Elden Ring has well over 100 bosses scattered throughout the world and only 12 of these bosses are actually mandatory. However, you’ll be missing out on hours of fun content, and not to mention amazing loot, if you sidestep the optional bosses of this game. From ancient dragons, giant snakes, and weird alien creatures Elden Ring’s optional bosses come in all different shapes and sizes. Trust me when I say that you do not want to miss out on some of the coolest and most helpful items in the game simply because you didn’t want to fight any extra bosses. Without further adieu here are the top ten optional bosses based on both rewards and how cool the fight is.
10. Alecto, Black Knife Ring Leader
Alecto is a challenging and fierce field boss that can be found trapped within an Evergaol near the Moonlight Altar. Alecto is similar to most of the previous black knife assassins that you may have encountered throughout the game. However, Alecto has significantly more health and her attacks are much more deadly. There is a cheese strategy in which you can leap onto the rock to the left of her spawn point and she won’t be able to attack you as effectively (although some of her attacks like the helm splitter may still reach you).
The reason Alecto is in the top ten optional bosses is mainly because of her drops. Upon defeating Alecto you will gain a handsome sum of 80,000 runes, but more importantly, you’ll be given the Black Knife Tiche summon. Tiche is my personal favorite summon and is widely regarded as one of the best summons in the game, just below the mimic tear. I highly recommend going after Alecto because Tiche will be beneficial in late-game boss fights.
What you can obtain from Alecto, Black Knife Ring Leader
- Black Knife Tiche
- 80,000 runes
How to get to Alecto, Black Knife Ring Leader
- The player will have to progress Ranni’s questline to the point where you teleport to the Moonlight Altar site of grace in Liurnia of the Lakes
- From the Moonlight Altar site of grace head left to the very edge of the cliff to find the Evergaol (It should look like a little circle with a path leading to it)
- This Evergaol contains Alecto, the Black Knife Ring Leader
Full details on the Alecto, Black Knife Ring Leader: Elden Ring Wiki
9. Elemer of the Briar
Elemer of the Briar is a mid-game boss fight that can be accessed in the Shaded Castle in the northern region of the Altus Plateau. This is a tricky boss fight for several reasons. First off the boss has a solid amount of range as his sword can be sent flying for long-range slashes or stabs. On top of this, he also has close-range slashes and shield attacks. His attack options are even more dangerous because the boss room is quite tiny.
Luckily there are a few ways to effectively counter Elemer. For magic or faith builds, long-range and high-damaging spells will still work well on Elemer as long as you keep a good distance. For melee builds, most of Elemer’s sword attacks are completely physical so shields that can absorb 100% physical damage will allow you to completely shut down Elemers attacks.
Elemer will drop a few cool items that players may enjoy. For one Elemer will drop his sword, “Marais Executioner’s Sword” which can perform the long-range slashes that Elemer performs. He also drops his “Briar Greatshield” which causes bleed damage against your foes. Overall, this is a fun boss fight with some pretty solid rewards that many players can enjoy.
What you can obtain from Elemer of the Briar
- 24,00 runes
- Briar Greatshield
- Marais Executioner's Sword
How to get to Elemer of the Briar
- Elemer of the Briar can be found at the top of the Shaded Castle
- The Shaded Castle is located in the northern region of Altus Plateau
- Players can reach the castle by heading north through a valley between Mt Gelmirand the Altus Plateau region
Full details on Elemer of the Briar: Elden RIng Wiki
8. Crucible Knight Ordovis
Crucible Knight Ordovis is quite possibly one of the hardest boss fights that you will face in the game, but that's what makes it so rewarding. Ordovis can be found in a mausoleum called the Auriza Hero’s Grave just outside of the capital on the far eastern side.
By now you’ve probably fought a couple of crucible knights in the game, but this boss fight will require you to fight two crucible knights in a fairly confined space. One crucible knight wields a spear while the other wields a sword. I highly recommend summoning spirits or one of your friends to help in this boss fight because dealing with two of these jerks is a little too much to take on. Another recommendation would be to use ranged attacks to avoid getting chopped down by these guys.
Of course, this boss fight has some incredible rewards that are well worth the difficulty. Upon defeating the crucible knights you will receive the Crucible armor set which looks identical to Ordovis’s armor. Additionally, you will be given Ordovis’s Greatsword which is a great sword for faith builds.
What you can obtain from Crucible Knight Ordovis
- Crucible Axe Helm
- Crucible Greaves
- Crucible Gauntlets
- Crucible Axe Armor
- Ordovis’s Greatsword
How to get to Crucible Knight Ordovis
- When you arrive in Altus Plataeu make your way toward Capital Lyendell
- Instead of taking the bridge into the capital head left to the farthest edge of the capital wall
- There you’ll find the Auriza Hero’s Grave
- Make your way through the Auriza Hero’s Grave and you’ll find Ordovis at the end of the grave
Full details on the Crucible Knight Ordovis: Elden Ring Wiki
7. Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
Rykard is a pretty gross optional boss that can be found in Mt. Gelmir at the end of Volcano Manor. Upon defeating Rykard, you’ll be rewarded with 130,000 runes, Rykard’s Great Rune, and Remembrance of the Blasphemous. His remembrance will give you the option between a flaming skull sorcery or a faith sword that has a healing ability. Both items are very powerful and well worth the fight if they fit your build.
