Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is full of surprises, new consumables, and a large arsenal of weapons for players to take advantage of while exploring the Land of Shadow. There's no denying that the difficulty was turned up to 11 in comparison to the base game, and that's saying a lot, as it was not easy to begin with.

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In the Elden Ring DLC, there are a total of eleven major Shadow of the Erdtree bosses, but you don't need to beat all of them to beat the DLC.

Many bosses in the DLC (if not all) are arguably harder than any base game boss players have faced previously, making many gamers look like pushovers swinging rose petals instead of blades. That said, even among the hardest enemies in the Land of Shadow, some stand out above others. The hardest bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree are sure to give even veteran Elden Ring players a run for their money.

7 Golden Hippopotamus

Gaping Jaws Combined With Deadly Speed

Starting off strong, the Golden Hippopotamus is one of the hardest bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree. Sometimes, a difficult boss' first phase is simple enough, letting players catch a breath before facing the actual challenge. However, this is sadly not the case for this boss. Right out of the gate, the Golden Hippopotamus attacks the Tarnished swiftly, with gaping jaws that are reminiscent of Sulyvahn's Beast from Dark Souls 3.

And things only go downhill from there, as, for the second phase, this behemoth picks up the pace and attacks even faster. To make matters worse, this boss can produce golden quills that deal considerable damage and make landing melee attacks much harder. The Golden Hippopotamus can be found in the Shadow Keep, very close to the Ancient Ruins of Rauh.

6 Romina, Saint Of The Bud

Uses Unpredictable Rolling Attacks

Romina, Saint of the Bud is creepy-looking, but that's not why she's considered to be one of the hardest bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree. What gives her this title is her massive size, combat moveset, and ridiculously long blade reach. Romina also has unpredictable rolling attacks that are very hard to dodge, and she can jump all over the arena in a matter of seconds.

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Romina could easily pass as Dark Souls 1's Chaos Witch Quelaag's sister, as her design also combines humanoid features with insect body parts that she can use to damage the Tarnished. This boss is not optional, but when defeated, she will yield a considerable number of Runes.

5 Divine Beast Dancing Lion

Has Access To Lethal Lightning AoE Attacks

Continuing with the list of creepy-looking bosses, the Divine Beast Dancing Lion should not be underestimated. With a body that appears to combine a lion's head with humanoid limbs, this beast wastes no time and immediately attacks the Tarnished with merciless blows that can drop even the chunkiest Health bar to 0 in a matter of seconds.

Once phase 2 begins, this boss will increase its speed and dance around the area, traversing from side to side at inhuman speed. During said phase, the Divine Beast Dancing Lion can also use powerful Lightning AoE attacks that are very hard to dodge properly and can sometimes stun players' characters, leaving them vulnerable to being hit. Luckily, this boss is optional, and considering that it doesn't drop that many Runes upon defeat, players not looking for an extra challenge can easily avoid it without feeling guilty.

4 Rellana, Twin Moon Knight

Makes Use Of Relentless Attacks & Deadly Spells

Rellana is arguably the hardest early-game skill check in any Soulsborne title. Players entering Shadow of the Erdtree are recommended to be at least at level 150 before beginning their DLC journey. And while that might seem like a lot, they'll still struggle considerably, as this boss will greet them with unmatched strength, lethal moon projectiles, and relentless attacks.

Rellana's first phase isn't too bad (compared to the second one), as she won't use as many attacks that deal Elemental Damage. However, once her Health bar is depleted to a certain extent, both of her blades become extremely dangerous, and so do her magical attacks. Although the game's most recent patch has made this fight a bit more fair by ramping up Scadutree attributes early on, most players will still find Rellana very challenging.

3 Putrescent Knight

Hellish Flames With Wide Coverage

The Putrescent Knight is a knight and horse combo found in the Fissure Depths within the Land of Shadow. It's recommended that players collect as many Scadutree fragments as possible before facing this spectral enemy, as it can deal considerable amounts of damage and has a blue flame AoE that can cover extremely wide areas.

Like the Divine Beast Dancing Lion, the Putrescent Knight is an optional boss, so players won't have to defeat it to progress through the DLC. However, upon death, this boss drops a nice 220,000 Runes, and the Remembrance of Putrescence, which can be exchanged for the Putrescence Cleaver . When fighting the Putrescent Knight, players should be wary of its semicircular sword, as it can be very unpredictable and hard to dodge.

2 Messmer, The Impaler

Has Access To Vicious & Long-Range Thrusting Attacks

Messmer the Impaler might not look like much when players first encounter him within the Specimen Storehouse in the Shadow Keep. However, as Soulsborne games have taught several people over the years, humanoid enemies are a coin toss, as they can either be pushovers or absolute menaces. And sadly, Messmer is the latter.

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With its quick moveset, long range weapon thrusts, temporary serpent form, and devastating Elemental Damage attacks, Messmer is clearly one of the hardest bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree. This demigod is not optional, and it's recommended that players consume as many Scadutree fragments as possible before facing him. Luckily, defeating Messmer will yield a reward of 400,000 Runes, as well as the Remembrance of the Impaler. So, in a way, the effort will be well worth it.

1 Promised Consort Radahn

Provides Endless Meteorite Showers

While not always a rule, the final boss in any game or DLC should be the hardest of all, and luckily, this is the case for Shadow of the Erdtree and Promised Consort Radahn. While every player who's reached the Land of Shadow has already defeated Starscourge Radahn, it's important to remember that that instance of the demigod is well past his prime. The Radahn encountered in the dreaded Caelid area has grown mad and weak due to Scarlet Rot, whereas Promised Consort Radahn is an apex predator.

With an extremely aggressive moveset that leaves no room for error and few attack windows, this boss delivers a satisfying and sometimes frustrating final challenge. Promised Consort Radahn uses his twin blades for melee combat but also takes advantage of his gravity control powers to fling meteorites at the Tarnished. And if that wasn't enough, once the second phase starts and Miquella joins Radahn, players will also have to worry about deadly rays of light pouring from the sky.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Platform

PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

June 21, 2024

Developer(s)

FromSoftware

Genre

Soulslike , RPG