History Sandbox / EldenRingMajorBosses

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: Placidusax's Ruin, the Incantation gained by transposing his Remembrance, works unlike any other Dragon Communion spell--for one thing, it's not a Dragon Communion at all; as it scales off of Faith instead of Arcane.

* BaritoneOfStrength: He begins the fight as a deep GutturalGrowler that is barely intelligible, before transforming into an equally deep, but much more clear and authoritarian tone as he draws his black sword.

* BladeOnAStick: Deftly wields a unique [[SinisterScythe war sickle]] that also doubles as a glintstone staff that she swings with [[OneHandedZweihander one hand]].

* NaginatasAreFeminine: Well, a [[MixAndMatchWeapon combination war sickle and glintstone staff]], but the idea still applies when other horseback bosses like the Tree Sentinels and Nightriders use massive halberds, glaives, clubs and flails, and is noted specifically as female.

* BladeOnAStick: Both of them wield the Commander's Standard halberd. [[BoringButPractical It lacks any magical enhancement or a flashy moveset, but has the highest physical damage of any halberd-class weapon in the game, which paired with the halberd's long reach and versatile moveset makes it quite powerful.]] Their halberds are utterly massive too; [[https://i.imgur.com/NLLfEPc.png 6 meters/20 feet long]] with [[https://i.imgur.com/0MKPxLG.png 205 kg/452 lbs heads]].[[note]]Volume of thehead is 0.0261 m^3, steel has a volume of 7,850 kg/m^3.[[/note]] That's over a ''hundred'' times the mass of a fairly heavy polearm head from reality.

* BladeOnAStick: Fortissax's trademark attack involves him conjuring not one, but ''two'' massive spears of dragon lightning in his hands before bringing them down in quick succession. Like his death lightning, this is an incantation that can be obtained by trading in his Remembrance.

* PuzzleBoss: Great Wyrm Theodorix is ''extremely'' tanky, does ridiculous amounts of damage and is a major source of CameraScrew due to his size, making him a difficult enemy to face head-on even with the advantages provided by summons or horseback. However, the cave he is fought in has no less than three adult Land Octopi that will start wailing on Theodorix once lured into his aggro range. Given that said Land Octopi ''also'' have bloated HP, attack and defense on top of having much more aggressive AI than normal, it's entirely possible for them to steal Theodorix's aggro and even ''kill'' him all on their own.

* BadassBaritone: He begins the fight as a deep GutturalGrowler that is barely intelligible, before transforming into an equally deep, but much more clear and authoritarian tone as he draws his black sword.

* BareYourMidriff: His armor doesn’t cover his stomach area, exposing his midriff. For some reason, the version obtainable by the player doesn’t do this.

** He's the successor to [[VideoGame/DarkSouls Kirk]], being a RecurringBoss who comes out at the most unexpected times and wearing an armor set designed to inflict damage by rolling. [[spoiler:His real title is also similar to Kirk's title.]] However, while Kirk has benevolent motives he accomplishes through immoral means (namely helping out whatever IllGirl he is currently fixated on -- either the Fair Lady or Rosaria), this guy seems to just want to take people's bell bearings for himself.

* SpinAttack: His deadliest attack involves one of these. Pumped up UpToEleven due to him being a giant dragon, his sword being even larger and performing ''three'' full rotations with his blade.

[[Characters/EldenRingMainCharacters Main Characters]] | [[Characters/EldenRingSecondaryCharacters Secondary Characters]] | [[Characters/EldenRingOuterGods Outer Gods]] | [[Characters/EldenRingDemigods Demigods]] ([[Characters/EldenRingMorgott Morgott]] | [[Characters/EldenRingRanniTheWitch Ranni the Witch]] | [[Characters/EldenRingMalenia Malenia]]) | [[Characters/EldenRingEnemiesAndBosses Enemies and Bosses]] ([[Characters/EldenRingRecurringEnemiesAndBosses Recurring Enemies and Bosses]] | '''Major Bosses''') -]]]]]

This page details enemies who are considered to be major bosses (i.e. Defeating them usually rewards an achievement) but are not Shardbearers. '''Warning: Unmarked {{spoiler}}s ahead.'''

[[folder:Leonine Misbegotten (Misbegotten Warrior)]]

* CameBackWrong: Not Rennala herself, but her attempt at the art of reincarnation is ''vastly'' imperfect. Most of the students she keeps reincarnating come back as gibbering idiots that don't last long until they die again. Respeccing the player seems far less traumatic because she's only changing your stats and not your whole body, and you're using a Larval Tear as part of the process.

!Limgrave
[[folder:Leonine Misbegotten (Misbegotten Warrior)]]
[[quoteright:341:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leonine_misbegotten.png]]

A feral Misbegotten wielding a large greatsword that can be fought behind Castle Morne.

* AttackAttackAttack: They have no defensive moves, instead bringing a constant ferocious onslaught that will make hitting them a hard task.
* {{BFS}}: All Leonine misbegotten wield large greatswords, some of them even use legendary blades such as the Grafted Blade Greatsword.
* MeaningfulName: ''Leonine'' refers to anything resembling a lion, and this Misbegotten sports several feline features along with a crimson mane around its neck.
* DegradedBoss: Functionally identical Misbegotten Warriors can be encountered as regular enemies in Leyndell, Royal Capital and in Miquella's Haligtree, as well as one half of several DualBoss encounters throughout the mid to late game.
* GlassCannon: They aren't very tanky, but their attacks are fast and hit like a truck.
* UndergroundMonkey: [[spoiler:The Leonine Crusader is the boss for the Cave of the Forlorn in the Consecrated Snowfields, and wields the Golden Order Greatsword in place of the usual swords it's kind wields. It also utilizes the sword's Ash of War in combat, incorporating Fundamentalist incantations on top of frenzied swipes with the weapon and implying that, much like its lesser kin, ItCanThink. How it happened upon the sword forged by Radagon for Marika as a dedication to the Golden Order, however, is a question for the ages.]]

