ER Shadow of the Erdtree Boss Order guide
Who are the required and optional bosses in the new Elden Ring DLC?
Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree stands proud as one of the best-reviewed FromSoftware expansions of all time. Not just that, it’s actually the highest-rated DLC of all time, ever, from any developer. And it comes as no surprise really, given that this small package has what is basically an entire game stowed away inside it.
Go hard or go home, I guess! Shadow of the Erdtree has a lot of depth to it, and with depth comes impressive, challenging boss fights. The good news for keen Tarnished is that this DLC boasts over ten of them, but what is Shadow of the Erdtree’s boss order, and who’s optional or required? We explain everything in this guide.
Given that this guide lists all Remembrance bosses in the game, both optional and required, here’s your warning: there are spoilers ahead for boss names and where to find them.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Boss Order guide: Which bosses are required or optional?
If you wanted to complete Shadow of the Erdtree by only doing the required bosses in Elden Ring’s DLC, the foes you need to fell are as follows:
- Messmer, the Impaler - Shadow Keep Dark Chamber
- Romina, Saint of the Bud - Ancient Ruins of Rauh
- NPC adversaries at Enir-Ilim
- Promised Consort Radahn - Enir-Ilim
That said, the DLC boasts a whole range of optional bosses for you to fight, and each of them adds to the story of Elden Ring in some shape or form. If you want to defeat every Remembrance boss in the Lands of Shadow, we recommend the following order. Though, a few of these bosses can be done whenever you fancy.
- Divine Beast Dancing Lion - Belurat Tower Settlement
- Rellana, Twin Moon Knight - Castle Ensis
- Golden Hippopotamus - Shadow Keep Front Gate
- Scadutree Avatar - Tree-Worship Sanctum, beneath Shadow Keep
- Commander Gaius - Shadow Keep Back Gate
- Messmer, the Impaler - Shadow Keep Dark Chamber
- Putrescent Knight - The Fissure Depths
- Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame - Manse Hall, Abyssal Woods
- Bayle the Dread - Jagged Peak
- Metyr, Mother of Fingers - Finger Ruins of Miyr
- Romina, Saint of the Bud - Ancient Ruins of Rauh
- NPC adversaries at Enir-Ilim
- Promised Consort Radahn - Enir-Ilim
The latter half of that list - between Messmer and Romina - are all bosses in easy-to-miss areas, so the order you do them in is entirely up to you. Though, I recommend beating Putrescent Knight and completing Thiollier’s quest before you fight Romina.
The rest of the list is organised based on area, and when you’ll likely reach them. Putrescent Knight and Bayle’s arena are easily accessible from the beginning of the game, but Metyr, Mother of Fingers means completing the Count Ymir quest in Scadu Altus and beyond. Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame also requires quite the trek into Abyssal Woods, so you’ll run into these two later down the line.
On top of that, it’s worth noting that while Bayle is accessible from the start of Shadow of the Erdtree, he is tough as nails. I haven’t had much issue with many bosses in the Lands of Shadow, but my attempts at fighting Bayle, honestly, have taken five years off my lifespan. Be sure to pay a visit to the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion - and chat with Igon - before giving the fight your all.
Aside from that, good luck and have fun!
For more on Shadow of the Erdtree, here's our Legacy Dungeon walkthroughs for Belurat Tower Settlement and Castle Ensis so you don't miss out on anything!