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The most urgent missable item is the Bolt of Gransax: collect it in Leyndell, Royal Capital, before defeating Maliketh. His defeat changes the city into the Ashen Capital, where the spear is no longer available. Millicent’s quest also has a major cutoff: finish it before defeating Malenia if you want its final rewards or the route to Miquella’s Needle.
This is a spoiler-aware guide to the best-established high-impact missables, not a complete inventory of every item, quest, or outcome in the base game or Shadow of the Erdtree.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Elden Ring (PS5) (European Version) | $34.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Elden Ring, 1 PS5-Blu-ray Disc | $74.03 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Elden Ring: Nightreign - Seekers Edition /PS5 | $43.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Bandai Namco Entertainment Elden Ring (PS5) | $40.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Elden Ring - PlayStation 5 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
What to do before defeating Maliketh
Pick up the Bolt of Gransax in Leyndell
While Leyndell is still the Royal Capital, find the large spear lodged in the dragon corpse near the Erdtree Sanctuary and climb onto its shaft to collect the Bolt of Gransax. Defeating Maliketh transforms Leyndell into the Ashen Capital and removes access to this pickup, according to the Leyndell location guide. The independent Elden Ring Wiki checklist identifies it as permanently missable and includes it among the nine Legendary Armaments; it is a priority if you are pursuing that collection or achievement.
What to finish before defeating Malenia
Complete Millicent’s quest before the boss dies
If you want Millicent’s quest rewards or the option to obtain Miquella’s Needle, finish her quest before defeating Malenia. The Millicent quest walkthrough says the quest cannot be completed after Malenia dies.
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- Collaborating with George R.R. Martin to create the ELDEN RING mythos has been a genuinely delightful experience and a source of wonderful inspiration. The team is working hard to ensure that the world of ELDEN RING will be a fascinating place for players to explore, filled with peril and wonder from its furthest reaches to its lowest depths. This is a FromSoftware title through and through, rich in fantasy and RPG action. We sincerely hope you look forward to it.
- Building the world of ELDEN RING with Miyazaki-san and his team was a treat! The graphics, mythos, and action-RPG gameplay will deliver an unforgettable experience. I can’t wait for people to see what ELDEN RING has in store for them.” Said George R.R. Martin.
Choose between Millicent’s two final rewards
At the final branch, helping Millicent gives the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia and Unalloyed Gold Needle; killing her gives Millicent’s Prosthesis. These are different outcomes, so choose based on which reward you want rather than expecting to collect both through that branch in the same playthrough. The walkthrough also explains how the Unalloyed Gold Needle can be converted to Miquella’s Needle after Malenia is defeated. Miquella’s Needle can then be used in Dragonlord Placidusax’s arena to remove the Frenzied Flame.
How to reduce the risk of losing quest content
Bandai Namco says little is missed simply by exploring in a different order, but warns that some NPC questlines auto-advance as the main story progresses. It identifies missed NPC dialogue as a common source of lost content in its gameplay overview.
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- Elden Ring: Nightreign - Seekers Edition /PS5
- Speak to quest NPCs until their dialogue repeats, and revisit them after major area or boss milestones. This is a prudent habit, not a guarantee that every quest has the same triggers.
- Before killing or fighting an NPC, check whether the encounter is part of an active quest. A missed step may come from a quest advancing, not from an item disappearing from the world.
- If you accidentally make an NPC hostile, Bandai Namco points to the Church of Absolution in Liurnia as a way to restore friendliness using a rare item. The publisher’s cited explanation does not name that item.
Other items and quests with timing dependencies
Not every guide-labeled “missable” item is permanently lost. Some require a particular quest, some depend on a branch, and others may become unavailable if a story event happens first. The Elden Ring Wiki’s Legendary Armaments checklist describes the Dark Moon Greatsword as tied to Ranni’s quest and flags the Ruins Greatsword and Devourer’s Scepter as timing-sensitive; it identifies the Bolt of Gransax as permanently missable.
Those examples are warnings to check the route before progressing, not a complete list of every cutoff or a guarantee that all three have the same failure condition. For a full completion route, consult a step-by-step plan such as the Elden Ring Wiki 100% Completion Plan and verify the relevant quest steps before triggering major story changes.
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- ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware Inc. and produced by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG and FromSoftware's largest game to date, set within a world full of mystery and peril
- Journey through the Lands Between, a new fantasy world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, creator of the influential DARK SOULS video game series, and George R. R. Martin, author of The New York Times best-selling fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire
- Traverse the breathtaking world on foot or on horseback, alone or online with other players, and fully immerse yourself in the grassy plains, suffocating swamps, spiraling mountains, and foreboding castles
- Create your character in FromSoftware’s refi ned action-RPG and defi ne your playstyle by experimenting with a wide variety of weapons, magical abilities, and skills found throughout the world
- Charge into battle, pick off enemies one-by-one using stealth, or even call upon allies for aid - many options are at your disposal as you decide how to approach exploration and combat
Quick checklist before major progression
- Before Maliketh: collect the Bolt of Gransax in Leyndell, Royal Capital.
- Before Malenia dies: finish Millicent’s quest if you want its ending rewards or the route to Miquella’s Needle.
- At Millicent’s final choice: decide whether you want the helping-branch rewards or Millicent’s Prosthesis.
- Throughout the main story: exhaust NPC dialogue and revisit quest characters after major milestones.
- Before other major encounters: check quest-specific timing for items such as the Dark Moon Greatsword, Ruins Greatsword, and Devourer’s Scepter rather than assuming every warning means permanent loss.
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