Elden Ring’s Dragonkin Soldier is a Well-Hidden Secret That Deserves to be Challenged

Game ZXC

Elden Ring

By Jared Carvalho

Published Dec 11, 2023

Highlights

Elden Ring's massive scope offers unique experiences with multiple playthroughs, including trying different builds and finding hidden bosses.
The Dragonkin Soldier is a complex boss with multiple variants, each offering a unique twist to the fight and rewarding weapons for different playstyles.
Hunting down the Dragonkin Soldier in future playthroughs is worth the effort to unlock powerful builds and discover the secrets of the Lands Between.

The massive scope of Elden Ring can lead to unique experiences across multiple playthroughs, from trying out different builds to finding secret bosses that were hidden in corners players didn't check on their first run through the game. One great example of these hidden gems sprinkled throughout the open world of the Lands Between is the Dragonkin Soldier, which appears in several locations and rewards weapons that offer unique playstyles.

Even though the Dragonkin Soldier is an interesting and complex addition to the Elden Ring boss roster, many variants of the encounter might be too well hidden to be found by many players. Considering how powerful and unique the Dragonkin Soldiers' rewards can be, hunting them down in future playthroughs can be well worth the effort in order to unlock the builds locked behind these bosses.

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Dragonkin Soldier Fights Unlike Any Other Boss, Including Itself

Player fighting Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella in Elden Ring.

The Unique Variants of Dragonkin Soldier

One common complaint about the many repeated bosses in Elden Ring comes from the way that running into the same boss twice rarely does anything to shake up the initial encounter outside of adding a second enemy to the fight. Fortunately for the Dragonkin Soldier, this critique doesn't exactly stick, since the three encounters against this boss change the formula in unique ways that keep players on their toes. This is due to a combination of one variant of the boss having a unique second phase, and another version being found in an arena that adds a difficult new twist to the fight.

The first version of the Dragonkin Soldier that players will likely find can be found in a secret section of Elden Ring's Siofra River that can be accessed in one of two ways from different elevations of the locale. This initial variant can already be a difficult fight, given the large size of the Dragonkin Soldier and the boss' quick, thrashing moveset that can quickly slice players apart. However, the second version found in the Ainsel River Downstream is unique in having a second phase that adds a series of ranged attack that inflicts lightning damage on players and starts to build up the frostbite effect.

In the case of the second and third Dragonkin Soldier, these fights manage to elevate the already stellar fights against these gargantuan bosses in ways that other repeat bosses don't manage in Elden Ring. The third Dragonkin Soldier might even be the most difficult among the three, with its arena in the Lake of Rot adding the pressure of being constantly inflicted with Scarlet Rot to go above and beyond even an enhanced moveset. So, unlike enemies that are found in the cookie-cutter boss arenas at the end of caves and catacombs, Dragonkin Soldier always manages to make the best of its moveset and location to elevate each new encounter.

The Dragonkin Soldiers' Rewards Highlight Elden Ring's Exploration

Elden Ring - Fighting Dragonkin Warrior In Lake Of Rot

There is a specific type of build in Elden Ring that can only be accessed by defeating one of the three variants of the Dragonkin Soldier. This would be the Lightning/Frostbite build, which combines the powerful Lightning element with the Frostbite effect that can sometimes be equally or more effective than a Bleed build. It is an incredibly powerful build that has a powerful set of melee weapons from the Siofra River and Lake of Rot Dragonkin Soldiers, while the unique variant in Ainsel River offers a stellar incantation.

The power of this build is reason enough to hunt down these bosses, exploring well off the beaten path from Limgrave through Leyndell and finding these unique fights. However, considering how far off that path the Dragonkin Soldiers are, it does unfortunately mean that many players likely won't get the opportunity to try this Lightning/Frostbite build across an initial playthrough. These are some of the many weapons in Elden Ring that are too well hidden to give better access to the many interesting builds available throughout the Lands Between.

Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set in a world co-created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the influential Dark Souls video game series, and George R.R. Martin, the author of the best-selling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. This collaboration between two renowned creators has resulted in FromSoftware's largest game to date, filled with danger and discovery at every turn. Hidetaka Miyazaki, president and game director of FromSoftware, has a history of directing highly acclaimed games in franchises such as Armored Core and Dark Souls.