Spirit Ashes are the offline companions you need to make the unreasonable challenge of Shadow of the Erdtree just a little bit easier. Most of us are going to stick with the incredible Mimic Tear summon – the Spirit Ash that copies your form down to the armor and weapons you’ve got equipped. That’s still one of the best Spirit Ashes in the game, but you owe it to yourself to try some of the other unlocking NPC allies. There are some incredible choices in this DLC and we’re going to tell you where to find our favorites.
Some of these Spirit Ashes are so good they can even survive the ridiculous final boss fight – one is the tankiest spirit in the entire game. Others are powerful mobile cannons, pairs of killer knights and much more. You can turn some of your worst enemies into friends with these hidden spirit summon locations, and the first Spirit Ash on our list is completely unreasonable to unlock yourself. If you didn’t find this one, we really don’t blame you.
#1 Jolan & Anna
After dozens of hours in the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, we thought we’d found basically everything there was to discover. We’d found alternate Ancient Dragon transformations, insane hidden bosses and the weirdest weapons imaginable. But there’s still one giant secret you can only access from one of the most optional location in the entire expansion. Getting the Jolan & Anna Spirit Ash is an unreasonable quest, but that’s worth doing. This pair of knights is one of the best summons in the game – after fully upgrading, they might just be the best.
The problem is earning them at all. To get Jolan & Anna, you’ll need to complete Ymir’s Quest – the spooky guy waiting for you inside the Cathedral of Manus Metyr.This cathedral is available as early as you can reach Moorth Ruins in Scadu Altus plateau and use Torrent to drop down to the bottom level. Once you climb up into the Bonny Village, you’ll be able to follow a straight path across bridges to the upper plateau with this giant cathedral. It’s a stone’s throw from the Shadow Keep, and we can’t cover every step of the quest here. You can learn more on our secret bosses guide.
Instead, let’s talk about the end. After finding all three Finger Ruins locations and fighting the secret boss, your quest isn’t quite over yet. Return to the Cathedral of Manus Metyr and you’ll be ambushed by the knight Jolan, then by Ymir himself after his transformation. You may need to rest then return later, or just interact with the throne, but he’ll eventually attack you after defeating the giant boss. Beat this boss then rest and return to find Jolan mortally wounded on a stone pillar. This is the same spot you’d find her waiting whenever you visited the cathedral.
Before talking to her, you’ll need to collect a rare item called the Iris of Grace. There are two of these items and both are in the Shadow Keep. One is located in the Specimen Storehouse, in the large sickroom full of broken Jarmen. Take the lift down from the Storehouse first floor then jump into the large sickroom. You’ll find the Iris of Grace in the dark area directly beneath the entrance balcony.
Going back to Jolan, talk to her when she’s mortally wounded after defeating the hidden Ymir boss fight. Give her the Iris of Grace item and you’ll be rewarded with the Jolan Spirit Ash. But that isn’t what we’re after – there’s still one more step to complete.
This is where things get really cryptic. Next, we need to access the Shaman Village. This is an optional village in the northeast corner of the map – which can only be reached by completing a puzzle in the chapel near Commander Gaius’s boss arena. You’ll find the path to Commander Gaius from the Specimen Storehouse Loft then take lifts down to the back entrance of the Shadow Keep. From this Site of Grace, there’s a small chapel with a mysterious developer message. To unlock the path forward, use the ‘O Mother’gesture on the statue of Marika in the chapel. The wall will open and reveal a path to the second Finger Ruins area and the Shaman Village.
This is actually an area you’ll need to visit to complete Ymir’s Quest – but it’s also the most difficult step to complete. If you haven’t finished Ymir’s Quest, that’s how to reach the second Finger Ruins. Go to the Shaman Village and go to the highest edge facing Rabbath’s Rise. There’s a hidden path on the cliffs you can drop down to reach a secret tower room at the very top of Rabbath’s Rise.
