After spending more than 65 hours so far in front of my PC exploring Elden Ring, I’m going to state the obvious: it is a huge game. Like, really huge. One wrong turn and you might end up in an elaborate underground city and one legacy dungeon in the game has its own sewer system, complete with bosses and unique loot. Elden Ring is also surprisingly easy to get all the achievements, but if you plan things accordingly. I wrote earlier about some bosses and items that are completely missable if you get carried away, but now I’m going to focus on all the optional bosses. Well, not exactly all, but only those that reward you with achievements. So let’s get it started.
Shardbearer Radahn
This can be an optional boss since you only need to defeat two shardbearers to gain entry into Leyndell Castle. Radahn can be found in Redmane Castle in the Caelid area. You have to either take the Grand Lift of Rold or progress enough with Ranni’s questline in order to trigger the festival event in Redmane Castle. After the recent patch, Radahn has been somewhat nerfed so defeating him is anything but hard. The NPC summons in this boss fight do not add to the boss’s health pool like summoning co-op partners online does. This fight is best-done solo while summoning the NPC summons. He is also extremely easy to rot and bleed status effects. Defeating him will grant you an achievement, great rune, and access to Nokron Eternal City.
Shardbearer Rykard
To get to Rykand, you first have to make your way to the Volcano Manor area in the Mt Gelmir area. After you get there, all you need to do is to complete three contracts for Tanith (basically, just killing certain red phantom NPCs) and after that, she will offer to teleport you to Rykard. The boss fight has two phases. First, you have to beat God-Devouring Serpent as his first phase, and then him. The fight is basically Elden Ring’s version of that Yhorm the Giant boss fight from Dark Souls 3. As soon as you enter the arena, run to the left and pick up Serpent-Hunter Great Spear, equip it and just spam its special attack. Your mimic summon will also do great as a distraction. Defeating him grants you an achievement and a great rune.
Shardbearer Mohg
Uh, this one is a doozy. This completely optional and difficult boss can be found in Mohgwyn Palace inside the Siofra River. The Mohgwyn Palace region is found beneath Caelid, but only accessible from a gateway teleporter in the frozen west of Consecrated Snowfield (northwest of the Yelough Anix Ruins and west of where the Sanguine Noble invades you), or using Pureblood Knight’s Medal given by White-Faced Varré at the end of his questline. The player can find the Mohg’s Shackle item in the Subterranean Shunning Grounds under Lyndell just before the Lyndell Catacombs bonfire at the bottom of the pipe/water area. Can be used similar to Margit’s Shackle during the boss fight to tether him for a short bit. You will not be able to tether him once he has reached the health threshold for the second phase. Mohg will recite Tres, Duo, and Unus at certain health thresholds, placing a red ring around the player. At the start of his second phase, he will chant Nihil three times, doing large damage and healing himself for each ring on the player. In order to survive this attack, you will need a potion made with the Purifying Crystal Tear or will need to heal. The damage will cancel any ongoing healing and interrupt the player, so the optimal time to do so is during the interval between the second and third Nihil. The Purifying Crystal Tear will provide the player with a shield, which prevents all three counts of bleed in the mid-battle attack described above. This is obtained by defeating the NPC invader Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger at the Second Church of Marika in Altus Plateau. There is also an alternative method of following a quest of White-Faced Varre if you want simpler access to Mohg. After he gives you the Festering Bloody Finger at Rose Church, invade other players three times and he will ask you to join his order of the Bloody Lord. Accept and he will give you Lord of Blood’s Favor item, requesting you soak it in the blood of a maiden. The closest will be a Maiden corpse in the Church of Inhibition, northeast of Liurnia. Once you return with the blood-soaked Favor, he rewards you with a reusable Bloody Finger. If you speak with him again, you will receive the Pureblood Knight’s Medal. Use it and you will be teleported straight to Mohgwyn Palace. Defeating Mohg him will grant you an achievement and his great rune.
Lichdragon Fortissax
An optional and missable boss fight that is part of Fia’s questline. I wrote all the steps to get to him in my previous article. Not an overtly difficult fight if you use co-op summons but since this is a flying dragon enemy, the biggest issue is that you will have to run from one end of the arena to the other most of the time. Defeating him will grant you an achievement.
Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella
By the time you get to him, there is a good chance you will be severely over-leveled. The hardest part isn’t defeating this soldier but finding his way to him. He is found in the south-western section of Ainsel River accessed from the Ainsel River Well. You can use co-op summons for this fight as well as spirit ashes. He is weak to slash damage and defeating him grants you the achievement.
Regal Ancestor Spirit
This deer boss is found in Nokron Eternal City and to get to him you first have to light up all six obelisks by the stairs of the upper Hallowhorn Grounds in Nokron. When you’ve done so, the deer carcass at the back of the temple starts glowing and you can interact with it to teleport to the boss’ area. You won’t be thrown into battle as soon as you teleport, however, and will have to walk through a mist door to fight the boss. Not an overly difficult fight, as long as you don’t rush in. Spirit ashes and co-op summoning will work well as a distraction so he doesn’t always target you. He is weak to slash, fire, and holy damage. Defeating him grants you achievement as well.
Ancestor Spirit
A weaker version of the Regal Ancestor Spirit. This one, however, is found in an isolated arena in the Siofra River. To gain access to it, you have to light up all eight obelisks by the stairs of Hallowhorn Grounds. When you’ve done so, the deer carcass at the back of the temple starts glowing and you can interact with it to teleport to the boss’ area. There is a good chance that you will be several levels above this boss so the fight will be a breeze. Defeating him grants you an achievement and ash spirit summon.
