The Blade vs. The Elden Beast: Is Malenia Harder Than the Final Boss in Elden Ring?

Unequivocally, yes, Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is generally considered a harder boss than the final boss, the Elden Beast, in Elden Ring. While the Elden Beast presents a unique challenge due to its size, mobility, and range, Malenia’s unrelenting aggression, self-healing, and infamous Waterfowl Dance make her a significantly more demanding opponent for most players. The comparison isn’t just about raw stats; it’s about the fundamental skills and strategies required to overcome each encounter. Malenia forces players to master precise timing, spacing, and build optimization in a way the Elden Beast often doesn’t.

Why Malenia Reigns Supreme in Difficulty

Malenia’s difficulty stems from a combination of factors that create a perfect storm of challenge:

• Self-Healing: Every attack Malenia lands heals her, making extended engagements incredibly risky. A single mistake can undo significant progress.
• Waterfowl Dance: This multi-hit flurry attack is notoriously difficult to dodge consistently, and it’s capable of instantly killing even well-leveled players. It demands precise timing and understanding of I-frames (invincibility frames).
• Aggression: Malenia is relentless in her attacks, constantly pressuring the player and leaving little room for error.
• Scarlet Rot: Her attacks can inflict Scarlet Rot, a status ailment that deals continuous damage over time, further complicating the fight.
• Humanoid Form: Her size and movements, while graceful, are also incredibly deceptive and fast. Players must learn to read her animations perfectly.

In contrast, while the Elden Beast is visually impressive and has a large health pool, its attacks are generally more telegraphed and easier to dodge. Many players also find that the Elden Beast’s reliance on ranged attacks makes it more vulnerable to certain builds and strategies. The fight can become a test of patience and stamina more than skillful combat.

The Elden Beast’s Challenges, and Why They Fall Short

The Elden Beast, while the culmination of the game, doesn’t quite reach Malenia’s difficulty peak for several reasons:

• Telegraphed Attacks: While the Elden Beast has a wide array of attacks, most of them are fairly predictable, allowing players to learn the timing and dodge effectively.
• Predictable Pattern: The Elden Beast tends to follow a fairly linear pattern of attack, which once memorized, can allow players to predict and avoid the attacks.
• Vulnerability to Specific Builds: Certain builds, particularly those focused on ranged attacks or status effects, can be highly effective against the Elden Beast.
• Summoning Opportunity: The Elden Beast is nearly always fought in a duo against Radagon, allowing players to summon help to distract from the Elden Beast.
• Less Punishing Mistakes: Unlike Malenia, a mistake against the Elden Beast is less likely to result in an immediate death.

The Community’s Verdict

The overwhelming consensus within the Elden Ring community is that Malenia is the more challenging boss. This is reflected in player discussions, online polls, and even speedrunning strategies. While the Elden Beast certainly requires a strategic approach and a decent build, it lacks the brutal precision and adaptability demanded by Malenia. To truly appreciate this disparity, you might be interested in research from institutions like the Games Learning Society, who explore how games challenge and teach players through mechanics. GamesLearningSociety.org can give you great information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Malenia and the Elden Beast:

1. What level should I be to fight Malenia?

Ideally, you should be around level 120-150 with a weapon upgraded to +23 or higher before attempting to fight Malenia. However, skilled players have defeated her at lower levels with optimized builds.

2. What are Malenia’s weaknesses?

Malenia is weak to Frostbite and Fire damage. Inflicting Frostbite can deal significant damage, and then removing the effect with Fire allows you to reapply it. She’s also susceptible to stagger.

3. Can I cheese Malenia?

Yes, there are several “cheese” strategies for Malenia, often involving specific weapons, Ashes of War, or summons. One popular method involves using the Rivers of Blood katana with a Mimic Tear Ash.

4. What is the best armor against Malenia?

Armor with high Physical defense is recommended. However, don’t sacrifice too much mobility for defense, as dodging is crucial. Consider armor sets that also offer some resistance to Scarlet Rot.

5. What are the best spirit ashes to use against Malenia?

Black Knife Tiche is often considered the best spirit ash due to her high damage output and ability to dodge Malenia’s attacks. The Mimic Tear is also a strong option, particularly if you have a powerful build.

6. How do I dodge Waterfowl Dance?

Dodging Waterfowl Dance requires precise timing and spacing. There are several strategies, including:

• Running away from the first flurry and dodging through the subsequent ones.
• Using Bloodhound’s Step to quickly reposition and create distance.
• Blocking the initial flurry with a high-stability shield and then dodging the remaining attacks.

7. Is Malenia immune to Scarlet Rot?

No, Malenia isn’t immune, but she has very high resistance. You’ll need to build up a significant amount of Scarlet Rot buildup to trigger the effect.

8. What is the best weapon to use against Malenia?

There’s no single “best” weapon, as it depends on your build and playstyle. However, weapons with high stagger potential, those that can inflict Frostbite or Fire damage, and those with good range are generally effective.

9. What is the recommended level for the Elden Beast?

A recommended level to face the Elden Beast is about level 120-150.

10. What are the Elden Beast’s weaknesses?

The Elden Beast is generally weak to Physical and Fire damage. It’s also susceptible to certain status effects, although its resistance is relatively high.

11. What types of damage should I avoid using against the Elden Beast?

The Elden Beast is highly resistant to Holy damage. Avoid using weapons or spells that primarily deal Holy damage.

12. How do I dodge the Elden Beast’s Elden Stars attack?

The Elden Stars attack can be difficult to dodge, but try to run diagonally and away from the Elden Beast to avoid being hit by the numerous projectiles.

13. Is the Elden Beast weak to any specific status effects?

While not specifically weak, the Elden Beast is somewhat susceptible to Frostbite and Bleed. Building up these status effects can provide extra damage output.

14. What are some tips for staying alive against the Elden Beast?

Some tips for staying alive include:

• Maintain distance to allow time to react to attacks.
• Use summons to draw aggro away from you.
• Maximize your Holy damage negation.
• Learn the attack patterns so you can anticipate and dodge effectively.
• Upgrade vigor so you can take more hits.

15. Is the Elden Beast harder on New Game Plus?

The Elden Beast will be more difficult on New Game Plus due to increased health and damage output. However, your own character’s power will also have increased, potentially balancing out the challenge.