Follow the path down to find a hidden room, carefully dropping to each safe step jutting out of the mountain. Finally, you’ll need to drop onto a balcony leading into the tower itself. Inside the tower, there’s a strange doll you can interact with. If you have the Jolan Spirit Ash, you’ll be prompted to combine the souls together – this creates the Jolan & Anna Spirit Ash. And it’s one of the best in the game. After all that work, it should be.
The Jolan & Anna Spirit Ash costs a whopping 144 FP to summon, so buff up your Mind to prepare. The ash generates two knights with different bleed-based weapons. They attack extremely fast and when properly upgraded deal huge damage, staging and overwhelming enemies with a flurry of attacks. They aren’t the toughest spirit summons but they can last a long time if you fight side-by-side with them, drawing aggro while they hit from behind. They’re the hardest Spirit Summon to unlock in the expansion and they’re worth it.
#2 Fire Knight Hilde
All those annoying Fire Knights in the Shadow Keep can be turned to fight for you – if you can find the hidden Fire Knight Hilde spirit ash. This does exactly what you think it will. It summons a Fire Knight with one of those colossal swords they wield, dealing crazy poise damage while dodging and throwing around barrages of fireballs. They’re a rock steady companion and getting them can be pretty tricky. You’ll need to progress to the Specimen Storehouse.
At the Specimen Storehouse, progress up to the top of the tower. There’s a hole in the wall above the Back Area site of grace – climb the tall ladder and go up the stairs to find the hole to your right. This leads to a lift that takes you up to the Specimen Storehouse Loft at the very top of the keep. This is a precarious area made of wooden scaffolding that’s guarded by bats and other annoying enemies. Don’t fall down and reach the pair of elevators in one corner of the area. Step on the lifts to make the one closest to the exterior walls lower – to reach the item we’re after, you’ll need to activate the lift, then drop down onto the roof of the cage as it raises up. Do it and you’ll be very close to a corpse hanging from a ledge.
Jump to the body and grab the item. This is the Fire Knight Hilde spirit summon. This is another expensive summon – it costs 116 FP to call, so you’ll need some points in Mind if you want to get this guy to help you out. Luckily, the next Spirit Summon is a little more affordable in the FP department, but finding him isn’t any easier.
#3 Bigmouth Imp Ashes
Here’s a Spirit Ash that’s completely different. The Bigmouth Imp is one of the obnoxious enemies you’ll encounter in one of the crypts found all over the Realm of Shadow – these stone gargoyles have cannons molded onto their heads directly, where they generate and lob explosive cannon balls at enemies. They’re surprisingly efficient and deal very high damage to poise. They’ll also stay far out of a fight and continue to pelt your foes while you’re engaging with them, making this a very useful summon for the right situation.
The Bigmouth Imp Ashes are found in the Darklight Catacombs – a dungeon that leads to the Abyssal Woods. If you haven’t found the way to this spooky dungeon, you’ll need to climb down the ladder to the right of the Specimen Storehouse entrance lift. The ladder is built into the castle walls where the burning boats are found. Attack the wall to the right of the painting to find a hidden path to a coffin – which you can ride down to an entirely different path.
Down below, simply follow the river downstream to the darkest, foggiest grasslands possible. That’s where you’ll find the Darklight Catacombs – and the interior is even worse. The mini-dungeon is extremely dark, so you’ll need to find switches to restore light and make navigation a whole lot easier. To find the spirit ash we’re looking for, delve down to the third floor from the top.
On the third floor you’ll encounter a giant Bigmouth Imp that fires giant cannon balls. To kill it, sprint forward and then down the path directly left of the tall platform where the huge enemy is located. Down the left road, there’s a switch the turns on lights and lowers the giant Bigmouth down so you can reach it. Take out the monster and continue past it, dropping down into a treasure room to claim your reward.
