The final boss of Crumbling Farum Azula, Maliketh, sets off a boss gauntlet that leads all the way to the end of Elden Ring. However, the boss itself stands out among the group by approaching the encounter's difficulty differently than many other fights throughout the game. As a result, Maliketh has become a fan favorite among players who enjoy his unique challenge.
Now, "boss hard" isn't exactly a new sentiment for any FromSoftware title and is certainly the norm at the point in Elden Ring where Maliketh is finally challenged. That being said, Maliketh takes a step beyond being simply hard and becomes an outright demon of a fight that perfectly fits the milestone that he represents as the guardian of death itself.
Maliketh's Boss Fight: Two Furious Phases
By the time players will reach Maliketh at the end of Crumbling Farum Azua, it's possible that they might have already faced the first phase of the Beast Clergyman in Caelid. However, even with previous experience fighting the massive enemy, his quick strikes and use of beast magic can quickly overwhelm players as he chases them across the boss arena. The entire fight would be difficult enough if the phase transition only made the Beast Clergyman stronger or faster, but instead, players are treated to Maliketh's true form.
In the second phase, the Beast Clergyman sheds the cloak that covers his black and gold armor to reveal Maliketh's impressive design. Of course, a new coat of paint isn't the only thing that Maliketh gains, as his quick-swiping dagger is transformed into a giant blade that bears the Rune of Death. Aside from the lore connotations of this Death Rune on the sword, that background also plays a part in how the weapon deals damage. Specifically, this means that whenever Maliketh lands a hit, it burns the life out of the player and lowers their maximum health.
The Lore of the Rune of Death
Even with the repetition present in Elden Ring, many of the bosses still manage to push the lore forward through their placements and the abilities they have available. Maliketh is no exception to that rule, as the boss acts as the guardian of the Rune of Death by binding it to himself and taking it to Crumbling Farum Azula, where no one should be able to reach it. After a shard of the rune was stolen before the Shattering, this is one of the few safe places where Maliketh could stand guard and stop death from spreading through the Lands Between again.
It's a dark story of a beastly servant to Elden Ring's Queen Marika being abandoned as he tends to the final task and curse that the goddess bestowed on him. The result is a boss fight where Maliketh is fighting with everything he's got, even after being beaten down by the events of the Lands Between. This makes his unrelenting attacks and brutal difficulty mesh perfectly with the lore that surrounds the mysterious area and Maliketh himself.
The Ludonarrative of Maliketh, The Black Blade
Although ludonarrative is more commonly brought up when discussing game design to point out moments of dissonance, Maliketh is a rare case where gameplay and story resonate together. The ongoing narrative at this point in Elden Ring is that the player is searching for the Rune of Death in order to commit a cardinal sin. It stands to reason from Queen Marika's lore that the final stretch before burning and entering the Erdtree would force the player to jump every final hurdle she has.
Both the desperate way that Maliketh attacks, and even his small health bar relative to some other bosses at this point in the game, show that he is on his last legs. However, his massive damage output can completely dominate players who aren't ready for him to start swinging his giant sword at hyper-speed. Maliketh becomes an animal backed into a corner and bites hard to save the last thing he has. It's an epic point that resonates so perfectly with the lore Elden Ring built up until that point, and continues to resonate on the several attempts it will take to finally pull out a win.
Elden Ring is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.