Check out our Elden Ring main bosses to find out all the bosses you need to kill in the campaign to finish the game!
The Elden Ring bosses you first meet can be misleading early on. You’ll probably be below level and still learn when you find the strings, which will never go well. More importantly, you really won’t Have To fight many of these bosses properly until much later in the game. While there are actually only a few bosses, compulsory fight (tick the box to see which ones). That said, you’ll see many of these early Elden Ring bosses as you find your way, and if you want to stay early, we have all the information you need.
The road through Elden Ring is wide open and can often see you facing dozens of threats and bosses without knowing if you’re really ready. It’s going to be a big deal to take on anything, so even if the time is right, coming here we’re going to focus on what you’re most likely to encounter in the first 20 hours of the game. For the most part, this is all optional, with only Margit acting as the gatekeeper for the first domain.
Farum Azula’s Monster Man
The Farum Azula Monster is found in Limgrave, north of the Cave of Knowledge, in Groveside Cave, next to the church, along a wall behind the nearby forest. This boss drops an amulet that increases your maximum stamina, and a treasure chest in the area of effect contains the precious Bottle of Great Physics that can be customized to heal your HP and FP.
You can kill this boss with any class starting gear and you should try to fight him as soon as possible to get that extra bottle. A shield trivializes most of his attacks, and the shield sold at the church merchant is more than enough to keep him at bay. Block, counter when stopped, and watch out for a jump attack at the end of the combo, which appears to be used more often when below half health. Some of their attacks take a while to end, so don’t block or dodge too soon. Rolling backwards will dodge most of his attacks as he swings his sword in a bow.
Half Human Chiefs
Demi-Human Chiefs live in the Opponent’s Cave behind Limgrave’s west coast. You’ll want a torch to navigate inside the cave, so if you don’t have a light source be sure to get one from the nearby church merchant. After defeating this boss, you can access the dragon covenant island at the end of this cave and it is home to some beautiful spells.
Demi-Human Chiefs are basically overgrown elemental enemies with on-screen HP bars. The smaller demi-humans pinching your heels during this fight are the real problem. Keep your distance or watch your back as you destroy other enemies, then focus on the chiefs. The magic is incredibly powerful here, as you can weaken the swarm without falling within range of melee attacks. If you stay in front of the cave, you can sometimes fight the first chief without disturbing the second chief as well.
Tree Sentry
This cavalry appears as soon as you exit the Cave of Knowledge, but we do not recommend fighting it right away. At the beginning of the game, it’s much safer to sneak past him or take the long way to avoid his line of sight. Whenever you decide to fight him, you will gain an Ash of War shield called Holy Ground. Because it’s such a common point of discussion for gamers (and understandably), we’ve put together this Elden Ring Tree Sentinel Boss guide with everything you need to know how to take down this massive beast.
pumpkin head
The Pumpkin Head is found in a cave on the east side of Limgrave, east of the lake guarded by the Flying Dragon Agheel. Look for some ruins with a large pink plant inside. Climb the nearby piece of ruin and descend the stairs below to reach the covered tunnel leading to Pumpkin Head. After defeating him, you will get his helmet and meet a sorcery instructor named Sellen.
Pumpkin Head is a big man with a big tattoo and a big head. Even if it goes past his shield, his swing will cause bleeding, so try to stay near and behind him so you can dodge his blows more easily. Blocking is effective, but you’ll still take bleed damage in the end. Pumpkin Head sometimes uses his massive helm to head you two or three times in a row, and you have to try not to hit his head as he doesn’t take much damage. As always, playing from range works wonders.
Grave Tree Watchdog
This strange gargoyle is the final patron of the Stormfoot Catacombs, just northwest of Limgrave church. A statue on the hill behind the church will reveal this dungeon if you activate it. Look for a lot of torch-bearing sediment that crosses the ruins on the ground. The Burial Tree Watchdog drops a magic-type War Ash with a powerful ability when killed, giving intelligence-based characters a big boost early on.
