The final battle in Elden Ring is a demanding test of timing, stamina management, positioning, and patience. Players must defeat Radagon of the Golden Order before facing the Elden Beast, with no opportunity to rest between encounters.
This step-by-step guide explains both phases, the most dangerous attacks, recommended preparations, and reliable strategies for surviving the entire fight.
Prepare Your Character Before the Final Boss
Enter the arena with a fully upgraded main weapon. A weapon at +25 for standard equipment or +10 for Somber Smithing Stone weapons is strongly recommended.
Your character should ideally have at least 50 Vigor. Radagon and the Elden Beast can deal enormous damage, especially when several holy attacks connect in quick succession.
Holy damage resistance is extremely valuable in this battle. Equip armor, talismans, consumables, or defensive incantations that reduce holy damage. However, avoid making your equipment load too heavy because medium rolling remains essential.
A dependable action game strategy guide should always emphasize preparation. Increasing survivability is often more effective than adding a small amount of extra attack power.
Bring fully upgraded Crimson Tears and allocate most of your flasks to healing. Magic-focused characters can keep several Cerulean Tears, but they should still carry enough healing to survive the lengthy second phase.
Choose the Right Weapon and Damage Type
Radagon is resistant to holy damage, while the Elden Beast has even stronger holy resistance. Weapons that primarily depend on holy damage will therefore perform poorly during the final battle.
Physical damage is generally the safest option. Fire damage can also be effective against Radagon, although its performance against the Elden Beast is less impressive.
Weapons that inflict bleed are not ideal because neither boss can be defeated through blood-loss buildup. Instead, concentrate on consistent physical damage, stance damage, or abilities that deliver strong direct hits.
Fast weapons offer more opportunities to attack between boss combinations. Heavy weapons remain viable, but every swing must be carefully timed. Greedy attacks are heavily punished.
These practical tips for action games become particularly important here: use a weapon you understand rather than changing to unfamiliar equipment solely because it appears stronger on paper.
Phase 1: Learn Radagon’s Basic Attack Rhythm
Radagon begins the fight with deliberate hammer combinations. His early attacks may appear slow, but many include delayed swings designed to punish players who dodge too soon.
Stay at close or medium range. Running far away can encourage Radagon to use gap-closing attacks, golden projectiles, or sudden teleports.
Watch his shoulders and hammer rather than reacting to the first movement of his body. Dodge when the weapon actually begins moving toward your character.
His standard hammer combo usually creates a brief opening after the final swing. Use this opportunity for one or two fast attacks. Heavy-weapon users should generally attempt only one hit before preparing to dodge again.
This approach is central to any effective final boss walkthrough: identify the end of a combo instead of attacking during an uncertain pause.
Avoid emptying your stamina bar. Always keep enough stamina available for at least one emergency roll, especially when Radagon begins chaining delayed attacks.
Phase 1: Counter Radagon’s Ground Slam Attacks
Several of Radagon’s hammer strikes produce golden explosions across the ground. Rolling away from these attacks can still leave your character inside the expanding damage area.
Dodging toward Radagon is often safer. The forward roll passes through the initial impact and places you near the boss, creating a potential counterattack opportunity.
When Radagon raises his hammer high above his head, prepare for a powerful slam. Wait until the weapon starts descending before rolling. Dodging immediately after the hammer is raised will usually result in getting hit.
Some slams release a second holy explosion shortly after the physical impact. Do not attack too quickly. Confirm that the golden energy has disappeared before beginning your counter.
Jumping can avoid certain ground-based effects, but rolling is generally more consistent for new players. Use jumping attacks only after learning the exact timing.
Phase 1: Respond to Teleports and Golden Projectiles
Radagon occasionally disappears and reappears close to the player. The teleport itself can produce a damaging explosion, so immediately rolling toward his new position is dangerous.
When he vanishes, delay your dodge for a brief moment. Roll only as he reappears and the golden light begins expanding.
At longer distances, Radagon may throw golden projectiles. These attacks travel quickly but can be avoided with a sideways dodge. Never roll backward repeatedly because the projectile can catch the end of the animation.
Radagon can also launch himself forward with a powerful aerial strike. Move toward him and dodge beneath the attack. This usually provides a better position than retreating across the arena.
The safest gameplay advice for difficult bosses is to control the distance. Remaining relatively close reduces the frequency of disruptive ranged attacks and keeps the boss easier to read.
Phase 1: Survive Radagon’s Triple Hammer Slam
Radagon’s triple hammer slam is one of his most dangerous combinations. Each impact creates a wide golden area, while the final strike produces the largest explosion.
Do not panic-roll when the animation begins. Time each dodge separately.
Roll through the first impact, pause briefly, and then dodge through the second. For the final slam, wait slightly longer because Radagon delays the attack before releasing the explosion.
Rolling toward or diagonally past him is usually safer than moving directly backward. If performed correctly, the final dodge places your character beside or behind Radagon.
This is one of the best moments to use a charged attack, jumping attack, or powerful weapon skill. Nevertheless, prioritize survival if your health is low.
Try to finish Phase 1 without consuming most of your healing flasks. The Elden Beast battle is longer and frequently forces players to cover significant distances.
Transition: Recover Before Fighting the Elden Beast
After Radagon is defeated, a cinematic transition begins before the second phase. Your health and flasks are not restored.
