Maliketh is one of the main-story bosses where first playthroughs most often stall in Elden Ring. The first phase feels manageable, then a cutscene plays, the hooded Beast Clergyman tears a sword out of his own arm, and suddenly every hit you take shrinks your health bar. This guide explains exactly how to beat Maliketh, the Black Blade: where the fight is, what level and Vigor to bring, how to get the Blasphemous Claw (and why it might not drop for you), and a move-by-move plan for both phases. Every number below is checked against Fextralife's live boss page and item pages for Elden Ring version 1.17.2 (App Ver. 1.17.2 / Regulation Ver. 1.17.3, released 2026-10-20). Neither patch 1.17 (2026-08-27) nor the 1.17.2 bug-fix update touches Maliketh, his Black Blade attacks or the Blasphemous Claw, so this fight plays the same as it did on 1.16.1.
Quick answer: Maliketh is a mandatory two-phase boss at the end of Crumbling Farum Azula; the closest Site of Grace is Beside the Great Bridge. He has 10,620 HP on NG across a single health bar, and the fight switches from the Beast Clergyman to Maliketh at roughly half health. Go in at about level 120 with 40–60 Vigor, summon a spirit ash such as the Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche, and break his stance in phase 1 so phase 2 starts close to a stagger. In phase 2, stay close or behind him, dodge late, and use the Blasphemous Claw to parry when his sword glows gold. You only get the Claw by defeating Recusant Bernahl, who invades in Farum Azula only if you have killed Praetor Rykard. The win pays 220,000 runes plus the Remembrance of the Black Blade.
Key takeaways
- One health bar, two bosses. The Beast Clergyman and Maliketh share 10,620 HP. Anything you deal in phase 1 carries into phase 2, stance damage included.
- Phase 2 is the real fight. Maliketh's Black Blade attacks temporarily lower your maximum HP and add a short damage-over-time effect, so one combo can kill you from full health.
- Fight close, not far. Fextralife's write-up says "Maliketh is most dangerous at a distance." Most of his phase 2 attacks hit in a frontal cone, so the safe spot is under or behind him.
- The Blasphemous Claw helps, but it doesn't trivialise him. It parries only his gold-glowing sword attacks. You still have to learn the fight.
- Beating him is a point of no return. Killing Maliketh burns Leyndell into the Ashen Capital and closes off parts of the city for the rest of that playthrough.
Where is Maliketh, and how do you get to him?
Maliketh is the final boss of Crumbling Farum Azula, the floating ruin you reach after the Fire Giant and the Forge of the Giants. On the way through you fight the Godskin Duo at the Dragon Temple. Once they're down, keep going until you unlock the Beside the Great Bridge Site of Grace.
From that grace, head west, then south up the stairs and up the ramp guarded by a Draconic Tree Sentinel. The fog gate to the Beast Clergyman's arena is at the top. Torrent can't be summoned inside Crumbling Farum Azula, so you're on foot. You can run past the Sentinel, but every wipe means another run past it. Most players kill it once so the run back is a short, clear jog.
The entrance to the arena is a narrow bridge with drops on both sides. Move forward into the round arena straight away. The Beast Clergyman charges at the start of the fight, and if you fight him on the bridge you, or your spirit summon, can fall to your death. Inside, stone pillars ring the arena. They block most of his projectiles, which matters later when you need a safe place to heal.
What level should you be for Maliketh?
There is no hard level requirement. Polygon recommends being at least level 120, and that's the number most guides land on. Vigor matters more than your overall level. In an r/Eldenring thread posted on 2026-10-20, a player stuck at Maliketh asked if they were underleveled, and the replies kept repeating the same three things:
- Get Vigor to 40, and ideally closer to 60. One reply was blunt: 30 Vigor at this point in the game is "way way too low."
- Take off the Scarseal and Soreseal. They boost your stats but increase the damage you take, and late-game bosses hit hard enough to punish that.
- Upgrade your gear. By Farum Azula you can have a somber weapon at +9/+10 or a regular weapon at +24/+25. For casters, the Carian Regal Scepter from Rennala's remembrance is a big jump over an un-upgradable Meteorite Staff.
If you're short on health, our guide to how much Vigor you need in Elden Ring has the full breakpoint table.
Maliketh boss stats (NG through NG+7)
| Cycle | HP | Defense | Runes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NG | 10,620 | 120 | 220,000 |
| NG+ | 10,631 | 120 | 440,000 |
| NG+2 | 11,694 | 123 | 484,000 |
| NG+3 | 12,225 | 126 | 495,000 |
| NG+4 | 12,757 | 132 | 528,000 |
| NG+5 | 13,820 | 138 | 539,000 |
| NG+6 | 14,352 | 144 | 550,000 |
| NG+7 | 14,883 | 156 | 561,000 |
Source: Fextralife, Maliketh, the Black Blade boss page.