The Burial Tree Keeper moves and attacks with strange explosions. It likes to soar to the ceiling and spam a sudden attack, and your best bet is to back off and roll during this move. Wait for the dive to start and Then roll it, otherwise its attack will likely follow you. Hitting with melee usually causes a 360-degree sword spin and can also spray fire at you from range. However, melee attacks are harder to dodge than spells, so magic is a good match. Surprisingly, pyromancy is also quite effective.
grave keeper
Grave Warden, the last patron of the Murkwater Catacombs, is located on the east side of Limgrave, at the end of the northern branch of Lake Agheel. It is protected by skeletons and slimes that can be easily jumped. This boss drops the Storm Blade Battle Ash, which is very useful for the less magic-prone Blackened.
Grave Warden punches you with close range hammer swings and long range sweep attacks. All sorts of magic works on him, but he quickly closes the gaps, so you need to stay on your feet. There’s no real magic bullet for this boss: watch out for massive chain attacks, block or dodge hammer barrages (usually comes in three hits), and sneak damage whenever possible. When you lower his health he will enter an empowered state which seems to amplify his attacks, so be extra careful in the second half of the fight.
Stone Digger Troll
This boss is basically a tougher version of the meaty giants found all over Limgrave. The final boss of the Limgrave Tunnels, accessed from the northwest end of Lake Agheel. To reach this boss, you will need to make two elevators downward; Drop the latter halfway down its descent to reach a hidden platform. This leads to a forked road with a third lift on the left. You can take it down or leave rocks swirling clockwise around the mine shaft.
The Stonedigger Troll has high physical defense and can even cause sharp weapons to leap from its thick skin. Crushing weapons like axes and sticks do work, but magic is the real ticket here. Even the most basic of spells will do her job in a short time and from a safe distance, so channel your inner mage if possible. When the Stonedigger Troll reaches half his health, watch for a flurry of smash attacks that usually results in an AoE that hits nearly the entire room. Keep your distance during this attack as the troll will turn towards you. If you decide to hit her legs with melee, plan to avoid a stomp attack after each hit you land on.
Hound Knight Darriwil
The Bloodhound Knight Darriwil is located on Forlorn Evergaol, accessed from the teleport plate at Stormhill, north of Limgrave’s starting area. You can’t leave without defeating or dying Darriwil after using the plate, so go prepared.
This boss moves and attacks fast, has long range thanks to a large bleed-inducing sword, and usually disappears before quickly getting close to you. It has a simple four-hit attack combo that usually results in a splashing attack, giving you a nice opening to deal damage. If you see him dragging the ground with his sword, dodge right at the absolute last second to avoid a chase increase. If he’s dragging his claws, dodge straight backwards to stay out of range. Using magic in this fight is difficult because Darriwil is very aggressive and you’ll probably want a reliable shield no matter what you use. However, you can sneak magic damage when Darriwil enters the arena.
This boss is very similar to Artorias in the Dark Souls DLC; his cunning moves may take some getting used to, so expect a tough fight.
Flying Dragon Agheel
This dragon will land in Lake Agheel when you approach the middle of the lake. Defeating him will receive his heart, which you can exchange for a powerful spell on the island accessed through the Demi-Human Chiefs’ cave.
Agheel simply feels like a Monster Hunter boss. He has heavily telegraphed tail, claw, and hard-hitting breath attacks and has a ton of health and high defense. You’ll want to ride your ghost horse Torrent throughout this entire fight. Fighting Agheel on foot is a nightmare because it’s nearly impossible to dodge her fiery breath attacks without Torrent. Gallop away if he twitches too much, and canter counterclockwise if Agheel flies into the air, to avoid air diving and breath attacks. Sweep claw attacks can be reliably avoided by backing off and double jumping with Torrent. Agheel’s head takes extra damage and is weak against lightning, but hitting her wingtips and legs is also effective. This fight will take some time, but Agheel falls pretty easily as long as you stand on your horse and play carefully.
Margit, Sign of Fall
The final boss of the Elden Ring network test and the starting boss of Stormveil Castle, Margit the Fell Omen is a fast-moving magic swordsman with an incredible variety of attacks. She bring a shield, bring a friend, summon a ghost – use whatever you have. In fact, it’s such an ominous prophecy that we’ve put together a complete guide dedicated to how to beat Margit in Elden Ring, with all the information you need. You will need it because Margit is the complete package: mobile, deadly and powerful. Good luck, Tarnished.
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