Avoid using temporary buffs too early unless their duration is long enough to remain active. If a buff expires during Radagon’s fight, consider reapplying it after entering the Elden Beast arena.
Spirit Ashes that survive Phase 1 will continue into Phase 2. Summoning at the start of the first phase can therefore provide support throughout the encounter, although aggressive summons may not survive Radagon.
A well-planned Elden Ring combat guide treats both enemies as one extended boss fight. Flask conservation and controlled aggression are more important than defeating Radagon as quickly as possible.
Phase 2: Stay Close to the Elden Beast
The Elden Beast is enormous, but its size can make distance difficult to judge. Locking on helps track its movement, although unlocking the camera may be more comfortable when attacking its body at close range.
Run toward the boss immediately after the phase begins. Position yourself near its abdomen or slightly behind its side.
The glowing crack on its body is the most obvious target, but safe positioning matters more than attacking a specific visual point. Strike two or three times, then observe its next movement.
Do not remain directly in front of the boss for too long. Its sword swings and holy breath are easier to avoid from the side.
The Elden Beast frequently swims away after taking damage. Do not waste stamina attacking the air. Start running only after identifying where it will reappear.
Phase 2: Avoid Sword Swings and Holy Explosions
The Elden Beast’s sword attacks are large but comparatively slow. Watch the sword arm and roll through each swing rather than attempting to escape its full range.
Some sword strikes send golden energy across the arena. These projectiles can be avoided by rolling sideways shortly before they reach your character.
When the boss plunges its sword into the ground, move away from the glowing area. The attack can trigger a large explosion that deals significant holy damage.
If the Elden Beast begins breathing golden fire, sprint toward its side or behind its body. Running directly backward keeps you inside the flame for longer.
Positioning forms the foundation of reliable boss battle techniques. Staying near the boss limits some ranged attacks and allows you to punish longer animations.
Phase 2: Escape the Golden Ring Attack
The golden ring attack begins when the Elden Beast rises into the air. A glowing circle then appears around the player and begins closing inward.
Stop attacking and start running immediately. Jump over the shrinking ring when it approaches, then continue sprinting outside the larger circular boundary.
Later versions of this attack can generate multiple rings. Jump over each ring separately without rushing the timing.
After escaping, turn the camera and locate the Elden Beast. It commonly reappears on the opposite side of the arena.
A useful positional trick is to note the direction the boss was facing before it disappeared. It often resurfaces roughly opposite that location, allowing you to begin running before it becomes fully visible.
Phase 2: Survive Elden Stars
Elden Stars creates a bright golden orb that follows the player while releasing smaller projectiles. It is difficult to avoid completely, so the objective is to reduce the total damage.
Sprint sideways instead of rolling continuously. Sudden direction changes can cause many smaller projectiles to miss.
Keep watching the Elden Beast while moving because it can combine Elden Stars with sword attacks or other ranged abilities. Save your dodge for the boss’s main attack rather than using it against every small projectile.
Holy resistance makes this sequence considerably more manageable. Healing too early can be risky, so wait until the boss finishes its immediate combination.
If your health is critically low, create distance and heal once. Repeated healing may trap you in a cycle where incoming projectiles interrupt every flask animation.
Phase 2: Recognize the Best Damage Openings
The safest opening appears after the Elden Beast finishes a long sword combination. Sprint toward its side and deliver a short sequence of attacks.
Its holy breath also provides an excellent opportunity when you successfully reach its rear. Attack while the flame travels away from your position.
Powerful abilities should be saved for these predictable openings. Using a slow skill while the boss is preparing to swim away wastes resources and leaves your character vulnerable.
Stance-breaking attacks can create a critical-hit opportunity, but do not chase a stagger recklessly. Consistent damage is safer than forcing an aggressive sequence.
When the boss reaches low health, continue following the same rhythm. Many players lose near the end because they abandon their strategy and begin attacking without watching the boss.
Common Mistakes That Make the Fight Harder
The most common mistake is using holy damage against enemies with strong holy resistance. Change the weapon affinity or choose another weapon if your damage appears unusually low.
Another mistake is rolling too early against Radagon. His delayed animations are specifically designed to catch panic dodges.
During the Elden Beast fight, players often exhaust their stamina while chasing the boss. Stop sprinting briefly when the stamina bar becomes low, then resume once it begins recovering.
Do not attack more than your weapon speed allows. One safe hit is always better than three reckless swings followed by a fatal counterattack.
Finally, avoid changing your entire build after every failed attempt. Make one adjustment at a time, learn the attack that defeated you, and return with a clear solution.
Final Strategy for a Consistent Victory
Treat Radagon as the technical portion of the battle. Stay close, respect his delayed hammer attacks, dodge into ground slams, and punish only the end of confirmed combinations.
Treat the Elden Beast as an endurance battle. Control stamina while chasing it, use holy resistance, escape the golden rings, and remain calm during Elden Stars.
The simplest winning formula is patience: defend first, identify the completed attack, and counter with a short burst of damage. With disciplined timing and proper preparation, both phases become predictable rather than overwhelming.
This battle is difficult, but it is fair once each animation becomes familiar. Follow the phases carefully, conserve your healing resources, and the final boss of Elden Ring will eventually fall.