Overview
Radagon of the Golden Order is the first half of Elden Ring’s final boss, fought at the Elden Throne in Leyndell, Ashen Capital. You reach him after defeating Maliketh, the Black Blade in Crumbling Farum Azula and unleashing Destined Death. When you interact with Marika’s crucified body, Radagon rises, and once he falls, the Elden Beast immediately follows. That means this is not a solo Radagon fight in practice: every flask, buff, and summon you spend here matters for the next phase.
Radagon is a fundamentalist boss who mixes hammer swings, holy explosions, teleports, and Golden Order incantations. His damage is mostly Physical and Holy, so Holy negation helps a lot. His defenses are unusual: he has roughly 80 Holy resistance but only around 20 in Magic, Fire, and Lightning, and 35 in Physical. In plain terms, do not hit him with Holy damage. Sacred Relic Sword, Coded Sword, Golden Order incantations, and most “holy” weapon arts are poor choices here. Instead, lean into Scarlet Rot, Bleed, Black Flame, Fire, Lightning, and Magic. He can be rotted and bled, which is why Rotten Breath, Blasphemous Blade, Rivers of Blood, and Black Flame incantations are so effective against him.
You can summon Spirit Ashes inside the arena. Black Knife Tiche and Mimic Tear are the standout picks. Upgrade them with Roderika at Roundtable Hold, and upgrade your weapon with Hewg before coming here. If you need Remembrances exchanged, Enia can turn Rykard’s Remembrance into Blasphemous Blade or Malenia’s Remembrance into Scarlet Aeonia. Real co-op is also possible with Furlcalling Finger Remedy before the fog.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
1. Prepare at the Elden Throne grace. Rest at the Elden Throne site of grace in Leyndell, Ashen Capital. Equip Haligdrake Talisman +2 from Mohgwyn Palace, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman from Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, and Pearldrake Talisman +2 from Crumbling Farum Azula if you have them. For incantations, Lord’s Divine Fortification, Golden Vow, Flame Grant Me Strength, and Black Flame’s Protection are all useful. In your Wondrous Physick, Opaline Hardtear plus Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear, Spiked Cracked Tear, or Thorny Cracked Tear works well.
2. Choose a Radagon-friendly weapon. Blasphemous Blade is one of the best choices: Taker’s Flames deals Fire damage, heals you, and can knock Radagon down. Black Knife is useful for Destined Death, though its Holy damage is resisted. Rivers of Blood, dual bleed twinblades, Moonveil, Bolt of Gransax, and Black Flame incantations all perform well. Bring a secondary setup for Elden Beast, because Elden Beast is immune to Scarlet Rot and Bleed.
3. Enter the fog and summon immediately. Summon Black Knife Tiche +10 or Mimic Tear +10 as soon as the fight begins. If you use Mimic Tear, make sure your equipped gear is what you want it to copy. Apply Scarlet Rot early with Rotten Breath or Ekzykes’s Decay. Radagon often approaches slowly at the start, so you can land a rot proc before the real pressure begins.
4. Fight close and circle behind him. Radagon’s hammer sweeps are easier to dodge when you are near him. Lock on, strafe around his back, and punish after his combos. His three-hit hammer chain, overhead slam, and thrust attacks all leave recovery windows. Do not spam more than one or two hits unless you know the combo is finished.
5. Read his holy attacks. When Radagon raises his hammer overhead and glows, run away or roll backward; a holy explosion follows. When he teleports, pause for half a beat and roll toward where he reappears, not away. His golden rings and ranged holy projectiles are best avoided by sprinting sideways. If he floats and casts, close the distance or use the moment to heal.
6. Punish stance breaks. Jump attacks, charged heavies, and Blasphemous Blade’s Taker’s Flames can stagger Radagon. A stance break opens him up for a critical hit. If you use Black Flame, Scouring Black Flame after a full combo chunks his health because of the percentage-based damage over time. If you use Bleed, proc it repeatedly with quick attacks or Corpse Piler.
