Promised Consort Radahn is the final boss of Shadow of the Erdtree, and for most players he is the single hardest fight in all of Elden Ring — harder than Malenia, harder than anything in the base game. Phase 1 is a brutal but readable swordfight. Phase 2 is where runs go to die: Miquella fuses with Radahn, the screen fills with holy light, and the "Light of Miquella" attack becomes so bright you literally cannot see your own character. This guide breaks down exactly how to survive both phases, how to counter the blinding Light of Miquella, and the build, blessing level, and buffs that turn an impossible wall into a winnable fight — all verified against the Elden Ring wiki and current to base-game patch 1.17 (live since 2026-08-28).
Quick Answer: How to Beat Promised Consort Radahn
Promised Consort Radahn is the final boss of Shadow of the Erdtree, found in Enir-Ilim past the Divine Gatefront Staircase grace. Phase 2 begins at roughly 65% HP, when Miquella joins and the fight becomes a holy-damage nightmare. To win: push your Scadutree Blessing to at least level 18 (20 is the practical cap for the first playthrough), cast Golden Vow in both phases, keep a holy-negating buff like Divine Fortification or the Golden Braid talisman up for phase 2, and — the single most important tip — dodge the blinding "Light of Miquella" cross explosion by sprinting sideways and slightly toward Radahn, not away from him. Beating him drops roughly 500,000 Runes and the Remembrance of a God and a Lord.
The fight is a check on your DLC progression, not your character level. If you are getting one-shot, the problem is almost always a low Scadutree Blessing level, not low Vigor. Collect more Scadutree Fragments before you throw yourself at him again.
Where to Find Promised Consort Radahn
Radahn waits at the very top of Enir-Ilim, the final Legacy Dungeon of the Realm of Shadow. The nearest Site of Grace to his fog wall is the Divine Gatefront Staircase, so make that your rest point for every attempt — you want the shortest possible run-back when (not if) you die.
A few things worth knowing before you commit:
- He is the DLC's point of no return in narrative terms, but the base game continues normally afterward — beating him ends Shadow of the Erdtree, not your save.
- ELDEN RING and ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN are two different games. Radahn appears in both, but the Nightreign version is a separate multiplayer boss with different stats and mechanics. Everything in this guide is the single-player Shadow of the Erdtree fight.
- To even reach him you must clear Enir-Ilim, which sits behind the Metyr and Messmer story beats — if you are still working toward the DLC's mid-bosses, our Messmer the Impaler guide covers the fight most players hit right before the endgame.
Rest at the Divine Gatefront Staircase, not a farther grace. From that Site of Grace the fog wall is a short sprint up the final stairs, which matters when you are re-attempting this fight dozens of times.
Why Scadutree Blessing Matters More Than Your Level
This is the fact that decides the fight, so it comes before strategy. In Shadow of the Erdtree, your character level barely moves the needle — DLC damage and defense scale off the Scadutree Blessing, a separate upgrade track fed by Scadutree Fragments scattered across the Realm of Shadow.
- Against Promised Consort Radahn, the practical floor is Scadutree Blessing level 18, and level 20 is the realistic maximum most players can reach on a first run.
- At a low blessing level his attacks feel like one-shots and your hits feel like they do nothing — that is the blessing gap, not your build.
- If you are stuck, stop re-attempting and go collect fragments. Two or three more blessing levels changes the fight more than any weapon swap.
Community consensus, echoed across the Elden Ring subreddit and the wiki, is blunt about this: as one widely-upvoted r/Eldenring player put it, "If Radahn is one-shotting you, you don't need a better weapon, you need a higher Scadutree level." That is the correct read.
Promised Consort Radahn Phase 1: The Swordfight
Phase 1 is Radahn alone, wielding his twin lion greatswords. It is fast and aggressive but fully readable once you learn the rhythm.
- Stay close and to his side. Most of his combos are wide horizontal sweeps; hugging his flank makes several of them whiff entirely.
- His gravity/meteor rush — where he crosses the arena in a streak — is his biggest opener. Dodge into it late, then punish the recovery.
- Bait the long combos, punish the end. Radahn rarely leaves openings mid-combo; your damage window is the pause after his big finishers, not between swings.
- Buff before you enter. Cast Golden Vow (incantation or the Ash of War) for the +15% damage / +10% defense, and use Black Flame's Protection or a physical-defense talisman since phase 1 is mostly physical.
- Getting his health bar to roughly 65% triggers the transition. From that moment, brace — phase 2 is a different game.
Promised Consort Radahn Phase 2: Surviving the Light of Miquella
At ~65% HP, Miquella descends and fuses with Radahn. The boss gains wings of light, most of his attacks pick up holy damage, and the screen brightens dramatically. This is the phase that filters everyone.
