Highlights

  • Elden Ring has 12 major dragon bosses, with Shadow of the Erdtree DLC adding 8 more.
  • Jagged Peak in the DLC is a secret optional area, similar to Archdragon Peak in Dark Souls 3, with the former being much more fleshed out than the latter in terms of enemy count.
  • Jagged Peak features five dragon bosses, including the brutal Bayle the Dread. Archdragon Peak only has two bosses, though Nameless King is a challenging and rewarding foe like Bayle.

FromSoftware has had a long history of dragon boss fights. A focal point of the game's marketing, Demon's Souls' Dragon God may not be the title's best boss, but it is an iconic one, and the Dark Souls trilogy more than makes up for that initial shortcoming with a plethora of great boss fights that include Kalameet, Sinh, and Midir. Naturally, Elden Ring followed suit.

There are a total of 12 major dragon bosses in Elden Ring's base game, and the majority of those are fun fights, combining grand spectacle with some good implementation of horseback combat. Elden Ring's recently released Shadow of the Erdtree DLC continues to show FromSoft's passion for the timeless fantasy creature, bringing eight new dragon bosses to the game. And taking a page out of Dark Souls 3's playbook, there's even a whole optional area dedicated to them in the DLC.

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How Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's Jagged Peak Compares to Dark Souls 3's Archdragon Peak

How Jagged Peak's Visual Design Compares to Archdragon Peak's

A completely optional area of Dark Souls 3, Archdragon Peak was one of the game's most exciting secrets when it first released in 2016, only being accessible through the use of a certain gesture at a specific location. Upon arriving in Archdragon Peak, players are presented with a stunning, sprawling city of stone seemingly floating among the clouds. Though it isn't quite as well hidden, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's Jagged Peak is also a secret optional area, with players gaining access to it by going through a doorway at the end of the Dragon Pit dungeon.

While Archdragon Peak's visuals are surprisingly bright and vibrant, Jagged Peak's are darker and much more foreboding. The skies above Archdragon Peak are beautifully clear, while the ones above Jagged Peak are enshrouded in a thick layer of orange cloud, with red lightning storms threatening the player from a distance. Visually-speaking, Archdragon Peak and Jagged Peak are very distinct from one another, though both do have a few dead dragon carcasses littering the ground.

How Jagged Peak's Level Design Compares to Archdragon Peak's

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's Jagged Peak and Dark Souls 3's Archdragon Peak also differ quite a bit in terms of level design. Where Jagged Peak is a grueling boss gauntlet that tasks players with ascending the titular mountain, Archdragon Peak operates similarly to any other FromSoftware legacy dungeon, with players fighting their way through groups of enemies before eventually walking into a boss room. Archdragon Peak's approach makes the area feel much more lively, while Jagged Peak's lack of standard enemies makes it feel eerily empty and ominous.

How Jagged Peak's Bosses Compare to Archdragon Peak's

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's Jagged Peak is home to a total of five bosses, all of whom are dragons. The first three in the area are Jagged Peak Drakes, a new boss type for the DLC. These Drakes have a fairly similar moveset to most dragon bosses in Elden Ring, though they hit much harder than those in the base game. The Ancient Dragon Senessax is a very tough fight, dishing out some brutal red lightning AoE attacks. And finally, there's Bayle the Dread, potentially the hardest dragon boss in FromSoftware history.

Archdragon Peak, on the other hand, is home to just two bosses, the Ancient Dragon and The Nameless King. Rather ironically, these two bosses show the polar opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to the quality of Dark Souls 3's bosses, with the Ancient Dragon being an infuriating dash through standard enemies to reach the dragon's weak spot, and The Nameless King offering one of the most rewarding fights in the entire franchise.