While the Bigmouth Imp is weak and will go down after taking a little damage, it’s such a useful – and constant – annoyance for tough enemies and bosses. Even big enemies will go flying after each shot. Upgrade it and you’ll be shattering poise constantly, leaving enemies open for a powerful critical attack. It can also lob attacks from far away. Just don’t try to use it in complicated areas. It’ll just shoot straight into walls.
#4 Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh
One of the easier Spirit Summons to find is still incredibly useful – the Demi-Human Swordman Yosh is a surprisingly nimble little guy that goes nuts with his magic-infused sword. Fans affectionately call this guy Yoda for obvious reasons – he’s a tiny goblin that spins like crazy when he’s let off his leash.
This is one of the first Spirit Summons you can earn in the DLC area. From the Castle Ensis Front Gate Site of Grace, go west to the lake down the path. The lake is at the base of the Belarut, Tower Settlement Legacy Dungeon, and there’s a mini-dungeon in the area called the Belarut Gaol.Reach the end of this creepy jail area to encounter the Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh boss.
You’ll get a good taste of his fighting style in this boss fight. Defeat him and you’ll automatically earn the Yosh Spirit Summon. Finally, one of these useful Spirit Summons is actually pretty easy to get.
#5 Divine Bird Warrior Ornis
We’re going from one annoying mini-boss to one of the most evil enemies in the entire DLC. The Divine Bird Warriors are obnoxious enemies that guard the final dungeon – they’re just a huge pain in the butt, and now you can utilize all that frustration for yourself. They’re one of the few Spirit Summons you can get without completing any major steps of the expansion story and you don’t even need to kill anything. It is pretty hidden, so here’s what you need to do.
Go to the Rauh Base area of the map – this section is accessible through a cave north of Moorth Ruins, at the small lake. Follow the cave marked with a statue through the swamp and left to reach an entire optional section of map called Rauh Bas. South of the entrance, you’ll find a wrecked village called Temple Town Ruins. Travel north from the ruins through the ravine, looking for a disabled Spiritspring jump pad. Activate it to jump to the ledge above. Jump across the ruins to reach a hidden ledge that leads to an old church in the canyon wall.
That’s where you’ll find Ornis. No enemies or bosses required. He is an expensive summon though – you’ll need 131 FP to summon this legendary warrior. But that’s the cost when you’re summoning one of the best.
#6 Taylew the Golem Smith
A surprise contender for best new Spirit Summon in all of Elden Ring has emerged. Jolan & Anna might be one of the best for dishing out damage, but nothing beats Taylew when it comes to pure survivability. This guy has more health and defense than anything else in the spirit ash roster. This is the only summon that can survive until the end of the final boss. The Mimic Tear won’t last that long.
Taylew is a Golem Smith enemy, and if you’ve fought them before, you know how tough they can be. The only way to damage them is by targeting the tiny weak spot on their back. And unless you’re really trying, you’ll hit the golem for negligible damage. That happens to even the biggest bosses in the expansion – and regular enemies don’t stand a chance. If you want a Spirit Summon that’s a pure tank for drawing aggro and nothing else, there really isn’t a better option.
Taylew is located at Taylew’s Ruined Forge in the north of Rauh Base – the same area we had to explore to find the previous Spirit Ash. This is north of the Rauh Base Site of Grace where you’ll find the entrance to the Ruined Forge area. In this forge, there’s a giant cylinder in the center of the dungeon. You’ll need to traverse it and move the cylinder so you can walk all the way up to the exit. Jump off onto the left side to reach the highest level of the dungeon where there’s a forge spilling lava. Collect the glowing item to get Taylew the Golem Smith Ash and an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone.
This spirit has the second most expensive summon cost of all the ashes on our list. You’ll need 138 FP to bring Taylew back to life, and he’ll tank for you like nothing else. This guy can survive all the biggest bosses – too bad we got him way too late. He’s still useful against field bosses and other enemies. You don’t need to babysit him and he just won’t die. He’ll easily outlive you against anything. I doubt Malenia could put a scratch on this guy.
