A boss fight in Elden Ring isn't just a battle for supremacy or a mere test of perseverance. Because once players have gotten past the rage and frustration, they might eventually realize that some of these bosses have a story to tell or are fighting their own battles on top of a Tarnished zombie with a protagonist complex.

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They might not outright or explicitly say it but bits of their dialogue, as well as the hidden descriptions drowned by a sea of text in items associated with them, paint a rather interesting picture. Some of the bosses in Elden Ring are either suffering or have suffered a lot more compared to the players they repeatedly kill. These Elden Ring bosses continue the Soulsborne tradition of sad boss fights and bittersweet victories.

8 Godrick The Grafted

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  • Location: Stormveil Castle in Limgrave

There's no doubt he's one of the worst and most evil characters in the game after sacrificing tons of warriors to be grafted onto him. However, Godrick does have his reasons and while that doesn't excuse what he did, it somewhat puts him in a pitiable light. Turns out he's an insecure little godling. Being a distant relative of Godfrey, the First Elden Lord, Godrick had big shoes to fill.

Unfortunately for him, his spot in the family tree ensured that he received less of Godfrey's powerful blood or genes. So he had to compensate with the grafting; even then, he still didn't measure up to bonafide demigods like Malenia. His delusions about his Golden Age and heritage made him more pathetic than infuriating. He certainly deserved to die but it's like mercy killing a deranged man.

7 Rennala, Queen Of The Full Moon

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  • Location: Raya Lucaria Academy in Liurnia of the Lakes

Ever since Radagon left her for Marika, Rennala has apparently been in a state of constant depression, according to Miriel (Turtle Pope). So it's safe to assume that the version of her that players face in Raya Lucaria Academy is a grieving single parent who also just lost all of her children (Ranni killed her physical self, Rykard was eaten by the Serpent God, and Radahn was turned into a zombie).

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Some players have even theorized that all the maidens in Rennala's room were her attempts to recreate a physical form for Ranni. So essentially, players just barged in on a mourning mother & divorcee while she was trying to cope with the loss of her children just to grab some Runes.

6 Elder Dragon Greyoll

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  • Location: Outside Fort Faroth in Caelid

That one huge dragon that players love to abuse go get a few hundred thousand Runes after starting a New Game? Turns out it's a mother dragon. The mother of dragons in Elden Ring. All those dragons around her are her children and she's also suffering badly from Scarlet Rot which explains why she doesn't put up a fight and can't move.

All Greyoll can do while players hack her to death with a Bleed weapon is scream in agonizing pain while reeling from Scarlet Rot. That's another sick mother that players decided to kill just for Runes. The things Tarnished will do just to become Elden Lord, huh?

5 Starscourge Radahn

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  • Location: Redmane Castle beach

On a lighter note, here's someone willing to go out in a blaze of glory despite his debilitating condition and getting zombified due to Scarlet Rot. General Radahn's men knew him well and respected him enough to turn the ceremony of killing him into a celebration. Because that means he'll be freed of his affliction and that whoever defeats him is a worthy contender to the throne. Two birds with one stone.

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There's much more to Radahn, however, apart from being a brute. Because if one watches the trailer where he fought Malenia, one can see Radahn patiently waiting for her to put back her prosthesis for a fairer fight. This man is the most honorable demigod in the Lands Between. What did he get for that honor? Being done dirty by Malenia. Fighting Radahn in his current state in Elden Ring is thus a sad affair as he could have been majestic in his prime.

Oh and Radahn also cherished his little normal-sized horse named Leonard. It's worth noting that he protected Leonard from Malenia's Scarlet Rot explosion. More than that, Radahn also learned gravity magic to reduce his own weight so that Leonard won't get back problems carrying him. In Radahn's isolated moments of madness as a zombie, Leonard was his only companion and friend— the only being who didn't want him dead.

4 Malenia, Blade Of Miquella

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  • Location: Miquella's Haligtree

With that said, Malenia, Blade of Miquella— whose name will forever be forcibly ingrained in any player's memory, is not without her own tragic tale. Everything she did was for her disabled little brother as she firmly believed that Miquella is the best candidate for the throne. So Malenia fought hard and well— even sacrificing herself to give her baby brother a chance.

Malenia had to shed away her dignity and self by turning into an Outer God's puppet which explains the Scarlet Rot. This is all so she could measure up against General Radahn. Sadly, all her sacrifice was in vain since Miquella never got to be Elden Lord and was kidnapped by Mohg.

3 Ancestor Spirit

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  • Location: Siofra River

Nothing is more agonizing in Elden Ring than killing an old, innocent creature who doesn't even want to fight. Such is the recurring pattern here, and it's quite apparent in the Ancestor Spirit boss fight, mostly thanks to the music. The melancholic strings of the whole boss fight tell a harrowing tale of a spirit forced to fight to protect its ancestral domain.

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The Ancestor Spirit's appearance also reflects its weariness. It's emaciated, slow, and dying. It's a point in its lifespan where all it needs is a rest after defending its people for goodness knows how long. Then along comes a power-hungry Tarnished, hell-bent on burning Siofra River just to become more powerful. Players are starting to look like villains at this point.

2 Dragonkin Soldier

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  • Location: Siofra River/Lake of Rot

The Dragonkin Soldier isn't unlike the Ancestor Spirit. It's a creature way past its prime except this thing was a failed experiment by the people of Nokstella to imitate dragons or create some kind of dragon hybrid. That explains the boss' appearance. It can't even use its legs properly and fights players by crawling.

Players can justify killing it by claiming to put the beast out of its misery but even then, the actual fight is borderline bullying due to how incapable a fighter it is; it's one of the weakest bosses in the game. The fact that it mostly did nothing wrong and was only a product of multiple twisted injustices makes the fight somewhat ethically dishonorable.

1 Morgott, The Omen King

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  • Location: Leyndell, Royal Capital

He talks smack a lot and Morgott (Margit) has the swagger of a witty king but his life story is actually miserable. He just tries to mask it with overt pride and arrogance. Morgott is an Omen so the Erdtree didn't like him even though he's Godfrey's son. Despite being shunned and outcast all his life in the Leyndell sewers, Morgott still remained loyal to the Erdtree.

During the Shattering, he was the only one who defended the Erdtree and even repelled and defeated Radahn as the latter was trying to invade the capital. That's also why he was adamant in calling his siblings "willful traitors, all." While most of his siblings vied for the throne and sought their own Outer Gods to get more power, Morgott was protecting his family's legacy and preserving what little remained of its dignity.

What did he get in return? Nothing. The Erdtree still hated him because his stalwart loyalty didn't change the fact that he's a cursed Omen. Regardless, he'll readily leap in front of the Erdtree to protect it against its enemies and to put their foolish ambitions to rest.

Elden Ring is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

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