7. Finish Radagon and prepare for Elden Beast. When Radagon kneels, hit him until he dies. The Elden Beast emerges immediately. Heal and rebuff if safe, but save at least a few flasks. Switch away from Scarlet Rot and Bleed, because Elden Beast ignores both. Black Flame, Fire, Lightning, and physical damage are safer for the second phase.
Tips and Strategies
Scarlet Rot is the single best “weakness” tip for Radagon. Rotten Breath and Ekzykes’s Decay can proc rot early, and the damage over time is significant. Black Flame incantations are also excellent because they deal Fire damage and burn a percentage of max HP. Combine them with the Godslayer’s Seal from Stormveil Castle to boost Black Flame incantations.
Bleed works well if you can apply it quickly. Rivers of Blood, dual curved swords, dual twinblades, and Bloodflame Blade all build bleed fast. Lord of Blood’s Exultation and White Mask boost your attack when blood loss occurs nearby, which pairs well with Mimic Tear. Just remember that Elden Beast cannot bleed.
Summons are not optional for many players. Black Knife Tiche’s Blade of Death reduces Radagon’s max HP and keeps pressure off you. Mimic Tear with Blasphemous Blade or Rivers of Blood can practically solo Radagon. Upgrade your Spirit Ash to +10 with Roderika before attempting the fight.
Positioning matters more than raw damage. Stay under Radagon’s hammer and circle behind him. Running to the opposite side of the arena invites his teleport and golden ring attacks. When he jumps back, close the gap instead of healing immediately unless you are in danger.
Defense is just as important as offense. Lord’s Divine Fortification requires 27 Faith and greatly boosts Holy negation. Haligdrake Talisman +2 and Opaline Hardtear stack nicely. Holyproof Dried Liver is a cheap consumable that helps. Armor like Crucible Axe, Tree Sentinel, or Bull-Goat’s gives good poise and Holy resistance.
If you are struggling, respec at Rennala in Raya Lucaria. A Faith/Fire build with Blasphemous Blade, or an Arcane/Bleed build with Rivers of Blood, can melt Radagon. A pure Holy build will suffer. Bring Furlcalling Finger Remedy and summon co-op partners before the fog if Spirit Ashes are not enough.
Common Mistakes
The biggest mistake is using Holy damage. Radagon resists it heavily, and Elden Beast does too. Sacred Relic Sword, Coded Sword, and Golden Order incantations are traps here.
Another mistake is ignoring Scarlet Rot and Bleed because Elden Beast is immune. Radagon is not immune. Rot him early, bleed him hard, then switch tactics for phase two.
Greeding kills more runs than any single attack. Radagon’s hammer combos are delayed and roll-catch. Hit once or twice, then reset. Do not try to finish a combo just because his health is low.
Burning all your flasks before Elden Beast is a classic error. Radagon is only the first half. Keep at least two or three flasks for the Elden Beast’s Elden Stars and sword waves.
Panic rolling away from teleports also gets people killed. Roll toward or through Radagon when he reappears. Running away gives him time to cast.
Finally, do not enter with an unupgraded weapon. You want at least +24 regular or +9 somber, ideally +25 or +10. Use Hewg. If your build feels weak, respec with Rennala and commit to Fire, Lightning, Magic, Bleed, or Black Flame.
FAQ
Q: What is Radagon actually weak to?
A: Radagon is weak to Scarlet Rot, Bleed, Black Flame, Fire, Lightning, and Magic. He resists Holy damage heavily. Use Rotten Breath, Blasphemous Blade, Black Flame incantations, Rivers of Blood, Moonveil, or Bolt of Gransax.
Q: Can I summon Spirit Ashes for Radagon?
A: Yes. You can summon inside the arena. Black Knife Tiche +10 and Mimic Tear +10 are the best choices. Real co-op players can be summoned with Furlcalling Finger Remedy before entering the fog.
Q: Should I use Scarlet Rot on Radagon or save it for Elden Beast?
A: Use it on Radagon. Radagon can be rotted and bled, but Elden Beast is immune to both. Apply Scarlet Rot early, then switch to Black Flame, Fire, Lightning, or physical damage for the Elden Beast phase.
