Summary
Making up lore for a mind-blowing 238 bosses in the base game ofElden Ringalone is no easy feat. At times, the game’s creators did falter a bit, especially with the repeat bosses or twin bosses; butseveral of the bossesmanaged to add more than just context to their design and existence. Some of the lore surrounding certain bosses made them way too memorable.
Certain explanations as to why that boss was dying or why some giant was riding a skinny, normal-sized horse definitely added character to these bosses. The more players know about them, the more they become legendary and worthy enough to cosplay. That’s something to keep in mind when dying to theseElden Ringbosses over and over again.
Updated June 15, 2025 by Joe Grantham:Game of the Year winner Elden Ring is widely considered to be an overall masterpiece and this is no less thanks to its incredible boss design and eerily beautiful lore, both of which have been woven together with an artistic vision.
While some players simply seebosses as challengesand learning experiences that push their mechanics to the limit, exploring the lore of Elden Ring’s Demigods and otherworldly beings is just as rewarding. The Elden Ring bosses with the best lore have deep, twisted backstories fraught with both pain and love that somehow are intertwined with the fate of the Lands Between or other characters. With the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, players now have an entirely new world to explore inthe Land of Shadow, which features around 40 new bosseswith their own riveting lore.
15Midra, Lord Of Frenzied Flame
A Lord Who Suffered In Agony At The Behest Of His Wife Rather Than Unleashing His Full Power
Upon entering the Abbysal Woods and walking with trepidation toward Midra’s Manse, players will know they are about to encounter something awe-inspiring. Two of the best details are a line of headless corpses sprouting golden branches from the necks, and also a painting of the Manse from a time of plenty, before the frenzy took over.
When players finally meet Midra, they should not be fooled by his small stature and fragility. He may be one ofthe smallest bosses inElden Ring, but he is far from easy. As it turns out, Midra has been denying himself the true power of the madness out of love for his wife, who did not wish to see such darkness unleashed. Players will even see his last attempt at self-control before he finally gives in and becomes Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame.
14Bayle The Dread
A Dragon Battered & Bruised From A Legendary Fight With Dragonlord Placidusax
One of the ways in which a boss' lore can thrive is when there is plenty of build-up, and this is exactly what Bayle the Dread gets in both the base game andShadow of the Erdtree. First, players will come to a shack where they willfind a new DLC Talisman, Talisman of the Dread, and a remnant of the past looking towards Bayle’s lair. Then they will meet Igon who, beyond being known for his excellent voice acting, has his heart set on slaying this particular dragon.
After more build-up, including the acquirement of a katana made specifically for dragon slaying, players will also realize that Bayle’s story is heavily entwined with that of Dragonlord Placidusax from the base game. When players finally set eyes on the Dread, all will become clear, as Bayle is missing a limb and his wings have been shredded to pieces, rendering him unable to fly. These wounds are the ghastly evidence of Bayle’s legendary fight with Dragonlord Placidusax, who players might recall had his own scars. Looking closely at Bayle, it’s even possible to see two of the Dragonlord’s heads.
13Astel Naturalborn Of The Void
A Malformed Star Who Once Destroyed An Eternal City
Although not too much is known about the optional boss,Astel, Naturalborn of the Voidof the Void, it has to be one of the most unique characters in theElden Ringlore, due to the fact it is a malformed star. After spawning spontaneously in deep space, Astel fell upon an unknown Eternal City, and not only destroyed it but took away their sky, perhaps by pulling them underground.
On top of its daunting lore, this cosmic horror is beautifully designed; eerie, thought-provoking, and yet terrifying. Based on item descriptions and other fragments of lore, some players have even speculated that Astel is the source of all gravity power in the game, an interesting thought to consider when facing wielders of gravity.
12Godrick The Grafted
Pain & Inferiority Led Godrick To Take Unspeakable Actions
Sometimes when a being, or in this case a Demigod, has gone beyond the bounds of evil, it is easier to pity the pain they are so clearly in. This is the case withGodrick the Grafted, one of the first main bosses inElden Ring, whose desperation for power pushed him to commit unthinkable acts.