However, I don’t recommend this boss fight simply for the rewards but also for the nostalgia that this fight will bring to players who have played other Bandai Namco games. This boss fight can only be won by using a weapon called the Serpent-Hunter which is given to you in the boss fight. The weapon has a special ability that shoots long-range air attacks that can damage the gigantic Rykard. Fans of the Dark Souls franchise will recognize this classic boss fight style from previous games such as Dark Souls 3’s Yhorm the Giant.
What you can obtain from Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
- 130,000 runes
- Rykards Great Rune
- Rykard’s Rancor
- Blasphemous Blade
How to get to Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
- The easiest way to get to Rykard will be to make your way through Volcano Manor
- If you want a couple of additional rewards you can follow Lady Taniths questline in which she’ll eventually teleport you right outside the boss fight
Full details on Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy: Elden Ring WIki
6. Lich Dragon Fortissax
Lich Dragon Fortissax is a powerful boss that will require you to make significant progress in both Fia’s and Ranni’s questline. I highly recommend this boss fight to all players as it is a cool fight, but faith builds should especially look into this boss fight because of its faith-based rewards. It is also worth noting that this boss fight is critical for the Age of Dusk Born ending.
Fortissax is highly resistant to a bunch of passive effects as well as a lot of damage types like lightning and fire. The best way to damage Fortissax is by using a piercing weapon. Additionally, his head is a very nice weak point that will allow you to deal double the damage.
The rewards for Fortissax are only beneficial to faith builds as they are both incantations. First is Death Lightning which sends down death lightning in your surrounding area. The second reward is Fortissax’s Lightning Spear which hurls down two red lightning bolts into the ground. Both are quite powerful incantations that I highly recommend for faith-based players.
What you can obtain from Lich Dragon Fortissax
- 90,000 runes
- Death Lightning
- Fortisaxx’s Lightning Spear
How to get to Lich Dragon Fortissax
- You’ll need to progress Ranni’s questline to the point where you can obtain the Cursemark of Death
- Make sure to talk to Fia and allow her to hug you as well as giving her the knife so that she leaves the Round Table
- From there you’ll have to head to the Deeproot Depths from Nokron (You can get there by taking a coffin found near the waterfall in the gargoyle boss fight
- In Deeproot Depths you’ll have to make your way up to Fia who is located on a high ledge that players can access by climbing branches
- Once there you’ll beat Fia’s bodyguards and talk to her
- Choose the “No I want to be held” dialogue option
- Next talk to her in secret until you can give her the Cursemark of Death
- Refresh the area until you see the option to enter the Deathbed Dream and you’ll find yourself facing Lich Dragon Fortisaxx
Full details on Lich Dragon Fortissax: Elden Ring Wiki
5. Astel Natural Born of the Void
Astel Natural Born of the Void is one of the weirdest and creepiest bosses that you’ll come across in Elden Ring. In order to reach Astel you’ll have to progress Ranni’s questline until you reach the Lake of Rot. I recommend this boss fight mainly for intelligence build players because the rewards are tailored to magic users.
The first reward of Astel's remembrance is the Wave of Darkness skill that can be added to weapons. The skill has a magic affinity and releases waves of darkness that end in a swinging strike. The second reward is Bastard’s Stars: a powerful magic flail. Both of these rewards are powerful in the hands of mages but the only reward a non-mage will get from this fight is the runes.
What's you can obtain from Astel Natural Born of the Void
- 80,000 runes
- Bastard's Stars
- Waves of Darkness
How to get to Astel Natural Born of the Void
- You’ll have to follow Ranni’s questline until you eventually beat the evil spirit that is hunting her down in Nokstella
- In the room where you fight the evil spirit there’s an elevator that will take you down into the Lake of Rot
- Make your way to the end of the area where you’ll find a coffin at the edge of a waterfall
- Take the coffin and you’ll eventually find Astel
Full details on the Astel Natural Born of the Void: Elden Ring Wiki
4. Starscourge Radahn
Starscourge Radahn is a unique boss fight that I highly recommend for a few reasons. Firstly, this boss fight has the largest boss room which encourages you to use a horse when fighting Radahn. Additionally, you can summon a lot of NPC helpers in the boss room who are also looking to defeat Radahn.
Despite the eight or so NPCs, you can summon and the ability to ride your horse, this boss fight will prove quite challenging because of Radahns powerful attacks at close and far range. Many of Radahn’s moves will either one shot or quickly kill you, especially in his second phase.
