Liurnia of the Lakes is one of the largest areas players can explore in Elden Ring, and it’s packed with optional boss fights. Soulslike games’ main draw is not only the inherent challenge of their gameplay, but the well-designed boss fights hiding around every corner. As players defeat enemies and collect runes in Elden Ring, their Tarnished becomes more powerful and can obtain new abilities, weapons, and armor to equip themselves for the future. Other FromSoftware games like Bloodborne and Dark Souls also featured dozens of optional bosses, but Elden Ring’s open-world can make its hidden opponents more difficult to find.
In Elden Ring, players control a Tarnished character that rises from the dead after a cataclysmic event called the Shattering. The Lands Between, a kingdom in Elden Ring’s universe, is crumbling with the absence of its Queen and Elden Lord. Driven by destiny and guided by a golden trail of Grace, players navigate through the open world and battle many enemies to become the next Elden Lord. However, not all enemies need to be defeated to acquire that goal. It’s recommended that players explore the territory instead of plowing ahead with the storyline, and Liurnia offers many optional boss fights to enjoy on the journey to the Erdtree.
Liurnia of the Lakes is as large as Limgrave, Elden Ring’s starting area, and is the first territory players explore after conquering Stormveil Castle. As its name suggests, most of the region consists of water and provides sanctuary to many unique creatures. It is also home to one of the many swamps in Elden Ring, much to the dismay of players who’ve endured many poisonous swamp areas in other games. It features many new NPCs and sub-locations to develop the new world and provide players with endless hours of exploration. However, players should be wary, as it’s also home to many new bosses throughout the watery terrain.
Optional Elden Ring Bosses In Liurnia - Adan, Thief Of Fire
Adan, Thief of Fire, is what’s known as an optional Field Boss in Elden Ring, meaning that players aren’t required to pass through the mist to access his arena. Adan, Thief of Fire, is a human battlemage that uses a combination of fire magic and a flail to defeat his opponents. His stolen, forbidden arts make him capable of casting powerful spells that stagger players and leave them vulnerable. Located in Malefactor’s Evergaol prison in the southern region of Liurnia, players should take advantage of their initial distance.
Tarnished with more flame resistance and ranged attacks may have an easier time dodging his spells and launching their own elemental attacks back, but melee players must brave the firestorm to get close enough for damage. Adan’s flail is responsible for most of his close-range attacks, and players must carefully time their dodges to avoid getting stunlocked. Once defeated, Adan, Thief of Fire drops 3800 runs and Elden Ring's Flame of the Fell God Incantation, which launches a fireball that explodes on impact and leaves a patch of fire.
Bols, Carian Knight Is An Optional Elden Ring Boss In Liurnia
While Bols, Carian Knight is a Troll Knight with a heavy swing and an impressive health bar. Imprisoned in the Cuckoo’s Evergoal and left in solitude for countless years, Bols is an enraged opponent with two distinct phases in his fight. Like all Trolls, Bols features some resistance to Magic and Frost damage, heavily restricting some of the strongest builds in Elden Ring. Thankfully, melee-oriented character builds can utilize Scarlet Rot and Hemorrhage damage to their advantage, as Bol is very weak to both these types.
Bol’s slow gait and wide attack range make it easy for Elden Ring's Tarnished to flank him and inflict severe damage. However, summons are not available for this boss, which results in a rather lengthy fight. Thankfully, the Tarnished receive 4600 runes after defeating Bol and the Greatblade Phalanx, a spell that summons greatblades around the users that attack enemies when they come close enough.
Elden Ring's Optional Liurnia Bosses - Dragonkin Soldier Of Nokstella
Contrary to its name, the Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella is not an actual dragon and is a feral, humanoid creature lurking beneath Liurnia of the Lakes. Its lanky limbs and jagged movements often mislead players with different attack patterns, making this an extremely challenging boss fight for unprepared Tarnished. The Dragonkin Soldier lurks in the south-western section of the Ainsel River, accessible only from the Ainsel River Well. It is thankfully weak to Magic and Hemorrhage, giving ranged and melee players viable paths to success. After defeating it, players are rewarded with 12,000 runes and the Frozen Lightning Spear Incantation, which requires 34 Faith to wield.
Optional Elden Ring Bosses In Liurnia - Glintstone Dragon Adula
In many FromSoftware games, including Elden Ring, optional bosses can be more difficult than essential bosses that progress the storyline. The Nameless King from Dark Souls 3 is one such example, with the three-phase dragon-rider providing an infamous challenge for many experienced Soulslike players. Elden Ring’s Glintstone Dragon Adula is another tough battle and resists many damage types and status effects.
The Glintstone Dragon Adula resists Magic and is immune to all Status Effects, including Hemorrhage and Scarlet Rot. However, it is weaker to some types of physical damage. This is a double-edged sword (literally) as players are forced to face Adula’s tail, claws, and fangs at close-range. Adula is a unique dragon boss battle in Elden Ring, as it cannot be killed when it first appears at the center of Three Sisters, a sub-region in northern Liurnia. Instead, players can only bring Adula down to half health and must journey to the Cathedral of Manus Celes to fully defeat it. Once killed, Glintstone Dragon Adula rewards players with 120,000 runes, three Dragon Hearts, and Adula’s Moonblade, a Frost-based greatsword with immense power.
The Spirit-Caller Snail Is An Optional Boss In Elden Ring's Liurnia
FromSoftware games utilize many unique characters as NPCs, merchants, and bosses, and Elden Ring is no exception. The Spirit-Caller Snail is the least intimidating boss on this list, as it resembles a gelatinous blob with no visible defenses. It is weak to all damage types but summons a powerful spirit that fights for it. Elden Ring's Tarnished warriors should pay attention to mysterious illuminations that give away the invisible Snail’s position throughout the boss arena. Players must balance damaging the spirit and the boss, which only takes a few dozen hits to defeat. While this boss fight may be disappointing to some, its reward of 3000 runes and Glintstone Sorcerer Ashes ensures players can utilize some of the spirit’s power from the boss fight.
Other bosses in Liurnia that don’t offer the same lucrative rewards as those listed above include:
- Alabaster Lord
- Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader
- Bell Bearing Hunter
- Black Knife Assassin
- Cemetery Shade
- Cleanrot Knight
- Crystalian Spear & Staff
- Crystalian Ringblade
- Deathbird
- Edgar the Revenger
- Erdtree Avatar (x2)
- Erdtree Burial Watchdog
- Glintstone Dragon Smarag
- Godskin Noble
- Magma Wyrm Makar
- Night's Cavalry (x2)
- Omenkiller
- Royoal Revenant
- Tibia Mariner
Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s first open-world Soulslike game, taking popular mechanics from Bloodborne and Dark Souls and improving them to create one of the greatest AAA titles in recent years. While players can expect significant challenges no matter their level, Elden Ring provides many optional enemies for players to defeat instead of railroading them into an impossible confrontation. With many opportunities to become stronger, faster, and wiser while battling Elden Ring’s many enemies, Liurnia of the Lakes is home to powerful opponents with valuable drops.