Though Elden Ring features approximately a dozen required boss fights to reach the end of the game, there are many optional boss fights scattered throughout the Altus Plateau and beyond. The impressively large map features five distinct areas: Limgrave, Caelid, Liurnia, the Mountaintops of Giants, and the Altus Plateau. While many of these areas are locked from the game's beginning, players can unlock new locations by defeating essential bosses. However, it's recommended that players take time to explore their surroundings and defeat enemies hidden throughout Elden Ring's open world on their way to becoming Elden Lord.
Elden Ring takes place in the Lands Between after the Shattering of a mysterious artifact (the game's namesake). The player character, a disgraced Tarnished, wakes from death and roams the world in search of becoming the next Elden Lord. Once players get a few hours into the game, they can steadily become more powerful and take on some of the many optional bosses throughout the Lands Between. While many of these fights aren't essential to the storyline, they present necessary upgrades to confront greater challenges, including runes, and better armor and weapons. The Altus Plateau is one such area that provides players with an abundance of resources, enemies, and boss fights to partake in.
The Altus Plateau is a late-game area that players can't access until they've left Elden Ring's Stormveil Castle far behind. Located in the upper left of the map, players can expect to face various magical and monstrous opponents. Thankfully, there aren't many bosses in the area compared to other locations in Elden Ring. Many completionists can breathe a sigh of relief, with only sixteen bosses available to conquer across (and under) the Plateau. Unfortunately, while all offer abundant runes, some provide more valuable items and equipment than others.
Elden Ring's Optional Altus Plateau Bosses - Ancient Dragon Lansseax
As a FromSoftware game, Elden Ring provides lore and story information through item descriptions, dialogue, and hidden messages at important locations. Many enemies and bosses, such as dragons, feature impressive legacies beginning far before the game's official start. Ancient Dragon Lansseax in Elden Ring's Altus Plateau is one such enemy.
Rumored to be the sister of a Lichdragon Dragon named Fortissax, Lansseax once took on a human form to commune with knights and created her own cult. She is a mighty draconic enemy with two distinct phases. After players deal enough damage at the Abandoned Coffin Site of Grace on Mt. Gelmir, Lansseax retreats to the south by the Rampartside Path. This disappearing technique is just another step in claiming the dragon's 60,000 runes and an Incantation called Lansseax's Glaive, spawning a red-lightning glaive that sweeps the immediate area. Like all Incantations, this ability requires exceptionally high levels of Faith to perform, with players requiring 40 levels to use it.
Optional Elden Ring Bosses In Atlus Plateau - Misbegotten Warrior & Perfumer Tricia
Elden Ring's Misbegotten Warrior is a repeated, optional boss that spawns alongside Perfumer Tricia in the Unsightly Catacombs, providing an interesting (and brutal) duo boss fight. Like Ornstein and Smough's battle in Dark Souls, players must balance damaging each boss and maintaining their resources. The Misbegotten Warrior's lore states that it's lost all sense and attacks all enemies indiscriminately, while Perfumer Tricia is a long-range spellcaster that defends her companion from afar.
It's recommended that players defeat Perfumer Tricia first, as she's far weaker to physical damage than her companion. Each character has their own health bar, making this boss fight much more complicated than most battles in the area. After defeating the Misbegotten Warrior and Perfumer Tricia, players receive 9400 runes and Perfumer Tricia Ashes, which gives players the ability to summon her later.
Godefroy The Grafted Is An Optional Elden Ring Boss In Atlus Plateau
Godrick the Grafted is Elden Ring's first significantly difficult boss fight that gatekeeps players from passing Stormveil Castle and exploring the rest of the Lands Between. However, after defeating Godrick, players can battle a more challenging version of him within the Altus Plateau. Much like Godrick, Godefroy grafts the limbs of sacrificed Tarnished to his body. Additionally, finding Godefroy is more complicated than encountering Godrick, as players must activate the Golden Lineage Evergoal's stone imp statue to face him.
Popular character builds in Elden Ring provide players with several strategies to defeat this enemy, as Godefroy is weak to Frost and Scarlet Rot. After defeating him, players obtain 26,000 runes and the Godfrey Icon, a Talisman that raises the charge attack power of sorceries, incantations, and skills. This makes him a somewhat lucrative boss to hunt down.
Godskin Apostle Is An Optional Elden Ring Boss Found At Windmill Village
Gods in Elden Ring are complicated lore, with Demigods and Gods living among the people but nearing extinction after the Shattering. While many enemies in the Lands Between are loyal to Queen Marika or other godly beings, the Godskin Apostles despise the gods and are said to serve Destined Death. Wieding twin-blade weapons and the god-slaying black flame, Godskin Apostles are agile boss fights scattered throughout Elden Ring's world. The Apostle in the Altus Plateau is one of several opportunities where players can battle one, which is located through the Windmill Village in the northeast section of the Plateau. Killing the Apostle rewards 14000 runes, the Godskin Peeler twin-blade, and the Scouring Black Flame Incantation, which casts black fire in a wide area in front of the user.
Elden Ring's Optional Altus Plateau Bosses - Omenkiller & Miranda, The Blighted Bloom
There are several Omenkiller and Miranda the Blighted Bloom bosses that spawn throughout Elden Ring's open world, but the Altus Plateau is the only area that features a duo boss fight with these variants. The Omenkiller is a humanoid opponent that wields dual serrated swords and attacks its opponents with sweeping attacks, forcing players to gain distance or spam dodge rolls to survive its onslaughts. Omenkiller is paired with the Blighted Bloom, which alternates between releasing poisonous clouds and casting Beams of Light beneath the player to force constant motion during the battle, limiting attack opportunities.
This combination forces players to move constantly but is only manageable if players eliminate the Blighted Bloom as soon as possible. Nearly every character build in Elden Ring is at a disadvantage during his fight, forcing Tarnished to adopt new strategies and eliminate one boss as quickly as possible to avoid burning through flasks. Defeating the Omenkiller and Miranda the Blighted Bloom rewards players with 8500 runes and the Great Omenkiller Cleaver.
Other bosses in the Altus Plateau that don’t offer the same lucrative rewards as those listed above include:
- Tibia Mariner
- Necromancer Garris
- Black Knife Assassin
- Stonedigger Troll
- Eleonora, the Bloody Finger
- Maleigh Marais, Shaded Castle Castellan
- Elemer of the Briar
- Black Knife Assassin (again)
- Two Tree Sentinels
Since many players have explored Altus Plateau in their Elden Ring playthroughs, some are likely familiar with the above names. However, Elden Ring - like most FromSoftware games - can be tricky and hide many experiences from even the most observant players. When players reach the Altus Plateau, they move closer toward their journey to go from Tarnished to Elden Ring's new Elden Lord It features increasingly tough (and essential) boss fights, forcing many Tarnished to turn back and become stronger before facing their next obstacle. Thankfully, with the optional boss fights available in the Plateau, many Tarnished won't have to backtrack as much as they'd think.