The Elden Ring expansion brings over 10 new bosses to the table – and you’re going to miss out if you don’t dig deeper into the Realm of Shadow. Some of the most impressive bosses are hidden away in corners of the world that aren’t so easy to find, and we’re going to share how to reach them all. Some of these secret boss locations are straight up unreasonable, requiring your Tarnished to solve puzzles when you don’t even know there are puzzles to solve. If you truly want to explore the full extent of the new world map in Shadow of the Erdtree you’ll want to find all these optional boss fights.
The secret bosses are the most overwhelming enemies in the entire series – some have their own unique dungeons and locations to explore with totally new enemies. Some paths to these bosses are extremely cryptic, so we’re going to stick with just the explanations. We’ll also show off the bosses if you’re really curious to see what’s lurking in the darkest corners of the realm. We won’t be talking about actually beating the bosses here. That’s for another guide. This is all about finding them. And we’ll start with the easiest one first.
#1 Bayle the Dread
The enormous dragon Bayle the Dread is technically the first optional boss – and it’s also one of the most difficult to beat. He’s easier to find than the rest, so we’re starting with him. To reach Bayle the Dread you’ll need to access the Jagged Peaks region of the map in the far southeast. We’re going to assume you haven’t found anything in the expansion yet, so here’s how to get there from the very start.
Go to the Ellac Greatbridge in the north of Gravesite Plains – crossing this bridge leads to Castle Ensis. Cross the bridge and find the Castle Front Site of Grace. From here, follow the branching road southeast and take the upper path. The road leads up the hill to the Pillar Path Waypoint Site of Grace. In the south of the plateau, you’ll find an optional dungeon called the Dragon’s Pit. Go inside and defeat the boss, the Ancient Dragon-Man. Instead of exiting the dungeon, you can progress further out the back of the arena.
This leads to the Dragon’s Pit Terminus. You can now access a huge section of the south map. At the jagged rocks area where a drake spawns in the pool of water, there are two paths – you can go left or right. Right leads to the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion, while the left path leads to the Jagged Peak. To fight Bayle, follow the left path. It’ll take you up and around the giant mountain. You can skip all the dragons ahead and go straight to Bayle’s arena at the top of the peak.
Bayle is one of the toughest – and biggest – bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree. Even though he’s first on our list, you’ll probably want to save him for last. The next boss on our list is so much weirder – and has its own dungeon to explore.
#2 Putrescent Knight
The Putrescent Knight is located in the far south of the map at the Cerulean Coast. If you’ve gone through the Dragon’s Pit we mentioned in the previous section, you’ll be able to access the Cerulean Coast. From the Dragon’s Pit Terminus Site of Grace, go right (or south) from the pool of water where a drake field boss spawns to find the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion. There’s a giant dead dragon draped over the plateau here. You can’t miss it.
Ride past the dragon corpse to find an area called Charo’s Hidden Grave – the distinct red foliage here makes it easy to identify. From this sub-area, you can also drop down to the Cerulean Coast to your south. The blue-hued beach can be reached by riding Torrent and falling onto the giant gravestones.
Ride to the far south of the Cerulean Coast. There’s a land bridge that leads to an enormous crater hole. Using Torrent, carefully drop down the hole until you reach the Stone Coffin Fissure underground area. Tumbling into the lowest area, you’ll need to disembark Torrent and walk the rest of the way through the dungeon on foot.
The Stone Coffin Fissure is a difficult dungeon with a gauntlet of stone creatures that snipe you. Sprint and dodge their beams until you can destroy them – standing directly underneath them will keep you safe. After that gauntlet, there’s a Site of Grace you can rest at. Progress deeper to reach a seeming dead end at the Fissure Depths Site of Grace. At this point, you’ll need to take a leap of faith.
On the giant stone coffin, drop through the statue head at the front hanging over the huge pit. Fall through the curved horns of the statue and you’ll drop directly into the Putrescent Knight’s arena. This weird boss is both a knight and his mount – he’ll jump off and attack you directly before hopping back on. Be prepared for attacks from two different angles as the melting horse will continue to attack you. This is another challenging boss you’ll be unprepared for early in the DLC. It’s literally a pile of sludge covered in bone armor. This is an extremely weird boss with a really useful reward.
Defeating the Putrescent Knight is important – you’ll need to defeat it to progress Thiollier’s quest. Progressing Thiollier’s quest will give you a useful ally in the final dungeon and a cooperator for the final boss. You’ll need all the help you can get for that.
The next secret boss is also incredibly important for fighting the final boss. We aren’t totally sure why, but it has to be. You’ll see why soon.
