Elden Ring's open world is filled with numerous bosses, from the main baddies who block players' progression to optional ones tucked away in dungeons. However, one boss in particular deserves special mention, not because of how difficult it is, but because of how it makes players think about how they have built their character up to that point.
The Mimic Tear is an optional boss which can be found by exploring the underground location of Nokron, Eternal City. Upon entering the boss fog wall, players have to walk some distance into the boss arena before what looks like one of Elden Ring's many Silver Tear enemies spawns. If they have gone through the entirety of Nokron, Eternal City, chances are they are prepared to fight yet another of these Silver Tears but with beefed-up health and damage. However, the fight that insues is very different.
What Does The Mimic Tear Do?
Instead of stabbing or shooting large spikes at the player like a Silver Tear would, the Mimic Tear transforms into the player character that entered the boss room. The similarities don't end there; the Mimic Tear copies the same armor, spells, items, and spells that the player has equipped when first encountering the boss. Depending on the player's build at the time of mimicry, this fight could be a cakewalk or a test to see if their Tarnished is a force to be reckoned with.
An easy way for players to beat the Mimic Tear is to just unequip all their Elden Ring gear once the Mimic Tear spawns, leaving it to copy a naked, defenseless Tarnished. Once it has copied them, all the player has to do is put their gear back on and the fight becomes trivial. This is what most players do, as it saves them from having to fight an exact copy of themselves.
Fighting Yourself Is Good Exercise
This may or may not have been what From Software intended for players to do, but players should definitely take this opportunity to fight themselves as a learning experience to see what their character's strengths and weaknesses are. It isn't just a matter of attack power or health.
The Mimic Tear may not copy the exact weapon and spell combos the players use, but fighting it may allow them to find clever ways to use their tools. A katana user could find other combos besides spamming the light attack button. A mage could interweave weapon attacks in-between spells. Elden Ring's combat system is so deep and diverse that players could spend hours experimenting with different weapon and spell combinations.
Should players find the idea of fighting themselves too stressful, there is still another way to learn from their build after cheesing the Mimic Tear boss. Upon beating the Mimic Tear, players can find the Mimic Tear Ashes in an area not too far off from the boss arena. They will need a Stonesword Key to access the area, but doing so will net them a summonable ally that copies their character. Players can then observe the Mimic Tear as it fights alongside them on their adventures.
The Mimic Tear isn't a hard boss to defeat in Elden Ring, and it isn't even found on the main path. Still, having the opportunity to fight an exact copy of oneself is something players don't get to do in every video game, so it should be cherished.
Elden Ring is out now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