[[folder:Margit, the Fell Omen]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elden_ring_margit_the_fell_omen_boss_gameplay_4k_6sq4620.jpg]]

--> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/AnthonyHowell

->''"Foul Tarnished... in search of the Elden Ring. Emboldened by the flame of ambition. Someone must extinguish thy flame. Let it be Margit the Fell!"''

A gangly, bestial Omen who fights the Tarnished in Stormhill to prevent them from reaching Castle Stormveil.

* BeefGate: Margit can be challenged as soon as an hour into the game if the player rushes to follow the Sites of Grace, and this proves to be a ''horrible'' mistake. Despite being very likely to be the first boss found, he has lengthy combo strings, fast projectiles (which he ''will'' use to heal punish you at every available opportunity), two phases, and plenty of health. He reinforces the new open-world structure by beating the player up until they go elsewhere; he becomes much more manageable if they take time to explore the rest of Limgrave and the nearby Weeping Peninsula before challenging him, particularly if [[spoiler:they spare Patches and buy the special Margit's Shackle item from him, which can stun him twice during the first phase]].
* BewareMyStingerTail: He has a scorpion-like tail, which he uses to counter back-attacks.
* CaneFu: His main form of attack is to whack you with his walking stick, which is almost as tall as he is, so it hurts quite a bit.
* DegradedBoss: He shows up again as a lifelike astral projection in Leydell, with the same moveset.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** "I shall remember thee, Tarnished." [[spoiler: Turns out this wasn't just a fancy way of saying see you in hell. You fight him again as a projection, then his true self as Morgott]]
** "Cower in fear, of the night. The hands of the Fell Omen shal brook thee no quarter." [[spoiler:Remember all those Night Cavalry bosses found throughout the world at night? They all work ''under him''. They're his 'hands' that are actively hunting you down on his orders.]]
** Margit drops the Talisman Pouch upon defeat. According to the item description, [[spoiler:it's given to the ruling lord. Guess what's Margit's true role]]?
* FloweryElizabethanEnglish: He peppers his speech with "Thee" and "Thy". It's an early hint that [[spoiler:he's one of Marika's children]].
* HeroKiller: He has a monument about all the dead heroes he defeated during the second defense of Leyndell and is in Stormveil so he can snuff the Tarnished early in his quest.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Despite serving as the final obstacle between the player and Stormveil Castle, nothing in Stormveil so much as makes passing reference to him or any allegience to Godrick. [[spoiler: Its later implied that Morgott realised that a Tarnished looking to claim a Great Rune would probably go after the weakest link first, so he conjured a projection in Limgrave to intercept anyone seeking the throne of Elden Lord before they became strong enough to pose a threat]].
* PreAsskickingOneLiner: He has a pretty good one, quoted above. And yes, he ''will'' kick your ass after he says it. [[WakeUpCallBoss Many times]].
* RecurringElement:
** He shares traits with Father Gascoigne from ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'', being an early yet difficult boss [[spoiler:who can be stunned with a secret item]].
** Being a mysterious boss who actively tries to hunt down the player character over the course of the game, he is also similar to the Pursuer from ''Videogame/DarkSoulsII.''
** [[spoiler:He is a RecurringBoss who is first fought very early in the game, with a much stronger version being fought later, like Iudex/Champion Gundyr from ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'''.]]
** And finally, being an obvious skill check boss for players who speed toward his arena without properly leveling up and learning the mechanics of the game, as well as functioning as a prelude to the monumental challenges that immediately follow him, resembles Genichiro Ashina's role in ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice''.
* TheReveal: [[spoiler: "Margit" isn't his real name, nor is "The Fell Omen" his title. His [[SecretIdentity true identity]] is "Morgott, the Omen King", and he's one of the Demigods.]]
* SequentialBoss: Starts out just using his cane and summoned daggers (which he both swings and throws). Once he gets down to half health, he will add a summoned straight sword and greathammer into the mix.
* SkippableBoss: It is actually possible to avoid fighting him and still progress through. He plays this trope straighter than other examples in the game [[spoiler:because if you defeat his true self, Morgott, and then trek back to Limgrave, you will find Margit is already gone, with rewards obtained from normally defeating Margit left on his arena]].
* SpontaneousWeaponCreation: When he's not hitting you with his cane, he is hitting you with various summoned weapons formed out of holy magic. All of his summoned weapons are actually recognizable as in-game weapons the player can obtain: his daggers are Erdsteel Daggers, his straight sword is a Carian Knight's Sword, and his greathammer is a Giant-Crusher.
* StealthInsult: If his mocking tone wasn’t enough of a clue, his comment that "warrior blood”" must run in the Tarnished’s veins upon reaching phase 2 becomes one after [[spoiler:he’s revealed to be Morgott. To Morgott, immediate son of the WorldsBestWarrior, the first Elden Lord, you’re just some wannabe.]]
* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: Margit can be fought again as an astral projection DegradedBoss in the Altus Plateau. While he's actually somewhat stronger than before, the number of levels the player may have gotten in the interim - especially considering that the Altus Plateau is a relatively late-game environment - generally makes him a cakewalk in comparison to his first encounter. He doesn't even have a boss-sized lifebar anymore in this fight. Oh, and Torrent is available this time, meaning hit-and-run tactics are much more viable, especially for ranged fighters who can easily evade his throwing knives.
* WakeUpCallBoss: Did you explore the rest of Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula to gain levels and upgrade a weapon a few times? Are you at least familiar enough with the game mechanics to dodge his attacks perfectly? If you answered "no" to both of those questions, then prepare to die, a lot.

!Liurnia of the Lakes
[[folder:Royal Knight Loretta]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/royal_knight_loretta.png]]

The spectral projection of a renowned Carian Knight, famed for her skill with the war sickle and greatbow. She and her horse guard Caria Manor from any and all trespassers. The real one is said to have left in search of a promised land for the Albinaurics, [[spoiler:and can be encountered in Miquella's Haligtree as Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree.]]

