How To Beat Putrescent Knight in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

It’s only a matter of time before you see droves of rage videos about the Putrescent Knight in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. It’s by far, one of the most annoying and borderline unfair bosses in the game. Sadly, the Putrescent Knight is necessary for a rather important side quest that reveals much of the DLC’s lore and objectives. If you’re after more context–and rewards, here’s how to beat the Putrescent Knight in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

Where to Find Putrescent Knight in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

The journey to the Putrescent Knight is an exodus, so make sure you’re not too tired or have at least an hour of gameplay. I’ve included images above to showcase the Putrescent Knight’s location. The green trail is above ground, the red trail is underground.

You can find the Putrescent Knight in the Garden of Deep Purple. To get there, you can also follow these specific instructions:

1. Start in Castle Front (Grace) just before Castle Ensis.
2. Follow the green and red trail, and use torrent to jump down from the cliffs to the pond.
3. Look for a cave next to giant flower enemies. This cave leads to Ellac River Cave (Grace).
4. Continue south down the river until you reach Ellac River Downstream (Grace). Then keep going south. You will need to do some platforming with Torrent.
5. Keep going and once you see a Furnace Golem, run past it and follow the final green trail on the map image above. Voila, you’re now in Cerulean Coast.
6. From the Cerulean Coast Grace, head south to the southernmost tip of the map.
7. Head inside the Fissure and progress through the area. You’ll know you’re heading in the right direction once the enemies start shooting purple lasers at you.
8. You’ll eventually find a deep chasm near the Fissure Depths Grace. Jump from the large horned statue (you won’t die from the fall). Once you land, you’re now in the Putrescent Knight’s boss arena.

It’s a long fall, so while you’re falling, steel yourself and prepare for one of the toughest mounted boss fights in Elden Ring.

How to Beat Putrescent Knight in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

It’s hard to get to him, and harder still to fight him. The Putrescent Knight deals Frostbite, attacks fast, leaps around, and will also try to double-team you with his horse. Most Elden Ring bosses have two or three phases and the Putrescent Knight is no exception, except it’s less pronounced here.

The Putrescent Knight will merely get a couple of new (and devastating) attack moves after it reaches 50 percent HP. To survive or win, consider the following tips and pointers:

• Make sure your Scadutree Blessing is at 10+.
• Max out your weapon or your Spirit Ashes (if you want to use one).
• The boss cannot be Poise-broken apparently.
• Bring fire or holy damage sources. It’s his weakness.
• Bring a Greatshield (Haligtree or Fingerprint Stone) if you can carry it. But don’t solely depend on the shield for defense. Mix it with rolling.
• You can’t bring Torrent.
• Bring anti-Frostbite armor or consumables.
• Consider weapons with dodge Weapon Skills for extra i-frames.

Being aggressive in this fight will result in your death since the Putrescent Knight can kill you in 2-3 hits (in NG) and the combos are devastating and relentless. You almost get no window for attacks and you also often have to trade health with it.

Additionally, the Putrescent Knight will jump around between attacks, acting as its own evasive maneuvers. It’s best to approach this boss fight defensively. Hence, I recommend a mix of Greatshield and rolling. As for the phases, here’s what I recommend you do.

Phase 1 of Putrescent Knight

For this phase, the Putrescent Knight will mostly be swinging at you with its blade in relentless combos. Study these combos and try to run away or roll away far instead of blocking them all. You will usually get a window of opportunity for attack or healing after a heavy blade slam or at the end of a combo.

In case it splits with its horse, this is where the Greatshield comes in handy and you can use it to block their attacks. Be aware of the Frostbite buildup and place your Thawfrost Boluses on your quick slots. Remember, don’t be aggressive. You’ll get it down to 50 percent HP eventually.

Phase 2 of Putrescent Knight

This is when your problems start coming in. Phase 2 of the Putrescent Knight will give him blue flame attacks that deal Frostbite and big, continuous damage. The best thing to do is run away from it. Don’t stand on the blue fire. You can block the blue fire with a Greatshield, but it has to be either a Haligtree Greatshield or Fingerprint Stone Greatshield.

Also, don’t come near the Putrescent Knight when he’s performing his blue fire attacks. Once you can manage the blue fire, it’s a matter of being defensive and only attacking after combos or heavy melee slams. You’ll get it eventually. If all else fails, use Mimic Tear.