The dead dragon where the Dragon Communion Priestess is
Screenshot captured by The Escapist

How to Unlock Dragon Form in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

In some of the earlier Souls games, players could turn their character into a dragon through perseverance. That feature makes its return in Shadow of the Erdtree. Here’s how to unlock Dragon Form in Elden Ring.

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Where to Unlock Dragon Form in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree screenshot of the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion location on the world map.
Screenshots by The Escapist

To unlock Dragon Form in Elden Ring, you’ll need to go to Jagged Peak and speak with the Dragon Communion Priestess. Once you enter Jagged Peak through the Dragon’s Pit, in the wide-open area where you fought the Jagged Peak Drake, take the southern path until you find a gigantic dead dragon. There are no enemies in this region of the game — just gigantic sheep — so travel safely without fear of an ambush.

When you find the gigantic dead dragon, you’ll see three things: a Site of Grace, a massive altar with red light coming from it, and the Dragon Communion Priestess. Approach the priestess and she will offer you the power of a dragon if you beat Bayle the Dread. Accept her offer by selecting the “devour draconic essence” option and you’ll receive the Ancient Dragon’s Blessing, an item that will increase all forms of damage negation.

How To Unlock Dragon Form in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Bayle approaches the player
Screenshot by The Escapist

Your next task now is to defeat Bayle the Dread. Backtrack to the open area where you fought the Jagged Peak Drake and head through the northeast trail. While there are no standard enemies on this path, you’ll have to fight two additional Jagged Peak Drakes and an additional boss, Ancient Dragon Senessax. After that, you’ll have to undergo some tricky platforming with Torrent on numerous cliffsides to reach Bayle. Once you do reach Bayle, prepare for one of the stiffest fights in Shadow of the Erdtree and feel no shame in using Igon’s Furled Finger or the Mimic Tear to put this monstrous dragon down.

When you finally kill Bayle, return to where the Dragon Communion Priestess was and she’ll be gone. In her absence, you’ll find the Priestess Heart. This is the item that will allow you to transform into Dragon Form. Simply unequip all of your armor, then consume the Priestess Heart and you will have activated Dragon Form! The form will remain active until you die, so whenever you wish to turn into a dragon, simply repeat this process and have fun exploring the Shadow Realm as a dragon!

Elden Ring is available now on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation.


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Jesse Lab
Jesse Lab is a freelance writer for The Escapist and has been a part of the site since 2019. He currently writes the Frame Jump column, where he looks at and analyzes major anime releases. He also writes for the film website Flixist.com. Jesse has been a gamer since he first played Pokémon Snap on the N64 and will talk to you at any time about RPGs, platformers, horror, and action games. He can also never stop talking about the latest movies and anime, so never be afraid to ask him about recommendations on what's in theaters and what new anime is airing each season.