The best Elden Ring boss order for a first run goes Margit, Godrick, Rennala, then any second Shardbearer (most players pick Radahn), followed by Morgott in Leyndell, the Fire Giant, the Godskin Duo, Maliketh, and the final stretch of Gideon, Godfrey and Radagon with the Elden Beast. Only eleven fights are strictly required, so the real question is which optional bosses to slot in between them while your level and weapon catch up. Below is that critical path, the recommended level for each region, and where the big optional bosses such as Mohg and Malenia fit without leaving you underpowered.
We checked this route against the Fextralife Game Progress Route and boss pages, the Elden Ring wiki on wiki.gg and Bandai Namco's patch notes in November 2026.
The Bosses You Cannot Skip
The wiki.gg boss list names the fights that must be beaten to progress, and it is shorter than most new players expect. You need any two Shardbearers (chosen from Godrick, Rennala, Radahn, Rykard and Mohg), then either the Draconic Tree Sentinel or Fia's Champions to reach the capital, followed by the Golden Shade of Godfrey, Morgott the Omen King, the Fire Giant, the Godskin Duo, Maliketh the Black Blade, Sir Gideon Ofnir, Godfrey in his final form, Radagon of the Golden Order and the Elden Beast.
Everything else is optional, which is why the order matters so much. The Lands Between are open from the first hour, and nothing stops you from riding into Caelid at level 10 or wandering into a level 60 area with a +2 weapon. A good order is less about following the story and more about meeting each boss at a level where the fight is hard but fair.
Two early bosses deserve a note. Margit, the Fell Omen guards the main gate of Stormveil Castle, and Godrick the Grafted waits at the top. The wiki treats neither as part of the strict mandatory list because experienced players can route around them, but on a first playthrough you will almost certainly fight both. Godrick is also the Shardbearer most people take first.
Limgrave, Stormveil and Liurnia: The Opening Order
Fextralife's progress route starts with West Limgrave at level 1 to 15 and weapon upgrades of +0 to +1. The Tree Sentinel on horseback right outside the first Site of Grace is a skill check the route tells you to avoid early. Spend the first hours on the easier Limgrave targets instead, then work through these in roughly this order:
- Limgrave field bosses. Night's Cavalry, the Deathbird and the Mad Pumpkin Head are good warm-ups. The Bell Bearing Hunter at Warmaster's Shack is optional and hits much harder than his location suggests.
- Weeping Peninsula. At level 20 to 30 with +2 to +3 gear, the route sends you south for Flying Dragon Agheel, the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in the Forlorn Hound Evergaol and the boss of Castle Morne.
- Margit and Godrick. Stormveil Castle is listed at level 30 to 40 and +3 to +4. Margit at the gate is the first real wall, the Lion Guardian is a mini-boss inside, and Godrick is the main boss.
- Raya Lucaria Academy. After crossing south Liurnia at level 40 to 50, the route puts the Academy at 50 to 60 with +4 to +6. You fight the Red Wolf of Radagon on the way in and Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon at the end.
Beating Rennala gives you your second Great Rune if you also took Godrick, which already satisfies the two Shardbearers needed for Leyndell. It also unlocks rebirth, so this is the point where a build that feels wrong can be fixed. Our Larval Tear location guide lists every tear you need to pay for that respec.
Picking Your Shardbearers and the Radahn Detour
You do not have to stop at two Great Runes, and most players do not. Starscourge Radahn is the usual third pick because he unlocks so much. He is fought in Caelid through a portal at the end of Redmane Castle, and only while the Radahn Festival is running. Fextralife says the festival starts once you activate any Site of Grace on the Altus Plateau or progress far enough in Ranni's questline.
The route lists Caelid at level 60 and up with +10 to +12 weapons. Radahn is a fight built around summons: the wiki counts up to six NPC helpers at once, including Blaidd, Iron Fist Alexander, Great Horned Tragoth, Lionel the Lionhearted and Castellan Jerren. Use all of them. Beating him creates the Starfall Crater and opens the way to Nokron, Eternal City, which hides some of the best items in the game.
Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy is the other mid-game Shardbearer. He sits at the end of Volcano Manor on Mt. Gelmir, which the route rates at level 80 and up with +15 to +20 gear. He is optional, and the route places Mt. Gelmir just before Leyndell, so he works well as a third or fourth Great Rune if you want more runes and items before the capital.
Mohg, Lord of Blood is the fifth Shardbearer and the one most often saved for later. The route places Mohgwyn Palace at level 100 and up. He also matters for a second reason: Mohg and Radahn are the two bosses you must beat before the expansion opens, which our guide to starting Shadow of the Erdtree walks through step by step.
Leyndell and the Mountaintops
With two Great Runes, the barrier into Leyndell, Royal Capital lifts. On the way in you face the Draconic Tree Sentinel at the outskirts, which the route rates at level 90 to 110 with +15 to +20 weapons. Inside, the order is fixed: first the Golden Shade of Godfrey, First Elden Lord, then Morgott, the Omen King.
Morgott is where many runs stall, and that is normal. If he feels impossible, the open world still has plenty to do, and a few levels plus a weapon upgrade make a visible difference in that fight. It is also a natural point to bring in a friend. Our Elden Ring co-op guide explains the items and the password setup for playing with someone you know.