The core problem: the "Light of Miquella" attack. Radahn levitates, gathers into a cross of blinding light, and detonates in a massive holy explosion. At full brightness it can white out the screen so badly you cannot see your character or the ground. This one move ends more runs than the rest of the fight combined.
How to counter the Light of Miquella:
- Do not run straight away from it. The explosion is wide; backpedaling keeps you inside the blast.
- Sprint sideways and slightly toward Radahn. Circling in past the edge of the cross puts you where the damage is thinnest. Move on the wind-up, before the screen whites out, because once it does you are moving blind.
- The Miquella's Great Rune (if you have restored it) removes the charmed grab follow-up that Radahn can chain off this attack — a major safety net for phase 2.
- Raptor of the Mist or a well-timed dodge with high focus can clear the initial burst if you commit to the sideways angle early.
Reduce the holy damage. Phase 2 is holy-heavy, so stack holy negation:
- Divine Fortification incantation (holy damage negation) is the phase-2 buff to swap to.
- The Golden Braid talisman boosts holy negation and is close to mandatory here.
- Holy-negating shields (e.g. shields with high holy resist) let you tank chip you would otherwise eat.
Keep Golden Vow up in both phases — its defense component helps against the holy burst too.
Should You Summon for Radahn?
Short answer: not for the first serious attempt. Summoning the DLC NPCs Thiollier and Ansbach is possible, but it inflates Radahn's HP significantly — the boss scales up when you bring help. For a solo player still learning the fight, the extra health bar usually costs you more than the distraction buys.
- Learning the fight solo keeps his HP lowest and his aggro on you predictably.
- If you do summon, expect a much longer damage race and plan your buffs around the boss having far more health.
- A Mimic Tear Spirit Ash is the more forgiving "help" option than the NPC summons for many builds, since it mirrors your own kit.
Recommended Build, Buffs & Talismans
You do not need a specific meta build, but the fight rewards preparation:
- Scadutree Blessing 18–20 (this comes first — see above).
- Golden Vow — both phases.
- Black Flame's Protection — phase 1 (physical).
- Divine Fortification — phase 2 (holy).
- Golden Braid talisman — phase 2 holy negation.
- A weapon at your normal upgrade cap; poise-breaking heavy weapons open big punish windows, while faster weapons make it easier to chase the sideways-dodge openings in phase 2.
What Promised Consort Radahn Drops
Beating him is the end of the DLC, and the rewards match:
- Roughly 500,000 Runes.
- The Remembrance of a God and a Lord.
- Turn that Remembrance in to Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold to choose one of: Greatsword of Radahn (Lord), Greatsword of Radahn (Light), or the Light of Miquella incantation. (You can also duplicate a Remembrance at a Walking Mausoleum to eventually get all rewards on one run.)
If Radahn is your first taste of Elden Ring's endgame difficulty and you are considering a fresh character better suited to the DLC grind, our best starting class guide ranks all 12 classes, and the how much Vigor you need guide explains the HP soft caps that keep you alive through phase 2.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Radahn phase 2 so bright? Phase 2 begins when Miquella fuses with Radahn, giving him wings and cloak of holy light. His signature "Light of Miquella" attack detonates a cross of light so intense it can white out the screen. Lowering in-game brightness slightly and dodging the attack sideways-and-toward Radahn (before the flash) is the reliable counter.
At what HP does Promised Consort Radahn phase 2 start? The transition triggers at roughly 65% of his health bar. Expect it and pre-buff for holy damage so you are not caught mid-combo when Miquella arrives.
What Scadutree Blessing level do I need for Radahn? Aim for at least level 18; level 20 is the practical maximum on a first playthrough. If his attacks feel like one-shots, your blessing level is too low — go collect more Scadutree Fragments rather than re-attempting.
Is Promised Consort Radahn optional? No. He is the final boss of Shadow of the Erdtree, so beating him is required to complete the DLC. The base game continues normally afterward.
Is this the same Radahn as in Elden Ring Nightreign? No. ELDEN RING and ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN are separate games. Radahn appears in both, but the Nightreign version is a different multiplayer boss with its own stats. This guide is the single-player Shadow of the Erdtree fight.
Should I summon Thiollier and Ansbach? They are available, but summoning inflates Radahn's HP, turning the fight into a much longer damage race. Most players have an easier time learning the fight solo (or with a Mimic Tear) at the lowest possible boss HP.
Keep Going
Radahn is the summit of Shadow of the Erdtree, but the road there is paved with tough fights. Work back through the DLC and base game with our other verified boss guides: Messmer the Impaler, Commander Gaius, the Crucible Knight Duo, and the base-game walls Margit and Godrick the Grafted. New to the DLC? Start with how to access Shadow of the Erdtree.
