Similar to previous Soulslike games, Elden Ring has an assortment of duo boss fights, with some being better encounters than others. Players often have mixed reviews when it comes to these encounters, frequently discussing the merits of their design and difficulty. There are some amazing duo boss fights in Elden Ring, but there are also those that are quite disappointing.
A duo boss fight consists of two boss enemies that players must fight together. These boss encounters are not unique to Elden Ring, they are found in all Soulslike games. The most famous duo boss fight in FromSoftware’s catalog happens to be Dark Souls’ toughest boss, Dragon Slayer Ornstein, and Executioner Smough. While Dark Souls 3 has the Lothric, Younger Prince, and Lorian, Elder Prince fight, along with some duo bosses in the DLCs. There are some Soulslike games that have three or more bosses players must fight simultaneously.
Duo bosses are not rare in Elden Ring; they are just one of the many challenges players will need to overcome in the Lands Between. But based on difficulty and boss design, not all the duo bosses are on the same level. Some bosses are easy, but their fighting style or design makes them stand out, while other duo bosses are challenging but have a common design for the game.
#6 – Elden Ring’s Tree Sentinel Duo
Elden Ring‘s Tree Sentinel is one of the first field bosses that players may encounter in the game; one is lingering just beyond the First Step Site of Grace. If players struggle with a single Tree Sentinel, there is a duo farther in the game. The Tree Sentinels duo bosses are in the Altus Plateau, at the south end of the Altus Highway Road. One wields a great shield and halberd, while the other has a torch in place of a shield.
Fighting the Tree Sentinel duo is not necessary – players can run past them – and if players decide to fight them, they can be challenged one at a time. But their matching glittering gold armor, combined with their sweeping attacks, makes these bosses intimidating. And being chased by these two bosses on their golden mounts is scary, especially for a low-level character.
#5 – Elden Ring’s Valiant Gargoyle Duo
Elden Ring‘s Valiant Gargoyle duo is found in the Siofra Aqueduct and consists of the Valiant Gargoyle and Valiant Gargoyle (Twinblade). From a design perspective, these two are like other gargoyles found in Elden Ring. However, during this fight, the gargoyles have a poison breath attack that can be damaging to players not prepared.
Despite how daunting this fight seems, these bosses aren’t unbeatable. First, the second gargoyle appears during the second phase of the fight, so players begin the fight with one gargoyle. If players give the Twinned Set to D’s Brother, who is found just outside the boss area, he can be summoned for the fight. And if players can line themselves up correctly along the cliff edge to the right, then the gargoyles can fall over the edge and die.
#4 – Elden Ring’s Nox Duo
Defeating the Nox Swordstress and Nox Priest duo boss is how players can get Elden Ring’s Lusat Glintstone Staff. The duo is locked behind a barrier in Selia, Town of Sorcery; unlocking the barrier requires players to light the brazier in the northwest part of town. The Swordstress and Priest are not particularly hard, especially for high-leveled players, but they have incredible range. From a design perspective, these two are one of the cooler duo bosses in the game. Their design can be impactful on players who have not reached the underground city of Nokron, where the Nox are common enemies. Fans of Bloodborne may enjoy this boss because of the similarities between the Nox duo and the Shadow of Yharnam trio.
#3 – Elden Ring’s Crucible Knight Duo
A single Crucible Knight is a challenge, so much so that players make Elden Ring Crucible Knight builds, but fighting two at once is a stressful and difficult encounter. In the Auriza Hero’s Grave, players have the option to fight the Crucible Knight duo. Crucible Knight Ordovis wields a greatsword and a shield, and at a point in the fight, he will materialize wings and fly. The second lesser crucible knight wields the Siluria’s Tree Great Spear.
This may be one of the more challenging fights in the game, but players can summon other players for help. Other than being a hard encounter, the crucible knights are some of the coolest enemies in the game. They are very lore-heavy – especially Ordovis, who served Godfrey – and defeating this duo gives the players the Crucible Axe Set, the second set of Crucible armor in the game.
#2 – Elden Ring’s Godskin Duo
By the time the players reach Elden Ring’s Godskin Duo in the Crumbling Farum Azula, they have most likely encountered the Godskin Apostle and Godskin Noble at various times. However, unlike previous times when players face one of the bosses, they must now fight them simultaneously. The good news is these bosses have no added move sets and fight like the previous encounters. The bad news is the Godskin Duo share a health bar and are only defeated when the health bar is gone. If the player defeats one or both before their health bar is depleted, they will keep coming back. Also, unlike the other duo bosses, the Godskin Duo is not optional and must be defeated for players to progress in the game.
#1 – Elden Ring’s Fell Twins Duo
The Fell Twins are the best duo bosses in the game because their fight is much different compared to the other bosses. To find this duo, players need to defeat Elden Ring’s tragic hero Morgott and approach the Divine Tower of East Altus. Unlike other bosses, the Fell Twins are not fought in a room or arena, they are fought in total darkness.
When their fight is triggered, the player’s screen will go black and stay black as the Fell Twins appear. This black void can be disorientating and make it hard for players to figure out how close or far they are from the Twins. Players who defeated Dark Souls‘ Four Kings may find this fight familiar. Whether players find the sudden darkness familiar or alien, this is one of the more challenging and best-designed duo boss fights in Elden Ring.