Last updated: 3 July 2026

Elden Ring Boss Checklist — Required & Remembrance Bosses

Every major boss in Elden Ring and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, grouped by region and ordered by typical progression — check them off as you defeat each one. Required bosses are those standing between you and the credits; optional ones are the named remembrance holders and key questline encounters you can skip but probably shouldn't. All 28 tracked bosses span both categories. Progress is saved locally in your browser.

01Boss Checklist

02Required vs Optional: What the Labels Mean

Elden Ring has no formal difficulty select, but it does have a soft list of bosses you cannot skip on any path to the final fight. The checklist labels a boss required if defeating it is necessary on the minimum-completion route, and optional if the game lets you reach the credits without ever facing it.

The baseline required sequence through the base game:

1. Margit, the Fell Omen — guards the gate into Stormveil Castle; bypassing the castle entirely is possible via a side cliff path, but locks you out of Godrick.
2. Godrick the Grafted — first Shardbearer; his Great Rune (plus one other) is needed to pass the fog gate protecting Leyndell's outer wall.
3. Morgott, the Omen King — the capital's final gatekeeper; defeating him grants passage to the Mountaintops of the Giants.
4. Fire Giant — must be defeated to light the Erdtree flame and open the path to Crumbling Farum Azula.
5. Maliketh, the Black Blade — his death transforms Leyndell into the Ashen Capital and unlocks the final sequence.
6. Sir Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing — mandatory encounter in the approach to the Ashen Capital's final area.
7. Godfrey, First Elden Lord / Hoarah Loux — penultimate boss of the base game, two-phase fight in the Ashen Capital.
8. Radagon of the Golden Order / Elden Beast — two-phase final boss; no Site of Grace between phases.

For the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Messmer the Impaler (Shadow Keep) and Romina, Saint of the Bud (Ancient Ruins of Rauh) must both be defeated to unlock Enir-Ilim, where the DLC's final boss waits. Accessing the DLC itself first requires defeating Mohg, Lord of Blood in the base game and then interacting with Miquella's Cocoon in Mohgwyn Palace.

A note on Starscourge Radahn: Radahn is not strictly required for game completion — you can reach Leyndell using Godrick's Great Rune plus any other Shardbearer's rune (Rykard or Mohg both qualify). However, his defeat is needed to trigger the Nokron meteorite impact, which opens access to the underground city required for Ranni's questline and the Age of Stars ending. The vast majority of first playthroughs beat him.

03Tips for the Hardest Optional Encounters

Optional does not mean easy. Several of Elden Ring's most demanding fights can be skipped entirely, but most players consider them highlights of the game:

• Malenia, Blade of Miquella — arguably the hardest boss in the game. She heals on every hit, including blocked attacks. Learn the Waterfowl Dance (dodge toward the final slash), use Spirit Ashes to split her focus, and be patient rather than greedy in Phase 2.
• Dragonlord Placidusax — hidden boss accessed by lying down on a specific crumbling platform in Crumbling Farum Azula. Surprisingly manageable once found; stay beneath his chest and target the rear legs to avoid most attacks.
• Bayle the Dread — the DLC's most spectacular optional dragon encounter. Summon Igon's sign near the arena entrance for NPC support, stack fire negation, and use a bleed weapon — hemorrhage procs deal heavy percentage damage against his huge HP pool. Apply Dragonwound Grease for bonus dragon-class damage.
• Scadutree Avatar — a large flower-dragon optional boss in Scaduview. A Scadutree Blessing of 14 or higher makes a dramatic difference in survivability; stay behind it and attack the stalk base.
• Lichdragon Fortissax — reached through Fia's questline in Deeproot Depths; defeating him unlocks the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince needed for the Age of Duskborn ending. Lightning damage is especially effective.

04Frequently Asked Questions