* ActionGirl: She's an accomplished warrior particularly skilled in archery and will give the Tarnished a fight.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: The Silver Mirrorshield's description reveals a rumor that Loretta [[spoiler:might've been an Albinauric herself. Though the description dismisses it as absurd, given that the shield is found at the Apostate Derelict where the giant Albinaruic Archer is found, and the full reason for her journey to the Haligtree for the Albinaurics is ultimately up in the air, it's undeniable Loretta has some connection to them.]]
* BladeOnAStick: Deftly wields a unique [[SinisterScythe war sickle]] that also doubles as a glintstone staff that she swings with [[OneHandedZweihander one hand]].
* EnergyBow: Her signature sorcery, Loretta's Greatbow (which is also obtainable by the Tarnished) conjures a GreatBow made out of glintstone energy which then fires a ''massive'', high velocity magic arrow that homes in on enemies and explodes upon impact. The upgraded version, Loretta's Mastery, is a {{Multishot}} variant that fires ''four'' homing explosive arrows at once, each of which dealing the same damage as the single shot version.
* HandicappedBadass: [[spoiler:If the rumor about her being an Albinauric is true, we can assume she is just like all other first generation Albinaurics and cannot use her legs. There might be a good reason you never see her outside of the saddle.]]
* HeroAntagonist: There is nothing villainous about Loretta; in fact, she is one of the few enemy characters who could be considered an outright hero for her accomplishments. The only reason she and the Tarnished clash at all is because she stood in the way of their quest.
* HorseArcher: Interestingly, she's only one of two true examples of this trope PlayedStraight in the entire game, the other being Radahn[[note]]Though there are mounted archers encountered in the Consecrated Snowfield, they ride [[CanisMajor direwolves]] instead.[[/note]].
* KnightInShiningArmor: Despite being a major enemy of the Tarnished, she is undoubtedly one of the most noble characters in the game, [[spoiler:having went on a long and arduous journey to find the Haligtree as a safe haven for the long-suffering [[ArtificialHuman Albinaurics]], even going as far as to cut her ties with the Carians to do so. The fact that she left a phantom version of herself to guard Caria Manor anyway only serves to underline her chivalrous spirit.]]
* NaginatasAreFeminine: Well, a [[MixAndMatchWeapon combination war sickle and glintstone staff]], but the idea still applies when other horseback bosses like the Tree Sentinels and Nightriders use massive halberds, glaives, clubs and flails, and is noted specifically as female.
* MagicKnight: An especially proficient one, capable of casting spells back to back without even catching a breath. She even has not one, but ''two'' unique spells to her name — [[EnergyBow Loretta's Greatbow]] and [[{{Multishot}} Loretta's Mastery]].
* MagicMissileStorm:
** Her forté. She will relentlessly pelt the Tarnished with all sorts of {{Projectile Spell}}s — ranging from Glintstone Pebbles, delayed-fire [[StormOfBlades Glintblade Phalanxes]] and her very own [[EnergyBow Greatbow]] — in order to keep them constantly on the move and thus vulnerable to her physical attacks. Once she reaches low health, she will [[TurnsRed power herself up]] and generate ''even more'' projectiles with each spell that she casts, thus turning her battle into a veritable BulletHell.
** This trope even comes into play before the Tarnished even gets a chance to fight her. As soon as the Tarnished even approaches Caria Manor, they will be suddenly pelted with a constant [[RainOfArrows rain of magic arrows]] without any prior warning, hinting that Loretta already has them in her sights.
* MasterArcher: Despite her proficiency at spellcasting, MountedCombat and wielding the war sickle, lore states that Loretta's preferred weapon is actually the GreatBow.
* MixAndMatchWeapon: Her war sickle functions as a bladed weapon on one end of the shaft while also containing a glintstone focus within its other end, enabling her to simultaneously swing her weapon and cast spells on the fly.
* MythologyGag: One of ''two'' characters to allude to the Corrupted Monk in ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'', and the one with a better fit: A polearm-wielding female boss that gets encountered first in a weaker phantom form, and then again in person. The difference here is that Loretta is completely optional in both cases, while the Monk is a required fight both times.
* MountedCombat: Always rides on her steed in battle, and much like the Tree Sentinels, cannot be dismounted.
* PaletteSwap: She is essentially a palette swap of the Tree Sentinels and shares many of her basic animations with them. [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] as the veritable storm of magic projectiles that she can cast makes enough of a difference that players would likely have to rethink their tactics when fighting her.
* UpgradedBoss: Is an interesting variant of this. The Royal Knight Loretta encountered in Caria Manor is simply a phantom. [[spoiler:The real Loretta had long since went on a journey to seek a shelter for the [[ArtificialHuman Albinaurics]]. Once the Tarnished reaches Miquella's Haligtree, the real Loretta — titled Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree — appears to bar the Tarnished from passing. Aptly enough, she is far stronger and more aggressive than her phantom form.]]

[[folder:Red Wolf of Radagon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/red_wolf_of_radagon.jpg]]

A massive red beast found within the Raya Lucaria Academy, where it guards the Tarnished's path towards Rennala.

* BlingOfWar: While not immediately apparent, the Red Wolf has several golden accessories in its fur.
* CanisMajor: Not only is it very large, it is also blood red and capable of casting sorceries.
* DegradedBoss: There are three smaller versions of this boss in the game that lack sword attacks: one in the graveyard behind Caria Manor, one in the Ancestral Woods, and one a little ways up the hill from Chelona's Rise. The first two are backed up by a pack of normal wolves, and the latter two are far from "degraded" and even tougher than the actual boss, since they appear much later in the game.
* ItCanThink: In addition to being smart enough to cast sorceries, the wolf will cast Magic Glintblade (which fires on a delay) before going into close combat, giving itself cover fire and forcing the Tarnished to keep track of several attacks at once. This seems to be a recurring theme with all the Red Wolves encountered, as they're smart enough to cast spells for their own advantage.
* RecurringBoss: A second one called "Red Wolf of the Champion" can be fought as the boss of Gelmir Hero's Grave. A third one without a boss health bar can be found in the Consecrated Snowfield, and unlike the DegradedBoss examples above, this one is the full boss version complete with sword attacks.
* RecurringElement: The latest in the line of [=FromSoft=] giant wolf bosses that started with Sif. It will even sometimes manifest a sword in its jaws and slash at you.

