Summary
Fans are patiently awaiting news regarding the highly-anticipatedElden RingDLC titled Shadow of the Erdtree, which was officially announced back in February 2023. FromSoftware has a history of producing excellent DLCs for its games, and recent rumors have fans speculating it could be bigger than past expansions. With few details about the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion forElden Ringto be found, FromSoftware still has a chance to incorporate some of the best elements from its past DLC bosses in this new expansion.
Some of the most memorable bosses in FromSoftware games can be found in their DLC, making the prospect of tackling newchallenges inElden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtreeall the more exciting. The developer already has a track record of designing unique and challenging foes in its base games, and their DLCs tend to add even harder enemies for players to test their skills against. With how many great bosses FromSoftware has designed over the years, several of them deserve to influence the boss design ofElden Ring’s DLC.
Past DLC Bosses that Should Inspire Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree
Knight Artorias the Abysswalker – Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss
Perhaps one of the mosticonic bosses of the originalDark Souls, Artorias first appeared in the titular Artorias of the Abyss DLC. Artorias is one of the Four Knights of Lord Gwyn, who tragically became corrupted by the Abyss while protecting his wolf companion, Sif. What makes Artorias the perfect example of a DLC boss is his unpredictable attacks that telegraph very little to the player, testing the combat skills they should have developed duringDark Souls' base game.
Lady Maria – Bloodborne: The Old Hunters
Like how Artorias is the mascot forDark Souls' DLC, Lady Maria is the boss most closely associated withBloodborne’s The Old Hunters DLC. Lady Maria was a student of Gehrman, the First Hunter, who now resides in the Astral Clocktower, protecting the entrance to the Fishing Hamlet where Kos was found. Aside from her fast, aggressive combat style,Lady Maria is a popularBloodbornebossbecause she represents the pinnacle of character design within the game as an elegant, stoic, yet powerful foe whose design philosophy could translate quite well toElden Ring.
Orphan of Kos – Bloodborne: The Old Hunters
One of the most difficult boss fights in all ofBloodborneis The Old Hunter DLC’s final boss, Orphan of Kos. This boss was born from a deceased Great One who washed ashore in the Fishing Hamlet and became enraged by the hunters who sought it. Orphan of Kos can severely punish players who have become too accustomed to a passive play style in the base game, forcing them to change things up and play aggressively or quickly succumb to this boss' onslaught of attacks.
Sister Friede – Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel
Sister Friedemight not appear to be that imposing upon first encountering her in the Ashes of Ariandel DLC, but she can end up being one of the toughest bosses inDark Souls 3. Having once failed to link the First Flame, Sister Friede resides in the Painted World of Ariandel and encourages the player to leave when they first enter the world. When they do not, she and Father Ariandel are forced to battle them in a tough, multiphase battle against the duo.
Slave Knight Gael – Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City
Gael first appears as an ally in theAshes of Ariandel DLC forDark Souls 3, wherein he helps the player defeat Sister Friede and Father Ariandel. However, he becomes the final boss of The Ringed City DLC as his quest for the Dark Soul leads him to corruption in this city at world’s end. Contrary to other FromSoftware DLC bosses, Gael’s attack patterns are fairly predictable, but he has such a large health pool and massive damage output that he is a terrifying force to be reckoned with.
