter his arena, his fast-paced combos, trying to avoid damage from Gaius is a tall order. You may think that, due to the large outdoor arena, you should use Torrent for the fight. But that’s a trap that will lead to your untimely demise. Gaius is too mobile for a boss with such a small hitbox, and he can easily kill you in a combo that requires you to not only dodge his lance but his boar’s charge, kicks, and headbutts, too.

Add in some blatant input reading, and you have a boss that feels cheap at best and broken at worst. The five Scadutree Fragments that he was guarding sure would have been useful to grab beforehand…

2) Bayle the Dread

There have been plenty of dragon fights in FromSoft games, but the battle against Bayle the Dread is arguably the best dragon fight in the series and probably the best fight in the DLC, clutching him the fourth spot in our hardest bosses in Elden Ring list. And the buildup to his arena adds to the atmosphere and anticipation.

Bayle’s massive size and fierce attacks can decimate your health if you’re not prepared, but like most dragons, they’re all easy to read and easy to dodge. The challenge is hitting Bayle in the head to do reasonable damage. Because he only has one leg, you can’t take many cheap shots from behind.

The second phase is a natural evolution of the first, adding in more flaming lightning strikes in a fairly large arena with a stunning transformation sequence. The main thing to keep in mind with Bayle is that he looks intimidating, but keep your cool, and you’ll realize that he’s no different from most other dragons. Also, summon Igon for some of the best lines in the game.

1) Promised Consort Radahn

And then there’s Radahn.

I don’t think it’s a surprise to call Radahn the hardest boss in Shadow of the Erdtree. The first phase is tough, with his large, sweeping attacks and gravity magic allowing him to control the pace of the fight. Getting hit even once might even one shot you, depending on how many Scadutree Fragments you have.

But the second phase, when Miquella decides to join in, is beyond cruel. While his attack patterns are mostly the same, the sheer speed Radahn gains, combined with his relentless AOE attacks and new combos designed to stun lock you, is FromSoft going too far. Radahn and Miquella creates a boss that is most certainly difficult but hardly fun to fight against. Yes, you’re fighting a literal god, but with how relentless his onslaught of attacks are, it’s too hard at points. Even veterans are finding him impossible to beat. There is no shame in using whatever tricks you have to win. And the first thingt you should do is get as many Scadutree Fragments as possible.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is available now.