How to easily beat the Red Wolf of Radagon in Elden Ring

Update: Elden Ring has undergone quite a few patches since its launch, so we've update this Elden Ring Red Wolf of Radagon boss fight guide to reflect that. We've streamlined information and added some additional tips to help you beat this four-legged foe.

Most Elden Ring players visit the Academy shortly after arriving in Liurnia, the region north of the starting area of Limgrave. Everyone is anxious to meet Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, but the path to her is fraught with danger, and a couple of tough boss and miniboss encounters.

Assuming you got through everything the academy has thrown at you so far, you’ll need to beat one more boss before you’re granted audience with the queen: Red Wolf of Radagon.

This is a somewhat challenging boss, given his lightning speed and massive damage output - but it shouldn’t take you long to beat the Red Wolf of Radagon in Elden Ring if you follow our tips below.

When should you fight the Red Wolf of Radagon in Elden Ring?

The Red Wolf of Radagon falls fairly early on in Elden Ring (we know it doesn't feel early, but it is). This boss isn’t a demigod Shardbearer, and the Wolf is technically an optional boss. That said, if you want to beat Rennala - who is a Shardbearer - you do need to beat the Red Wolf of Radagon to be able to reach her.

If you’re looking to not struggle with this particular fight, we suggest you enter the arena at character level 40-45, preferably with a weapon upgrade level +7/+8.

How to make the Red Wolf of Radagon boss fight easy in Elden Ring

The Red Wolf of Radagon is an aggressive boss which will test your quick reflexes. That said, it’s not tanky and doesn’t really have area-clearing attacks that will force you to disengage.

You can keep it occupied with the help of a Spirit Ash summon, which you’re going to particularly need if you’re a ranged/magic player. Don’t worry about which spirit to summon; any of them will do the job, so long as they’re there to distract the wolf every now and then. If you have already made your way through most of Sellen's questline, you can also summon her from outside the boss room.

How to beat the Red Wolf of Radagon in Elden Ring

The Red Wolf of Radagon is resistant to most forms of status effects, so your best bet will be landing solid physical hits in any way you can; if you're able to deal Slash damage, even better, as that's what this boss is weakest to. You can also bring in a shield, especially if it has high magic damage negation, to block some of its attacks. But you should rely on dodging instead for this fight, given how aggressive the boss is at chasing you.

Red Wolf of Radagon boss fight tactics

Although the Red Wolf of Radagon will keep up the pressure, it leaves itself wide open at the end of every one of its major moves. If you can consistently land one or two hits after the boss is done with an attack chain, you’ll end the fight in no time.

The boss typically opens the fight with a magic dagger throw. Three (sometimes four) of those will head your way a little bit after the spell is cast. Simply roll into them or to the side to avoid the tracking.

Outside of the spells, the only other thing you have to watch out for are the blade attacks. The Red Wolf of Radagon will spawn a giant orange blade into its mouth often, which it will use in a number of moves.

The most standard is one where the boss will leap into the air and plunge the sword down. You can easily avoid this by dodging just before it lands. The more dangerous variants of the blade attacks can either be a long swing combo (two-three hits), which you want to either dodge through or block, and a 360-degree swipe that you also should dodge through. You can jump the first hit of the multi-hit swipes, too, since they hit low.

It’s generally best to wait for the wolf to finish the chain before you attack. Unlike most bosses in Elden Ring, this one does not delay its attacks, nor does it mix them up beyond what you’re expecting. This all makes it easy to anticipate openings and land hits from relative safety.

When the boss is not using the blade or casting spells, it will occasionally lunge towards you and try to slam you with its head. These attacks are the fastest of its entire repertoire, but they don’t deal a lot of damage.

What to do after beating Red Wolf of Radagon in Elden Ring

While it should be obvious, you should continue through the Academy and go to beat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon after beating Red Wolf of Radagon in Elden Ring.

If you’re feeling lost about which bosses to prioritise and which to ignore, we’ve put together a full walkthrough of Elden Ring bosses, complete with tips for beating each one of them. More helpful tips and tricks, build ideas, and more await in our ever-expanding Elden Ring guide.