An Elden Ring player perfectly timed the cast of an incantation to defeat Malenia as she flew through the air. The Blade of Miquella continues to be one of Elden Ring's most infamous enemies, slicing through legions of Tarnished with ease before they even witness a flurry of attacks so devastating it solidifies Malenia's position in annals of gaming history.
FromSoftware titles are renowned for their difficulty, a reputation earned predominantly from the dozens of boss fights scattered throughout each game releases. From Demon's Souls to Bloodborne, the Elden Ring developer has continually crafted experiences so challenging that an entire community of players dedicate themselves to discover impressive ways to take them down. Some attempt to do this through self-imposed restraint, such as when Malenia was defeated by a player not using armor, shields, and boasting incredibly low health, but others like to operate with a little more aesthetic style.
In a video uploaded to Reddit by jdyhrberg, the caption aptly captures the disbelief many would experience as they see it with Malenia being a single hit away from death. Equipped with the powerful Bloodhound's Fang and buffed by the Bloodflame Blade incantation, triumph is seemingly assured as Malenia raises into the air, preparing to bloom once more. However, the player stops moving and casts Bloodflame Talons, an incantation that would be familiar to anyone that fought Mohg.
The Bloodflame Talons work similarly to the Lord of Blood's attack, in which the caster claws the air in front of them and, after approximately a second, the surrounding area detonates in a sphere of intense flames. It is a move notorious for catching out players who attempt to avoid it at an opportune time, often getting caught by the delayed explosion. Additionally, known to be significantly weaker relative to the iteration used by Mohg, lining this incantation up correctly would be an incredible challenge, especially against an enemy as fast as Malenia.
However, the enemy dives head first into the first defeat of her life, halting the Scarlet Aeonia that would have undoubtedly killed the player if it had connected. Comments were simply speechless, reveling in one of the most impressive displays yet recorded in Elden Ring. All were in agreement that the victory was beautifully shot too, with the Raging Wolf set clothed player facing towards the camera in celebration of the feat.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.