Elden Ringhas grown quite infamous, in part thanks to itsopen-world takeonDark Soulsgames. Far less linear than its predecessors,Elden Ringplayers often receive very little guidance about where they should be going, what quests they should be completing, and even what bosses need killing.
This is often part of the enjoyment inElden Ring, forcing players to explore the furthest reaches of the eerily beautiful environments. The downside is that players can end up missing out on some brilliant questlines, items, and boss fights. TheseElden Ringhidden bossesshouldn’t be missed.
Updated July 28, 2025, by Hamza Haq:One of the reasons why Elden Ring is considered one of the greatest games of all time is because its open world is filled with weapons, armor, valuables, and even entire dungeons that are so off the beaten path that the average player may never find them unless they’re incredibly thorough explorers or read about it in a guide somewhere. Secret bosses are a staple of the FromSoftware Soulsborne experience, and with an open-world format, Elden Ring has left its predecessors miles behind in this category.
20Red Bear
Hidden Atop A Tall Plateau
Red Bearis a new optional boss introduced inElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. He can be encountered inside the Northern Nameless Mausoleum, one of the four Nameless Mausoleums hidden across the Land of Shadow in the DLC.
To reach the Red Bear, players will first have to find the Ancient Ruins of Rauh (Lower) area in the northern section of the map. There are a couple of different ways to reach this location, but the fastest way is by taking the hidden tunnel at the northern edge of one of the lakes in Scadu Altus. Here, continue west along the narrow path guarded by the large Stone Golems until reaching the Rauh Ruins Map Fragment. Just to the south of this, players will find asealed spiritspringthat can be unlocked by breaking the ghostly cairn nearby. Using the spiritspring will lead to the top of a flat plateau where the Northern Nameless Mausoleum is located and where Red Bear is waiting for someone to come defeat him.
19Misbegotten Crusader
A Heavy Hitting Melee Warrior Hiding Inside A Cave
In the western section of the Consecrated Snowfields, there is a locked cave called the Cave of the Forlorn a little ways from the Inner Consecrated Snowfields Site of Grace. Players can open this cave using a Stonesword Key.
The cave is filled with stalagmites and is fairly straightforward to navigate. Hug the left wall until coming to a snowy outcrop that can be jumped on. Climb on top and circle around to find a hidden path leading downward. Follow this path to reach theMisbegotten Crusaderboss fight.
18Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader
Evergaol Can Only Be Accessed Late In Ranni’s Quest
Many different types of Black Knife Assassins can be found throughout The Lands Between, and their order ispivotal to the story’s lore. They were instrumental in the plot of Lunar Princess Ranni to cast out her Empyrean flesh and to slay Godwyn the Golden. Alecto, as her full title suggests, was the leader of the Black Knives.
Alecto is now trapped in an Evergaol known as the Ringleader’s Evergaol, but this one can be hard to find as the part of Liurnia that it resides in can only be accessed late into Ranni’s quest after slaying Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. Fighting Alecto is well worth doing, as players will be rewarded with the Black Knife Tiche Ashes. Tiche is the daughter of Alecto who perished protecting her mother on their flight from Leyndell, and she may be one of the most powerful spirit ashes in the game.
17Demi-Human Swordmaster Onze
In An Out Of The Way Dungeon
Demi-Human Swordmaster Onzeis a boss at the end of the Belurat Gaol inElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. An optional dungeon in the DLC,Belurat Gaolis very easy to overlook as its entrance is a small door by the side of a lake that’s off the beaten path.
To reach Onze, players will need to look for Belurat Gaol east of the Belurat, Tower Settlement. The entrance is hidden between some metal cages next to the lake. Defeating Onze is the only way to obtain the Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh Spirit Ash.
16Mohg, The Omen
Hidden Away In Labyrinthine Sewers
Mohg, The Omen, may only be a fraction of the strength of his true form, Mohg, Lord of Blood, but that doesn’t prevent him from being a formidable adversary. The reason that Mohg, The Omen, can be challenging to find is that he is located deep within the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, found in the sewers of Leyndell. The sewers are labyrinthine and hard to navigate, and players will likely want to make use of Rainbow Stones to mark their way if it’s their first time down there (or if they just have a poor sense of direction).
Once players reach the Forsaken Depths Site of Grace, Mohg will be just down the hall. While he’s not a required boss, players will need to defeat either Mohg or the terrifying Valiant Gargoyle duo to get to the Deeproot Depths and achieve the Age of the Duskborn ending, and players going for the Frenzied Flame ending will also need to get past Mohg first. If players have released the Dung Eater, he can be summoned for this boss.
15Astel, Stars of Darkness
A Stronger Version Of A Legend Boss
Astel, Stars of Darknesscan be found in the westernmost section of the Consecrated Snowfields, inside the Yelough Anix Tunnel, an optional area that’s very easy to overlook as it’s quite out of the way, and is easy to miss.
Inside the tunnel, players will need to navigate the snowy maze and keep heading downward along the path until they encounter Astel. Be prepared for a hard fight as Astel, Stars of Darkness is a beefed up version of Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, the boss players might’vealready killed for Ranni the Witch.
14Ancient Dragon Lansseax
Can Be Missed Without Thorough Exploration
Dragon fights area staple in fantasy,andElden Ringis no exception. This dragon fight, however, is quite easy to miss despite appearing in two locations. Players can first be ambushed byLansseaxnear the Abandoned Coffin Site of Grace in the Altus Plateau, but she retreats when her health is reduced by 20%.
Players can fight Lansseax again and in full at the Rampartside Path Site of Grace. She will launch her attack when players double back towards the eastern ridge. While players can circumvent the Abandoned Coffin encounter, reducing her health there lowers it for the Rampartside Path fight.
13Ralva the Great Red Bear
Hidden In The Woods
Ralva the Great Red Bearis a mini world boss exclusive to theElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Players will find Ralva in a small lake in Scadu Altus, northeast of the Highroad Cross Site of Grace.
Defeating Ralva will allow players to obtain the Pelt of Ralva, a unique headpiece with excellent aesthetic appeal, similar to theBlack Wolf Maskbut with an open front and red fur instead of black.
12Dragonkin Soldier
Lake Of Rot Makes Traversal Challenging
From dragon to Dragonkin, there are twoElden Ringbosses with the name “Dragonkin Soldier.” Both can be easy to miss, but the Dragonkin Soldier inThe Lake Of Rotparticularly stands out. In part, this is down to the fact that The Lake Of Rot itself can be tricky to come across.
On top of this, it takes some grim determination and a lot of Flasks of Crimson Tears to even make the trek through The Lake Of Rot. Should players make it to the Lake Of Rot Shoreside Site of Grace, they can then confront the Lake Of Rot Dragonkin Soldier.
11Godefroy The Grafted
Requires A Lot Of Backtracking
Evergaols tend to be an obvious sign that there is a boss that needs fighting, butGodefroy’sEvergaol is tucked away and quite hard to find. It is located in the Altus Plateau, but players have to go quite far off the beaten path to find it.
Players need to head northeast away from the Evergaol, heading into the valley, before turning back on themselves and following the path through a tunnel under the main road. It is well worth making this lengthy excursion, as Godefroy drops the Godfrey Icon, a very useful talisman.