What makes his lore so interesting is the fact that he is a descendant of Queen Marika and her first consort Godfrey, but unlike others who inherited greater powers, his strength pales in comparison with those who came before. The sense of inferiority this left him with seemingly pushed Godrick to make up for his shortcomings with the deplorable Grafting for which he is known.
11Dragonlord Placidusax
A Fallen Elden Lord From Before The Time Of The Erdtree
Dragonlord Placidusaxis a boss that many players might not know about seeing as he is an optional boss found later in the game in Crumbling Farum Azula. Interestingly though, despite having two heads in-game, the Dragonlord once had more, and he was the Elden Lord before the time of the Erdtree.
The fact that Placidusax is far past his prime and yet is still so powerful, speaks a thousand words about the bygone era, and leaves players wondering what could have caused his downfall. In fact, players who have struggled against this optional boss would be shocked to find out that this foe is a mere shadow of his former self. Furthermore, with the addition ofShadow of the Erdtree, Placidusax lore has been taken to new levels with the introduction of Bayle the Dread.
10Sir Gideon Ofnir
A Traitor Without Hope
Well, anyone who dies toGideon Ofnirdeserves to stay “maidenless,” because he’s the easiest boss in the game. And he wasn’t even a boss initially. Gideon was a spymasterwho kept tabs on the power playersin the Lands Between. And when the one who rose to the top wasn’t the person he expected, Gideon simply had to break his cover.
His low regard for the Tarnished and his rather creepy behavior toward Albinaurics made him a shady ally (which, it turns out, he wasn’t). Keen-eyed players will likely have noticed early on that Gideon wasn’t to be trusted. This made the unprecedented confrontation with him all the more satisfying.
9Rennala, Queen Of The Full Moon
A Grieving Mother Betrayed By Her Husband
TheRennala, Queen of the Full Moonboss fight left so many more questions than answers compared to something more straightforward like Godrick, the Grafted. As it turns out, she has a rich history with ties to Marika. If players diver deeper into her lore, they’ll discover how much of apowerhouse Liurniawas in the Lands Between.
Rennala’s lore then branches out to Ranni’s, which is her daughter; players eventually find out that Rennala is a grieving and depressed single mother who had lost most of her children and was betrayed by her husband. One simply cannot help but retroactively feel guilt after the boss fight with her, even if the rewards are more than worth it.
8Elder Dragon Greyoll
A Dragon Who Has Suffered For Eons
Speaking of single parents in the Land Between, an even more tragic tale than Rennala wasElder Dragon Greyoll. She’s the large, stationary dragon in the Dragonbarrow region of Caelid who has no way of fighting back other than summoning her children to protect her.
Her current state alone was worthy enough of an investigation. Sure enough, her predicament is rooted in Malenia and Radahn’s war in Caelid, which permanently scarred the region and gave Greyoll the Scarlet Rot. Before that, Greyoll and her kin also suffered a genocidal cleansing from Marika and her ilk. There’s no end to the dragon’s suffering, it seems.
7Lichdragon Fortissax
A Fallen Hero Corrupted By Death
The creators ofElden Ringare no strangers to painting fallen heroes who were transformed into reluctant villains. InDark Souls, there was Artorias, who fell to the abyss, and inElden Ring,Lichdragon Fortissaxis his equivalent. Fortissax was once a proud ally of Godwyn the Golden.
But after Godwyn was murdered and, in turn, was corrupted by Death, Fortissax did everything in his power to preserve his friend’s dignity. Sadly, Fortissax was also corrupted by Death, hence the boss’s name. That’s also why he appears near Godwyn’s rotting corpse as a boss encounter.
6Godfrey/Hoarah Loux
An Old Deity With A Lion Spirit & Barbarian Past
From the intro alone, the game was already setting upGodfrey, First Elden Lordto be a significant and imposing figure in the Lands Between’s power struggles. There is a rich and extensive lore behind him, dating back to before Marika even became a god’s vessel and tamed Godfrey.
Godfrey later revealed that his original name was that of the barbarian, Hoarah Loux, who was only held back by his lion spirit, Serosh. Such a beautiful integration of his lore into the boss fight and gameplay is arguably the peak ofElden Ring’s boss design, although of course individuals all have their preferences.
