New Elden Ring DLC means new Shadow of the Erdtree bosses ranked by difficulty, for challenge is a defining corner of the Soulslike.
As per FromSoft tradition, Shadow of the Erdtree brings a new host of bosses, most of staggering new levels of difficulty.
Do note that, being an open-world RPG, difficulty will vary wildly. This can be because of the player’s character level, their Scadutree Blessing level, their specific build, their tactics or strategy, or personal skill.
That said, this is a general ranking to give an idea on how tough a boss will be for most players at an assumed general level appropriate for that boss.
That is to say, how tough would the first boss be if challenged first?
Further, this ranking will focus on the Remembrance Bosses, as the most important climactic challenges in the game.
With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get on to the ranking.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
Scadutree Avatar: ranked easiest Shadow of the Erdtree boss
The Scadutree Avatar is the easiest boss in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring. Found at the Scadutree Base northeast of the Shadow Keep, the Scadutree Avatar is an optional boss.
Defeating it rewards its Remembrance and Miquella’s Great Rune, or rather what’s left of it.
Given players will likely encounter it fairly late in the DLC, the Scadutree Avatar is quite easy. Although it has some dangerous attacks, it has a crippling weakness to fire and take massive damage to its sunflower head.
Even its three-stage gimmick isn’t likely to do more than mildly inconvenience any player strong enough to reach it.
Metyr, Mother of Fingers
Metyr, Mother of Fingers is an optional hidden boss that requires players follow Count Ymir’s questline. This progenitor of all Two Fingers and Fingercreepers lies in a hidden underground cavern, and will be reminiscent of Rom the Vacuous Spider to Bloodborne players.
Metyr has some deadly and spectacular attacks, and doesn’t have the Scadutree Avatar’s obvious weaknesses. However, she doesn’t have the frightening agility of other Shadow of the Erdtree bosses.
This means that she’s a pretty manageable threat, given that players will have to go through quite a few hoops to reach her in the first place. After that much exploration, the Tarnished should be well-equipped to handle her.
Putrescent Knight
Where the Putrescent Knight is ranked will depend on your playstyle and when you meet it in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
This horrific parody of a mounted knight lurks at the bottom of the Fissure Depths, guarding the path to Saint Trina. Quick and powerful, the Putrescent Knight can also confuse players as rider splits from horse to attack from multiple angles.
However, as an undead, the Putrescent Knight takes a lot of damage from Holy and Strike damage. So long as you can dodge his strikes, the Putrescent Knight should be easy to punish on the counter.
Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame: the best Shadow of the Erdtree boss overall
At the end of the Abyssal Woods is Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame. Well-regarded by fans as possibly the best boss overall in Shadow of the Erdtree, we must still have him ranked fairly low for difficulty.
This is because his fight is best described as quite fair. Without an overwhelming advantage, any player bold enough to reach him should have the confidence and ability to face him head-on.
So long as the player is prepared to deal with the Madness status effect, they’ll find him an otherwise balanced boss fight, with generally readable combos and a cooperative camera.
Though mobile, he isn’t blindingly fast, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to dodge, reposition, and/or punish.
Divine Beast Dancing Lion: likely the first Shadow of the Erdtree boss
Oddly enough, the Divine Beast Dancing Lion that features prominently in marketing and found early is entirely optional. Despite that, it’s likely the first or second boss most players will encounter.
Given that, it can be an extremely difficult challenge to overcome. Lacking Scadutree Blessings to make up the difference, players will be at the mercy of its extremely damaging attacks.
The Divine Beast also has excellently uncanny animations, wide-hitting elemental attacks, and far-reaching lunging combos. This can make it tricky to read and dodge. On top of that, the camera can be uncooperative, especially if backed into a corner.
However, as evident from the rematch with a Deathblight variant in Rauh Ruins, the boss itself isn’t unmanageable if properly levelled and blessed.
Bayle the Dread: the most spectacular Shadow of the Erdtree boss
Fans of Dark Souls have come to expect a dragon fight in the DLC, and Shadow of the Erdtree doesn’t disappoint with its dragon boss.
