How to beat Radagon and Elden Beast in Elden Ring

Update: Elden Ring has had plenty of updates, so we've updated this Elden Ring Radagon and Elden Beast boss fight guide to reflect any changes made to the game. There's also some new tips and tricks for taking on the ultimate boss in The Lands Between.

You’ve finally made it to the Elden Ring Radagon and Elden Beast fight, the climax of the game. After an arduous journey that took you anywhere from 40 hours to 140 hours, you’re finally one step away from deciding the fate of the world, defeating Radagon and the Elden Beast, and becoming Elden Lord.

Well, technically, two steps away - since you have to fight two final bosses back-to-back to claim the throne. Just as you’re recovering from the Godfrey fight, Elden Ring is about to throw you into the fire yet again to tackle an even tougher foe.

Radagon of the Golden Order is your first obstacle, which you need to overcome to fight the spirit of the Elden Ring itself: Elden Beast.

• When should you fight Radagon and Elden Beast in Elden Ring?
• How to make Radagon and Elden Beast fight easier in Elden Ring
• How to beat Radagon and Elden Beast in Elden Ring
• Elden Ring final boss phase one (Radagon of the Golden Order)
• Elden Ring final boss phase two (Elden Beast)

When should you fight Radagon and Elden Beast in Elden Ring?

These are the final bosses of Elden Ring, and you won’t get a breather between finishing the Radagon fight and duking it out with Elden Beast. It goes without saying that both bosses are not optional, though neither of them will drop a Great Rune.

This is one of the most challenging fights in the game, in part because it requires both stamina and skill. Don’t go into the arena unless you’re absolutely ready.

You should enter the fray at character level 145-155, with a fully-upgraded weapon (+25).

How to make Radagon and Elden Beast fight easier in Elden Ring

We say that in every boss guide, but you’re really going to benefit from summoning a Spirit Ash to tag along in this fight. Some have had better luck saving the summon until the Elden Beast, but that choice is ultimately yours.

Considering how much damage both bosses deal, you really want something tanky. Even if your Spirit Summon is slow, it will sustain a variety of attacks, not to mention keep the boss occupied to buy you time to heal or buff your weapon. The post-nerf Mimic Tear, too, will do fine, particularly if your own HP pool is large. Also, the Black Knife Tiche spirit ash is one of the best in the game, and will do well during this fight, too.

Radagon is strong against a number of status effects, but he can be slowed down with frost damage. It’ll take you a while for the effect to proc, however. Alternatively, you can enchant your weapon with fire and use blackflame incantations to increase your damage against him. You'll also want to avoid using Holy damage whatsoever throughout both phases of the fight. As for the Elden Beast, just focus on dodging and landing solid physical hits.

For both bosses, consider wearing armour with strong Holy damage negation, since they each deal that damage type (on top of strong physical). You can also fortify yourself with the help of an Incantation like Lord's Diving Fortification or Divine Fortification ahead of the fight, or by equipping the Haligdrake Talisman.

How to beat Radagon and Elden Beast in Elden Ring

The Radagon and Elden Beast fights are tough because both of them hit incredibly hard and can even end your life with grab attacks. They each require a different set of skills to effectively take on, which makes the one-two punch all the more difficult.

Radagon, in particular, is fond of long, delayed attack chains. Radagon also has several attacks that deal AOE damage, whether immediately upon impact or as a delayed effect.

Both bosses have a short number of moves, which at least makes memorising patterns easier. Their super armour can be broken multiple times in the same fight(s).

Elden Ring final boss phase one (Radagon of the Golden Order)

While small, Radagon’s repertoire of attacks deal high physical and Holy damage. Your best bet is dodging all of them, so consider two-handing your weapon for increased damage.

Fortunately, it’s easy to spot which of his moves will deal Holy damage (most), as opposed to just physical. When his foot or hand glow gold, the next attack will have some sort of Holy effect.

Radagon typically starts the fight with a normal foot stomp that will interrupt you and knock you back. There’s a similar version of this move where his foot will have a golden glow, and this one will deal Holy damage in a circle around him wherever it hits. Dodge as soon as his foot hits the ground for either.

Most of the boss’ moves are performed with the hammer, and a large number of them deal Holy damage. The hammer operates on the same idea: if it has a golden glow, it’s about to deal Holy damage.

It is incredibly important to remember that some Holy attacks deal damage on impact, while others have a delayed effect that causes Holy lightning to cover the area where the hit landed. The easiest way to identify which is which is to keep an eye on the point of impact: if you see glowing golden pillars, there’s another wave coming. If you don’t, you’re safe to move into that area.

Radagon has two primary ranged attacks. The first is slow, and it lets him throw a lightning bolt your way. Dodge as soon as you spot it leaving his hand, not before. The lightning bolt also causes an explosion where it lands, so back away.

Occasionally, Radagon won’t throw the lightning bolt at you, but rather land with it in hand. This is the more dangerous variation of the move, because it’ll cause a Holy explosion upon impact, and create crisscrossing lines of Holy lightning on the ground that continue spreading out away from where the bolt was planted. Do not be tempted to sit and tank that damage because you want to land a few hits, just move away.

The second ranged attack is the harder to dodge, because its animation is incredibly quick. That one sees him throw five or so small lightning shards towards you in fan-like shape. If those are fired straight towards you, simply dodge through them towards the boss. If they’re fired at the ground, however, they’re going to cause a follow-up Holy explosion where they land.