[[folder:Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maxresdefault_617.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Full Moon Witch]]

--> '''Voiced by:''' Mali Harries
--> ''"Hush, little culver. I'll soon birth thee anew, a sweeting fresh and pure..."''

A masterful sorceress and former wife to Elden Lord Radagon. Rennala can be found in Raya Lucaria's grand library, where she cares for a mysterious amber egg. For the second phase of her boss fight, see [[Characters/EldenRingRanniTheWitch Ranni's page]].

* ActionGirl: If Ranni fighting in her mother’s stead as a projection of herself indicates anything, she was a powerful sorceress at her peak who fought Radagon and WON.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: She ''looks'' human, but has weird gangly proportions and is over ten feet tall. It's possible she's Nox.
* TheArchmage: At her peak, Rennala was quite possibly the most powerful sorceress in existence, heading the Academy of Raya Lucaria and single-handedly shifting the Academy’s focus from study of the stars alone to study of the Moon. While she has slipped ''far'' in the present day, the second phase of her battle has Ranni demonstrate this aptly by conjuring an illusion of her mother at her mightiest, masterfully executing numerous high level sorceries against you. This is also demonstrated mechanically, as her Remembrance can be traded in for either her glintstone staff or a custom sorcery of her own making. Both of them require absolutely ''insane'' INT requirements to use — 60 and 70, respectively — that are well above what the player can be expected to achieve themselves by the time they actually defeat Rennala herself, even if they invested all of their levels up until that point into Int, subtly indicating Rennala's supreme mastery of the arcane arts.
* AntiVillain: She can barely even be considered evil, much less a villain, as she has clearly went so far off the deep end she hardly has a grasp on much of anything anymore. Her ''only'' involvement with the game's story is her BossBattle, and she's only even a fight because she holds one of two Great Runes needed in order to access the Royal Capital and thus the Erdtree.[[note]]Which is, in fact, still only one out of a selection of ''five'' Great Runes obtainable before Morgott, meaning that it's perfectly possible for a player to ignore her completely and thus remove all involvement she has with the game's story.[[/note]]
* BrokenBird: The TraumaCongaLine that she experienced during the events leading up to and after the Shattering broke her into a billion pieces. Tragically enough, there doesn't seem to be any way (as of current) to put her back together.
* CameBackWrong: Not Rennala herself, but her attempt at the art of reincarnation is ''vastly'' imperfect. Most of the students she keeps reincarnating come back as gibbering idiots that don't last long until they die again. Respeccing the player seems far less traumatic because she's only changing your stats and not your whole body, and you're using a Larval Tear as part of the process.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Rennala is not alright; beyond her implausible fixation with the amber egg and her ([[CameBackWrong problematic]]) resurrection rituals, she spends the first half of her boss fight barely aware of the player's presence, ''even as they're whaling on her'', seems to regard her and [[WildChild animalistic]] [[ArtificialHuman artificial]] [[CreepyChild apprentices]] as playful children. After her fight, she seems to have genuinely forgotten that she and the Tarnished even fought in the first place, asking them if they would like to be "reborn".
* CreepyChild: Not her, but the students who surround her. The Tarnished first learns of their presence when one tries to ''[[ManBitesMan bite their foot]]'' like an angry toddler. Their [[BrokenSmile wide smiles]], [[ThousandYardStare unfocused eyes]] and tendency to crawl rather than walk bring to mind ''severely'' stunted or degraded mental patients.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: After the Tarnished defeats Ranni's illusion of her in the second phase, Rennala herself will remain to offer them rebirthing, allowing them to reallocate their stats.
* DespairEventHorizon: It's heavily implied by her armor set that Radagon leaving her for Marika, followed by the Shattering which involved several of her own children going to ruinous war against each other, and the academy rebelling against the royals caused Rennala to cross this. By the time the player encounters her, she was sealed shut inside Raya Lucaria's grand library and barely seems aware of her surroundings, her attention focused solely on her egg as she works to perfect her ritual of rebirth.
* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: She's very beautiful, pale skin only accentuated by her black hair and dark clothes, but she's just utterly ''broken'' mentally.
* FlunkyBoss:
** Rennala only has one attack herself, and will mostly float around in a golden sphere maintained by some of the mages on the ground – who do the bulk of the fighting by biting, lashing out with their candlesticks, breathing fire, and telekinetically hurling random objects. The Tarnished has to dispel the sphere by hitting the mages that are currently casting it (though they don't actually have to kill them, only break their concentration), while dodging the books, chandeliers, and astrolabes that are constantly being thrown around.
** In the second phase, the Rennala projection eventually starts summoning spirit helpers to assist her, which remain until the player depletes their health or they attack enough times. She can summon a pack of four wolves, a Bloodhound Knight, a troll, or even a dragon.
* FromBadToWorse: ''Oh, boy.'' She has experienced, in short order: her husband leaving her for what many considered a woman of higher power and status; her two sons [[DrivenToMadness falling into frenzy]] and [[IAmAHumanitarian turning into man-eating monsters]]; [[spoiler:her beloved daughter ''[[DrivenToSuicide committing suicide]]'' seemingly out of nowhere]]; and her realm falling into ''its own'' civil war during the Shattering after trying to stay neutral. No wonder she's so messed up.
* HarmlessVillain: Due to her MadwomanInTheAttic status, Rennala as she is now is simply just... there, blissfully unaware of anything going on around her and unwilling to take part. Separated from the remnants of Caria and completely stripped of her power at the Academy, she stands out being the only Shardbearer who poses no active threat to the world at large. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that while she may be harmless as a villain, she will still fight back as a boss should the player intrude her domain... which is then promptly ''[[DoubleSubverted Double]]'' [[DoubleSubverted Subverted]] as she becomes a harmless NPC that can't even be killed after her defeat.