Bayle the Dread is at the top of Jagged Peak, and is definitely the most cinematic fight in the game. A much stockier, brutish dragon than normal, Bayle has some visually awe-inspiring attacks. However, his combos are still generally readable, and has valid dodge windows.
His second phase is definitely trickier, as he magically restores some wings to get back more mobility. However, his core pattern remains the same. Although challenging and difficult, the much-cursed Bayle is a worthy continuation of the DLC dragon tradition.
Romina, Saint of the Bud
Romina, Saint of the Bud is one of the three mandatory bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree, and thus her ranked position depends somewhat on when you fight her.
If taken on as the penultimate Remembrance boss, she should be a tough but entirely manageable fight for your much stronger Tarnished. If attempted as soon as possible, then she can be a quite formidable foe, as her damage and health will be harder to overcome.
Her unconventional design can make reading her combos trickier, and the presence of Scarlet Rot means players will need to account for that hazard.
Rellana, Twin Moon Knight
The first or second boss players will likely encounter, Rellana, Twin Moon Knight earns her place as ranked fifth hardest boss in Shadow of the Erdtree.
Certainly, in the DLC’s “early game” so to speak, she’s definitely the hardest foe out there.
She’s fast, hits hard, has three different damage types, and very long combo chains with lots of poise and hyper-armor. If you don’t keep up an offensive or hit with colossal weapons, then Rellana will give little room to breathe.
The main advantage is that she doesn’t have the most HP, so status ailments can work wonders against her. The arena also means she’s vulnerable to Lightning and Frostbite, alternate angles for spellcasters to target.
Still, if players haven’t explored enough to up their Blessing, then she’ll likely be an imposing enemy.
Golden Hippopotamus
If we ranked most hated bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree, then the Golden Hippopotamus would likely land top two. As is, he gets fourth for difficulty. Or, more accurately, his arena gets ranked fourth.
That’s because encounters with other hippopotamuses in the wild are nowhere near as tough. However, this one encountered at the entrance to the Shadow Keep showcases how a small arena significantly ups frustration.
With an uncooperative camera that has to track a bulky, fast-charging foe, players will often get pinned against walls with no room to move.
Aside from that, the Hippo shouldn’t be too challenging a foe, so long as you can stay somewhere where you can see what’s going on.
Messmer the Impaler: the most marketed Shadow of the Erdtree boss
The (literal) poster boy for the DLC, Messmer the Impaler deserves the aplomb of his marketing.
He’s fast, he’s strong, his attacks hit in a wide area, and he has extensive combo chains. In particular, his grab attack will have players see him earn his title as Impaler, dealing an enormous amount of damage that can easily one-hit-kill many Tarnished.
His second phase isn’t much easier, upping the ante with a new repertoire of snake-based moves added to his arsenal. With even more mobility and disorienting multi-angle attacks, the Base Serpent sees Messmer appropriately ranked as one of the hardest enemies in the game.
Commander Gaius
The other contender to be ranked top of the “most hated” list, Commander Gaius is up there for most frustrating bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree.
This ultimately boils down to two factors: his boar’s unrelenting aggression and his unreliable charge attacks’ hitboxes.
His boar can outrun Torrent, which means mounted combat isn’t really an option. However, when on foot it can be tough to dodge his charge attacks, because of an inconsistent hitbox which makes rolling wonky.
Couple it with a frustrating move-set of large AOE spells, and Commander Gaius is very likely to frustrate players with a difficulty that’s more unfair than engaging.
Promised Consort Radahn: the hardest Shadow of the Erdtree boss
In his first phase, Promised Consort Radahn isn’t really ranked the hardest Shadow of the Erdtree boss. He’s extremely quick for his size, and has dangerous, aggressive attacks. However, his large size and the spacious arena means there’s plenty of room to read his combos.
All that changes in phase two, Radahn, Consort of Miquella makes good on the promise of a final boss difficulty. His move-set is largely the same.
However, the addition of explosive light to all of his attacks makes the battlefield a chaotic fireworks display. With new deadly moves (like his after-image dash and laser), and players will struggle to breathe or orient themselves under the constant barrage.
