> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.geekyinc.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Elden Ring Boss Guide 2026: How to Beat Every Major Boss
- URL: https://www.geekyinc.com/elden-ring-boss-guide-2026-how-to-beat-every-major-boss/
- Published: 2026-06-10T22:38:38.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-03T21:02:46.000Z
- Description: How to beat every major Elden Ring boss in 2026 — Margit, Godrick, Radahn, Malenia, Maliketh, Fire Giant and the Promised Consort Radahn DLC finale. Strategy, tells, and the cheese that works.
- Author: Devon Lambert
- Tags: gaming, rpg, open-world, guides

Elden Ring's bosses are the whole point. They're also where most runs go to die. Whether you're staring down Margit for the first time or getting one-shot by Malenia's Waterfowl Dance for the fortieth, every wall in the Lands Between has a crack in it — you just need to know where to push.

This is our **Elden Ring boss guide for 2026**: how to beat every major boss across the base game and the *Shadow of the Erdtree* DLC, with the strategy, the tells, and the cheese that actually works. We're covering the eight bosses that stop the most players cold, plus the final fight. No fluff — just what gets you to the next Site of Grace.

Before you walk in: a strong build does half the work. If you're underpowered, swing by our [Elden Ring Build Tier List 2026](https://www.geekyinc.com/elden-ring-build-tier-list-2026-s-tier-to-c-tier-meta-rankings/), grab a top-tier weapon from the [Weapon Tier List](https://www.geekyinc.com/elden-ring-weapons-tier-list/), or steal one of our [7 most fun builds](https://www.geekyinc.com/most-fun-elden-ring-builds-2026-7-wild-playstyles-to-try/) if you want to beat these bosses with style.

![Elden Ring demigod bosses in the Lands Between](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/4e/cb4ed481-0c15-45c5-af06-fb31e16cb400/content/images/2026/06/er-boss-feature.jpg)

**Fair warning:** some of the toughest fights in the game now live in *Shadow of the Erdtree* — Messmer, the DLC Radahn, and Bayle make Malenia feel like a warm-up. If you haven’t stepped into the Realm of Shadow, grab the [Shadow of the Erdtree DLC](https://go.loaded.com/c/1301820/3865966/18216?subId1=elden-ring-boss-guide&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.loaded.com%2Felden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdtree-pc-dlc-steam-us-row&ref=geekyinc.com), or the [Erdtree Edition](https://go.loaded.com/c/1301820/3865966/18216?subId1=elden-ring-boss-guide&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.loaded.com%2Felden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdtree-edition-pc-steam-us-row&ref=geekyinc.com) for base game + DLC in one key.

## 1\. Margit, the Fell Omen — The First Real Wall

![Margit the Fell Omen boss in Elden Ring](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/4e/cb4ed481-0c15-45c5-af06-fb31e16cb400/content/images/2026/06/er-boss-margit.jpg)

Margit isn't hard so much as he's a *teacher*. He punishes greed, delayed inputs, and panic-rolling. The trick is patience: his attacks have long, deliberate wind-ups, so roll **late**, not early. Buy the **Margit's Shackle** from Patches in Murkwater Cave — it stuns him twice per phase and is borderline cheating. Summon your spirit ashes, bait his jumping slam, and punish the landing with two hits, no more.

**Watch for:** the spectral dagger throw that flows into a combo. Don't get hit by the first and eat the rest.

## 2\. Godrick the Grafted — The Stat-Check

![Godrick the Grafted wielding his axe in Elden Ring](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/4e/cb4ed481-0c15-45c5-af06-fb31e16cb400/content/images/2026/06/er-boss-godrick.jpg)

Godrick hits like a truck and covers huge distances with his axe whirlwind. Summon **Nepheli Loux** (her sign is by the fog wall) to split his aggro, then stay close and circle — most of his sweeps sail over your head when you're hugging his legs. Phase 2 grafts a dragon head onto his arm for a fire breath; roll **through** it toward him, not away. He's a perfect target for bleed and big jump attacks.

**Watch for:** the long wind-up storm-axe spin. That's your free heal window.

## 3\. Starscourge Radahn — Bring the Whole Army

![Starscourge Radahn boss fight in Elden Ring](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/4e/cb4ed481-0c15-45c5-af06-fb31e16cb400/content/images/2026/06/er-boss-radahn.jpg)

Radahn is a war, not a duel. Use **Torrent** for mobility and summon every NPC sign on the battlefield (Blaidd, Alexander, Okina, and the rest) — they exist to eat his gravity arrows for you. Ride in, land a few hits, ride out while the summons reset aggro. Phase 2 he teleports skyward and crashes down as a meteor; sprint perpendicular the moment he vanishes.

**Watch for:** the arrow barrage at range. Zig-zag on Torrent — never run straight.

## 4\. Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon — The Two-Faced Fight

![Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon boss in Elden Ring](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/4e/cb4ed481-0c15-45c5-af06-fb31e16cb400/content/images/2026/06/er-boss-rennala.jpg)

Phase 1 is a puzzle, not a brawl: a glowing student in the crowd is shielding her, so find the one that's lit up, smack them, and Rennala crashes down — repeat three times. Phase 2 is the real fight, full of summoned wolves, dragons, and a giant moon. Stay aggressive and stick to her; the summons vanish when you stagger her. Bonus: Rennala is also where you [respec your build via Rebirth](https://www.geekyinc.com/a-new-beginning-the-complete-guide-to-rebirth-in-elden-ring/) once she's beaten.