Which status effects work on Maliketh?
| Status | Buildup to trigger (NG, first proc) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Poison / Scarlet Rot | 351 | Lowest threshold, so the easiest status to land |
| Hemorrhage (Bleed) | 574 | Works, especially with fast or dual-wielded weapons |
| Frostbite | 574 | Works, same threshold as bleed |
| Sleep | 2,277 | Not worth trying |
| Madness | Immune | Don't bother |
Each proc raises the next threshold (bleed goes 574 → 864 → 1,321), so status helps most early in the fight. Scarlet Rot is a strong opener: Fextralife suggests casting Ekzykes's Decay while the Clergyman is still walking toward you at the start.
How do you get the Blasphemous Claw?
The Blasphemous Claw is a reusable tool that "Can deflect the power of the Black Blade," in the words of its in-game description. You get it in one way only: by defeating Recusant Bernahl when he invades you in Crumbling Farum Azula.
The catch is that Bernahl only invades if you have already killed Praetor Rykard in Volcano Manor. Polygon, KeenGamer and Fextralife's Bernahl page all list this prerequisite. If you skipped Rykard, the Claw won't appear, and that's why so many "where is the Blasphemous Claw" threads exist.
Where Bernahl invades: from Beside the Great Bridge, go out the door and up the stairs, then turn north (left at the fork) toward the dragon temple rather than right toward Maliketh. Follow the walkway that leads to the Old Lord's Talisman chest. Bernahl invades by the door of the eastern lone tower. When you beat him he drops:
- Blasphemous Claw
- Devourer's Scepter
- the Beast Champion armour set (helm, altered armour, gauntlets, greaves)
According to Fextralife, the Claw can't be missed, and the invasion can still trigger after you've cleared Farum Azula's other bosses. If you've killed Rykard and Bernahl still hasn't shown up, check Volcano Manor: if he's still sitting there, talk to him until his dialogue repeats, then rest at a grace and walk the Farum Azula route again.
How to use it: equip the Claw in a quick item slot. In phase 2, Maliketh's sword briefly glows gold before the attacks you can parry. Use the Claw as the blade comes down. A successful deflect stuns him for several seconds, deals around 200 damage, and lowers his damage resistance by roughly 20% while he's stunned. White glow means a projectile attack, and those can't be deflected. It costs no FP and has unlimited uses.
How do you beat the Beast Clergyman in phase 1?
The Beast Clergyman is huge, fast and aggressive, but nearly all of his attacks have clear tells. He has 80 stance and can be stance-broken for a critical hit, and the stance damage you build carries into phase 2. That makes the best plan: use heavy attacks to break his stance, then push him into the phase change while he's close to staggering again. Fextralife notes that this lets you "stun Maliketh early with only one or two heavy attacks."
Use spirit ashes here. Fextralife's top tip is the Mimic Tear (our Mimic Tear guide covers where to get it), and Black Knife Tiche "destroys his health" in this phase. Note that Fextralife also says phase 2 is immune to Tiche's Blade of Death, so her big damage happens here.
Beast Clergyman attacks and counters
| Attack | Tell | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Side-to-side swipes | Fast dagger slashes in front of him | Roll into him or away. Don't stay in front |
| Bestial Sling | Claw drags across the ground, then rocks fly | Dodge just before they land. This is the fastest projectile in the fight |
| Stone of Gurranq | Lifts one large boulder | Slow. Roll forward or sideways |
| Beast Claw | Raises his arm, slams the ground, shockwaves travel | Roll forward into his blind spot. Pillars don't stop it |
| Ground Rupture | Dagger in his mouth, both fists on the ground | Run away and watch the dust columns where boulders will rise |
| Sword drag | Dagger stabbed into the floor and dragged right-to-left | Stay at his left hip. This is the safest punish of phase 1 |
Casters have the easiest time with this phase. If the Clergyman isn't sprinting at the start, there's time to fire a Comet Azur or Crystal Torrent and skip a big chunk of phase 1.
How do you beat Maliketh in phase 2?
At roughly half health (Fextralife's Beast Clergyman page puts the trigger at 55%) a cutscene plays and he says the line every Elden Ring player remembers: "O, Death. Become my blade, once more." From here, Maliketh's sword attacks temporarily lower your maximum HP (Fextralife puts the window at roughly 10–15 seconds) and leave a short damage-over-time effect. They also deal Holy damage, so the Haligdrake Talisman (13% Holy damage negation) is worth a slot.
Free hits right after the cutscene: Maliketh normally opens phase 2 with Flip and Slash. Hold forward at the end of the cutscene and you'll end up behind him with time for a punish before you dodge anything.
