Shadow of the Erdtree: How to defeat the final boss Promised Consort Radahn? Elden Ring guide, walkthrough

The final boss of the Shadow of the Erdtree add-on for the Elden Ring game is extremely challenging. On this page of our guide we have described how to prepare for the clash with the final boss of the game, which is the promised spouse Radahn. We explain how to fight him and what rewards you will receive for defeating him.

Last update: 26 June 2024

Promised Consort Radahn is the final mandatory boss of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. You will face him at the end of the third main dungeon in the game - Enir-ilim. This is one of the main, mandatory bosses of the expansion - you must defeat him to complete the DLC. On this page of the guide, we described how to fight the boss and what rewards you will receive for defeating him.

• Reward for defeating
• How to prepare for Radahn?
• Radahn in a nutshell
• How to defeat Radahn?

Reward for defeating

For defeating the boss, you will receive 500,000 runes and Remembrance of a God and a Lord.

How to prepare for Radahn?

Related map marker: Promised Consort Radahn - DLC final boss @ Shadow of the Erdtree

Radahn is one of the hardest bosses in entire Elden Ring - probably the absolute hardest. Before the fight, you should make some preparations, without which your chances of victory are almost zero. Stock up on:

1. Scadutree Blessing at least level 15 - each level of Scadutree Blessing increases the damage you deal and reduces the damage you take. The higher it is, the better - the maximum blessing level is 20, and before the fight with Radahn it should be at least level 15. You can increase your blessing level by collecting Scadutree Fragments. We also recommend defeating the Commander Gaius boss at the Shadow Keep - he guards as many as five fragments.
2. Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman - Radahn deals huge physical damage, which you want to reduce as much as possible - the best way is to use a legendary talisman located in one of the locations in the basic game. We have described where to find it on a separate page of the guide.
3. Golden Braid - in the second phase of the fight, almost every attack of Radahn is accompanied by pillars of light that deal huge holy damage. You also want to reduce them - the best way is to use this legendary talisman located in the shaman village behind the secret exit from the Shadow Keep. We have described how to unlock this exit on a separate page of the guide.
4. Heavy armor - put on the heaviest armor you have that will not exceed your load capacity, i.e. it will not change your load from light to medium or from medium to heavy. Every percentage of damage resistance counts in this fight.
5. Shield - consider equipping a medium or heavy shield with 100% physical damage reduction and high holy damage reduction. Some of Radahn's attacks seem impossible to dodge - your dodge animation will end at the exact same moment Radahn does his next attack. Using a shield will make dealing with his combos much easier.

Radahn in a nutshell

1. Learn Radahn's moves during the first phase of the fight - the second phase is very similar, so learning the first phase will be very useful.
2. You can block his two swords attacks, but they will push you away - it is better to dodge them towards the boss, which will give you a chance to counterattack.
3. The best opportunities to attack come right after the jumping attack, the crossed swords attack, and at the end of the combo that starts with a ground stomp (avoid the earthquake at the end by rolling behind Radahn).
4. Radahn uses gravity magic to get closer to you - watch out for the spinning air strike and dodge towards the boss.
5. The gravity field attack will pull you towards the boss. Dodge away from the boss when Radahn crouches and electrifies his swords. If Radahn pulls you in, don't dodge his next attack - sprint away from him to avoid the stones shooting out of the ground.
6. To avoid the meteor shower, sprint away from Radahn at a slight angle and dodge to the opposite side.
7. The fire sword combo consists of a thrust, a slash and an explosion - dodge away from the boss to avoid the explosion.
8. In the second phase, Miquella joins the fight - almost all of the boss's attacks are now accompanied by pillars of light falling from the sky. Stay just in front of Radahn - the light hitboxes usually won't reach you there.
9. Be patient - a single mistake can kill you. The second phase is long and you have very few opportunities to safely attack the enemy.
10. When Radahn spreads his arms to the side, he summons a huge explosion of light - sprint away from the center of the explosion. You have to react very quickly because you have very little time to escape.
11. Beware of the grab that Radahn uses suddenly or after throwing a large luminous disc. The boss crouches with his swords spread and then jumps - dodge when he is in the air. Getting grabbed twice is instant death.
12. Watch out for the ground stomp combo. Taking the swords from the ground is accompanied by a huge explosion - after rolling behind Radahn, dodge again to avoid the explosion.
13. After the meteor shower, Radahn summons four illusions that attack you one by one, then plunges his swords into the ground, takes them out, and summons a massive explosion of light. Block all these attacks or get hit by the illusions - the most important thing is to avoid the explosion, which deals enormous damage.
14. When Radahn jumps into the air and starts summoning illusions without a meteor shower first, he will usually perform three quick sword slashes.
15. When Radahn raises his swords diagonally upwards, he prepares to charge - circle him to get out of the way of the illusions and block or avoid the charge.
16. When Radahn performs the crossed swords attack, dodge towards him to avoid the swords and lasers, which will give you an opportunity to attack.
17. When Radahn's health drops, he will begin crossing glowing swords over his head. Block or keep dodging - the most important thing is to avoid the last jumping attack, which cannot be blocked and is accompanied by an explosion of light.

