While on stream, one Elden Ring player defeated Malenia's first phase only to learn that the fight was not yet over. There was still more to come with the blooming of the Goddess of Rot. For many players, Elden Ring is one of the most frustrating games to play, and it is easy to understand why when faced with monstrous enemies and grueling boss fights. Depending on which weapons each player uses some bosses can be dealt with easier than others, but then there are a few bosses that seem impossible no matter what the character has equipped. Boss enemies with multiple phases are somewhat common in the Lands Between, but bosses with multiple health bars can be an extremely difficult obstacle to overcome.
Malenia, Blade of Miquella is considered by many to be the most difficult fight in Elden Ring and to some the most difficult boss encounter in any game. Her ability to regenerate health with every hit makes her an extremely tough opponent especially when faced alone. That combined with her Waterfowl Dance attack, one of the most unavoidable moves in Elden Ring, makes this boss fight a problem for any Tarnished. Even if players manage to deplete the health of Malenia, Blade of Miquella, the fight is not over and the Goddess of Rot blooms from Scarlet Aeonia.
One streamer found out for themselves how difficult fighting Malenia in Elden Ring can be. In a video posted to Reddit by -Guybrush_Threepwood, the player can be seen battling Malenia on their 147th attempt. They defeated Malenia, Blade of Miquella and let out a sigh of relief, believing that they had achieved their goal of defeating the Demi-God once and for all. As the cutscene played, the streamer realized that their deepest fears had come to fruition. Malenia transformed into the Goddess of Rot for her second phase, toting a brand-new health bar, completely stunning -Guybrush_Threepwood. Malenia's first attack, Scarlet Aeonia, killed the character on contact, and they finally understood why this boss is feared above all others.
After dying to Malenia, the streamer could do nothing but laugh at how ridiculously tough this fight actually is. Originally believing that their torment was over, they realized they would have to do it all over again and endure a second phase. As of right now they have attempted and failed to beat Malenia a total of 295 times. While that may seem like a lot, others have fallen to Malenia over a thousand times.
The Malenia encounter in the Haligtree Roots is brutal, and one that Tarnished must come prepared for. Players looking to get a leg up on the Empyrean should try out weapons with bleed like the Rivers of Blood. Another option is attacks that do large amounts of poise damage to stagger her. Regardless of how well-equipped one's character is, this boss encounter requires both luck and skill to succeed.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.