Those that want to get their hands on the Dark Moon Greatsword, and complete Ranni's extensive questline in Elden Ring, will have to deal with a strange entity called the Baleful Shadow. At one point during her quest, Ranni tasks the player with taking this beast down, as it holds a key item necessary to complete the witch's story arc. While the Baleful Shadow may not be ultra-difficult to some, finding it is another thing entirely.
The location of this particular entity has caused strife for quite a few players, as its appearance is locked behind some specific first steps that players must take. Here's a look at how to find the Baleful Shadow in Elden Ring and what players need to do to make it appear.
Updated August 3rd, 2023: Players that want to finally complete Ranni's questline are going to need to eliminate the Baleful Shadow but finding the creature is pretty ambiguous. Not only will players need to make it to Nokstella, Eternal City, they'll then need to navigate to a specific off-the-beaten-path location to find the spirit. The Baleful Shadow Location can be frustrating to find, so we've updated the following guide with a video to give players a better look at how to get to the Baleful Shadow Location.
Getting To Nokstella, Eternal City
In order to defeat the Baleful Shadow and collect the Key Item it guards, players need to gain access to a mysterious hidden zone called Nokstella, Eternal City. Unfortunately, gaining access to this zone is a lot easier said than done, as players will need to progress fairly far into the game to reach it (unless they want to lock themselves into one particular ending). The "correct" path to Nokstella, Eternal City takes players through Nokron, Eternal City, a zone only reachable after players have slain Starscourge Radahn. Once the imposing boss has fallen, a crater opens up South of Mistwood Ruins, leading to the buried location.
Players will need to head through Nokron and retrieve the Fingerslayer Blade for Ranni. After giving it to her, she'll give them access to Renna's Rise in the Three Sisters, which has a Waygate leading to Ainsel River Main. From there, it's a short walk to Nokstella, Eternal City. Those that are looking for a more detailed guide on getting to the small underground city should check out this link.
Finding The Baleful Shadow In Elden Ring
Finding the Baleful Shadow is fairly easy once it spawns, but getting it to "show up" is the tricky part. The first thing players will need to do is retrieve the Miniature Ranni Doll from the coffin at the start of the Ansel River Main area. It's close to the Site of Grace. Once players have this doll in their possession, they need to go to any Site of Grace and interact with it. Doing so will cause the Miniature Ranni to emit a "...". It seems that there's no response from the inanimate object, but players need to be persistent. After speaking to the item and getting the same silent response a few times, players will eventually unlock a small set of dialogue with Ranni herself, who uses the Miniature Ranni Doll as a vessel to communicate with the Tarnished. Doing so will cause her to inquire about the Baleful Shadow.
Once players have spoken to Ranni and received instructions on defeating the Baleful Shadow, they can head to its location. Getting there is fairly easy, as players just need to enter Nokstella, Eternal City and run West from the Site of Grace and through the watery path guarded by tons of electrified Silver Tears. Once on the other side of the mass, players will spot a tower-like object off in the distance to the left. Entering this structure will take players on a long elevator ride that leads to another Site of Grace and a nearby cave. By going through the cave (be wary of the three Basalik enemies), players will enter a red-hued area. There, they will encounter the Baleful Shadow.