Elden Ring Boss Order: How to Find and Beat Every Mandatory and Optional Boss in the Lands Between and Shadow of the Erdtree

To defeat every boss in Elden Ring in the optimal progression order, players must conquer 12 mandatory story bosses alongside dozens of optional overworld and hidden expansion encounters. This guide provides the direct navigation paths, exact geographical landmarks, and requirements needed to locate and trigger every major boss in the Lands Between and the Land of Shadow.

Boss Scaling and Multiplayer Matchmaking

The game engine scales boss parameters based on the specific region they inhabit, utilizing a designated internal effect code. The health of a boss is calculated using the following formula:

Boss HP = ((Base HP x Map Multiplier) x Co-Op Modifier) x NG Factor

In cooperative play, summoning one cooperator adds 60 percent to the boss’s base health pool, while summoning two cooperators adds 130 percent. For players utilizing the community-made Seamless Co-Op mod, the health scaling is calculated per player. For a total of x players, where x is greater than one, the health modifier percentage per player (y) is:

y = ((100 – 9.3) + 87(x – 1) + 9.3x^2) / x

Players can reference the health scaling variables that the game engine applies to boss health pools in the base game.

Once players push past the first playthrough and enter subsequent New Game Plus runs, the engine scales these values further. Matchmaking limits are calculated from the host’s perspective to ensure balanced interactions during online play. The cooperative lower limit is determined by the host level multiplied by 0.9 minus 10 levels, while the upper limit is the host level multiplied by 1.1 plus 10 levels. For player versus player combat, the lower limit is the host level multiplied by 0.9, and the upper limit is the host level multiplied by 1.1 plus 20 levels.

Active matchmaking brackets depend on weapon level milestones to pair players successfully.

Managing the Hidden Stance Meter

Every boss has an invisible stance bar that triggers a critical hit opportunity when depleted to zero. Stance damage is determined entirely by weapon class and the type of attack used, completely independent of raw character stats. Two-handing a weapon increases light attack stance damage by 30 percent, while heavy attacks and guard counters receive a 10 percent boost.

If attacks cease, the boss’s stance bar will regenerate. The delay before regeneration begins is calculated using the following formula, where S is the boss’s maximum stance threshold:

D = 5.0 + 0.077 x (S – 65)

Once this delay timer runs out, the boss recovers their stance at a rate of 13 stance points per second. Any form of damage, including a throwing dagger, resets this recovery delay timer. If a co-op partner or NPC helper is summoned, the boss receives a defensive buff, taking 40 percent less stance damage from all attacks. Spirit Ashes do not apply this penalty.

Organic Leveling and Progression Stages

To ensure smooth progression, players can structure their journey through these stages.

Before exploring these end-game locations, players may want to complete the Ranni questline to gain access to the Moonlight Altar and acquire the Dark Moon Greatsword.

Draining the Shadow Keep Church District

Draining the floodwaters from the Church District of the Shadow Keep is required to access the lower level. To complete this, navigate to the Church District Entrance Site of Grace and execute the following steps:

1. Jump off the ledge in front of the Site of Grace onto the submerged rectangular roof.
2. Move to the far edge of the roof and perform a running jump from the jutting dormer to reach the adjacent roof.
3. Evade or defeat the patrolling Fire Knight.
4. Move to the southwest edge of the roof and walk up the diagonal stone buttress to reach the main circular church roof.
5. Carefully drop through the large hole in the center of the roof onto the interior wooden support rafters.
6. Drop down from the rafters onto the upper stone floor with the large hole, and then drop down again to reach the lower stone hallway.
7. Head west toward the doorway, turn left, and cross the outdoor stone bridge to the castle wall.
8. Follow the short rampart past several bats to reach a doorway with an adjacent ladder.
9. Climb the ladder to locate the gear assembly, and turn the mechanical lever to drain the water from the entire district.