**Watch for:** the full-moon cast in P2 — dodge late, it tracks.

## 5\. Fire Giant — The Difficulty Spike

![The Fire Giant boss in Elden Ring's snowfields](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/4e/cb4ed481-0c15-45c5-af06-fb31e16cb400/content/images/2026/06/er-boss-fire-giant.jpg)

The Fire Giant is where a lot of runs stall. Stay on **Torrent** the entire fight and attack the ankles and the eye on his shin in Phase 1\. When you've cracked his health bar he tears off his own crab-legs and becomes the God of Fire — back up, because the arena fills with rolling flame. Ranged attacks, bleed, and frost all shine here; melee-only is a slog.

**Watch for:** the fetal-position roll. It covers the whole arena — get to his back.

## 6\. Malenia, Blade of Miquella — The Hardest Boss in the Game

![Malenia, Blade of Miquella boss fight in Elden Ring](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/4e/cb4ed481-0c15-45c5-af06-fb31e16cb400/content/images/2026/06/er-boss-malenia.jpg)

Malenia is the wall players brag about clearing, and one move is why: **Waterfowl Dance**, a three-burst flurry that deletes you. Your options — sprint *away* from the first burst to create distance, or dodge *into* her during the third flurry. She also **heals every time she lands a hit**, even on your shield, so blocking is a trap; dodge instead. Bleed and frost builds shred her because they bypass her lifesteal math. Phase 2 opens with Scarlet Aeonia — a giant rot bloom — so roll the instant the flower forms.

**Watch for:** Waterfowl Dance. Memorize it or memorize the death screen.

## 7\. Maliketh, the Black Blade — The Speed Test

![Maliketh, the Black Blade boss in Elden Ring](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/4e/cb4ed481-0c15-45c5-af06-fb31e16cb400/content/images/2026/06/er-boss-maliketh.jpg)

Maliketh's Black Blade inflicts **Destined Death**, which slashes your maximum HP for the rest of the fight — so every hit hurts more than the last. He's lightning-fast and leaps all over the arena in Phase 2\. Counterintuitively, the answer is to stay **aggressive and close**: chase him, jump his low spinning sweeps, and punish the brief pause after his big leaping slam. Mobility talismans and high stamina are your friends.

**Watch for:** the red-glowing Black Blade combo in P2 — those hits chunk your health bar permanently.

## 8\. Promised Consort Radahn — The DLC Final Boss

![Promised Consort Radahn, the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC final boss](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/4e/cb4ed481-0c15-45c5-af06-fb31e16cb400/content/images/2026/06/er-boss-consort-radahn.jpg)

The hardest fight FromSoftware has ever shipped. Before you even try, farm **Scadutree Fragments** and level your Scadutree Blessing as high as possible — in the DLC, that blessing matters more than your character level. Phase 1 is brutal melee combos; learn to roll into him. Phase 2 adds Miquella's blinding light and a screen-filling cross-slash — dodge into the gaps, keep the camera pulled back, and don't lock on if the light blinds you.

**Watch for:** the Phase 2 cross-slash light explosion. It's the run-ender — practice the dodge timing on Phase 1 first.

## The Final Boss: Radagon & the Elden Beast

The endgame is two fights back to back with no break. **Radagon** is a fast, aggressive humanoid — stay close, dodge his hammer slams, and watch for the holy AoE he plants on the ground. The **Elden Beast** that follows is a swimming cosmic horror with poor hitboxes; equip a weapon with good reach, sprint after it (it loves to flee), and bring the **Blessing's Boon** or a healing incantation to outpace the Elden Stars ring attack. Bleed and any ranged option make this slog much shorter.

## Beat the Boss, Then Build Better

Every boss in the Lands Between is beatable with the right setup and a little pattern recognition. If you're still hitting a wall, the problem is usually the build, not your reflexes — respec is cheap, so experiment. Start with our [2026 Build Tier List](https://www.geekyinc.com/elden-ring-build-tier-list-2026-s-tier-to-c-tier-meta-rankings/) to find a setup that fits your playstyle, or go wild with one of our [most fun builds](https://www.geekyinc.com/most-fun-elden-ring-builds-2026-7-wild-playstyles-to-try/).

## Get Elden Ring

Ready to take on the Lands Between?

- [Elden Ring (PS5)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09743F8P6?tag=geekyinc0d-20&ref=geekyinc.com) — the base game. Shadow of the Erdtree is sold separately as a digital add-on on PSN.
- [PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQKLS4RP?tag=geekyinc0d-20&ref=geekyinc.com) — precise inputs matter for the tighter boss windows

*As an Amazon Associate, Geeky Inc earns from qualifying purchases.*

New Elden Ring guides drop every week — **join the Geeky Inc community** below so you never miss the next one.

**The gear behind our guides:** the exact games, editions, and memberships we actually play, all on one page — [The Gear We Actually Use](https://www.geekyinc.com/the-gear-we-actually-use-games-memberships-3d-printing-picks/).