What is the best boss order for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC?

As you explore the Realm of Shadow in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, you're bound to encounter at least some of its dozens of bosses. And because the world is so open, it's good to know which order to challenge each boss so you're always on a level playing field.

The best boss order in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

In this guide, we'll only list the bosses that are a part of Shadow of the Erdtree's main story or its major side quests. The smaller dungeon bosses are even more optional, and while they can drop useful items and spells, you'll find the vast majority of rewards before facing them rather than one for beating the dungeon boss.

You only need to defeat four bosses out of the fifteen on this list to "finish" the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Those bosses are Messmer, the Impaler; Romina, Saint of the Bud; Needle Knight Leda and her companions; and the final boss. Many of the remaining ten require additional exploration and quest progression to unlock. Almost all the side bosses are harder than the required ones, though the final fight beats them all for difficulty.

I've primarily listed the bosses in order of difficulty, but because you can skip and/or return to so much of Shadow of the Erdtree, I've also taken the most natural order into account. Lastly, the bosses you have to go way out of your way to find are listed further down than those you would reach via more common progression.1

Rellana, Twin Moon Knight

Found at the top of Castle Ensis, Rellana is a bit further into the map than the Dancing Lion of Belurat Tower, but she's also significantly easier to beat. She's a more traditional Elden Ring humanoid boss with a shorter attack list, attacks that have simple tells, and a large but not overwhelming amount of health. She won't ask you to learn or relearn any mechanics from the base game, and her movements should be familiar, if a bit floaty, compared to enemies you've faced before.

You can skip Castle Ensis, and thus Rellana, entirely by using a sealed spiritspring in the southeasternmost portion of the Gravesite Plain, which takes you to the Fort of Reprimand in the southeast of the Scadu Altus. As such, you can return to Castle Ensis with more collected Scadutree Fragments, making Rellana a much easier fight.

Divine Beast Dancing Lion

I suggest saving the Dancing Lion until you have at least level 8-10 Scadutree Blessing. Much less, and it can easily two or three-shot even level 200 characters with almost any attack. That's especially true of the second and third phases. You can get up to seven Fragments if you fully clear the Gravesite Plain, which can be enough to justify the fight.

The Golden Hippopotamus

Between the two optional Shadow Keep bosses, the Golden Hippopotamus is both easier to beat and easier to find. You'll face it as your first challenge shortly after walking through the Keep's front gate and taking the elevator up. The biggest problem with the fight is the size of the arena compared to the boss's girth — it's easy for the hippo to fill a good half of the area in a single attack. However, its attack list, relative difficulty compared to the other options, and simplicity of discovery put it first.

Commander Gaius

To even reach Commander Gaius, you need to enter the Shadow Keep from the east via the Church District. You'll need to travel around Bonny Village to get there. However, I recommend always beating Commander Gaius, the second optional Shadow Keep boss, for a few reasons. Five of them in fact: the five Scadutree Fragments you'll find west of his arena. The fight isn't particularly fun, bordering more on annoying than enjoyable, but it's also fairly straightforward to master. The roll timings for Gaius's attacks and the attack patterns are well-telegraphed, leaving execution the main determining factor in achieving victory.

Messmer the Impaler

You should have a Scadutree Blessing of at least ten by the time you fight Messmer at the top of the Shadow Keep, so long as you collected most of the Fragments in the Gravesite Plain, Scadu Altus, and within the Keep itself. The Messmer fight should be your first real challenge in Shadow of the Erdtree. If nothing else, it's the best fight you can reach by this time in the DLC, providing a brutal fight that's satisfying to master.

Putrescent Knight

The Putrescent Knight is the first boss in Shadow of the Erdtree that takes you well off the beaten path, found as it is deep in the Stone Coffin Fissure. The entrance is at the southern edge of the Cerulean Coast, and you enter the zone after Miquella shatters his Great Rune as you approach the Shadow Keep. The Knight is at the very bottom of the Fissure, guarding St. Trina, and it's a less technical fight than Messmer or the Dancing Lion. It's also a bit easier, so long as you know that you can jump to avoid the blue flame the boss summons in its second phase.

Metyr, Mother of Fingers

I've placed Metyr here on the list for two reasons. First, by this point, you'll have easy access to the Church of Manus Metyr and both of the finger ruins. You'll encounter the Church on your way toward the Shadow Keep from the east. You should also have the O, Mother Gesture from Bonny Village, and you'll need it to open the way to the Hinterlands Finger Ruins. Second, beating Metyr gives you a chance to grab the Sword of Night from Jolan and the ability to craft the Staff of the Great Beyond from Metyr's Remembrance. The Sword of Night is one of the best Katanas in Elden Ring, and the Staff of the Great Beyond can cast both Sorceries and Incantations.

