You’ve probably seen the red glow before you even realized you were in trouble. One second you're walking into a cramped, statue-filled room at the top of the Shaded Castle, and the next, a towering knight in barbed armor is telekinetically throwing a Greatsword across the room like it’s a boomerang. It’s terrifying. Honestly, Elemer of the Briar is one of those bosses that feels "unfair" until you realize he's just punishing every bad habit you've picked up from fighting slower, predictable enemies in the Lands Between.
He doesn't care about your distance. If you back away to heal, he’ll just drill you with a dancing blade. If you get too close, he shields slams you into the dirt. He is the master of the mid-range "dead zone."
Who Exactly is Elemer of the Briar?
Most players just see a guy with a floating sword and a grudge, but the lore tucked away in the Marais Executioner's Sword and the Briar Armor Set tells a much darker story. Elemer isn't a native of the Shaded Castle. He’s actually an ascetic from Eochaid, a long-lost land that apparently prioritized "willpower" over everything else. That's why he can move his sword with his mind; it’s not magic in the traditional sense, it’s sheer mental force.
Elemer was a prisoner. A death row inmate. He was brought to the Shaded Castle to be executed for murdering countless merchants and teachers across the continent. But instead of dying, he took over the joint. He killed the executioner, stole his legendary blade, and filled the castle with his own brand of thorny misery.
The "Briar" in his name refers to the rusted iron thorns wrapped around his armor. In Eochaid, these thorns are a mark of the guilty. He wears his crimes on his sleeve—literally.
The Moveset That Ruins Your Day
Let’s talk about that sword. The Marais Executioner's Sword is one of the few weapons in Elden Ring that scales with Arcane and Strength while dealing massive physical and magic damage. When Elemer uses it, he utilizes a unique "dancing" style.
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His most dangerous move is the shield bash. It’s fast. If you’re sticking to his back, he’ll occasionally slam the ground, creating a small shockwave that knocks you flat. Then there’s the telekinetic toss. He’ll imbue the sword with red energy and throw it in a wide arc. If you roll backward, you’re dead. You have to roll through the sword.
You’ve got to stay close. It sounds counterintuitive, but Elemer is much harder to fight at a distance than he is at point-blank range. When you’re far away, he triggers his most aggressive AI routines. When you're in his face, he sticks to standard, albeit heavy, sword swings.
Where to Find Him (and His Shadows)
The main version of Elemer lives in the Shaded Castle, tucked away in the valley between Mt. Gelmir and the Altus Plateau. It’s a swampy, poison-filled mess of a place populated by slow-moving zombies and those annoying Depraved Perfumers.
But Elemer is a bit of a recurring nightmare. He (or versions of him known as Bell Bearing Hunters) appears at night in several locations:
- Limgrave: Near the Warmaster’s Shack.
- Liurnia of the Lakes: Near the Church of Vows (poor Turtle Pope doesn't deserve this).
- Caelid: Near the Isolated Merchant’s Shack (this one is significantly harder than the Shaded Castle version).
- Altus Plateau: Near the Hermit Merchant’s Shack.
Each time you kill one, you get a Bell Bearing that lets you buy rare materials like Bone Peddler's items or Gravity Stones. It’s worth the headache, but man, those Caelid encounters feel like they’re tuned for Level 150 players.
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How to Actually Win Without Losing Your Mind
If you’re struggling, you aren't alone. Elemer of the Briar is designed to catch panic rolls. Here is how you actually dismantle him:
Parrying is the Secret Sauce
You can parry Elemer. In fact, you should parry him. His standard sword swings—the ones where he’s actually holding the hilt—are very telegraphed. Use a Buckler or a shield with Carian Retaliation for the best frames. Two successful parries will break his stance, allowing for a critical hit.
The "Stay Left" Rule
Try circling him to your left (his shield side). While his shield bash is dangerous, his sword combos are much harder to track if you're standing on his right. By sticking to his left hip, you force his AI to use slower turning animations.
Don't Heal in the Open
Seriously. Don't do it. If you need to sip your Flask of Crimson Tears, wait for him to finish a long animation, like his red-charged drill attack (Eochaid's Dancing Blade). If you just back up and press the button, he will almost always punish you with a sword throw.
The Gear You Get (Is it Worth it?)
Once you finally take him down in the Shaded Castle, you get the Marais Executioner’s Sword and the Briar Greatshield. The sword is a beast for "one-shot" builds. If you pair it with the Godfrey Icon, Shard of Alexander, and the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, the weapon art—which makes the sword spin rapidly in place—can delete 5,000+ HP in a single go.
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The armor set can be bought from Enia at the Roundtable Hold afterward. Fun fact: the Briar armor actually deals a tiny bit of damage when you roll into enemies. It’s not enough to kill a boss, but it’s great for breaking the stance of annoying skeletons or finishing off an enemy with 1 HP.
Myths and Misconceptions
People often think Elemer is a "Great Enemy" or a "Shardbearer" because of how hard he hits. He’s not. He’s just a guy. A very angry, very skilled guy from a land that nobody remembers. There’s no complex divine lineage here. He’s a self-made monster.
Another common mistake is thinking he’s weak to Holy damage because he looks "evil." Actually, he has pretty standard resistances. He is, however, quite susceptible to Pierce damage and Poison/Rot. Since the Shaded Castle is literally a poison swamp, it’s fitting that the boss can be taken down by the very environment he took over.
Next Steps for the Tarnished
To master the Elemer fight and claim his gear, start by practicing your parry timing on the Bell Bearing Hunter in Limgrave; his health pool is low enough that mistakes won't end the fight instantly. Once you have the rhythm, head to the Shaded Castle with a weapon that deals Pierce damage, like a heavy thrusting sword or a spear, to exploit his lower resistance to that damage type. If the telekinetic attacks keep catching you, equip the Green Turtle Talisman to ensure you always have enough stamina to dodge the multi-hit "drill" attack, which is the most common run-killer in his second phase.