You finally did it. You took down Radagon of the Golden Order. Your hands are shaking, your health flasks are basically gone, and you’re ready for the credits to roll. Then, the floor turns into a cosmic lake, and a giant, glowing space Loch Ness monster rises from the depths. This is the moment where most Elden Ring runs go to die. Learning how to beat Elden Beast isn’t just about having high stats; it’s about patience, positioning, and knowing exactly how to handle the most annoying marathon in gaming history.
Honestly, the Elden Beast is a polarizing boss. Some people love the spectacle, but most players find the constant swimming away to be a total chore. It’s a fight that tests your stamina more than your reflexes. If you go in swinging wildly, you’re going to get caught in a shower of golden stars or flattened by a sword the size of a skyscraper.
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The Setup You’re Probably Missing
Before you even step through that fog gate, you need to look at your gear. Most people focus on raw damage. That's a mistake here. The Elden Beast deals almost exclusively Holy damage. If you’re wearing armor that just looks cool but has zero Holy resistance, you’re making the fight twice as hard as it needs to be.
Go find the Haligdrake Talisman +2. It’s tucked away in the Mohgwyn Palace area, specifically on a corpse near the crow-farm cliff. This single item can be the difference between getting one-shot by the "Elden Stars" move and actually surviving with a sliver of health. If you can pair that with the Pearldrake Talisman, you’re golden. Literally.
Don't forget the Lord's Divine Aid or Divine Fortification incantations if you have the Faith for them. Even a little bit of extra damage negation goes a long way.
Damage Types Matter (A Lot)
Here is a hard truth: the Elden Beast is immune to every single status effect in the game. Bleed? Doesn't work. Frost? Nope. Scarlet Rot? Forget about it. If your entire build is centered around the Rivers of Blood or a Frostbite Cold Uchigatana, you’re basically bringing a butter knife to a tank fight.
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The Beast is actually weakest to Physical damage. Specifically, Strike damage. If you have a massive hammer or a flail, this is their time to shine. It also has a massive glowing crack on its belly. That is its only real weak point. If you hit that spot, you deal significantly more posture damage. Break its poise, and you get a massive window for a critical hit that actually chunks its health bar.
How to Beat Elden Beast Without Losing Your Mind
The fight usually starts the same way every time. The Beast will breathe golden fire in a wide arc. Don't run away. Run behind it. This is your best chance to get five or six solid hits in right at the start.
The real problem is the distance.
You spend 80% of this fight running. It’s a track meet. When it swims away to the other side of the arena, don’t just sprint blindly. Keep your camera locked on (or at least aimed at) the boss. It loves to fire those four gold arcs from its sword while you’re mid-sprint. You have to dodge these rhythmically. Swoosh—dodge. Swoosh—dodge. If you panic roll, the third and fourth arcs will catch you and probably end the run.
Surviving the Elden Stars
This is the move everyone hates. It’s a slow-moving golden orb that follows you around while shooting tiny little needles at you. It lasts forever. You can’t outrun it forever, and you can’t really dodge it perfectly.
The trick is to run in a large circle or a "U" shape. Don't try to roll through the little needles; just keep moving. While the Elden Stars are chasing you, the Beast will usually try to hit you with something else, like the purple nebula clouds or the sword beams. You have to multitask. Watch the Beast's hands, not the orb.
The Ring Attack: Don't Get Trapped
When the Elden Beast flies up into the air and a ring appears on the ground around you, stop attacking. Run. Jump.
Seriously, just jump over the rings as they contract toward the center. If you stay inside the inner circle when it explodes, it’s usually an instant death. There are two versions of this. One has a single ring, and the later-game version has three. Just keep jumping and sprinting toward the outside of the circle. Once you’re out, turn around and start sprinting back toward where the Beast is going to land. You can usually get a few hits in while it’s recovering from the animation.
Why Your Spirit Summons Are Dying
If you’re using the Mimic Tear, it’s probably struggling. Why? Because the Mimic Tear is only as good as the gear you give it. If you have a Holy-damage weapon equipped when you summon it, your Mimic is doing zero damage. Swap to a heavy physical weapon, summon the Mimic, and then swap back to whatever you prefer.
Alternatively, Black Knife Tiche is often better here. Her Max HP reduction effect works on the Elden Beast, and her mobility helps her survive the massive AOE attacks that usually melt the Mimic Tear.
Advanced Tactics for the Final Stretch
Once the Beast gets below 50% health, it gets desperate. It starts layering attacks. You might have the Elden Stars chasing you while it also fires the rain of arrows and performs the sword swipes.
- The Rain of Arrows: When the Beast fires golden spears into the sky, start sprinting in one direction. Don't stop. They track your position, but they aren't fast enough to catch a sprinting player.
- The Wave of Gold: This is a massive, wide sword swing that sends a shockwave across the floor. You have to time your roll perfectly forward, right through the wave. Rolling backward or sideways will get you hit by the trailing edge of the hitbox.
The most important thing to remember about how to beat Elden Beast is that you cannot be greedy. This isn't Malenia. You can't out-damage it in a trade. You get two hits, then you prepare for the next cosmic nonsense it throws at you.
Recommended Loadouts for Success
If you're still hitting a wall, consider these specific adjustments:
- Strength Builds: Use the Giant-Crusher or the Greatsword with the "Cragblade" Ash of War. Focus entirely on jumping heavy attacks to break its poise.
- Dexterity Builds: Use the Guardian's Swordspear. It has incredible scaling and high physical output. Put "Spectral Lance" on a spear if you want a reliable way to hit it from a distance.
- Mage Builds: "Rock Sling" is your best friend. It deals physical damage and has great tracking. "Meteorite of Astel" can melt the boss if you use it while the Beast is stationary during its fire-breathing animation, but it's risky.
- Faith Builds: "Pest Threads" or "Pest-Thread Spears." This is the secret weapon. Because the Elden Beast is so large, these threads hit it dozens of times as they pass through its body. It’s arguably the fastest way to kill the boss in the entire game.
Take the Win
Winning this fight is about the "long game." Don't get frustrated when it swims away for the fifth time in a row. Just keep your stamina bar managed. If you enter the "marathon" mindset instead of the "duel" mindset, the fight becomes much more manageable.
Once you land that final blow, don't forget to walk over to the fractured remains of Marika to choose your ending. You’ve earned it.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Attempt:
- Equip the Haligdrake Talisman +2 immediately.
- Remove all Holy-based damage from your weapons; switch to Physical/Strike.
- In the second phase, watch for the glowing crack on its belly and prioritize hitting that specific spot.
- Use Pest Threads if you have at least 11 Faith; the multi-hit property on large hitboxes is broken in the best way possible.
- Stop panic rolling during the Elden Stars move and transition into a wide-arc sprint.