#3 Scadutree Avatar
The Scadutree Avatar is located much further in the main story. It’s a tough boss that has an important secret you’ll want to get before facing the final boss.
Continue the main progression path until you’ve unlocked the Shadow Keep, Church District area. You can reach this area after completing Castle Ensis – or ride the spirit spring to Fort Reprimand. Either way, you’ll be on the Scadu Altus plateau to the northeast of Castle Ensis. Find an area called Moorth Ruins and drop down the crater using Torrent. At the bottom, you’ll find a ladder leading up to the Bonny Village area. Cross the bridges north to an area with a giant cathedral. Remember that cathedral for later.
The road leads north to a tunnel that’ll take you into the flooded Shadow Keep, Church District. To find the Scadutree Avatar, progress across the rooftops until you can drop into the large church in the center of the district through the broken ceiling. Down below, continue until you find a room with a flooded statue of Marika. From here you can go north or south. The north path leads to a shortcut elevator to the Specimen Storehouse, while the south path leads to a switch. Go to the switch and use it to drain the flooded water out of the Church District.
Now that the water is flooded, we can enter the main church proper. Inside, avoid the exploding corpses and go through the right path. There’s a large room with two sets of stairs – push open the door on the ground floor to access a lift. Ride down into a cave with a long rope bridge and you’ll finally reach the Scadutree Avatar arena.
This twisted sunflower creature doesn’t die after a single defeat. You’ll need to put it down three times – and it respawns stronger after each death. Keep cutting this weed and you’ll eventually defeat one of the most impressive bosses of the game. Killing it drops the Great Rune of Miquella. We won’t spoil what that does, but you’ll want it before the final boss.
#4 Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame
One of the most terrifying bosses in the series is hidden in an incredibly spooky section of the map that’s also so easy to miss. If you’re not searching every optional dungeon thoroughly, you’ll miss out on the best content in Shadow of the Erdtree. Midra is the embodiment of the Frenzied Flame, a secret madness mechanic in base Elden Ring. He lives in a spooky forest with his own haunted mansion dungeon – all stuff we love. Here’s how to reach the Abyssal Woods.
To find this secret area, you’ll need to reach the Shadow Keep in the main story progression. From the Golden Hippopotamus boss room, unlock the shortcut to the right to access the castle ramparts that lead to the Specimen Storehouse. Go through the shortcut door and to the right to find a ladder leading down on the wall.
Take the ladder down to enter a dead-end room with a painting. Don’t leave yet, because there’s a huge secret here. Attack the right-hand wall as you enter to find an Illusory Wall. Take the lifts down and you’ll reach the Castle Watering Hole Site of Grace – a huge lake area with a fort called Ruins of Unte. Ignore that and the giant bonfire monsters for now.
Ride south all the way to the lake. There’s a forest of red trees at the end of Recluses’ River where you’ll find an optional dungeon called the Darklight Catacombs.The dungeon is extremely dark, so you’ll need to use switches to light rooms up. This is a challenging dungeon, but keep going to the bottom. After four floors, you’ll reach an impressive boss fight against Jori, Elder Inquisitor.This is where it becomes clear this isn’t just an average dungeon.
Jori is a minor boss and defeating him unlocks the path to the Abyssal Woods. You can’t ride Torrent in this dark depths – and you’ll want to heed the warning messages. There are enemies here that can’t be killed. If you see decrepit creatures with oversized glowing heads, you’ll need to avoid them. Crouch and hide in the tall grass to sneak by. If they spot you, they’ll chase you down and kill you instantly.
Carefully navigate to the far southwest of the Abyssal Woods to find Midra’s Manse.This is a small but complicated dungeon that’s full of difficult enemies. The entrance hall looks like a dead end, but you can progress by attacking the painting. Later in the dungeon, you’ll need to attack a second painting after reaching the second floor and weaving around to the library. This is a complicated place, but use any switch you can find to progress and reach the boss arena on the second floor.
Midra looks like a pathetic old man, but if you defeat him, he powers up significantly. After tearing off his own head, he embodies the Frenzied Flame – if you’ve never experienced the Frenzied Flame, be careful. If your madness meter fills completely you’ll take extreme damage, and many of Midra’s build up frenzy. We’re just so excited to actually fight a boss that represents the spookiest side of Elden Ring – but this isn’t even the strangest enemy in the game.