How to Reach the Scadutree Base and Scadutree Avatar

The drainage of the Church District opens the path to the optional Scadutree Avatar boss.

1. Return to the Church District Entrance Site of Grace and drop down to the dry ground floor.
2. Head south across the newly accessible plaza to locate the chapel housing the Sunken Chapel Site of Grace.
3. Walk inside the main church and enter the corridor to the right.
4. Enter the room at the end of the corridor to locate a large elevator.
5. Ride the elevator down, follow the linear cavern path to the Tree-Worship Sanctum Site of Grace, and step into the flooded arena to trigger the battle.

To defeat the Scadutree Avatar efficiently, target the head-flower which acts as a major weak point. The boss is highly vulnerable to fire damage, making fire-affinity weapons, Hefty Fire Pots, and fire incantations the most effective options. After depleting the first and second health pools, execute a critical hit on the collapsed head-flower to start the subsequent phase with 30 percent less health. Avoid executing a stance-break riposte to finish a phase, as a mechanical bug can cause the boss to respawn with max health in the next phase.

How to Reach Commander Gaius

To locate the optional boss Commander Gaius, navigate the rafters of the Specimen Storehouse.

1. Start at the Storehouse, Back Section Site of Grace, head west to the ladder, and climb it.
2. Run up the eastern stone stairs, look behind the large bookshelf, and step through the hole in the wall to reach the Storehouse Loft Site of Grace.
3. Take the wooden lift immediately next to the Site of Grace to ascend to the iron rafters.
4. Turn left out of the lift, cross the narrow metal beam, and climb the vertical ladder on the wall to reach the upper level of the rafters.
5. Walk along the beams to the northern side of the rafters.
6. Look over the northern edge to spot the top of an arched stone doorway directly below.
7. Drop down onto the stone archway, walk through the door, turn right, and ride the hidden lift down.
8. Step out to activate the Shadow Keep, Back Gate Site of Grace; Commander Gaius is located in the open courtyard directly through the double doors to the north.

How to Unlock the Hinterlands

To unlock the secret eastern Hinterland region, execute a specific gesture in front of a statue.

1. Retrieve the O Mother gesture from a headless stone corpse on the northeastern cliffs of Bonny Village.
2. Travel to the Shadow Keep, Back Gate Site of Grace and walk through the archway to the right to enter a small chapel containing a stone statue of Marika.
3. Stand directly in front of the Marika statue and perform the O Mother gesture.
4. Maintain the gesture until the statue slides aside, revealing the hidden path into the Hinterland.

Count Ymir and Metyr Mother of Fingers Quest Steps

Unlocking the optional Legend Boss Metyr, Mother of Fingers requires progressing Count Ymir’s questline.

1. Speak to Count Ymir on his throne inside the Cathedral of Manus Metyr to receive the Hole-Laden Necklace and the first Ruins Map.
2. Ring the bell at the Finger Ruins of Rhia, located in the southeast of the Cerulean Coast.
3. Return to Count Ymir to receive the second Ruins Map.
4. Ring the bell at the Finger Ruins of Dheo, accessed by riding east across the Hinterland.
5. Return to the Cathedral and speak to Count Ymir to receive the third Ruins Map.
6. Fast-travel to a distant map region outside Scadu Altus and then fast-travel back to the Cathedral to force the area to reload.
7. Interact with Ymir’s empty throne to activate the hidden switch, sliding the throne aside to reveal a rope ladder.
8. Descend the ladder into the Finger Ruins of Miyr and defeat the invader Swordhand of Night Anna to obtain the Claws of Night.
9. Walk to the end of the path and interact with the hanging bell to teleport directly to the Metyr, Mother of Fingers arena.