Jori, Elder Inquisitor

No FromSoftware game would be complete without a boss made of mobs, and while Jori, the Elder Inquisitor, is one of the studio's better showings, it's still more frustrating than fun. You can't even reach Jori without completing the Darklight Catacombs, which you can only get to by the end of the river leading south from the Shadow Keep. Said river is only accessible via a coffin hidden behind two illusory walls beneath the bridge leading to Specimen Storage in the Keep. Oh, and you can't access the Abyssal Woods or Midra's Manse without beating Jori, making him "mandatory" if you want all the Remembrances in the DLC.

Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame

In the far west of the Abyssal Woods, at the top of Midra's Manse, is poor Midra. I much prefer fighting him to Metyr, but I do think Metyr is harder. I've placed Midra later than Metyr due to how deadly the path to reaching him is. A hidden catacomb, the Jori fight, the Aging Untouchables in the Abyss, and all the madness effects in Manse — getting to him is a lot. Your reward is one of the best fights in Shadow of the Erdtree.

Scadutree Avatar

Deep below the Shadow Keep at the literal Scadutree Base is its rotted sunflower avatar. The Scadutree Avatar is one of the easier later-game optional bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree. I recommend facing it when returning to the Shadow Keep once it's time to proceed west and progress the story. The Avatar's attack list is relatively short, very weak to fire, and technically still three-shot the unprepared. Still, the fight is much more manageable than any other in the DLC, provided you hit the boss in the head.

Romina, Saint of the Bud

Found at the western portion of the Rauh Ruins, Romina is one of the easier bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree, though that doesn't make her actually easy. Her attacks have a long reach, and many apply Scarlet Rot. She's also one of the few required fights in the DLC, as access to the final dungeon is impossible without beating her. I've placed Romina at this point in the list because if you follow the bosss order I've presented, Romina will be a nice bit of relief from the barnburners you've fought so far.

Needle Knight Leda

Near the top of Enir-Ilim, guarding the path to the final boss of Shadow of the Erdtree, are Needle Knight Leda and whatever companions she can claim. The number of enemies you fight in this encounter and who you can call on for aid depends on how many or how few NPC side quests you've completed and their outcomes. For instance, Thiollier and Hornsent can be enemies or friends in this fight, whereas Morne can only be an enemy. Dead NPCs, or those whose quests you don't complete, won't show up. You might notice a glaring boss omission at this point in the list. We're getting to him.

Ancient Dragon Man

The Ancient Dragon Man is on this list for the same reason Jori is: you don't reach the boss beyond without defeating him. He's essentially an NPC fight, and while his damage is absurd, it's no less than other Elden Ring NPCs. Too much damage and health, the ability to act in ways regular player characters can't, and so on. However, the great katana the Dragon Man drops is a fantastic weapon for the next boss on our list.

Bayle the Dread

As optional superbosses go, Bayle is no Malenia, but we do have a guide on how to beat him if you need help. That said, he's probably the hardest boss in the DLC outside of the final one, so saving him to the end of a playthrough only makes sense. And while he's not the only boss on the Jagged Peak, you can't run from his fight like you can against Sennesax. Additionally, even with maximum or near-maximum Scadutree Blessing, Bayle's two-shot potential is incredibly high. That goes double for his second phase. His weakness against anti-dragon weapons can give you an advantage.

The Final Boss

The final boss of Shadow of the Erdtree has been significantly nerfed since the release of the DLC, but he remains the greatest challenge you'll face in the Realm of Shadow. His health pool, damage output, and the chaos he can bring to the fight are unmatched. This final fight can spiral out of control faster than anywhere else in the DLC, and my first fight took 40 hours before I saw the victory screen. Learning this fight is much easier than it once was, and if you have a solid handle on the mechanics, a lot of the difficulty melts away. Just don't get cocky.

That's my best boss order for experiencing the main and side story beat in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. You can find more than 20 other bosses in the catacombs scattered throughout the Realm of Shadow, but they offer nothing to the DLC's narrative beyond the lore in the items they drop. Many are also suped-up world enemies, earning them another demerit.

Now go, Tarnished, and explore the Realm of Shadow, and don't forget to enjoy the ruckus!

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