Can you beat the Grafted Scion in Elden Ring?

Can you beat the Grafted Scion boss fight in Elden Ring? It's a fair question, as the Grafted Scion is a powerful horror that seems, on the surface, like something you wouldn't have a hope against, especially considering that those who die don't get respawned back for a second chance. But Elden Ring rarely puts you against a challenge you can't technically beat, so we'll confront this question head on, whether you can beat the Grafted Scion in Elden Ring, how it might be done, and if there's any special rewards for doing so. Read on to find out the answer to the question: can you beat the Grafted Scion boss fight in Elden Ring?

Table of Contents

• Can you beat the Elden Ring Grafted Scion?
• How to beat the Grafted Scion
• How to get back to Grafted Scion boss fight later
• Grafted Scion rewards

Can you beat the Elden Ring Grafted Scion boss?

Yes, you can beat the Grafted Scion boss in Elden Ring, but it's not easy to do and the game assumes you probably won't. The opening half hour of the game is all about basically doing what you're told, up to and including fighting the Scion. So after the initial cutscenes you'll find yourself in the Chapel of Anticipation, which you can't leave until you pick up the Tarnished’s Wizened Finger from a nearby corpse. 

Once you have that and are able to leave the chapel you can travel across a bridge  and head through an archway where the Grafted Scion will attack as you approach the statue.

How to beat the Grafted Scion

As mentioned and as in most FromSoftware games, it is possible to defeat this starter boss - like the Vanguard demon in Demon's Souls, or the werewolf you meet in Bloodborne - but this guy is meant to kill you so you can start the next part of the game. You simply won't be able to get out of the area without expiring. So the best thing to do it just let it happen so you can get on with the rest of Elden Ring. You'll find out later that the Grafted Scion is a fairly common enemy in the world so you'll have your chance for revenge. 

However, if you really want to try and take it down, it is possible to defeat the Grafted Scion in Elden Ring. You'll just need to watch out for a lot of wide sweeping attacks that cover a lot of angles and make it hard to get in close. You'll also need to be ready for a Scream attack that has little wind up or warning, and can't be blocked. This won't really help if you picked a Vagabond or a melee class, but ranged attacks and spells are actually a little more viable here, rolling out of sword's range while you chip away at this horror's health.

How to get back to the Grafted Scion boss fight

If you failed the first time around, you can actually head back to the Grafted Scion later in the game whenever you want! What you need to do is head to Western Liurnia, the area past Stormveil Castle, and on the coast West of Raya Lucaria Academy you'll find a raised area called the Four Belfries, named as such because... well, there are four belfries on it. Three of them have a portal and a cryptic description of where it'll take you, but also require a special consumable key called an Imbued Sword Key to trigger the portal itself. Keep in mind that there's only three Imbued Sword Keys across the entire game, so it might take you a while to find them... except for the fact that the top Belfry has a chest with one inside, instead of a portal!

Now that you have the Sword Key, head to the second Belfry that reads "Precipice of Anticipation". Activate the Portal, and it'll take you back to the Chapel of Anticipation from a different angle, ready to fight the Grafted Scion again!

Just a small warning - when you appear through the portal, there'll be a cliff behind you with an item. Don't approach it! The cliff collapses when you step on it and kills you. Either way, the item is unobtainable, so just take the bridge towards the golden fog door to fight the Scion again.

Grafted Scion rewards

Even if you do manage to defeat the Grafted Scion in Elden Ring, all you'll get for it are a Greatshield and a paired set of Straight Swords that you won't be able to use for quite awhile, until you level up enough. And, you still need to die so you can carry on with the rest of the game. 

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