How to Access the Dragonlord Placidusax Arena

To find the hidden arena of Dragonlord Placidusax in Crumbling Farum Azula, execute the following steps:

1. Start at the Beside the Great Bridge Site of Grace, turn around, and ride the stone lift down.
2. Run through the flooded temple room filled with beastmen, exit the front doors, and run straight to the edge of the floating platform.
3. Look over the edge and carefully drop onto the floating stone platforms below.
4. Follow the path of rocks to the large stone platform at the bottom.
5. Walk to the curved stone archway that is completely empty of skeletons.
6. Stand inside this recess and select the lie down prompt to teleport to the arena.

How to Summon Lichdragon Fortissax

To face the optional boss Lichdragon Fortissax, complete Fia’s questline.

1. Solve the Carian Study Hall puzzle in Liurnia using the Carian Inverted Statue to reach the top of the Divine Tower of Liurnia and retrieve the Cursemark of Death.
2. At the Roundtable Hold, speak to Fia in her chambers to receive the Weathered Dagger, and deliver it to D, Hunter of the Dead.
3. Reload the area to find D assassinated, retrieve his Twinned Armor, and speak to Fia before she departs.
4. Defeat the Valiant Gargoyles in Nokron Aqueduct and ride the stone coffin to reach Deeproot Depths.
5. Navigate the roots to reach the Across the Roots Site of Grace and defeat Fia’s Champions.
6. Deliver the Cursemark of Death to Fia, rest at the Grace to find her asleep, and select the enter the deathbed dream option to summon Fortissax.

How to Unlock the Stone Coffin Fissure and Putrescent Knight

To begin your journey into the expansion content, players must defeat the Shardbearer Mohg, which requires getting to Mohgwyn Palace either via the Consecrated Snowfield teleporter or White Mask Varre’s questline. Once in the expansion, players can fight the Putrescent Knight by unsealing the southern Stone Coffin Fissure.

1. Approach the Shadow Keep or cross the Bonny Village bridge to trigger the breaking of Miquella’s Great Rune, unsealing the fissure.
2. Start at the Cerulean Coast Site of Grace and ride directly south past the blue flowers and worm creatures to the southern tip of the peninsula.
3. Locate the massive crater and carefully drop down the northwest ledges to activate the Fissure Site of Grace.
4. Navigate through the fissure past the caterpillar lasers to the Fissure Depths Site of Grace.
5. Jump from the giant stone head at the end of the stone bridge to enter the arena.

How to Parry and Defeat the Abyssal Woods Untouchables

The Aging Untouchables in the Abyssal Woods are immune to standard physical and magical attacks and must be parried to be defeated.

1. Start at the Church Ruins Site of Grace, walk northwest along the stream, and head west past the small trees toward the four glowing stone warning tablets.
2. Walk into the path of the patrolling Untouchable to let it spot you.
3. Let the Untouchable teleport to your position and knock you down, then wait for your character to stand up.
4. Step back to establish roughly 15 feet of distance.
5. Watch the Untouchable as it raises its staff and points it horizontally.
6. The moment the staff is raised above its head and begins its downward strike, press the parry button using a small shield with high parry frames like the Buckler.
7. Perform a critical hit to slay the staggered Untouchable and obtain the Aged One’s Exultation Talisman.

How to Solve the Ordina Liturgical Town Evergaol Puzzle

To solve the late-game Ordina puzzle without being assassinated or shot, use specific noise-muffling and invisibility tools.

1. Equip the full, unaltered Black Knife Armor set to muffle your footsteps and cast Unseen Form to reduce enemy aggro range. Equip a Sentry’s Torch in your off-hand to reveal invisible assassins.
2. Enter the Evergaol using the circular blue portal in the back of the town.
3. Turn left, walk down the stairs, and turn left again to light Candle 1 at ground level.
4. Run east past the main stairs, navigate behind the western building to find a ladder, and climb it to light Candle 2 at the top of the tower.
5. Drop off the eastern side of the roof onto the lower red rooftop, cross the stone archway, climb the tower ladders directly ahead, and light Candle 3.
6. Drop down to the ground level plaza, run west to wrap around the right side of the western building to bypass the assassin, climb the two side ladders, and light Candle 4.