The Lands Between is packed full of enemies trying to take you out, but bosses are the ones that will make you start sweating. To celebrate the fantastic monsters that make the journey to the Elden Throne worthwhile, I’ll rank them in terms of visual design.
10. Grave Warden Duelist
Since the first Grave Warden Duelist is located in the Murkwater Catacombs in Limgrave, it’s one of the first really cool bosses you’ll face in any playthrough. These beefy gladiators look almost exactly like Hades in God of War III, and they fight just about the same way too. Whereas the Greek god swung giant hooks on chains, the Grave Wardens try to crush you under their chained mallets. I honestly can’t think of a more heavy metal weapon than hammers on chains.
9. Red Wolf of Radagon
Fans of the Dark Souls series will remember Great Grey Wolf Sif – a boss from the first game and Knight Artorias’ faithful companion. The Red Wolf of Radagon is the closest equivalent in Elden Ring, replacing the gray fur with a bright red and orange coat and wielding a variety of magical moves against the player. Its design is adapted from the Old Wolf of Farron, a planned boss that was ultimately cut from DS3. A red wolf for the red-maned Radagon is awfully fitting – and the way it remains at Raya Lucaria, guarding Radagon’s former lover Rennala and their progeny, is pretty heartwarming.
8. Sir Gideon-Ofnir, the All-Knowing
I know not everybody will agree, but I think Sir Gideon the All-Knowing is a cool chap. He stalks you all around the Lands Between during your travels, waiting to see you fail, and probably cursing under his breath every time you succeed in your journey to become Elden Lord. Eventually he decides to face you, waiting for your arrival (for who knows how long) in a stoic pose at the same place you fought against the Golden Shade of Godfrey. The opening sequence, where he’s shown in a coffin, gets him the spot on the ranking. It adds mystery to the character!
7. Full-Grown Fallingstar Beast
Throughout your journey through the Lands Between, you’ll come across several Fallingstar Beasts – envoys of an Outer God residing outside the planet where Elden Ring takes place. Born of a meteorite, these beasts go through a long developmental process until finally becoming something akin to the boss Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. That said, I think this preceding stage looks way better than Astel. This beast resembles a mixture of a bull and a centipede covered in what looks like obsidian – or maybe polished meteorite ore. So, yeah, an obsidian bull with pincers and a spiky tail. Game Freak should copy this for a Pokémon.
6. Crucible Knight Ordovis
Crucible Knights are a relatively common sight throughout the Lands Between, and they’re all dressed in the same armor, with slight variations on their helmets. So, why Ordovis? Because of how magnificent Ordovis looks hovering in the sky, bright golden wings extended, raising his greatsword as he prepares to lunge at you. You also get plenty of chances to admire his form. After all, the fight against Ordovis – accompanied by a Lesser Crucible Knight in Auriza Hero’s Grave – is among the hardest in the game. Some might think that ganging up on you isn’t honorable for a proud knight, but it’s pretty fair if you summon some help yourself.
5. Ancient Dragon Lansseax
I still remember innocently making my way toward Leyndell through a carriage junkyard, picking up items and killing the occasional Omen here and there. Then, the most badass dragon I’ve seen in the game comes crashing down and blocks my path. Lansseax really knows how to make an entrance. With four colossal wings, a white/gold coat of stone scales, and high-voltage red thunder running through her body, this Ancient Dragon is one of the most regal enemies in the game.
4. Malenia, Blade of Miquella
Who doesn’t know Malenia, Blade of Miquella? Even those who never got Elden Ring must have seen the videos of people getting torn to shreds by her unmatched fencing skills. Besides being the strongest demi-god in the Lands Between, Malenia is also one of the coolest-looking. Her winged helmet evokes the image of a valkyrie, and her golden arm and leg prosthetics are a perfect blend of regal and bad-ass. Not content with being nigh-unbeatable the first time, Malenia will come back to life for a second round right after the first, growing wings made of butterflies and baring her ripped androgynous body. That’s one image I won’t get out of my mind anytime soon. Some people call that PTSD. I call it good boss design.
3. Lichdragon Fortissax
Much like Lansseax, the Lichdragon Forstissax is a glorious ancient beast who commands thunder. The marked difference between them comes from Fortissax’s corruption after years of fighting a losing battle against the Deathblight spreading through his good friend Godwyn – now the Prince of Death. His body is covered by darkened scales and thorns from the Deathblight, but his golden magnificence shines through the cracks. If you thought the red thunder looked cool on Lansseax, wait until you see it running through this four-winged black-and-gold monster. It’s truly a sight to behold.
2. Godfrey, First Elden Lord (Hoarah Loux)
To become Elden Lord, you must prove that you’re the biggest bad-ass to walk the Lands Between. Before you, Tarnished warrior, that was Godfrey – previously known as Hoarah Loux. Godfrey looks a bit like an older version of Hercules, with a glorious braided beard, magnificent armor, and an armored lion spirit biting deep into his flesh. He only becomes cooler after you get him angry by lowering his health. For the second phase of the fight, he removes the lion and bathes in its blood, regaining the savage strength of Hoarah Loux. This guy has as much swag as he has muscle – and he’s built like a brick house.
1. Maliketh, the Black Blade
The Crumbling Farum Azula is one of the most visually striking areas in Elden Ring – and its final boss has the coolest design in the entire game. At first, you face Gurranq, the Beast Clergyman you’ve been feeding Deathroot in exchange for incantations. It’s challenging, but the real fun starts after you’ve shaved off half his health. Gurranq reveals himself as Maliketh – Marika’s Black Blade who has taken the Rune of Death within himself for safekeeping, becoming a bloodthirsty beast. He’s menacing and beastly, with a chimeric body lost somewhere between animal and human and a bad-ass armor to match it. The ominous, corrupted blade is the icing on the cake. This guy looks like he came out of Bloodborne, which is the ultimate compliment for a FromSoftware boss.
