There are a lot of powerful and imposing bosses in Elden Ring but Malenia is perhaps the most painful of them all. She's fast, strong, tanky, and requires players to precisely dodge her attacks to avoid taking massive damage. To make matters worse, she has a second form that pops up once her first health bar is completely diminished, and she's even more powerful in this second form. Defeating Malenia is truly one of the most difficult things to do in the Lands Between and an absolute badge of honor for any Tarnished that can get it done.
Players will also receive Malenia's Great Rune when she falls, but they'll need to activate it like any other Great Rune if they want to use it. Unfortunately, finding the area to activate Malenia's Great Rune is incredibly difficult unless players know exactly where to look. Here's how to find it in Elden Ring.
How To Find Malenia, Blade Of Miquella
For those that haven't fought Malenia yet, they'll have to take a rather long journey through Elden Ring's endgame to reach her. First, players have to head to the Village of Albinaurics and uncover a secret NPC to find the first half of a special medallion. Then they'll need to reach the Mountaintops of the Giants and conquer an imposing boss in Castle Sol to secure the other half. Once players have both pieces of the secret Haligtree Medallion, they can ride the Grand Lift of Rold to a secret snow-filled area. Those having a tough time finding the Haligtree Medallion pieces can use this handy guide to collect them both.
But getting to the Consecrated Snowfields is only the first part of the journey. Players then need to head all the way to Ordina, Liturgical Town and solve a puzzle to bring down a magical seal. Only then, can players access a Waygate that will transport them to Miquella's Haligtree, Elden Ring's most challenging hidden zone. Deep in the area, once players reach the very bottom of Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, they'll have the chance to face Malenia in combat.
How To Activate Malenia's Great Rune In Elden Ring
Once players have gone through the difficult task of defeating Malenia, they'll need to locate her Divine Tower to activate her Great Rune. Thankfully, the journey isn't too difficult (compared to beating Malenia) but it's definitely well-hidden.
To start, players should head to the Tower of Return, located in the Southwestern part of the Weeping Penninsula of Limgrave. Once there, players should climb to the top of the tower and locate a chest near a ballista. This chest will ensnare players and transport them to a special area called the Divine Bridge in Leyndell, Royal Capital. Once there, players can activate a Site of Grace and then enter a small arena to do battle against an ax-wielding Golem. Defeating the Golem will reward players with a chest containing a Talisman, as well as access to a nearby Waygate. Taking this Waygate will transport players to a special island containing the Isolated Divine Tower.
Once players have Malenia's Great Rune in hand they can open the doors and head to the top of the tower to activate the rune. Players that have yet to beat Malenia will not be able to open this door and the tower will remain firmly shut.
What Does Malenia's Great Rune Do?
Some players may consider Malenia's Great Rune to be a bit of a let down considering how notoriously difficult the boss is to defeat, but it's a powerful rune in the right hands. It allows players to regain health after being struck by attacking. The amount of health filled pertains to the amount of damage players are capable of doing, and they will only be able to regain the health they lost from the initial hit they took. Taking another hit will cause this amount to reset. This is very rewarding for players who can avoid getting hit much in a fight, or players that prefer ranged battle and can regain their health from a distance after being struck by an enemy. Players will know how much health they can regain by a light-red HP bar that appears within the regular HP bar.
It is important to note that activation of Malenia's Great Rune will also make Crimson Flasks 25 percent less effective as a balancing mechanism.