"Elden Ring on saxophone by Dr. Doot" was bound to be a highlight of the Awesome Games Done Quick 2025 speedrun event, but I wasn't fully prepared to see Malenia, long regarded as the toughest boss in the base game, get taken down faster than Christmas decorations on January 1.
Dr. Doot is well known on Twitch for clearing challenge runs of various games, from the FromSoftware stable to Zelda and Resident Evil, using an electric saxophone (a Roland AE-10 Aerophone). Notes are mapped to buttons on the controller, and a pitch knob on the back of the instrument serves as the left analog stick. It's always impressive, and his AGDQ Elden Ring run was one of his greatest yet.
The goal this time was to beat a selection of bosses using a pre-prepared save. The gauntlet was Rykard, Starscourge Radahn, Fire Giant, Maliketh, Gideon, Godfrey, Radagon, Elden Beast, and finally Malenia. Stream host Xenadir set the stage with a promise: "For every boss you get hitless, I'll donate $10. If you do the full spread, I'll do $100."
Dr. Doot stumbled with Godfrey a couple of times, but the run was otherwise smooth sailing up until Malenia. Rykard aside, he used the iconic Star Fist to make short work of these legendary beings. These fist weapons deal good physical and bleed damage, immense poise damage, and can be attuned to frost for even more status damage and defense reduction. The strength of these things is most obvious in the fight against Malenia, which lasted just 40 seconds from the time the opening cutscene ended.
Malenia is a fast and imposing boss, but she has remarkably low poise and is easily staggered, making her exceedingly weak to a weapon like the Star Fists. It took a few attempts, but on the final run, Dr. Doot barely gave her a chance to move, with the Royal Knight's Resolve weapon skill buffing the impact of his strikes and quickly staggering Malenia for a critical hit. The second phase, which always opens with a big Rot AoE attack, is somehow even easier. Malenia goes down in just three hits. I know we're all obsessed with Consort Radahn fights now, but Malenia is timeless, and it's just plain satisfying to watch an infamous Souls boss get picked apart like abstract art.
