While most of these are pretty generic enemies like slimes, zombie-like soldiers, and crustaceans, some stand out for their undeniable bad-assery and excellent character design. These enemies make your journey to claim the Elden Throne worthwhile – and today, we’ll be looking at some of the best. From mysterious foot-soldiers to domesticated birds of prey, here’s our ranking of the coolest “regular” enemies across all of Elden Ring.
10. Exile Soldier
The Exile Soldier is one of the first cool-looking enemies you’ll meet. These mysterious warriors can be seen manning the mounted crossbows and flamethrowers in Stormveil Castle. They’re relatively tough, but they’re more memorable for their looks than their combat prowess. According to their armor’s description, these soldiers had been sent to penal colonies for their crimes – which makes you wonder why Godrick had them protecting his castle. They’re the coolest foot-soldiers by far, and their armor has an anti-heroic appeal that makes it a favorite among Tarnished heading into the mid-game.
9. Kaiden Sellsword
There are few things cooler than mounted bad-asses with giant curved swords. Kaiden Sellswords roam Limgrave and the surrounding area, oppressing the local population, guarding deliveries, and manning outposts. The steel-scaled armor and bad-ass Viking-like helmet give the Kaiden Sellsword an exotic appeal that makes you wonder whether they came from someplace outside the Lands Between. These are some of the most buff-looking humanoid enemies in the game, and though they look dangerous, the chance to acquire their awesome Dismounter sword makes them a target for Tarnished in the early game.
8. Guardian
Can you be a wretch and look cool at the same time? The Guardians are humanoid protectors of the Erdtree that you’ll find guarding the main Erdtree in Leyndell and minor Erdtrees around the Lands Between. I love their half-tree, half-human design. Their golden masks and weapons are reminiscent of the Erdtree’s golden leaves – and the bonsai growing out of their backs is really cool. You’ll even find some of them are blooming! That kind of detail and enemy variety makes taking your time to get to know each enemy in Elden Ring super rewarding.
7. Flame Chariot
Vehicle-mounted enemies are not a common sight in FromSoftware games, making the Flame Chariot immediately stand out in Elden Ring. Designed to resemble the face of a giant, these highly-mobile flamethrowers are part of the Flame Monks’ armies. They can be found near Fort Laiedd, Fort Gael, and just about anywhere you find fire-worshiping monks around Liurnia. I can’t help but give credit to the poor sap driving the thing. Have you seen it spin? That’s some Initial D stuff right there. Something else that’s remarkable about the Flame Chariot is the weak point at the top. It’s a nice detail, and it’ll force you to try some really ambitious strategies if you want to reach it.
6. Fire Monk
Next up, we have the Fire Monk, whose commanding position over the Flame Chariots officially makes them cooler. Can you imagine these absolute badasses marching on your fort, spewing fire from their mouths as Flame Chariots trample over your puny soldiers? Their armor is one of the best in the game. The cuirass was fashioned to resemble the face of a giant, much like the Flame Chariot. This all has to do with the power of fire originating in the Forge of the Giants that the last remaining giant still protects. These enemies have cool swords, lances, and flashy flame-based incantations that can only be described as badass.
5. Mounted Nox Swordstress
The Nox Swordstresses are protectors of the underground cities of Nokron and Nokstella. These sword dancers will attack you by brandishing curved and elastic swords with great skill. Their dance of death flows gracefully, shaving off some of your health with every move. Still, the regular Nox Swordstress can’t hold a candle to the badassery of the Mounted Nox Swordstress. At first, I thought they were some sort of hybrid, like Quelag in Dark Souls. Upon closer inspection, I realized these bad-asses had tamed a friggin’ giant ant. I can only dream of ever being this cool.
4. Crucible Knight
There are all sorts of armored knights in Elden Ring, but none of them even come close to this order of shapeshifting knights. Thanks to their connection to the Crucible – where life was forged – these knights can summon animal body parts in combat. They can fly with dragon wings, sweep at you with a giant tail, and even grow horns on their shoulders to ram you. According to the lore, these knights used to serve the first Elden Lord, Godwyn. Considering how much of a badass he is, it’s no wonder his underlings are among the coolest enemies in ER.
3. Warhawk
Warhawks may not be the rarest or most powerful enemies in Elden Ring, but they look amazing. Giant hawks with katanas attached to their talons? It’s so simple, yet so fascinating. If someone had thought of attaching blades to the talons of the Great Eagles in The Lord of the Rings, the war against Sauron would have ended a lot earlier. If you meet one of these on the battlefield, you better have some sort of ranged move – or excellent reflexes. Otherwise, say goodbye to your hard-earned Runes.
2. Battlemage
Usually, we assume physical strength and intelligence to be two ends of a spectrum. In reality, nothing stops you from reading some books in-between sets at the gym – as evidenced by the Battlemages in Elden Ring. If you think magic is overpowered, wait until you see what can be achieved when you bring together arcane powers with a giant wooden club. These guys are like Gandalf on steroids, or some overpowered Warhammer Fantasy unit.
1. Living Jar
At the apex of the Elden Ring coolness hierarchy, we find everyone’s favorite enemy – Living Jars. Made famous by the legendary Living Jar Alexander, these potted warriors wait patiently in crypts and other secluded places for a worthy foe who’ll battle them to the death. Being shattered in glorious combat is the highest honor for these faceless heroes. The idea of a jar with arms and legs is a bit ridiculous, but that’s part of what makes them so cool. They’re different from anything else in the game. They’re also profoundly mysterious. Why do they drop Raw Meat Dumplings? What does the wax seal at the top represent? And what’s up with the giant jar guarding the colosseum in Caelid? Hopefully we’ll learn more about them in some future DLC…
