To finish Elden Ring you need to work through a fairly short chain of story bosses: Margit, two Great Rune holders (the usual route takes Godrick and Rennala), Morgott, the Fire Giant, Maliketh, Godfrey and finally Radagon and the Elden Beast. Plenty of famous bosses along the way, like Malenia and Starscourge Radahn, are optional.
Below is the main route in the order a typical playthrough meets it, then a list of big fights people often assume are mandatory but aren’t. For the full walkthrough with loot and side areas, see the Game Progress Route.
The story bosses, in order
| # | Boss | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Margit, the Fell Omen | Stormgate, in front of Stormveil Castle | Beating him makes sure Melina takes you to the Roundtable Hold, and he stands between you and Godrick. |
| 2 | Godrick the Grafted | Stormveil Castle | Drops Godrick’s Great Rune, the first of the two runes the route uses. |
| 3 | Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon | Academy of Raya Lucaria | Drops the Great Rune of the Unborn. You’ll also fight the Red Wolf of Radagon inside the Academy. |
| 4 | Draconic Tree Sentinel | Altus Plateau, outside the capital | Beating it opens the way into Leyndell, Royal Capital. |
| 5 | Godfrey, First Elden Lord (golden shade) | Leyndell, Royal Capital | Faced on the way through the capital. |
| 6 | Morgott, the Omen King | Leyndell, Royal Capital | Not optional. You can only reach him after claiming two Great Runes, and beating him unlocks the Mountaintops of the Giants. |
| 7 | Fire Giant | Mountaintops of the Giants, Foot of the Forge | Stands before the Forge of the Giants, where Melina sends you to Crumbling Farum Azula. |
| 8 | Godskin Duo | Crumbling Farum Azula, Dragon Temple | Fought in the temple’s main hall on the way through. |
| 9 | Maliketh, the Black Blade | Crumbling Farum Azula | Starts as the Beast Clergyman. Beating him sends you to Leyndell, Ashen Capital. |
| 10 | Sir Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing | Leyndell, Ashen Capital | Blocks the path toward the Erdtree Sanctuary. |
| 11 | Godfrey, First Elden Lord / Hoarah Loux | Leyndell, Ashen Capital | Turns into Hoarah Loux, Warrior partway through. Afterwards the Elden Throne grace appears. |
| 12 | Radagon of the Golden Order and Elden Beast | Reached from the Elden Throne | The final fight, back to back. Afterwards you choose your ending. |
About the two Great Runes
Leyndell won’t let you challenge Morgott until you hold two Great Runes. Godrick and Rennala are the route most guides take, but they aren’t the only shardbearers with a Great Rune: Starscourge Radahn carries Radahn’s Great Rune and Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy carries Rykard’s Great Rune. More on what each one does in Great Runes.
Optional bosses people often think are required
- Starscourge Radahn is optional in the base game, even though the usual route fights him at Redmane Castle. Beating him is what opens the way to Nokron, Eternal City. In Shadow of the Erdtree, his second form, Promised Consort Radahn, is a mandatory boss.
- Malenia, Blade of Miquella is optional. She’s found in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, and part of the way there is the Haligtree Secret Medallion (Left), which you get by beating Commander Niall at Castle Sol.
- Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy sits in Volcano Manor. He’s a shardbearer, but the main route doesn’t need him if you already have two runes. Finish the Volcano Manor questlines before killing him, or you’ll lock yourself out of their rewards until NG+.
- Mohg, the Omen is only needed if you want into the Frenzied Flame Proscription. Mohg’s Shackle helps a lot there.
- Mohg, Lord of Blood in Mohgwyn Palace isn’t needed for the base ending, but you must beat him to enter the Realm of Shadow and start Shadow of the Erdtree.
Tips for the main path
- Beating Maliketh changes Leyndell for good, so check Missable Content before that fight.
- Some endings ask for extra work before the final fight, such as Ranni’s or Fia’s questlines; the Endings hub explains each one.
- New to the game? The Beginner’s Guide covers the basics before you head to Stormveil.