Valiant Gargoyle & Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
Both of these bosses can be found as part of Ranni’s questline (again, more info about Ranni’s quest is here). You fight Valiant Gargoyle in Siofra Aqueduct in Nokron Eternal City and Astel is almost near the end of Ranni’s quest, just before reaching Moonlight Altar. You fight one gargoyle until you trickle his health to 50%, then another gargoyle will enter the area. It is recommended to have one spirit ash summon (mimic tear is a good choice) so that at least one gargoyle can be distracted. Astel is found at the end of the Grand Cloister area. Enter the coffin and the end and you will be teleported in from of his boss arena. Grand Cloister is located in the Lake of Rot, which you can access by heading southwest from the Nokstella Waterfall Basin Site of Grace in Ainsel River Main. There’s a lift in the area that takes you down to the northern part of the lake. Right as you emerge, you’ll find the Lake of Rot Shoreside Site of Grace. Defeating both Gargoyles and Astel rewards you with two achievements.
Godskin Noble
Located at the Temple of Eiglay in the Volcano Manor area. This temple is visible from the Prison Town Church grace, but the bridge leading to it is lowered to begin with. Instead, from the Prison Town Church grace, you must trace a path around the edge of the lava lake westward over the rooftops and then south, until you can drop down to the lava lake’s surface. Cross to the southern side of the lake from the west side and climb up to the area with many cages. One of the cages is an elevator. Climb up the steps after the elevator to reach the Temple of Eiglay. Incredibly easy fight if you use spirit summon as a distraction and defeating him grants you an achievement.
Magma Wyrm Makar
Found in Ruin-Strewn Precipice in Liurnia of the Lakes. There are up to 3 gold summon signs for the following NPCs- Great Horned Tragoth and if you have done his quest and not killed him for Rya’s quest, Blackguard Big Boggart. Also, Millicent if you have finished the first phase of her questline after she is healed. Take him down and the achievement is yours.
Mimic Tear
Can be found behind a mist door to a temple ruin in Nokron, Eternal City. It doesn’t attack immediately but transforms when you approach the slime puddle in the middle of the ruin. It basically copies you, along with your weapons and equipment. Fun and not an overly difficult fight. Defeating it rewards you with achievement and one of the best spirit summons in the whole game (aka you).
Leonine Misbegotten
A feral humanoid with feline features and a thick, crimson mane. It wields a large greatsword and is found in Castle Morne. From the “Beside the Rampart Gaol” Site of Grace, head southwest across a wooden bridge towards a tower. The boss’ arena is clearly visible from this tower. Find a ladder at the side of the tower to get to the shores below. There are several non-hostile Spirit Jellyfish here that you can stroll past. Continue on south to find the boss’ mist gate. A somewhat difficult optional boss. Extremely fast and aggressive and a lot of the attacks cause a bleed buildup. Defeating it grants you an achievement and a Grafted Blade Greatsword.
Elemer of the Briar
Found in The Shaded Castle in Altus Plateau. An extremely aggressive human boss. When entering the boss room, it is possible to sneak up behind him in order to pull off a fully charged attack. His retaliation to this will usually be a Shield-Slam Attack, allowing for an opening. One spirit summon while fighting him should be a great help and defeating him grants you an achievement, as well as Marais Executioner’s Sword and Briar Greatshield.
Commander Niall
A difficult human boss found in Castle Sol in Mountaintops of the Giants. Commander Niall is accompanied by two Spectral Banished Knights, one equipped with dual swords and the other equipped with a sword and shield. Success in this battle hinges on your ability to manage the two very dangerous knights. Niall himself doesn’t get too dangerous until the knights are defeated. Consider a spirit summon or co-op summons to even the odds since 3 against 1 is anything but a fair fight. Take him and his knights down and the achievement is yours.
Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree & Shardbearer Malenia
I’m listing both since they are found around the same area. Loretta is at the bottom of Miquella’s Haligtree and she is a non-spirit version of the boss already fought in Caria Manor. Defeat her and the achievement and the access to Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree dungeon is yours. However, to even get to this Loretta (and Malenia later) you first have to make your way to Ordina, Liturgical Town in Consecrated Snowfield. The Consecrated Snowfield region is a secret area on the lower plains of the Mountaintops of the Giants, that can only be accessed by those that collect both parts of the Haligtree Secret Medallion. Haligtree Secret Medallion (Right) is found in Liurnia of the Lakes. Haligtree Secret Medallion (Left) is found in Mountaintops of the Giants. Once you have both pieces of the medallion, go to the Grand Lift of Rold and select “Hoist secret Medallion” (make sure your action is “Hoist Secret Medallion” and not “Hoist Medallion”) to brandish your secret one. At the very end of Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree there is a boss room with Malenia Blade of Miquella waiting. Not much to say here except good luck. Malenia is insanely difficult with or without co-op summons and spirit summons. The ultimate test of everything you’ve learned so far in Elden Ring. The fight has two phases and blocking is useless most of the time, rely on dodging instead. Defeating her will grant you an achievement and her rune.
Anyway, that’s it for the achievement bosses. Of course, there are way more of them in Elden Ring that From Software managed to put but they’re not either tied to the main story or they don’t grant you achievements, therefore I’ll leave those for you to discover. In my next article, I’ll focus more on the game-breaking weapons, items, and tactics that can help you make it through the game alive. Most of the time, at least.
