Elden Ring is packed full of fantastical creatures, horrible monsters, and fierce warriors of great renown. Throughout the Lands Between, you’ll do battle with nearly every person or creature you come across, but some are easier to take down than others.
Sure, plenty of enemies you come across in Elden Ring are tough the first few times you fight them, but which ones continue to give you trouble even after facing them a dozen times? This list will help break down the most difficult enemies you’ll encounter in Elden Ring. For the purposes of this list, only enemies that respawn are included (sorry, Lion Guardians).
Updated on March 18, 2023, by Jeff Brooks: Reformatted to be in line with new formatting guidelines, along with refreshing all the in-text and Related/Next links to be more relevant to the topic.
10 Abductor Virgin
Creepy as they are dangerous, the Abductor Virgins have a bad habit of blending in with the environment. Their swinging bladed arms can catch even the wariest Tarnished, but many of their attacks have a long wind-up, giving you time to back away and let the Abductor Virgin’s attack play out.
Their trickiest move is when their ‘stomach’ opens and a pair of gangly arms reach out for a grab attack. This attack is often so sudden that it can be difficult to avoid. If you haven’t been careful with your health during the fight, this signature grab attack might spell the end for you.
The Abductor Virgin below Raya Lucaria Academy will actually transport you to an entirely new location.
9 Giant Crayfish
Somewhat unassuming (and pretty much minding their own business), the Giant Crayfish can turn a lazy stroll across Liurnia of the Lakes into a desperate ride to survive as these massive creatures erupt from the mud all around you. These monsters don’t give too enthusiastic of a chase, but they happen to be expert snipers, able to blast you off Torrent at a shocking distance.
Once you recognize their partially submerged forms, they’re easy enough to avoid, but later in the game, you’ll encounter them in much more confined spaces, and you’ll realize you never really figured out how to effectively defeat them.
8 Ancestral Follower (Archer)
The Ancestral Followers found deep beneath the ground in the Siofra River can be quite deadly. Many remain invisible or hide in bushes until you enter within their range (which is pretty expansive). Then, they draw back their bows and proceed to skewer you from afar, doing tremendous damage with laser-sharp accuracy.
These enemies can be a deadly nuisance even at a high level, but if you happen to go exploring the Siofra River early in the game, these Ancestral Followers will quickly become the bane of your existence.
7 Lesser Wormface
These things are just as creepy as they are dangerous. You’ll often hear them before seeing them, but there’s no mistaking their hunched-over form, wriggling tentacled mouth, and haunting sobbing that plays when you draw close. Most of their physical attacks aren’t too difficult to deal with, but it’s their attacks that inflict Death Blight that makes them truly a fearsome opponent.
Even dealing with a single Lesser Wormface runs the risk of being instantly killed by their Death Blight, and these enemies are often found in groups of two or three, greatly increasing the risk of taking them on. Oh, and they have perhaps the most horrifying grab attack wherein they swallow you whole.
6 Lesser Runebear
The Lesser Runebear is a massive beast with a robust move set that severely punishes any players with a habit of rolling away from attacks. They will often charge past your character, giving you a moment to breathe and heal, but if they catch you in a flurry of claws, it can quickly spell the end of your adventure.
Rolling into a Lesser Runebear’s attacks is particularly effective, even more so than other enemies in Elden Ring. Due to their massive health pool, however, you must remain vigilant. Even a single mistake can result in the familiar ‘You Died’ splash screen.
5 Lesser Burial Watchdog
Players can encounter the boss version of this construct fairly early in the game in various catacombs, and these lesser versions are just as dangerous when you face them in late game areas like Mountaintops of the Giants and Consecrated Snowfields. Their erratic, unnatural movements make them a particularly tricky enemy to fight since so many of their attacks require very specific dodge timing.
Despite their mechanical movements, they can be deceptively quick and aggressive, pairing a slow ominous advance with sudden and brutal slash attacks. Combine those with their elemental breath attacks, and you have a distinctly challenging opponent.
4 Giant Monstrous Crow
These horrific Giant Crows are exceedingly deadly. Their moves feel especially difficult to predict and counter, and their unique grab attack involves them plucking up your character, flying high into the air, and slamming your character back to the ground.
Of particular note are the grotesque variants found around Mohgwyn Palace in the late game. Even though one of these Giant Monstrous Crows can easily be farmed for runes, actually fighting it up close is quite a different battle.
3 Colossal Fingercreeper
You’ve tangled with the smaller and large Fingercreepers found in Caria Manor and beyond. They’re creepy, sure, but they can usually be defeated fairly easily unless you’re dealing with a swarm. The Colossal Fingercreeper is a whole other challenge. You’ll only come across a couple of these in the game, both hanging around (literally) in Mountaintops of the Giants.
These massive monstrosities hit hard and move as unnaturally as their smaller brethren. They don’t have many attacks, but they alternate between long wind-up moves—which can throw off any kind of dodging rhythm—and a quick-as-lightning charge wherein they barrel over your character. With a large health pool, you'd better come prepared with plenty of Crimson Flasks.
2 Fire Prelate
This deadly enemy can easily be identified by their enormous size, bowl-like helmet, and their distinctive fire hammer. The Fire Prelate is a tank. It can take a massive amount of damage, and it dishes it out in equal measure. With a healthy mix of heavy hammer attacks and elemental fire attacks, this foe is a threat at any range.
They are often accompanied by other enemies, like Flame Guardians and Fire Monks, which can make a fight next to impossible—but even on their own, the Fire Prelate is a serious threat that takes focus, time, and patience to overcome.
If you're interested in wielding this enemy's enormous fiery hammer, seek out Fort Laiedd and defeat the Fire Prelate within.
1 Revenant
The Revenant is by far the most dangerous enemy in Elden Ring. At no point in the game should you feel comfortable when encountering this abomination. The Revenant enemy is relentless. It hits fast and hard, quickly repositioning before diving back in for a series of lethal blows. With so many limbs and a deeply erratic move set, the Revenant can be a nightmare to fight, and survival is never guaranteed even for the most seasoned warrior.
Revenants do have a major weakness, however: healing incantations with an area of effect do massive amounts of damage against Revenants. But, even with this critical weakness, Revenants still easily earn the number 1 spot on this list.