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: Once she was the mightiest sorceress of the Lands Between and rightful ruler of Liurnia, who managed to fight off ''[[BarbarianHero Radagon]]'' once and succeeded at a peaceful resolution to his second invasion. Now, she's lost her kingdom, her position, her followers on both sides, all three her children to either suicide or insanity, and most of all, her beloved husband. There's practically nothing left of the woman but a broken shell eternally obsessed over Radagon's TragicKeepsake, ''barely'' even amounting to a shadow of who she once was. It's hard not to feel sorry for the woman considering ''everything'' that she's been through.
* LastOfHerKind: She's the only Shardbearer to survive her boss fight, and will turn into an NPC upon her defeat. Even as an NPC she can't be killed, as her arena is considered a no-combat zone.
* {{Lunacy}}: As befits her title, she is strongly associated with the moon. Her headpiece is shaped like a moon crescent, the sorcery transposed from her remembrance manifests a moon as a homing projectile, and her second phase is fought in the light of the full moon. Bonus points for also being an ''actual'' lunatic.
* MadwomanInTheAttic: Quite literally, after the scholars turned against the royal family and locked her away.
* MirrorBoss: Ranni's projection of Rennala fights similarly to how a high-leveled sorcery specialist would, and once she reaches half health, she starts summoning Spirit Ash-esque helpers just like the Tarnished can (appropriately, Ranni granted them the ability to do this in the first place).
* MythologyGag: Thricefold. Her first phase is quite similar to the [[VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII Deacons of the Deep]] -- a horde of endlessly respawning {{Mooks}}, some of which will be glowing and must be killed, with Rennala herself playing the part of Archdeacon Royce (she even has a tall hat). After her defeat, she becomes one of Rosaria, allowing you to respec your stats and change your appearance (though the latter can also be done via the mirror in Fia's room at the Roundtable Hold).
* NonLethalKO: Unlike most bosses, defeating her and the illusion of her conjured up in her second phase doesn’t result in her death. You get the piece of the CosmicKeystone you need and she remains alive afterwards.
* TheOphelia: Once upon a time, she was the most powerful sorceress in the land. When you find her however, she has gone completely insane and spends all of her time cradling an amber egg while reviving students as mentally stunted children. She barely even fights back, spending most of the fight floating above in a golden barrier while the students below attack you. The real battle is against a magical recreation of her in her prime created by her daughter to protect her. And to top it off, after defeating the fake Rennala, the real one appears to completely forget that you were just trying to kill her a few minutes ago and happily offers up her services.
* PleaseWakeUp: Rennala is apparently convinced that the amber egg in her possession can hear her promises of rebirth. [[spoiler:After her fight, she seems to think that [[EverybodysDeadDave her students]] are merely hiding, and she beckons them like a doting parent trying to coax stubborn toddlers with promises of bedtime stories]].
* RecurringBossTemplate: She is another [=FromSoft=] boss who's a sorcerer that's strongly associated with the moon. Her second phase's boss arena is also a literal [[VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}} Moonside Lake]].
* SignatureHeadgear: The Queen's Crescent Crown: a tall, pointed crown shaped like a crescent moon. It raises Intelligence when worn, and unlike the Glintstone Crowns it has no downsides.
* TragicKeepsake: The giant amber egg that she cradles is all she has left of Radagon after he left to become the second Elden Lord.
* TraumaCongaLine: ''Like you wouldn't believe.'' After Radagon divorced her to become the second Elden Lord her life pretty rapidly deteriorated;
** First off, Radagon leaving her was a pretty shitty thing for him to do regardless of reasoning, especially since [[KickTheDog he took her wedding gift to him and reforged it into a dedication to his new wife.]]
** Then Ranni, her daughter and the love of her life, ''kills herself'' seemingly for no reason. This act would then swiftly be followed up by the onset of the Shattering, which was its own [[SarcasmMode barrel of laughs]] for the Full Moon Queen and the Lands Between as a whole.
** After the onset of the Shattering both of her sons rapidly fell to ruin; Rykard fed himself to the God-Devouring Serpent, seemingly letting himself be killed for a reason he likely didn't bother to tell her about, and Radahn got into a cataclysmic war with the daughter from her ex-husband's second marriage, the end result of which saw Radahn turned into a feral lunatic when Malenia infected him and all of Caelid with the Scarlet Rot.
** And to cap it all off, a civil war seperate from the Shattering erupted in Liurnia between the Academy she presides over and the old Carian Nobles trying to take their country back from her. With all of this happening to her in such a short amount of time, it's no surprise that she went more than a little quackity and shut hersef away from a world that had done nothing but hurt her and take away everything she loved.
* TrickBoss: While not a complete formality, Rennala's first phase is a simple gimmick fight that shows how incapable she is in her current state. The real fight begins once Ranni steps in and creates a much stronger projection of her.
* WorfHadTheFlu: When the Tarnished arrives, Rennala is [[TheMentallyDisturbed not in her right mind]] -- floating aimlessly around her study and muttering to an amber egg while her apprentices crawl around on the floor giggling, biting, and flailing their candlesticks. In the second phase, Ranni gives the Tarnished a taste of what her mother was capable of at her prime, showing her to have been an immensely skilled and powerful sorceress.
* TheUnfought: Zigzagged. While you do fight the real Rennala in the first phase, you're only fighting Ranni's projection of Rennala in the second phase. As a result, you never actually deal her a killing blow.

