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How to beat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight in Shadow of the Erdtree

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One of the first major bosses in the Elden Ring DLC is the Twin Moon Knight Rellana

Shadow of the Erdtree Rellana, Twin Moon Knight
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
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Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, in Shadow of the Erdtree is the boss of Castle Ensis and one of the two first major bosses in the starting area. Of these two I'd say Rellana is tougher to beat than the Dancing Lion - using sword combos, fire, and sorcery to overwhelm attackers and keep them at arm's length. So if you're struggling to beat her initially, it might be worth testing your strength against the big cat first.

Whoever you go for, you should make sure you've found all the Scadutree Fragments in Shadow of the Erdtree you can find nearby, as these will make you more powerful and capable of dealing with Erdtree's dangers.

Rellana will always be a challenge, though. As one of the Shadow of the Erdtree main bosses, she's meant to be barrier for players to overcome. So if you're ready to leave the starting area and reach Scadu Altus, and the rest of the game, here's how to beat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight in Shadow of the Erdtree.

How to beat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight in Shadow of the Erdtree

Shadow of the Erdtree Rellana, Twin Moon Knight

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Here's some quick tips and tricks to help with Rellana, Twin Moon Knight:

  1. Rellana is weak to lightning damage
  2. There are two NPC summons for you to bring in outside
  3. Stay up-close to her Phase 1, and mid-range in Phase 2
  4. Protect against spells and fire damage
  5. Skilled players can use a shield to parry her sword strikes
  6. When she brings in her Twin Moon spell, you can jump over the shockwaves

Rellana's most significant weakness is lightning damage, partly just because of her stats, and partly because of the water in the arena that conducts it. If you have any builds or upgraded weapons that channel electricity, now is the time to use them. You should also bring armor and items to resist fire and magic damage, as those are Rellana's favorites.

Before entering the fight, summon any NPCs outside that you can, Needle Knight Leda and Dryleaf Dane can appear as options (although Dane my have been patched out as a lot of people aren't getting him anymore) Neither is hugely powerful, but that's hardly the point - they're here to draw Rellana's attention off you. Bring in an Ash summon too, like Tiche or the Elden Ring Mimic Tear, and you can have four separate entities on the field confusing her. However, it's worth noting that extra summons boost her health. So another option is to go in with just a harder hitting Ash summing like the Mimic Tear, and taker her on that way.  

In Phase 1 the key is up-close mobility. Rellana's spells are more damaging and less telegraphed than her melee attacks - despite looking like a fighter, she's really a heavily armored sorcerer - so don't play to her strengths. Stay close, keep moving and rolling, and try to get behind her, because her attacks generally don't reach there.

Shadow of the Erdtree Rellana, Twin Moon Knight

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Those with shields can parry her sword strikes, but it's not easy - a high-risk/high-reward strategy for elite players. Those with Carian Retaliation on their Shields can also bounce many of her projectiles back at her.

In Phase 2, Rellana brings fire attacks into play, behaves more aggressively, and starts summoning vortexes of flame around her. Now the play is mid-range defense - hold back a little and use the pauses between combos and spells to leap in and do as much damage as possible before diving back. Try some jumping heavy attacks to stagger her, then roll away before the inevitable detonation or sword slash. She'll also bring in a giant arcane greatsword which she slams on the ground and swing around - your cue to roll and jump to avoid it.

Shadow of the Erdtree Rellana, Twin Moon Knight

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Finally, always be prepared for her Twin Moon Attack, where she causes three successive massive AOE shockwaves on the ground. The moment you see her floating up, back away and watch for the incoming shockwave. You can roll through it if you time it well, but it's easier to jump over the blast instead.

Rellana rewards in Shadow of the Erdtree

Rellana rewards in Shadow of the Erdtree

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Keep playing defensively, chiselling away at her health, and you should eventually crack her. Rellana drops 216000 Runes, and the Remembrance of the Twin Moon Knight, which be exchanged either for Rellana's Twinblade (a pair of swords that scale to pretty much every stat except Arcane) or Rellana's Twin Moons, the same explosive spell she casts and which requires a brainy 72 Intelligence to use yourself. 

You'll also be able to reach the new Scadu Altus region, though if you haven't fought the Shadow of the Erdtree Divine Beast Dancing Lion in Belurat first, you'll definitely want to go and do that.

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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.

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