Radagon has a tendency to repeat or double up on ranged attacks, so don’t immediately go in for a hit after he performs a move – wait to see if he’s going to repeat it.

For hammer attacks not enchanted with Holy, dodge late – either into or away from him. Just be on the lookout for follow-up melee attacks. Radagon is agile and has no problem switching targets mid-way through his attack chains, or with the final hit. If you brought a summon, be careful that either of you could become a target mid-combo.

His grab attack is dangerous, as it can end your life in a single hit. The good news is that it’s very easy to spot. Before it happens, Radagon’s left arm will turn gold in the shape of a fang/claw. Move away from the boss as soon as you see it – don't dodge – just back up quickly. If he fails to connect with the grab, he’ll be kneeling for a few seconds, letting you land a few hits.

When Radagon jumps in the air, he’s about to slam his hammer down and cause a massive Holy AOE explosion in a circle. This move is also easy to avoid. Simply dodge into him after he slams it down to get behind him.

Later on in the fight, Radagon will teleport in and out of place. Stay away from his teleportation aura, otherwise you’ll take damage and make it easier for him to land the first hit he performs after materialising.

The most dangerous move ever in Radagon’s fight is his triple hammer ground slam. You’ll know it’s coming when he lifts his right hand above his head. Every slam will deal Holy damage in a cone in front of him, and the coverage area gets larger with every one. The first two arrive quickly back-to-back, but the third is delayed. You don’t want any of them to hit you, and especially the third hammer slam.

Simply dodge towards him to try and get behind him. You’re always safe behind him from all three slams, just time each dodge with the slam itself to avoid the Holy damage as you try to make your way towards him. If you’re too far away when he starts this chain, you’ll have to dodge the aftereffect instead. Time your dodges with each slam.

Elden Ring final boss phase two (Elden Beast)

Radagon is dead, and his spirit has remanifested as the Elden Beast. This is a giant boss, so it pretty much has all the problems you’ve likely experienced fighting dragons and other large creatures in Elden Ring. We found this to be the harder of the two, simply because it was often difficult to see attacks quickly enough to react, given its sheer size.

As tempting as it might be, do not lock onto the Elden Beast. The boss is gigantic, moves erratically and has wide-reaching attacks that will make fighting it a nightmare. Resist the temptation and manually adjust your camera with the right stick during this fight instead.

Your goal for the fight is to stay under the boss, or behind in cases where it’s about to deploy an AOE attack. Your biggest challenge as a melee player is actually catching up to the damn thing. Elden Beast will swim away, seemingly at random, and travel to the opposite end of the arena. Though not having locked on will make reacquiring it a little slower, it’s still worth doing.

Elden Beast will typically start the fight with a fire spray from its mouth. This covers a large area in front of it, as well as below its belly. Get behind it as soon as you spot that. You’ll be safe there, and you’ll get some time to whack it until the animation is over.

If its fins/wings glow as it’s swimming, you’re about to be hit with several tiny Holy projectiles. Simply run straight into any direction until they all miss you.

Elden Beast has several attacks it can initiate from the air. There’s a version of the tiny Holy projectile barrage that it sends your away after it flies. The tactic is the same: run into any direction. If you can’t see it initiate either, listen for the twinkly sound, which always plays as they come out of its body and head towards you.

The worst version of the chasing barrage is one that also spawns a big explosion and a big ball that keeps tracking you for a while. Try to stay away every time it gets close and it will vanish after a while.

Closing rings is another aerial attack that’s easy to avoid by simply running out of all of them away from the boss, and jumping over them as necessary. You’ll know the circles are about to spawn when you look up and see them forming above you. There are two forms of this attack that change the number of rings it spawns, but your goal is the same.

Elden Beast will use its sword, typically in a one or three-hit combos. The most dangerous is one where the third hit ends with it slamming the sword into the ground. Most of those attacks are delayed, so dodge only as you’re about to be hit. If the ground stab has a golden glow, it will cause a massive explosion. Either keep your distance or try to get behind the boss.

If the boss finds you at a distance, it will spray fire from its left hand as you’re making your way towards it. This attack leaves behind a pool of Holy lightning that deals damage. Run to your left and try to outrun it and get behind the boss, as the attack always starts from the right.

It might also use a different, but equally devastating ranged attack. The sword will glow gold and each swing will send a wave of gold your way – dodge just before the wave hits you. This is a four-hit combo. Dodge the first three, and wait to dodge the fourth one since it’s always delayed.

Elden Beast’s most dangerous attack is the grab. Its windup is long, so it’s easy to anticipate but may not always be easy to dodge, depending on where you are in relation to it. Before it starts, you’ll see its left hand glow to create an unmistakable yellow ball with a black core. Either stay away, or dodge into the boss to avoid it.

And that's it! You've now become Elden Lord - or thrown the world into chaos or installed Ranni on the throne, depending on which ending you unlocked. If you're keen on starting again with a new class, your next step is New Game Plus, or Journey 2 in Elden Ring-speak.

If you missed them, we have several helpful guides for Elden Ring’s major bosses, including the Fire Giant, Maliketh, Starscourge Radahn, Morgott, Mohg and others. For more useful tips and tricks, our Elden Ring guide has a wealth of them.