After Morgott, the path goes through the Forbidden Lands, where the Black Blade Kindred waits, and up into the Mountaintops of the Giants. The route lists both areas at level 90 and up with +20 to +24 weapons. The required boss here is the Fire Giant, a huge open-air fight that tests your patience more than your reflexes, so keep your distance and punish openings rather than trading hits.
The Consecrated Snowfield sits beside the Mountaintops and is entirely optional. It leads to Mohgwyn Palace through a hidden waygate and, much further on, to Miquella's Haligtree, home of Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree and Malenia, Blade of Miquella. The route rates the Haligtree at level 120 and up with fully upgraded +25 weapons, and Malenia has a reputation as one of the toughest fights FromSoftware has made. Leave her until you have finished everything else you care about.
Farum Azula and the Final Run
After the Fire Giant, the story moves to Crumbling Farum Azula, which the route lists at level 120 and up with +25 weapons. Three bosses live here: the Godskin Duo (required), Dragonlord Placidusax (optional and hidden) and the Beast Clergyman, who turns into Maliketh, the Black Blade (required). Maliketh hits fast and hard, so learn his first phase patiently before you commit flasks.
Returning to the capital, now Leyndell, Ashen Capital, starts the end sequence that the route rates at level 150 and up:
- Sir Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing, a caster duel that rewards staying aggressive.
- Godfrey, First Elden Lord, who becomes Hoarah Loux, Warrior in the second phase.
- Radagon of the Golden Order and then the Elden Beast, fought back to back.
The Subterranean Shunning-Grounds under the capital hold Esgar, Priest of Blood and Mohg, the Omen. Both are optional, but the route sends you there at level 150 and up because the area is part of the Frenzied Flame ending path. Read our breakdown of the six endings before going down there, because one choice in those tunnels locks out other endings for the rest of the playthrough.
A quick word on the current version: as of November 2026 the game is on patch 1.17.2, released on 20 October 2026. That update fixed several bugs and did not change the boss order, so any route from the wiki still applies.
Recommended Levels by Area
These are the level and upgrade ranges from Fextralife's progress route. Treat them as a comfortable band, not a requirement. A strong build can go in lower, and summoning Spirit Ashes or other players changes the math.
| Area | Level | Weapon | Main boss |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Limgrave | 1 to 15 | +0 to +1 | Field bosses only |
| Weeping Peninsula | 20 to 30 | +2 to +3 | Castle Morne boss |
| Stormveil Castle | 30 to 40 | +3 to +4 | Margit, Godrick |
| Raya Lucaria Academy | 50 to 60 | +4 to +6 | Red Wolf, Rennala |
| Caelid | 60+ | +10 to +12 | Starscourge Radahn |
| Mt. Gelmir | 80+ | +15 to +20 | Rykard |
| Leyndell outskirts | 90 to 110 | +15 to +20 | Draconic Tree Sentinel |
| Mountaintops of the Giants | 90+ | +20 to +24 | Fire Giant |
| Mohgwyn Palace | 100+ | +20 to +24 | Mohg, Lord of Blood |
| Miquella's Haligtree | 120+ | +25 | Malenia |
| Crumbling Farum Azula | 120+ | +25 | Godskin Duo, Maliketh |
| Leyndell, Ashen Capital | 150+ | +25 | Gideon, Godfrey, Radagon, Elden Beast |
The biggest mistake on a first run is spreading upgrade materials across several weapons. One weapon at the recommended upgrade level carries you further than three half-upgraded ones. The second mistake is ignoring Golden Seeds: Fextralife notes you start with 4 flask charges and can reach 14, and every extra charge matters more in a long boss fight than a single level does. And if your starting class is fighting you, our comparison of every Elden Ring starting class shows which origins handle the early bosses best.
Skipping Straight to the Fun Part
If you already know the route and would rather test late-game builds against these bosses right away, the store's best starter modded save is built for that. Per its product page, it gives you four characters at the very start of the game with zero bosses defeated, each at max level 713 with every item, and one slot also has all Sites of Grace unlocked and the full map revealed.
It is a PS4 and PS5 product only. You must already own Elden Ring, have Shadow of the Erdtree purchased and installed, and keep PlayStation Plus active on the account being modified. Delivery is done by logging into your account after checkout. See the Elden Ring best starter save page for the slot breakdown, or browse everything in the Elden Ring section of the store.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bosses do you have to beat to finish Elden Ring?
The wiki.gg list counts two Shardbearers plus the Draconic Tree Sentinel (or Fia's Champions), Godfrey's Golden Shade, Morgott, the Fire Giant, the Godskin Duo, Maliketh, Gideon, Godfrey, Radagon and the Elden Beast. Most players also fight Margit and Godrick.
Which Shardbearer should I fight first?
Godrick at Stormveil Castle is the usual first pick because the route reaches him at level 30 to 40. Rennala at Raya Lucaria Academy is the natural second.
Is Malenia required?
No. Malenia, Blade of Miquella is optional and sits at the bottom of Miquella's Haligtree, which the route rates at level 120 and up.
When does the Radahn Festival start?
Fextralife says it begins once you activate a Site of Grace on the Altus Plateau or advance far enough in Ranni's questline. Radahn can only be fought while it is active.
What level should I be for the final boss?
The Fextralife route lists Leyndell, Ashen Capital, where Radagon and the Elden Beast wait, at level 150 and up with a +25 weapon.
Does the DLC change the boss order?
Only in that Shadow of the Erdtree needs Radahn and Mohg dead before it opens. Its own mandatory bosses are Messmer the Impaler, Romina and Promised Consort Radahn.