Elden Ring Guide
All Required Bosses In Elden Ring
You only need to defeat around 10 mandatory bosses to finish the main story of Elden Ring.
Quick Answer
You only need to defeat around 10 mandatory bosses to finish the main story of Elden Ring. To access Leyndell, you must defeat any two major Shardbearers, though most players choose Godrick and Rennala.
For the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, only 5 bosses are technically required, including Messmer the Impaler and Promised Consort Radahn.
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How Many Bosses Are Actually Required?
Even though Elden Ring contains well over 100 bosses including the DLC, surprisingly few are mandatory.
You only need to defeat roughly 10 bosses to complete the base game and around 5 bosses for Shadow of the Erdtree.
Most optional dungeons, dragons, Evergaols, and hidden encounters can be skipped entirely if your only goal is reaching the ending.
Of course, skipping bosses in a FromSoftware game feels a little like buying a roller coaster ticket and avoiding all the drops.
Required Shardbearers
Before entering Leyndell, Royal Capital, you must defeat any two Shardbearers to break the seal blocking the city.
The most common choices are:
- Godrick the Grafted
- Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon
However, several other bosses also count:
- Starscourge Radahn
- Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
- Mohg, Lord of Blood
You do NOT need to defeat every Shardbearer to beat the game.
Notably, Malenia, Blade of Miquella is completely optional despite being one of the hardest bosses in the entire game.
Every Mandatory Boss In Elden Ring
Early Game Required Bosses
Most players begin with:
- Margit, the Fell Omen
- Godrick the Grafted
If choosing the Liurnia route instead:
- Red Wolf of Radagon
- Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon
You only need two total Shardbearers before progressing into the capital.
Leyndell Mandatory Bosses
To enter Leyndell, you must defeat:
- Draconic Tree Sentinel
Inside the capital, the required progression continues through:
- Godfrey, First Elden Lord (golden shade version)
- Morgott, the Omen King
Defeating Morgott unlocks access to the Mountaintops of the Giants.
Mountaintops And Farum Azula
The next mandatory encounter is:
- Fire Giant
Afterward, the story moves into Crumbling Farum Azula, where two major bosses block progression:
- Godskin Duo
- Maliketh, the Black Blade
This is where the game’s difficulty curve suddenly remembers it is a FromSoftware title.
Final Bosses
After Farum Azula, the capital transforms into Leyndell, Ashen Capital.
The final required bosses are:
- Sir Gideon Ofnir
- Godfrey, First Elden Lord
- Radagon of the Golden Order
- Elden Beast
Radagon and the Elden Beast function as one continuous two-phase final battle.
Bring patience. And probably several emotional support flasks.
Every Shardbearer Explained
Godrick The Grafted
Located in Stormveil Castle.
Rewards:
- Godrick’s Great Rune
- +5 to all stats when activated
Usually the first major boss most players defeat.
Rennala, Queen Of The Full Moon
Located in the Academy of Raya Lucaria.
Her Great Rune unlocks:
- Rebirth
- Character respecs
Starscourge Radahn
Located in Redmane Castle in Caelid.
His Great Rune boosts:
- HP
- FP
- Stamina
Defeating Radahn also dramatically changes the world map progression.
Morgott, The Omen King
Located in Leyndell.
His Great Rune massively increases maximum HP.
Rykard, Lord Of Blasphemy
Located beneath Volcano Manor.
His Great Rune restores HP after defeating enemies.
Mohg, Lord Of Blood
Located in Mohgwyn Palace.
Also required to access Shadow of the Erdtree.
Malenia, Blade Of Miquella
Located in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree.
Completely optional.
Still somehow emotionally traumatizes almost every player anyway.
Required Bosses For Shadow Of The Erdtree
The DLC surprisingly requires very few fights.
Mandatory DLC bosses include:
- Mohg, Lord of Blood (base game requirement)
- Messmer the Impaler
- Romina, Saint of the Bud
- Leda and Allies
- Promised Consort Radahn
Several major DLC bosses can actually be skipped entirely depending on your route through the Realm of Shadow.
Yes, even some bosses that feel incredibly important are optional.
Warnings
- Malenia is optional despite being heavily featured in marketing.
- Mohg, Lord of Blood is required for DLC access but not for the main story.
- Some optional bosses reward extremely powerful gear and Great Runes that can make the game much easier.
- Skipping too much side content can leave players severely underleveled for late-game fights.
Rewards
- Story progression
- Great Runes
- Access to late-game regions
- DLC access through Mohg
- Main game endings
- Shadow of the Erdtree progression
Tips
- Rennala is one of the best early Shardbearers because she unlocks respeccing.
- Radahn is technically optional but opens major world progression content.
- Exploring optional areas before Farum Azula helps massively with difficulty scaling.
- If a boss suddenly feels impossible, there is a very good chance the game quietly expects you to leave and come back later.
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Finishing the quest rewards the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse, which unlocks one of the game’s alternate endings.
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How To Complete Irina’s Questline In Elden Ring
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All NPC Questlines In Elden Ring
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Bosses & Combat
How To Defeat Margit The Fell Omen In Elden Ring
To defeat Margit The Fell Omen in Elden Ring, you should ideally be around level 25 with a weapon upgraded to at least +3. Prioritize leveling Vigor, use Spirit Ashes like the Lone Wolves or Spirit Jellyfish, and summon Sorcerer Rogier outside the boss gate for extra pressure.
Margit is designed to punish panic rolling with delayed attacks, so wait until his weapon actually starts swinging before dodging. Bleed weapons like the Uchigatana or Reduva work extremely well and can remove huge chunks of his health quickly.
Bosses & Combat
How To Defeat Godrick The Grafted In Elden Ring
To defeat Godrick The Grafted in Elden Ring, you should be around level 35-40 with at least 20 Vigor and a weapon upgraded to +4 or higher. Use Nepheli Loux and Spirit Ashes to split his aggro while punishing his long recovery animations with jumping heavy attacks.
During Phase 1, roll into his axe swings instead of backward and jump over his earthquake shockwaves. In Phase 2, stay close during his fire breath attacks to avoid damage and punish him with free hits while he is locked into long animations.