Summary
One of the best things aboutElden Ring, is that it allows players to defeat the various bosses spread across The Lands Between and the Land of Shadows with any build they want. Whether it is a powerful Magic build witha matching armor set, a swift Dexterity one, or a decimating Strength variant, there are many pathways to explore.
Although many players prefer to stick to the classic dodge and strike method paired witha few great Talismans, others choose to hone their skills and set out on a journey to become parrying experts. Here are some of thehardest bosses to parry inElden Ring.
8Tree Sentinel
The Difficulty Comes From How Early He Can Be Taken On
TheTree Sentinelisn’t particularly difficult, especially for players who choose to take on the other challenges spread across Limgrave and then return to this enemy after leveling up considerably. However, players who decide to take this enemy on as soon as they touch the first bonfire in the area will find that parrying him can be very challenging.
For starters, doing enough damage to this boss with a starting weapon can be tough. On top of this, the Tree Sentinel does a lot of damage, so a couple of ill-timed parries can mean death. A good way to counteract this encounter’s difficulty is to find thebest weapons in Limgrave.
7Margit, The Fell Omen
The First Skill-check For Many Players
For many players, especially those who have never played any other Soulsborne title,Margit, The Fell Omenwill be the first skill-check they encounter on their journey. Although this boss is not particularly difficult compared to those in the later stages of the game, it can be hard to figure out when to parry him.
Moreover, his second phase has taken more than one player by surprise, and given how he picks up the pace after losing half his Health bar, Margit can be hard to parry, at least at first. Since he can move rather fast during his second phase, a Dexterity build witha good Dexterity weaponis recommended.
6Loretta, Knight Of The Haligtree
A Harder Version Of The Boss Players Face At Caria Manor
When players faceLoretta, Knight of the Haligtree, they might quickly realize that this formidable boss is a stronger version of the one they faced in Caria Manor earlier in the game. Naturally, this stronger variant is considerably more aggressive, hits harder, and is overall more difficult.
Although figuring out Loretta’s parry openings is not that challenging, having to read and dodge her attacks while trying to look for a window of opportunity is no easy task. Players who are struggling with her in excess can try to find some of the best weapons that canmelt boss health barsto make this fight easier.
5Crucible Knights
Quick Attacks That Can Be Hard To Predict
Elden Ringnot only hasmultiple endings, and a broad range of weapons, armor, and spells, but it also features various fights withCrucible Knights, who are considered by many to be some of the hardest enemies that are not actual bosses.
Crucible Knights hit like a truck, are lightning-fast, and have confusing attack movesets that can sometimes be hard to predict. This is especially true during the Crucible Knight Duo fight, where players will have to plan their every move to survive. Defeating Crucible Knights in The Lands Between yields great rewards, but figuring out the correct parry timings to do so can be challenging.
4Commander Niall
His Attacks Are Telegraphed, But Also Quite Fast
AlthoughCommander Niallis completely optional, defeating him is mandatory if players want to gain access to Miquella’s Haligtree and the infamous boss fight against Malenia. One of the things that make this boss fight so difficult, is that before players can even face Commander Niall, they’ll have to take care of the two knight spirits that he summons.
Once Commander Niall’s companions have been dealt with, players can focus on parrying his attacks. However, this is not simple, as he hits like a truck, moves really fast, and has delayed attacks, which means that there’s no room for error. Players can use the Blasphemous Blade or some of the otherhardest weapons to obtain inElden Ringto make this fight easier. But even then, it won’t be a walk in the park.
3Malenia Blade Of Miquella
Swift Blade Swings And Relentless Attacks
Maleniais, without a doubt, the hardest boss in theElden Ringbase game. Throughout the years, she has posed a significant challenge to any player who decides to face her, and while parrying can make her easier to defeat, getting the right pace to do so isn’t very simple.
Not only does she have a very fast moveset and recovers HP whenever she lands a hit on the Tarnished, but she also has the Waterfowl Dance move in her repertoire, which is deadly, to say the least. Many players agree that making her an optional boss is the best thing FromSoftware could have done.
2Rellana Twin Moon Knight
Her Dual Sword Attack Pattern Is Confusing
TheShadow of the ErdtreeDLC humbled many players who were already overpowered in the base game and felt like they were unstoppable. Bosses likeRellana Twin Moon Knightproved that things can still be kicked up a notch in terms of difficulty and present players with a formidable challenge, even if they’re at a high level.
One of the things that make Rellana so difficult to parry is that her attacks are swift, relentless, and often hard to read as she swings her two blades with the utmost dexterity and unpredictability. Like everything else in life, her difficulty to parry is up for debate, as some players say she’s easy to read, while others disagree.
1Maliketh, The Black Blade
Some Attacks Can Only Be Parried With The Blasphemous Claw
Lastly, there’sMaliketh, the Black Blade. Although there are other bosses in the base game and the DLC that are considered to be more challenging than him, there’s a particular aspect about parrying Maliketh that other bosses do not have—the Blasphemous Claw.
Some of his attacks can be parried normally. However, others call for the Blasphemous Claw, which requires players to take a few extra steps to obtain it. This, in and of itself, makes Maliketh a challenge to parry, as figuring out that a special item is needed to parry some attacks isn’t obvious.
