Elden Ring is a difficult game that builds on the legacy that developer FromSoftware has established for itself. Its games aren't impossible to beat, but the learning curve is steep. The beginning of Elden Ring can feel incredibly punishing.
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Confidence can play a key role in anyone's success, so knowing which bosses in the early game are a bit on the easier side can go a long way in boosting your mood before you go off to explore the more dangerous parts of the Lands Between.
Updated October 10, 2024, by Andrew Scariati: If you need help finding the easiest early game bosses Elden Ring has to offer, then you've come to the right place. We've added two new options for you to use as practice before you dip your toes in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
15 Demi-Human Chiefs
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Located at the end of the Coastal Cave just west of the Church of Ella, the Demi-Human Cheifs bar your way from the Church of Dragon Communion. Dealing with multiple attackers may seem overwhelming at first, but the Chiefs' strikes are relatively forgiving and are a great way of learning crowd control without being entirely overwhelmed.
If you're really concerned with the fight, there's also a summon sign preceding the arena that lets you summon Old Knight Istvan. This is a good option if you're a magic user since it gives you someone to absorb damage and take aggro while you get off your spells. With the rewards you get from this fight, you'll be able to tailor your armor and progress Boc's questline.
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Almost every catacomb you'll go through in Elden Ring is an exercise in frustration, but the Tombsward Catacombs serve as a relatively simple introduction. Its boss, the Cemetery Shade, while still a challenge, also won't give you too much trouble. Beating it will get you Lhutel the Headless' ashes, and Lhutel is a very powerful early-game spirit.
As you might expect of a thin creature made entirely of shadow, the Shade doesn't have a ton of health. It can deal a lot of damage, but if you use a summon to distract it, you should be able to dish out more than it can take before it even has the chance to hit you.
13 Scaly Misbegotten
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Located at the end of the Morne Tunnel, a small mine-style dungeon in the middle of the Weeping Peninsula, the Scaly Misbegotten shouldn't give you too much of a problem, seeing as it's just a slightly harder version of an enemy you'll face in the elsewhere. It attacks with broad, sweeping axe swipes that are easy to avoid and give you plenty of time to punish him afterward.
The creature's scales do give it slight resistance to slashing attacks, but almost any other damage type will take him down with ease. If you're a magic user, almost any spell type will inflict massive damage. Beating the Scaly Misbegotten nets you the Rusted Anchor, a heavy but very powerful weapon for Strength builds.
12 Bloody Finger Nerijus
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Now, Bloody Finger Nerijus isn't technically a boss, but this invader NPC will be your first introduction to these types of enemies. They serve as spontaneous pseudo-bosses that add a lot to the lore and narrative of Elden Ring. This enemy will appear when you traverse the river in Limgrave, which leads to both Murkwater Cave and the Murkwater Catacombs.
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If you manage to stave off attacks from this Bloody Finger, a friendly NPC named Yura will spawn and help you in your fight. Invading NPC enemies can easily parry your attacks, heal themselves, and also switch weapons and stances, so getting comfortable with fighting and hopefully defeating one is crucial. Beating him, however, nets you his neat dagger.
11 Stonedigger Troll
Rewards | Roar Medallion |
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The first troll most players come across is likely the one that hops down from a bridge after they sit at the Site of Grace near the Gatefront Ruins. If you want to fight the boss version of this enemy type, you'll have to head to the Limgrave Tunnels located at the northernmost point of the lake residing at the center of Limgrave.
It's a rather close-quarters boss arena that focuses on showing you that the best way to beat a troll is to stick close to it and swing at its ankles. Do this enough times, and its poise will be broken as it falls to the floor, opening it up for even more damage and punishment.
10 Patches
Rewards if you spare him | Grovel for Mercy emote, Golden Rune |
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Rewards if you kill him | Golden Rune, Spear +7, Leather Armor, Leather Gloves, Leather Boots, Patches' Bell Bearing |
Patches is a recurring character in FromSoftware titles who relishes in trolling you in the games. In Elden Ring, he appears in Murkwater Cave as you attempt to open a chest in an empty room. He accuses you of stealing and hops down from his perch to challenge you to a duel.
If you get him to half of his health bar, he'll plead for forgiveness and ask that you show him pity. Agreeing to this will turn him into a merchant who you can buy and sell items from, as well as let you progress his own personal questline. Just be careful, as Patches is the type of person that can only be trusted for so long.
9 Mad Pumpkin Head
Rewards | Runes |
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Pumpkin Head is a classic example of a FromSoftware enemy who starts as a boss, but as you progress through the game, they simply morph into normal enemies. You can fight the boss version of this enemy at the Waypoint Ruins. Upon defeat, he'll grant you access to a rather interesting NPC that's critical for those looking to use magic.
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Pumpkin Head can drop its neat-looking helmet if you're lucky, but it's this helmet that prevents you from doing any real damage to it from the front. You'll have to maneuver and position yourself behind it after its flurry of attacks to dish out some real damage and hopefully drop it before it goes berserk once more.