#5 Commander Gaius
Commander Gaius is a powerful boar-riding knight that guards the path to the Scaduview Tower to the north of the Shadow Keep. You’ll need to get even further in the main story to fight him – if you’ve unlocked the Storehouse, Back Section Site of Grace, you’ll be able to reach his secret arena. This area is accessed by taking the shortcut lift from the Shadow Keep, Church District.
Starting at the Storehouse, Back Section Site of Grace, climb the ladder and go up the stairs to your right. Behind the bookshelves, you should find a broken wall that leads to the exterior of the structure. Ride the lift down and you’ll reach a second elevator. Ride that one down to the Shadow Keep, Back Gate Site of Grace. There’s a chapel here – remember that for later – and the boss is straight ahead.
This is one of the easier optional bosses to find, but he’s worth defeating. He’s a mounted warrior that you can fight on horseback if you so choose. I recommend fighting him next to a wall where he’ll get stuck, then you can dismantle him with an Ash of War or a cooperator. Defeating him lets you travel northwest to Scadutree Chalice where you can collect five free Scadutree Fragments. Depending on your Shadow Realm Blessing, that can be two or more upgrades to your power.
Commander Gaius is a fun boss, but we’ve saved the best for last. To reach the next boss on our list, you’ll need to complete a lengthy quest that can only truly be completed once you reach Gaius’s boss arena. You can begin the quest much earlier, but you can’t finish it until this point.
#6 Metyr, Mother of Fingers
The most twisted, nightmarish boss of the expansion is available at the end of a long quest – and you’ve got to see this thing to believe it. We’re walking into massive spoilers for literally everything, so if you’re ready to take on a space god in the Elden Ring universe, here’s what you need to do.
Start by traveling to the Cathedral of Manus Metyr. This is the giant church north of Bonny Village and south of the tunnel entrance to the Shadow Keep, Church District. You really can’t miss this area. Inside the church, talk to Ymir in the throne at the end of the building – he’ll give you a key item and a map.He wants you to sound a bell somewhere in the Realm of Shadow and doesn’t give any further instruction.
To find the first bell, go to the Cerulean Coast –this is the same area we used to reach the Petruscent Knight. If you don’t know how to get there, refer back to the second entry on our list. From the Cerulean Coast, go to the large sandy beach to the east and ride north to find the Finger Ruins of Rhia. This creepy location is full of giant stone fingers, with dirt in the shape of a giant fingerprint. Try to avoid the alien-like enemies here – deeper inside, they’ll have the ability to ensnare you with a sniper shot then teleport to you for a powerful grapple attack. Reach the center of the ruins and ring the bell to complete the first step of Ymir’s quest.
Return to Ymir and he’ll give you a second map. This is where the quest gets much more difficult. To progress at this point, you must defeat the boss Messmer at the end of the Specimen Storehouse. You’ll also need to reach the secret path that leads to Commander Gaius – again, refer to that section to access the Shadow Keep, Back Gate.
Go to the Shadow Keep, Back Gate Site of Grace and enter the small chapel. There’s a message written on the floor – that gives us a clue there’s more to do here. Stand in front of the statue of Marika and use the ‘O Mother’ gesture. This will reveal a hidden path to the northeast section of the map.
In the northeast, you’ll find multiple Tree Sentinel Field Bosses and the Shaman Village optional area. We want to keep going east. Reach the center of the Finger Ruins of Dheo – which are very similar to the previous Finger Ruins we’ve found – and ring the second bell. We’re one step closer to the secret boss.
Return to Ymir again in the Cathedral of Manus Metyr and he’ll give you one final map. It shows the cathedral itself. Rest at a Site of Grace, then return to the cathedral and interact with the throne where Ymir was once sitting. It will move and reveal a hidden ladder. Climb the ladder down to the bottom to find a third creepy Finger Ruins area. Ring the third and final bell to teleport to the Finger Birthing Grounds.
Metyr, Mother of Fingers is exactly what she sounds like. This bizarre collection of twisted hands and fingers will unleash its true power after dealing 50% damage. The surreal creature also gives birth to more Fingercreepers as the fight progresses – giving you more enemies to worry about while it summons the power of the cosmos.
This is the biggest boss in all of Elden Ring. The actual final boss of the expansion might be tougher to beat, but nothing beats the spectacle of this insanely gross monster. You owe it to yourself to fight it and collect its Remembrance. You can trade it in for a powerful staff that has its own orb of singularity, or aggravate it by using its head as a giant club.
Those are all the massive secret bosses we’ve found so far in Shadow of the Erdtree – and we’ll make sure to update you with even more wild secrets in the days ahead. There’s so much to talk about in the Realm of Shadow and we’re so excited to cover everything.