How to defeat Radahn?

The fight with Radahn is long and extremely demanding - get ready for many trials. However, the first phase of the fight is not overly difficult. Use this phase to learn the boss's moves - most of the attacks in the second phase are very similar to those in the first. If you want to win, you must learn the first phase almost to perfection, being able to complete it without using many healing flasks.

Radahn attacks with long combinations of slashes that deal physical damage - you can block them with a shield. Some of his slashes are performed with both swords at once - you can also block these, but they will push you away upon impact. It is better to dodge through them towards the boss, which will give you a moment to counterattack.

During the fight, you don't have many opportunities to attack - you will have the most opportunities by dodging towards the boss at the end of his combos. Your best chances are after a jumping attack (Radahn can perform one or two attacks in a row), after a crossed sword attack (attacks with one sword, then with the other, then both at once), and a combo that always starts with a stomp (stomp, one slash, two quick slashes, a diagonal strike from above and taking out the swords from the ground - avoid the diagonal strike by trying to roll behind Radahn, so he won't hit you by taking out the swords from the ground).

As you might expect, Radahn uses gravity magic during combat. When you are far away from him, he can surround himself with purple electricity, jump into the air, and hit while moving like a corkscrew. Dodge towards Radahn just before he hits, and you will avoid damage and have a moment to counterattack.

The boss can also summon a gravity field that will pull you towards him, even from the opposite end of the arena. Radahn crouches and crosses his electrified swords in front of him - dodge away from the boss to avoid being pulled. If you are too close when he uses this attack, Radahn will immediately perform a powerful slash that will make sharp spikes appear from the ground - don't dodge, sprint away from him and you can avoid damage.

Radahn's last gravitational attack is a meteor shower - the boss electrifies his swords and holds them to the side, swings the swords and jumps into the air, and then throws several meteors at you. Sprint away from Radahn while turning slightly left or right. Just before the meteors hit you, dodge in the opposite direction, right or left at a 90-degree angle.

Also remember about the fire sword combo - Radahn performs a thrust, a slash, which leaves a fiery gap in space - the gap will then explode. Dodge away from Radahn to avoid the fire from the gap.

Phase two begins when Radahn drops to about 2/3 of his health. Miquella will join the fight, clinging to Radahn's back. Almost all of the boss's attacks are now accompanied by pillars of light falling from the sky. The safest way to avoid them is to stay right in front of Radahn, as close as possible - the light pillars' hitboxes usually don't reach there. You have to be patient - in the second phase you have much fewer safe opportunities to attack because of the light.

Radahn usually begins this phase by spreading his arms to the sides and summoning a huge explosion of light. You have to sprint away from it, and you only have a moment to do so, so don't stop or slow down. After the explosion, you can approach again, carefully avoiding the pillars of light falling from the sky.

One of the boss's most dangerous new attacks in this phase is the grab, which Radahn can use as a single move or immediately after throwing a large glowing disc. The boss crouches with his glowing swords spread out and then jumps towards you - dodge when he is in the air. Once Radahn catches you, he won't deal any damage to you, but Miquella will start whispering in your ear. If you get caught again, Miquella will steal your heart and force you into service - it is instant death and you will have to start the fight from the beginning. However, succumbing to this attack will reward you with a unique gesture.

The ground-slam combo becomes much more dangerous in the second phase, because taking out the swords from the ground is accompanied not only by an earthquake, but also by a huge explosion of light. Avoid the combination as you did in the first phase by getting behind Radahn's back - but you need to dodge one more time behind his back to avoid the explosion.

Radahn's multiple combos are now preceded by four illusions that charge towards you. They deal microscopic damage, but can knock you off balance and stagger you, leaving you vulnerable to a real attack. This happens, for example, after a meteor shower - Radahn flies through it towards you, sticks his swords into the ground and takes them out, creating a huge explosion of light. Avoid the final blow and the explosion - it may be safer to block the entire attack, taking some damage but not risking immediate defeat.

Illusions also accompany an air attack without a meteor shower (three quick sword strikes), a crossed sword attack (sideway charge, then forward, then slashes) and a new charge attack (Radahn raises his swords diagonally up - walk around him to avoid the illusion and dodge or block the real Radahn when he rushes towards you).

Radahn starts using his most dangerous combo when he has about 1/3 of his health left. The boss raises his swords and crosses them over his head, then starts performing very fast slashes. Most of the slashes will go over your head if you stay very close to Radahn. You must dodge the jumping slash and the subsequent explosion - this way you will avoid most of the damage.