Bosses have long been a cornerstone of FromSoftware’s action RPGs, andElden Ring Nightreignis leaning heavily on that pedigree. The game itself is largely an asset flip fromElden Ring, though that doesn’t meanNightreignis derivative. Using remixed locations, enemies, and bosses,Nightreignis a session-based action roguelite, primarily designed around teams of three players. Seeing enemies fromElden Ringis unsurprising, sinceNightreigntakes place in a parallel world to its predecessor, butNightreignalso notably includes bosses from previous FromSoftware titles, including at least one from all threeDark Soulsgames.
Nightreign’s Closed Network Testfinally gave a select group of players a chance to see what this spin-off is all about. The CNT build is drastically scaled back compared to the content expected in the full release, so the below list of bosses is incomplete with regard to the final roster. Similarly,Elden Ring Nightreign’s full releaseis purported to have much more variance between runs, catering to its status as a roguelite. The Limveld seen in the CNT was rather static, but even the map’s terrain is expected to change drastically in the final build.
Every Brand-New Boss In Elden Ring Nightreign
One Confirmed & Three Candidates
Elden Ring Nightreign’s new bosses are being kept tightly under wraps. Only one was seen in the CNT, and it remains the only one to have a confirmed name at the time of writing. One other creature in promotional imagery seems to be one of the unannounced Nightlords – the eight final bosses that players select from when beginning a session in the Roundtable Hold. A third monster appears to be a field boss, while another character prominently featured inNightreign’s trailers could be a boss, but is also theorized to be one of the four unrevealed Nightfarers.
The most prominent new boss is Gladius, Beast of Night, one ofElden Ring Nightreign’s Nightlords, which is also known as Tricephalos in the matchmaking menu. This moniker seems to be something of a taxonomic classification, since Gladius is a towering, fire-breathing wolf with three heads. Gladius was the only Nightlord present in the CNT, meaning it was always the final boss of a run, being the sole encounter on Day 3. The boss fight is designed to specifically take advantage ofNightreign’s three-player teams; for certain phases, Gladius splits into three single-headed versions of itself.
Another Nightlord candidate comes from a promotional image released alongsideNightreign’s initial gameplay trailer. This potential new boss is centaur-like, apparently missing an arm and having a smooth, featureless face.It wields a gargantuan blade, and is presumed to be a Nightlordbecause of its surroundings in the image. Whereas Gladius has bright red clouds and flaming spectral banners in its boss arena, this new centaur boss has golden rays piercing black clouds and bright yellow sigils protruding from a similar sandy landscape, reminiscent of the beach whereStarscourge Radahn’sElden Ringboss fighttakes place.
The final new enemy to almost assuredly be a boss is a dragon-like creature whose mouth splits its head vertically into two gaping, side-by-side halves.It’s seen briefly in bothNightreigntrailers, and is likely a field boss, as it’s shown being battled in Limveld’s overworld while not surrounded by the Night’s Tide (the encroaching rain that sets the landscape ablaze with blue flames). It has two feet and two wings, but no arms, and is shown to charge at players with its mouth open, head dragging along the ground.
There is one last character with the potential to be a new boss, but it remains more mysterious, causing some uncertainty. Both trailers feature a humanoid figure with what appears to be a bizarre, almost goat-like head. Two horns form almost complete circles on either side of its head, and in the middle of each are large yellow eyes with horizontally elongate pupils. Similar, smaller eyes can be seen all over the creature’s neck, and it’s shown wielding a staff and casting what appears to be an incantation. Its role inNightreignis unclear;theories pose it may be a boss, while others claim it’s a Nightfarer. The Guardian Nightfarer has already set a precedent for playable characters who do not present as human.
Every Elden Ring Nightreign Boss Returning From Previous FromSoftware Games
From Dark Souls To Elden Ring
While most ofElden Ring Nightreign’s new bosses remain a mystery, many returning bosses have been confirmed by promotional material and seen in the Closed Network Test. Unsurprisingly, most hail fromElden Ring, including some highly notable names, like the Fell Omen, which appears to beNightreign’s version of Morgott, the Omen King, a demigod Shardbearer. “Fell Omen” refers to his Margit, the Fell Omen alter ego, butNightreign’s version has Morgott’s moveset. Every confirmedNightreignboss that originates from a previous FromSoftware title is in the table below.
Multiple Ancient Heroes of Zamor make up theNightreignboss encounter
Crucible Knight
Elden Ring
Could be found in a castle’s dungeon and in an Evergaol inNightreign’s Closed Network Test
Crystalians
NightreignCNT boss encounter included a Ringblade Crystalian and a Glintstone Sorcerer
Duo boss
Depraved Perfumers were not classified as bosses inElden Ring
Accompanied by two Royal Cavalrymen inNightreign
Not present in CNT, confirmed via promotional imagery
Elder Lion
Elder Lions are not considered bosses inElden Ring; similarly, some Elder Lions inNightreigndo not have a boss health bar, but still drop a Dormant Power (but do not spawn a Site of Grace)
Fell Omen
Invasion and day boss; bears Margit’s title, but has Morgott’s moveset, including Bloodflame attacks
Fire Prelate
Same model and moveset asElden Ring’s Fire Monk (Fire Prelate is a different enemy); appears to be renamed or misnamed inNightreign
Nightreignboss encounter includes three Flame Chariots
Flying Dragon of the Hills
Technically a new title, but it is functionally the same asElden Ring’s dragon field bosses, likeFlying Dragon Agheel
Golden Hippopotamus
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Named Golden Hippopotamus, but does not have the same magical moveset as the Golden Hippopotamus in Shadow Keep; same moveset asSOTE’s lesser hippopotami
Lordsworn Captain
New name forElden Ring’s Godrick Knight, presumably because Godrick the Grafted has no bearing on Limveld
Renaming ofElden Ring’s Nox Swordstress and Nox Monk duo fight
Confirmed viaIroneye reveal trailer
Perhaps most interestingly, there are currently only three confirmed bosses that are not fromElden Ringor itsexcellentShadow of the ErdtreeDLC. The Centipede Demon hails from the originalDark Souls, and was featured in the Closed Network Test as a boss that could spawn at the end of the first day. The multi-headed Centipede Demon was originally found inDark Souls' Demon Ruins, a late-game area that is notoriously bare-bones due to development constraints. Its moveset is largely unchanged.
Only four different day bosses were seen in the CNT: Day 1 possibilities were the Centipede Demon or the Demi-Human Queen and Demi-Human Swordmaster duo, while Day 2 could end in a fight against the Fell Omen or the Draconic Tree Sentinel and its Royal Cavalrymen companions.
Dark Souls 2’s lone representative inNightreignthus far is The Duke’s Dear Freja, who originally guarded one of the four Primal Bonfires in the Brightstone Cove Tseldora area. Freja is a huge, two-headed spider, and has only been seen in promotional stills, much like the centaur-like presumed Nightlord discussed above.The Nameless King’s inclusion inNightreignis what initially posed the game as something of a crossover. The optionalDark Souls 3boss can be seen inNightreign’s reveal trailer, riding his Stormdrake, the King of the Storm. Found in Archdragon Peak, the Nameless King is a two-phase boss fight, but it remains to be seen how it’s adapted forNightreign.
It will also be interesting to see if Freja and the Nameless King are renamed, like how Morgott/Margit was shortened to just the Fell Omen. Both are associated with importantDark Soulslore, especially the Nameless King, who is the firstborn son of Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight,Dark Souls' final boss. It is also up in the air whether these crossover bosses have any impact onElden Ring Nightreign’s lore, or if it’s purely a nondiegetic connection.