Maliketh attacks and counters
| Attack | What happens | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Flip and Slash | Low sweeping lunge, often followed by a swipe or slam | Roll through the first slash, dodge the slam, then punish |
| Black Blade (2 waves) | Backflip, two blade projectiles, then usually Piledriver | Count the waves. Dodge late, then roll away from the Piledriver explosion |
| Black Blade (3 waves) | Three waves, then he charges with Double Spin | Roll toward him as the spin arrives. Can be parried on the descent with the Claw |
| Piledriver | Leaps and lands on his sword, delayed explosion | Dodge the landing, then roll out before the blast |
| Destined Death | Floor slash, then overhead slam with his back exposed | Roll right on the swipe and into his back on the slam. This is his most punishable attack |
| Destined Death follow-up | Blade circles twice, then a stab that spawns a cloud of slashes | Stay close, dodge the swipes, and get behind him before the stab |
| Double Spin | Two full spins in place | Roll twice. The second roll lines up with the second swing |
| Roar | Knocks you back a few metres, no damage | Block or time a roll |
Three rules that win phase 2:
- Don't panic-roll. His Black Blade waves are delayed. Roll about half a second after the swing starts, not as soon as he moves.
- Stay away from the edges. If he ends up near the arena edge during the 3-wave combo, he stops moving forward and the second spin becomes almost impossible to dodge.
- Heal behind a pillar. His projectiles break on the pillars. Fextralife also describes a solo trick: put a pillar between you and him and keep changing direction, and his AI will circle looking for a line of sight. That gives your max-HP debuff time to wear off. A Crimsonburst Crystal Tear in your Flask of Wondrous Physick also offsets the damage-over-time.
What are the best builds and weapons for Maliketh?
He doesn't have a single elemental weakness that decides the fight, so pick a weapon by playstyle:
| Build | Pick | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Strength/Faith | Blasphemous Blade | Its Taker's Flames skill hits at range and heals 10% of your max HP + 150 on every hit, which offsets his HP drain. See our Strength/Faith build |
| Bleed (Dex/Arcane) | Rivers of Blood, dual katanas | Bleed procs at 574 and fast hits build it fast. Full list in best bleed weapons |
| Colossal / Strength | Any great hammer or colossal sword | Gets the stance-break carry-over from phase 1 fastest |
| Sorcery | Night Comet; Comet Azur as a phase 1 opener only | Night Comet is a fast cast with short recovery. Comet Azur is a slow channel, so only use it while the Clergyman is still walking in. Don't cast while Maliketh is in the air |
| Incantation | Lightning Spear, Ekzykes's Decay opener | Fast to cast, plus Scarlet Rot at its lowest threshold (351) |
What do you get for beating Maliketh?
- 220,000 runes (440,000 on NG+).
- Remembrance of the Black Blade. Trade it with Finger Reader Enia at Roundtable Hold for Maliketh's Black Blade (a Colossal Sword with the Destined Death skill, upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones, can't be infused) or the Black Blade Incantation (Erdtree incantation, 44 stamina, applies a 10% max-HP debuff for 15 seconds). You can also consume it for 30,000 runes.
- Leyndell, Ashen Capital. The world changes permanently: the Erdtree burns, Leyndell turns to ash, and parts of the Royal Capital become unreachable. Finish anything you have left in Leyndell before this fight. Our Elden Ring points of no return list covers what you lose.
After Maliketh, the path leads to Sir Gideon Ofnir, Godfrey/Hoarah Loux and the final fight. When you get there, see our Elden Beast guide.
FAQ
Is Maliketh optional in Elden Ring? No. Maliketh is a mandatory boss. You have to beat him to reach Leyndell, Ashen Capital and finish the game, whichever ending you're going for.
Why didn't Recusant Bernahl invade me? He only invades in Crumbling Farum Azula if Praetor Rykard is dead. If you skipped Volcano Manor's boss, go back, kill Rykard, then return to the walkway toward the Old Lord's Talisman past Beside the Great Bridge.
Is the Blasphemous Claw required? No. It's a big help, but it only parries his gold-glowing sword attacks, and the timing is tight. Plenty of players beat Maliketh without it by staying close and dodging late.
Can you summon other players or NPCs for Maliketh? You can summon spirit ashes and co-op players. There's no NPC summon sign for this boss, so use spirit ashes or online co-op.
Does Maliketh's HP debuff stay after the hit? No. The max-HP reduction lasts only a short time (Fextralife estimates 10–15 seconds), along with a brief HP drain. Back off behind a pillar until your bar recovers before you go back in.
Did patch 1.17 or 1.17.2 change Maliketh? No. Patch 1.17 released on 2026-08-27, a day before the Tarnished Pack launched on 2026-08-28, and the 1.17.2 bug-fix update followed on 2026-10-20. Neither set of notes changes Maliketh, the Beast Clergyman, the Black Blade attacks or the Blasphemous Claw.
Where to go next
Beat Maliketh and the rest of the endgame comes quickly, so stock up first. Read our best Great Runes guide to pick the right Great Rune for the final run, check Elden Ring points of no return so you don't lock yourself out of anything, then take on the Elden Beast. For more boss and build guides, browse all our Elden Ring guides.
