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There is no single official count of Elden Ring’s “main bosses.” The required fights depend on the route you take: a conventional story progression includes 13 encounters, while a September 2026 fan-guide analysis describes a strict minimum route with eight named encounters. Starscourge Radahn and Malenia are not required for the base-game credits on every route; Radahn is, however, required to enter Shadow of the Erdtree.
What counts as a main boss?
“Main boss” can mean a boss on a familiar story route, a fight required to reach the credits, or a gate to an optional quest or expansion. Those lists are not interchangeable. Elden Ring lets you choose among Great Rune holders and routes, so an early boss on one route may be avoidable on another. The two guides below also use different counting conventions, so their totals should not be treated as an official publisher count.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | $73.93 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Demon's Souls - PlayStation 5 | $39.45 | Buy on Amazon |
Common base-game story progression
GamesRadar+ presents this 13-encounter route as a conventional progression through the main story. It is a useful first-playthrough outline, not the one mandatory sequence for every character.
- Margit, the Fell Omen
- Godrick the Grafted
- Red Wolf of Radagon
- Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon
- Godfrey, First Elden Lord (Golden Shade)
- Morgott, the Omen King
- Fire Giant
- Godskin Duo
- Maliketh, the Black Blade
- Sir Gideon Ofnir
- Godfrey, First Elden Lord / Hoarah Loux
- Radagon of the Golden Order
- Elden Beast
The final entry in that route is counted as two encounters: Radagon and Elden Beast. Other lists may count or group the final sequence differently.
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How the strict minimum differs
HowToPlayHub’s checklist, updated 5 September 2026 and marked verified for version 1.17, characterizes the strict minimum as eight named encounters. This is that guide’s route assessment, not an official FromSoftware or Bandai Namco count.
- Margit, the Fell Omen
- Godrick, or another qualifying second Shardbearer
- Morgott, the Omen King
- Fire Giant
- Maliketh, the Black Blade
- Sir Gideon Ofnir
- Godfrey / Hoarah Loux
- Radagon / Elden Beast
The shorthand compresses paired encounters in the final sequence, which is why the eight named encounters should not be directly compared with the 13-fight conventional route as if both lists count the same way. To enter Leyndell, the route analysis says you need two Great Runes, and different Shardbearers can supply them. The conventional Godrick-and-Rennala route brings their associated fights into the progression; another choice can avoid some of those earlier encounters. The GamesRadar+ guide also notes Fia’s quest as a way into Leyndell that avoids fighting the Draconic Tree Sentinel.
Are Radahn and Malenia required?
Starscourge Radahn
Radahn is not required on every route to the base-game credits. He is required to access Shadow of the Erdtree, however, so expansion players must defeat him even if they otherwise skipped him on their route.
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Malenia, Blade of Miquella
Malenia is a major optional boss, not a required fight for the main story’s credits. She does not belong on a list of mandatory base-game story bosses.
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Keep the expansion’s requirements separate from the base-game route. Bandai Namco Europe’s 21 June 2024 access guide states: “To enter the Shadow Realm and begin your exploration of this new region, you’ll need to defeat two significant bosses: Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood.” After defeating Mohg, interact with the arm hanging from the cocoon in Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum to begin the expansion.
For the expansion’s story progression, HowToPlayHub’s checklist identifies Messmer the Impaler and Romina, Saint of the Bud as required to open the way to Enir-Ilim. Promised Consort Radahn is the expansion’s final boss. These are Shadow of the Erdtree encounters, not additions to the required base-game credits list. Bandai Namco’s product page describes the expansion as adding boss encounters and states that it requires the ELDEN RING base game.
Quick Recap
Why boss lists give different totals
- Route: The two-Great-Rune requirement permits different Shardbearer choices, changing which early bosses a player needs to defeat.
- Goal: Reaching the base-game credits is different from unlocking the expansion or pursuing optional quests and endings.
- Counting: Guides may list paired final encounters separately or group them, and may call a familiar progression “main” even when some fights can be skipped.
- Expansion scope: DLC access bosses and DLC story bosses should not be added to a base-game count.
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