All main bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree in order

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You need to beat at least 7 boss fights in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

Shadow of the Erdtree
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

The Shadow of the Erdtree main bosses in order include seven critical boss fights that you have to beat to complete the Elden Ring DLC expansion. Some can be done in different orders, like two that guard a door and key respectively, so which ones you fight there has little impact on progression. However, in cases like that I'm going to list your options and number them according to ascending difficulty. So if you want to know what lies ahead, here are all the main bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree in order, and where to find them.

Warning: spoilers for Shadow of the Erdtree bosses ahead. If you still want to be surprised by who and what you fight, look away now!

All main bosses in order for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

Shadow of the Erdtree Main Boss locations map

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

The 7 main bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree you have to beat are, in the following order:

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  1. Divine Beast Dancing Lion 
  2. Rellana, Twin Moon Knight 
  3. Golden Hippopotamus 
  4. Romina, Saint of the Bud
  5. Messmer the Impaler
  6. Needle Knight Leda (and allies)
  7. Promised Consort Radahn 

Of these seven bosses, there is some variety to the order you can tackle them in, with the ultimate goal to get to the top of the Tower of Shadow. The Dancing Lion blocks the entrance to the Tower, but at the same time, the tower itself is blocked by the Sealing Tree, which you need to beat Rellana, the Hippo and ultimately Romina to reach. 

But the Tree itself can only be destroyed by Messmer's Kindling, which, of course, you need to beat Messmer himself to obtain. So there's some elasticity to how you approach all of this. And then there are still plenty of optional areas, objectives and bosses you can encounter along the way that might help you prepare and power up. 

Whatever order you decide on, make sure you seek out and gather enough Shadow of the Erdtree Scadutree Fragments, as they make up the body of the new levelling system and are how you quickly get more powerful. Fortunately, the attached page will show you how to find every single one.

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Joel Franey
Joel Franey
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.