Should You Skip Malenia, Blade of Miquella? A Deep Dive into Elden Ring’s Toughest Challenge
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The question of whether or not to face Malenia, Blade of Miquella, in Elden Ring is one that plagues many a Tarnished. She is notorious for her brutal difficulty, her relentless attacks, and her ability to heal herself. So, should you simply skip this optional boss and save yourself the frustration? The answer, like many things in Elden Ring, is nuanced.
No, you shouldn’t skip Malenia if you are looking for a true test of skill, wish to complete all available quest lines, or want the rewards she provides. However, it’s perfectly reasonable to consider skipping her if you are struggling, not interested in her rewards, or simply want to progress with the main story.
Let’s delve deeper into why you might choose to face this demigod or decide to leave her slumbering in the Haligtree.
The Case for Fighting Malenia
A True Test of Skill
Malenia isn’t just another boss; she’s often cited as the hardest boss in Elden Ring. Many compare her to the likes of the Orphan of Kos from Bloodborne and Sister Friede from Dark Souls 3 – benchmarks for incredibly challenging encounters. Defeating her is a significant accomplishment, a badge of honor for any Elden Ring player. If you thrive on overcoming intense challenges, Malenia is the ultimate test. Her attacks require precise timing, strategic use of your equipment, and a deep understanding of the game’s combat mechanics.
Completing Millicent’s Questline
If you’re a completionist, you’ll want to fight Malenia to progress the story of Millicent. She is a central figure in a questline that ultimately leads to obtaining Miquella’s Needle. This item is essential if you’ve been branded by the Three Fingers and wish to reverse the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending. This adds a significant story element and an impactful in-game item linked to her defeat.
Powerful Rewards
Beating Malenia unlocks several highly coveted rewards:
- Remembrance of the Rot Goddess: This can be exchanged for 50,000 Runes or either Hand of Malenia, her signature Katana, or the Scarlet Aeonia Incantation, her powerful rot-based attack.
- Malenia’s Great Rune: This rune provides a retaliatory health recovery effect, which is very useful in certain builds.
- Miquella’s Needle: As mentioned earlier, this is crucial for reversing the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending.
- Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone: Essential for upgrading powerful unique weapons.
These rewards are not only valuable but contribute to your overall power and build options.
Why You Might Consider Skipping Malenia
Sheer Difficulty
The most compelling reason to skip Malenia is her extreme difficulty. She is a wall that many players struggle to climb. It’s not uncommon for players to spend hours, even days, attempting to take her down. Her unique moveset, her Waterfowl Dance (an infamously difficult-to-dodge attack), and her healing mechanic make her an incredibly tough opponent, potentially souring the overall experience of the game.
Time Investment
Spending a significant amount of time battling one boss can be draining and frustrating, especially if you are not prepared. The time you spend on Malenia could be better used exploring other areas, experimenting with builds, or progressing through the rest of the game. If time is limited or you’re simply not feeling up to the challenge, skipping her is a perfectly valid option.
Not Essential for Main Progression
Malenia is entirely optional. She’s found deep within Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, an area that’s not on the direct path to the Elden Throne. You can complete the main story of Elden Ring without ever setting foot in her boss room. Her lack of essential nature for the core story progression means that avoiding her won’t hamper your progress through the game’s overarching narrative.
Other Content Awaits
Focusing on Malenia might distract you from discovering hidden areas, other challenging bosses, optional dungeons, and unique interactions that Elden Ring offers in abundance. The game is vast, and getting bogged down on one optional boss can lead you to miss out on a whole wealth of experiences.
Final Verdict
Ultimately, the decision to fight or skip Malenia is personal. If you are up for a challenge, interested in her specific story elements and rewards, and feel a sense of accomplishment from overcoming the most difficult challenges, then facing Malenia is a must. However, if you are feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, or prefer to spend time on other areas of the game, then skipping her is perfectly acceptable. Remember that you can always return to fight her later on in another playthrough.
Elden Ring is about choices, and sometimes choosing to not engage with a certain challenge is as valid as facing it head-on. Consider your priorities, your enjoyment, and your goals when making this choice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Malenia necessary to beat Elden Ring?
No, Malenia is not necessary to beat Elden Ring. She is an optional boss located in the late-game area of the Haligtree. You can complete the game without ever encountering her.
2. What level should I be to fight Malenia?
It’s generally recommended that you be at least level 120, and ideally closer to level 150, before facing Malenia. In addition, ensure your weapons are maxed upgraded and your equipment is at its best.
3. What are Malenia’s weaknesses?
Malenia is weak against Frost and Fire damage. You can apply Frostbite to her, dealing a percentage of her max health, and then use fire to remove the frostbite, repeating the process.
4. How can I reach Malenia in Elden Ring?
Malenia is located at the bottom of Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree. To reach her, you’ll need to navigate this challenging late-game area, starting in the Consecrated Snowfield.
5. What rewards do you get for beating Malenia?
Beating Malenia rewards you with the Remembrance of the Rot Goddess, which can be used to acquire her Katana (Hand of Malenia), Scarlet Aeonia Incantation, or 50,000 Runes. She also drops Malenia’s Great Rune, and access to the items needed to complete Millicent’s Questline.
6. Does Malenia heal during the fight?
Malenia does heal when she hits you, but the amount is relatively small unless you are tanking every hit with a shield or repeatedly blocked attacks. Her healing is significant if you consistently block her attacks.
7. Can you parry Malenia?
Yes, Malenia can be parried, though her attacks are incredibly fast and difficult to time correctly. Some players have defeated her solely with parries but it requires exceptional skill and timing.
8. Is Malenia considered the hardest boss in Elden Ring?
Yes, Malenia is generally considered the hardest boss in Elden Ring, owing to her aggressive attacks, self-healing, and the infamous Waterfowl Dance.
9. Does Malenia have a second phase?
Yes, Malenia has a second phase, where she transforms into a goddess and gains new moves and abilities, including a large scale scarlet rot area attack.
10. What is Malenia’s Great Rune good for?
Malenia’s Great Rune grants a retaliatory health recovery effect upon receiving damage. This is especially useful for aggressive players who are willing to trade blows.
11. Is it possible to “cheese” Malenia?
While there have been various “cheeses” for Malenia in the past, many were patched out as of patch 1.04. She is intended to be a test of skill in direct combat.
12. Does Malenia get harder in New Game Plus?
Yes, like other bosses, Malenia’s health and damage output increase in New Game Plus. This can make her even more challenging.
13. Is Millicent related to Malenia?
Yes, Millicent is considered a “bud” or extension of Malenia’s being, and is connected to the Scarlet Rot. Millicent’s questline is intertwined with Malenia’s fate.
14. Why is Malenia’s arm rotted?
Malenia’s limbs are rotted because of the Scarlet Rot that coursed through her veins from the start of her life. This condition was agonizing and led to her losing her limbs.
15. What is Malenia’s signature attack?
Malenia’s signature attack is the Waterfowl Dance, a series of rapid, consecutive strikes that are notoriously difficult to avoid and often results in death for unprepared players.