However, the rewards for this fight are well worth the anger that Radahn will instill in you. Firstly, you’ll gain his Great Rune which will raise your max HP, FP, and Stamina. For his remembrance, you can either gain his Lion Greatbow or his Starscourge Greatsword, both of which are at the top of their respective weapons classes.
What you can obtain from Starscourge Radahn
- Starscourge Greatsword
- Lion Greatbow
- Radahn’s Great Rune
How to get to Starscourge Radahn
- Make your way to Redmane castle and make your way through the area
- At the end you’ll meet an old man with a beard
- At nighttime the Radahn festival will commence and you can access Radahns Boss fight
Full details on Starscourge Radahn: Elden Ring Wiki
3. Mohg, Lord of Blood
Mohg, Lord of Blood is one of the most well-known optional bosses because it’s quite easy to farm. Many players will use this boss fight as a rune farm because of its high rune droppage and the fact that it’s easy to cheese. Of course, Mohg also has some good drops that many players can enjoy.
First Mohg will drop his Great Rune which grants a blessing of blood to phantoms which will allow you to regenerate 10% of your health with every kill your phantom gets. Additionally, your phantom will get a damage buff if they apply a bleed effect on enemies. For his remembrance, you can get a Bloodboon incantation that allows you to throw blood flame or his Sacred Spear which is one of the most powerful Great Spears in the game. Both of these rewards are powerful if your character has the stats to properly wield them.
What's you can obtain from Mohg, Lord of Blood
- Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear
- Bloodboon incantation
- Mohg’s Great Rune
- 420,000 runes
How to get to Mohg, Lord of Blood
- You’ll have to hoist the secret medallion to make it to the Consecrated Snow field
- On the far western edge there's a teleporter that will take you to Mohg’s area
- Make your way through the Mohgwyn Palace area until you come to a big building
- Climb to the top of the building and you’ll find Mohg, Lord of Blood
Full details on Mohg, Lord of Blood: Elden Ring Wiki
2. Malenia, Blade of Miquella
Malenia is widely regarded as the hardest boss in Elden Ring which is why I recommend every player give her boss fight a shot. Malenia heals herself on successful attacks, applies scarlet rot in phase two, and has far more aggressive and deadly moves in phase two that can one-shot players. Because of this, her boss fight is a high-paced fight that can end your life in seconds. I highly recommend summoning help for this fight because her combo of healing and aggressive attacks will be too hard for most players to handle alone.
The rewards are pretty substantial for this boss fight. Firstly, you’ll be rewarded with 480,000 runes along with her remembrance. Her remembrance can grant you either a katana called “Hand of Malenia '' or an incantation that's called “Scarlet Aeonia”. Both of these are quite powerful but the Hand of Malenia is a powerful katana in both PvE and PvP that mimics Malenias “Waterfowl Dance ”. The incantation, while powerful, is a bit hard to use in my opinion. Overall this boss fight is a fight that all players should experience due to its high difficulty.
What you can obtain from Malenia, Blade of Miquella
- 480,000 runes
- Hand of Malenia
- Scarlet Aeonia
How to get to Malenia, Blade of Miquella
- Head to the Haligtree and make your way through the entire area to the northern side
- Once you’ve reached the Haligtree Roots site of grace head down the staircase directly in front of you and you’ll reach her boss fight
Full details on the Malenia, Blade of Miquella: Elden Ring Wiki
1. Dragon Lord Placidusax
Dragonlord Placidusax is my personal favorite boss fight in the entire game. For this boss fight, you will turn back time and reform Crumbling Farum Azula in order to face the ancient Dragonlord Placidusax. Placidusax is a two-headed dragon that wields lasers, breathes fire, disappears into thunderclouds in order to launch surprise attacks, and lightning claw attacks. By far one of the coolest bosses in Elden Ring due to it’s attack style and its overall destructiveness.
The rewards are also top-notch as you’ll receive 280,000 runes and his remembrance. For his remembrance, you can get the Dragon King’s Cragblade which is the best rapier in the game because its skill move mimics Placidusax’s move of disappearing into a storm cloud and then launching a powerful attack. The second reward is Placidusax’s Ruin which is an incantation that allows you to spew the golden laser of Placidusax. Both of these rewards are super powerful and I highly recommend trying them out.
What's you can obtain from Dragonlord Placidusax
- 280,000 runes
- Dragon King’s Cragblade
- Placidusax’s Ruin
How to get to Dragonlord Placidusax
- Head to Crumbling Farum Azula and the “Beside the Great Bridge” site of grace
- From there turn around and take the elevator downward
- Head down the stairs and out of the building and run straight to the cliff edge that is outside the entrance
- Look down and you should see a place to drop down
- Follow the path of floating earth until you reach a stone floor with skeletons encased in the ground
- Find the hole that's missing a skeleton and you will be prompted to lie down
- This will transport you to the Dragonlord Placidusax boss fight
Full details on Dragonlord Placidusax: Elden Ring Wiki