8 Beastman Of Farum Azula
Rewards | Flamedrake Talisman |
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The Beastman of Farum Azula can be found in a boss arena that's oddly similar to the one where you fight Patches. Groveside Cave's entrance can be found on the left side of the small forest separating the Church of Elleh and Gatefront Ruins near the opening area of Elden Ring.
Dealing with aggressive bosses that use combo attacks is something that new players need to familiarize themselves with. That's why this fight with Beastman of Farum Azula is critical to your skill growth as it's an entry-level introduction to this type of enemy.
7 Erdtree Burial Watchdog
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Depending on the direction you traverse once you step into the open world of Elden Ring, the Erdtree Burial Watchdog will likely be the first boss you encounter. This thing may be called the Watchdog, but it's clearly a gargoyle cat. Its movements are rather stiff, and its attacks are telegraphed very well.
It resides at the bottom of Stormfoot Catacombs, and with the use of some Spirit Ashes and Strike-based weapons like the Club or Flail, you'll likely make quick work of it. Just be prepared for additional versions of this thing later in the game that possess certain elemental properties.
6 Tibia Mariner
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The Tibia Mariner is a field boss you'll first find in Summonwater Village. The boss can summon other skeleton enemies to distract you, which can sound terrifying for beginners. However, the Tibia Mariner's area-of-effect attacks do damage to its own minions, which means you can mostly focus on the boss and forget all the rest.
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As a member of Those Who Live in Death, the Tibia Mariner is extremely weak to Holy attacks. It's a nice early-game challenge that rewards you with a great Spirit Ash and allows you to move forward in the quest line of D.
5 Putrid Crystalians
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Located in Selia Hideaway near the beginning of Elden Ring, this is likely the easiest trio boss Elden Ring has to offer. However, you must uncover the secret mechanics these bosses have before you can defeat them.
The Putrid Crystalian Trio (Sellia Hideaway) offers a challenge when you first encounter them, as their core mechanic negates most damage until their poise is broken.
Once you realize that you need to chip away with poise damage if you want to win this fight, it becomes a game of separating your foes so you can pick them off one by one. This fight isn't the easiest, but once you master it, you'll feel incredibly satisfied knowing you learned something about poise and were able to manage the multiple enemies.
4 Guardian Golem
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The Guardian Golem awaits you at the bottom of the Highroad Cave. The colossal boss is intimidating, but fighting it makes you realize that the taller they are, the bigger their fall. That's because, even though the Guardian Golem is a towering enemy, attacking its heels quickly stuns it. And once he's on the ground, you can perform a devastating critical attack that can even kill it in one hit, depending on your weapon level.
The reward for taking down the stone giant is the Blue Dancer Charm, which grants you an attack bonus with a lower equipment load. If you've been running around naked until this point, the Talisman will sure come in handy.
3 Miranda The Blighted Bloom
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While exploring the Weeping Peninsula south of Limgrave, you'll find the Tombsward Cave. The cave can be tricky to navigate due to its poison-building enemies and environmental hazards. However, the boss of this cave is one of the easiest in the game.
After all, Miranda the Blighted Bloom is no different from the giant sprouts you face in the open world.
Using fire makes the Miranda boss fight trivial, but even without any elemental boost, you can take the boss down. It's just a matter of being patient and attacking in the right openings, a lesson you should learn to finish the game. The Viridian Amber Medallion you get as a reward from this fight is also extraordinary, as it boosts your stamina.
2 Grave Warden Duelist
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At the end of the Murkwater Catacombs in LImgrave, you'll face the Grave Warden Duelist. This enemy uses two hammers attached to chains, which gives him incredible power at an extended range.
The Grave Warden Duelist drops the Battle Hammer, an excellent early-game weapon for Strength-based characters.
While the Grave Warden Duelist is no pushover, he has clear projections for all of their attacks, and his moveset is somewhat slow. So, he is the perfect boss to practice your dodging and counterattack skills.
1 Soldier Of Godrick
Rewards | 400 Runes |
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Soldier of Godrick takes the cake among the easiest bosses Elden Ring has to offer, as one of the earliest fights you can encounter after the opening sequence. You can find this field boss in the Stranded Graveyard after you jump down to the Cave of Knowledge immediately after your first respawn.
It's possible to skip this boss and the entire tutorial if you just leave through the exit door instead of jumping down.
This boss is incredibly straightforward and is the boss version of the regular Soldiers of Godrick that you will encounter en masse as you progress into the Lands Between. If you want to feel like an expert at Elden Ring, then this boss is your best chance.
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Elden Ring
- OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Rating:95/100 Critics Recommend:98%
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
- Released
- February 25, 2022
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment , From Software
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op , Online Multiplayer
- Engine
- Proprietary
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 58 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- Metascore
- 96
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PS4 &PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Cross Save
- no
- Cross-Platform Play
- PS4 & PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S