[[folder:Magma Wyrms]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/magma_wyrm.jpg]]

Once humans who underwent Dragon Communion, the curved greatsword-wielding Magma Wyrms dwell in tunnels and near magma flows in the Lands Between. One particularly advanced Magma Wyrm, '''Makar''', guards the secret entrance to the Altus Plateau hidden in Liurina.

* {{Acrofatic}}: Despite being normally slow and ponderous, one attack exclusive to their second phase involves them doing a full 180° spin on the back of their tails while sliding forwards to deliver a [[SpinAttack massive spinning slash]].
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: They are some of the largest enemies that can be fought in game. This is especially noticeable once they rear up on their hind legs in their second phase, as even slouched they easily match the size and stature of other tall humanoid enemies like Golems and Worm Faces. Theodorix in particular is massive ''compared to other Magma Wyrms'', likely due to having been a Troll in his life.
* {{BFS}}: Uses a large curved greatsword for close-quarters combat.
* BreathWeapon: One of its most common attacks is to spew magma towards the Tarnished, either by spitting a giant blob of magma, or by crawling around the arena while constantly regurgitating magma.
* {{Expy}}:
** The lore mentioning that they [[WasOnceAMan Were Once Men]] is a reference to Fafnir of Norse myth, down to the details of them crawling on their bellies and spewing lava. The fact that Theodorix used to be a troll may also be a reference to the fact that in the myth Fafnir was originally a [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarf]] before he became a wyrm.
** They are reminiscent of Ludwig from ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' in that they crawl around and fight more like wild beasts in their first phase, then stand upright and fight more like humans in their second. Also, the fact that they leave trails of mamga everywhere while they are crawling around is reminiscent of Lawrence's second phase from the same game.
* HotBlade: After [[TurnsRed Turning Red]], they breathe magma upon their swords in order to superheat it, causing it to deal additional Fire damage with each strike.
* MightyGlacier: Magma Wyrms are ponderously slow in everything they do; their movements, sword attacks and their magma breath all have extremely long and recognizable tells. This is offset by the fact that when these attacks ''do'' hit, they can easily shave whole chunks off of the player's health bar.
* PuzzleBoss: Great Wyrm Theodorix is ''extremely'' tanky, does ridiculous amounts of damage and is a major source of CameraScrew due to his size, making him a difficult enemy to face head-on even with the advantages provided by summons or horseback. However, the cave he is fought in has no less than three adult Land Octopi that will start wailing on Theodorix once lured into his aggro range. Given that said Land Octopi ''also'' have bloated HP, attack and defense on top of having much more aggressive AI than normal, it's entirely possible for them to steal Theodorix's aggro and even ''kill'' him all on their own.
* RecurringBoss: Five Magma Wyrms are can be found and fought throughout the Lands Between.[[labelnote:note]]Two simply named "Magma Wyrm" in Gael Tunnel and Mt. Gelmir, Magma Wyrm Makar in the Ruin-Strewn Precipice, Great Wyrm Theodorix in the Consecrated Snowfield and a miniboss version in the Volcano Manor.[[/labelnote]]
* SkippableBoss: There exists multiple ways of getting to either the Altus Plateau or Leyndell without having to fight Magma Wyrm Makar, though defeating him nets you an achievement.
* TurnsRed: After reaching half health, they breathe magma onto their blades and begin to fight while standing on their two hind legs. This gives them an entirely new moveset which, while not at LightningBruiser levels, is faster, more mobile and more aggressive than their crawling first phase.
* WasOnceAMan: Becoming a Magma Wyrm is what happens to those who pursue the path of Dragon Communion and lose themselves to the dragons' influence. Theodorix is especially notable, as the description of the Theodorix's Magma incantation implies that he was once a ''[[OurTrollsAreDifferent Troll]]'' who fought in the War of the Ancient Giants. Thankfully for the Tarnished, GameplayAndStorySegregation is in full effect; no matter how many dragon hearts they consume, the risk of becoming a Magma Wyrm never looms over their heads.

!Caelid
[[folder:Veteran Commanders]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/commander_oneill.jpg]]

Commanders of lords that had fled, these undying, masterless veterans can summon spirits to do their bidding. There are two veterans: '''Commander O'Neil''', who resides in the heart of the Aeonia Swamp, and '''Commander Niall''', who protects Castle Sol at the Mountaintop of the Giants.

