A truly extraordinary Elden Ring player has vanquished Malenia, a powerful endgame boss, without getting hit as a Level 1 character. FromSoftware's new open-world adventure presents players with plenty of challenges, ranging from massive Legacy Dungeons to merciless boss characters. Elden Ring boss Malenia, Blade of Miquella is a notoriously intense encounter, but one fan has seemingly mastered the fast-paced duel already.
While Elden Ring offers plenty of difficulty for even the most seasoned soulslike veterans, many have pushed the game even further by adopting additional self-imposed challenges. The fantasy epic has already spawned a tireless speedrunning community, with gamers using tricks and shortcuts to traverse The Lands Between as quickly as possible. Currently the world record Elden Ring speedrun sits below 20 minutes, an amazing feat considering the game takes most players upwards of 50 hours to beat. Even more unorthodox challenges have been concocted by other Tarnished adventures, with one player using a banana controller in Elden Ring and successfully defeating the game's first shardbearer, Godrick the Grafted.
In order to add an even greater challenge to the fight, Reddit user Curiosity_Kills_Me has beaten Malenia at Level 1 without getting hit. The Blade of Miquella is apparently the player's favorite FromSoftware boss fight, so this challenge is a great way to prolong the fight and spend more time with the Goddess of Rot. Despite being at base level, Curiosity_Kills_Me is able to use a variety of different tools, like the Flask of Wondrous Physick, to give themselves an edge in combat. Twin swords infused with ice damage are able to deal respectable damage to Malenia even at Level 1, and the player's intimate knowledge of the boss fight allows them to flawlessly dodge all of the boss' furious blade swipes.
I wanted to take my time with my new favorite souls boss, so I set a hefty goal. Here's level 1, no-hit Malenia. from Eldenring
While Curiosity_Kills_Me sought to spend more time fighting Malenia, one Elden Ring player defeated Malenia naked in only a few seconds. Removing armor allowed the player to take advantage of certain buffs, while a series of items and spells further bolstered the Tarnished warrior's attack power. This let the player kill Malenia in just two well-placed sword strikes, one for each phase of the typically epic encounter. While the tactic sadly skips a memorable boss fight, Elden Ring players are wise to use any advantage available when battling Malenia.
With her memorable character design and graceful moveset, many fans consider Malenia, Blade of Miquella to be one of Elden Ring's greatest bosses. By reducing their level to engage in an extended duel, Curiosity_Kills_Me has demonstrated true respect for the scarlet rot goddess. Through great skill, optimal equipment and an in-depth knowledge of Malenia's moves, the lowly Tarnished was able to eventually fell the Goddess of Rot.
Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Source: Curiosity_Kills_Me/Reddit