* AerithAndBob: O'Neil and Niall stand out among the bosses and the inhabitants of the Lands Between in general for having remarkably ordinary names. On this very page, contrast Margit, Rennala, Fortissax, Malekith, and Placidusax.
* AmbiguouslyRelated:
** O'Neil and Niall's relation is never stated, but they're clearly close, having near-identical character models (including uniforms) and names. In fact, O' is an Anglicized version of Ó, an element of Irish names meaning "descendant of", and Neil is just an Anglicized version of the Irish name Niall, so O'Neil's name is literally "descendant of Niall."
** It's not immediately apparent that O'Neil serves Malenia, but the [[https://i.imgur.com/JmA4OiW_d.webp?maxwidth=760&fidelity=grand similar designs]] [[https://imgur.com/e4FbFy6 of their capes]] (both being crimson with golden circles made of thorn-like patterns) and his banner having a [[https://i.imgur.com/3urB051.png crimson gold color scheme]] (nothing like Radahn's banners yet the same scheme as Malenia's Cleanrot Knights) basically confirm it.
* ArmyOfThievesAndWhores: O'Neil and Niall both lead "soldiers of no nation", the latter summoning the spirits of Banished Knights and the former the spirits of Exile Soldiers (some Banished Knights wearing hoods similar to Exile Soldiers can also be found wandering not too far from O'Neil's arena). It makes sense then that they're associated with Malenia and Miquella's Haligtree, the land of outcasts and refugees.
* BladeOnAStick: Both of them wield the Commander's Standard halberd. [[BoringButPractical It lacks any magical enhancement or a flashy moveset, but has the highest physical damage of any halberd-class weapon in the game, which paired with the halberd's long reach and versatile moveset makes it quite powerful.]] Their halberds are utterly massive too; [[https://i.imgur.com/NLLfEPc.png 6 meters/20 feet long]] with [[https://i.imgur.com/0MKPxLG.png 205 kg/452 lbs heads]].[[note]]Volume of thehead is 0.0261 m^3, steel has a volume of 7,850 kg/m^3.[[/note]] That's over a ''hundred'' times the mass of a fairly heavy polearm head from reality.
* BloodKnight: Implied of O'Neil by the description of the Commander's Standard; he's the only veteran of the Battle of Aeonia who remembers it with pride, including Malenia herself, even though the death wrought in it (including on ''his'' side) was second only to the Siege of Volcano Manor.
* BlowYouAway: Both can create brief whirlwinds by the swing of their Standards. Notably, O'Neil's disturbs the Scarlet Rot of his arena and makes it a part of those attacks, while Niall, being in a castle situated on a snowfield, has his whirlwinds cause frostbite instead.
* ColonelBadass: Both of them were field commanders in their lords' armies, and perfectly willing to fight alongside their men. Their command abilities are even a gameplay mechanic with the Ash of War of their halberds boosting the stats of their flunkies.
* FlunkyBoss: Both summon the spirits of soldiers to help them. O'Neil summons two waves of Exile Soldiers at separate points while Niall starts the battle with two Banished Knights at his side. They can also use their Rallying Standard StatusBuff to augment their soldiers.
* HandicappedBadass: Niall has a bladed prosthetic leg, and naturally, it makes him even more dangerous than O'Neil due to him being able to channel ''lightning'' with it.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The summoned spirits can be affected by the Bewitching Branch, turning said summons against their Commander.
* LargeAndInCharge: Each of them are nine feet tall and broadly built, huge even compared to their seven foot plus knights, much less common foot soldiers.
* LightningBruiser: Niall, once he's on his lonesome, can leap around like a grasshopper while spamming lightning [=AOEs=], with the added bonus of being much sturdier and stronger than O'Neil.
* MightyGlacier: O'Neil is a huge guy that hits hard with his appropriately-huge halberd, and is extremely durable for his place in the game,[[note]]He has 11,400 health and 10-35% resistance depending on the damage source. In the same area, ''General Radahn'' only has 9,600 health and 10-20% resistance across the board.[[/note]] but he's limited to a regular walk speed and his attack frequency is low due to his swings having a lot of wind-up.
* NoSell: O'Neil is completely immune to Rot build-up. Seeing as how his stronger clone Niall is very vulnerable to the same, this is certainly because of the Unalloyed Gold Needle he's carrying, which you presumably break in the process of defeating him.
* OldSoldier: Veterans of the Shattering war.
* TurnsRed: Defeat Niall's knights and he busts out more deadly area attacks.
* UndyingLoyalty: Even when their masters (Malenia[[note]]The sigil on his cape and halberd is the same as the one on Malenia's cloak, he carries Miquella's unalloyed gold needle, his halberd's description says his lord fled the battlefield of Aeonia, and Cleanrot knights patrol the outskirts of his arena.[[/note]] for O'Neil and an unnamed "long-passed master"[[note]]Per his Veteran Armor's item description. Heavily implied to be Godwyn, as the ghosts in Castle Sol talk about trying to resurrect him and the Commander's Standard banner has the same symbol as the banners at Stormveil Castle. Though he appears to be associated with Malenia and Miquella in the present, as he guards half of the Haligtree medallion and Millicent notes that he was "given a medallion that allowed him to visit the Haligtree."[[/note]] for Niall) are no longer with them, they still do their duties regardless. Special mention goes to O'Neil; not only does he still zealously guard the remnants of Malenia's golden needle at the ''center'' of a poisonous swamp despite having ample opportunity to leave (presumably in case she comes back), he's stated to be "the sole veteran who remembers the battle with pride." This being the battle where his boss unwittingly ''infected him with a flesh-eating disease and left him to rot for years after.'' The guy is dedicated.

!Siofra Aqueduct
[[folder:Ancestor Spirits]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ancestor_spirit.png]]
Ancient spirits that take the form of undead elk, they are the deities of the Ancestor Followers worshipped in the Siofra River.

* AmbiguouslyRelated: Their DoubleJump ability looks almost ''exactly'' like Torrent's, yet any relation between them (such the spirits and the spectral steed drawing their power from the same source) is never hinted at.
* DissonantSerenity: The Spirit's size, arena and undead form might be intimidating at first glance, but its graceful patterns and leitmotif are surprisingly serene.
* DoubleJump: The Ancestor Spirit can step in the air up to four times, usually ending in a stomp attack.
* LifeDrain: When it's at low health it will project a field that will suck the life out of anything nearby to restore its health.
* MagicFire: Attacks with ghostly fire that covers areas that deal damage over time.
* TheMarvelousDeer: The Ancestor Spirit resembles a huge deer or elk, although very old and rotted, covered in teal fire.
* MysteriousPast: Beyond not being connected to the Greater Will, just ''what'' the spirits are and where they come from is never hinted at. [[spoiler: Especially concerning a possible connection to an Outer God: Their seeming undeath and use of ghostflame are both abilities derived from Destined Death, but their animal shape and residence in the Siofra River imply a connection to both the Crucible of Life and the Dark Moon]]. Making it stranger is that one can acquire the ''infant'' skull of an ancestor Spirit, implying that there's an entire species of these creatures with their own life cycle.
* RecurringBoss: There are two Ancestor Spirits. While one is below at the Siofra River, The Regal Ancestor Spirit is up in Nokron. Though there are achievements for defeating both, only the Regal Ancestral Spirit gives a Remembrance.

[[folder:Valiant Gargoyles (Black Blade Kindreds)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/valiant_gargoyle.png]]

Giant winged humanoids made of rock and corpse wax that guard forbidden areas. They either wield a halberd with a sword or a twinblade with an axe.\\\

A more powerful variant known as '''Black Blade Kindreds''' are mended with black corpse wax and serve Maliketh, Destined Death.

* BreakingOldTrends: It was pretty much taken for granted that any ''Souls'' game would have a creature who either heavily resembled or was an outright MovesetClone of the Belfry Gargoyles from ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI''. These guys are instead completely distinct other than an association with halberds and the ability to breathe fire.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The Black Corpsewax mending the Black Blade Kindred and their weapons is described as a mark of those who serve Maliketh, the Black Blade. [[spoiler:The one guarding the entrance of the Beast Sanctum is a major hint of Gurranq's true identity.]]
* ImpossiblyGracefulGiant: They wield their weapons with the same speed, flexibility and grace as a human-sized enemy could despite being much larger. This makes them much more dangerous than most other giant enemies that are otherwise more lumbering and predictable in their movements.
* LightningBruiser: They are fast, very durable and use their large size to close in reach with their weapons. They are among the strongest enemies in the game, especially the Black Blade Kindred.
* MultiMeleeMaster: They will wield ether a halberd and a sword or a twin blade and an axe, switching between weapons occasionally.
* OurGargoylesRock: They're as big as giants and are made from a combination of rock and corpse wax.
* OptionalBoss: The Valiant Gargoyle DualBoss in Siofra Aqueduct yields an achievement for HundredPercentCompletion, but can be circumvented via an alternate ([[PlatformHell but much tougher]]) route to the Deeproot Depths. Both Black Blade Kindreds can also be circumvented if you just bolt past them to wherever you're headed.
* PoisonousPerson: The Valiant Gargoyles can breathe poison, which covers a large portion of the arena and lingers for quite a long time.
* ReforgedBlade: Like the Gargoyles themselves, their bronze weapons are mended with corpse wax.
* TwoFaced: Their face is actually two separate faces mended together.

!Ainsel River
[[folder:Dragonkin Soldiers]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dragonkin_soldier.jpg]]

Massive draconic humanoids who were once soldiers of the Eternal City. Long after the City's destruction, they still stand guard even in their decrepit state.

* AnIcePerson: A combination of this and ShockAndAwe. After its health reaches below a certain threshold, the Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella will begin to use frozen lightning.
* BandageMummy: Covered from head to toe in decaying bandages.
* BareFistedMonk: Despite being dragonkin, the Dragonkin Soldiers cannot breathe fire or conjure elements at all and relegate themselves to simple clawing and biting. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] for the Soldier of Nokstella who eventually regains the ability to use frozen lightning.
* BizarroElements: The Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella has the ability to manipulate ''frozen lightning'', which is [[YellowLightningBlueLightning blue lightning]] that can cause the [[AnIcePerson frostbite status]]. Slaying the Soldier of Nokstella allows the Tarnished to obtain its incantation version, Frozen Lightning Spear. The other two drop weapons that can channel frozen lightning with their Ashes of War.
* BlingOfWar: Covered head to toe in brilliant golden armor that, unfortunately, does nothing to hide their withered, leprous skin.
* BodyHorror: Likely due to whatever condition that had befallen them, the Dragonkin Soldiers' stomachs seem to have rotted away completely, leaving a hollow in their bellies from which the Tarnished can see that ''they have no organs in their torso at all''. How they are still alive at that point is anyone's guess.
* {{Expy}}: To Seath the Scaleless of ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'', being imperfect dragons who lacked the immortality of their own kind and sought to obtain it. Unlike Seath, the Dragonkin Soldiers were never able to achieve immortality and their bodies began to rot away.
* GiantFlyer: Despite being the size of a house, the Soldier of Nokstella has no trouble lifting its tremendous body with its comparatively ''tiny'' wings, albeit for only a brief few seconds.
* HandicappedBadass: Their bandages, withered musculature as well as their heavily diseased and scarred skin all suggest that they have some form of leprosy, which has progressed to a state that has left them too weak to walk or fly. In no way does this stop them from squishing the Tarnished to bits. Eventually [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the case of the Soldier of Nokstella, who in the midst of battle regains the strength needed to take flight, if only for a short while.
* HeroicSecondWind: Not for the Tarnished, but for ''the boss''. Once the Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella reaches below half of its health, it will gain a surge in strength and becomes able to use its withered wings to fly once more as well as manipulate its characteristic frozen lightning. The Soldiers found in Siofra River and the Lake of Rot are, fortunately, exempt from this.
* ImmortalitySeeker: They attempted to obtain immortality to be just like their skyward brethren. This attempt ultimately failed, leaving them in their current, decrepit state.
* OptionalBoss: There are a total of three Dragonkin Soldiers found in the game[[labelnote:note]]One in Ainsel River, one in Siofra River and one in the Lake of Rot[[/labelnote]] and all of them are only found in hidden areas of the already hidden underground sections. Defeating them is totally inconsequential to progressing further in any those areas, much less completing the game (although defeating the Soldier of Nokstella yields an achievement for one seeking HundredPercentCompletion).
* ShockAndAwe: Combined with AnIcePerson, in the case of the Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella.
* SuperSoldier: They started off as an attempt to claim the power of the Ancient Dragons by the Nox. After it became clear none of them could escape degeneration, they were repurposed as war machines.
* YellowLightningBlueLightning: The Soldier of Nokstella's frozen lightning is colored an icy blue.

!Lake of Rot
[[folder:Astels]]
!!Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/astel.jpg]]

A class of huge meteor-caster malformed stars capable of calamitous destruction. The largest and most powerful of alien entities who emerged out of Falling Stars which fell to Lands Between, the Astels are also among the oldest star spawn creatures which roam the realm. Two are encountered: the '''Naturalborn of the Void''' and the '''Stars of Darkness.'''\\\

Given the character's role in the game's lore and story-related quests, the Naturalborn is a WalkingSpoiler, so '''all spoilers are unmarked'''.

[[/folder]]