Some new enemies in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC have been shown with the reveal of the expansion’s gameplay trailer. The long-awaited DLC for FromSoftware’s award-winning RPG was first announced in February 2023, approximately a year after the base game’s original release. At the time, the content was teased with key art featuring a blond character, believed to be Miquella, mounted on a Spirit Steed with the Erdtree far in the distance. Little to no details were known about the DLC until the Elden Ring DLC gameplay trailer reveal, which showcased a lot of the upcoming content.
The video shows several of the new abilities and weapons that players will be able to pick up and use when controlling their Tarnished in the Land of Shadow. This is a new location that takes players away from the Lands Between and tells a story involving the long-discussed Miquella. The Land of Shadow also contains a variety of new threats, including never-before-seen opponents that make their debut in the expansion. Many of these new enemies were shown in the trailer for Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, along with the content’s release date.
10 Scarlet Dancer
Swirling Double Blades
One of the most notable new enemies in the trailer for the DLC is a woman dressed in red garb. She is in an intense duel against the Tarnished, brandishing her two swords as she swirls around for unexpected strikes. This humanoid character is shown fighting alone in a field of flowers in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree.
Because of how she is portrayed in the trailer, published on the official Bandai Namco Europe channel on YouTube, there is reason to believe she may be a boss or a mini-boss opponent. Individual humanoid figures like her tend to be challenging, though there is still an off chance she represents a new regular and recurrent enemy type in the expansion.
9 Undead Priests
Blowing Candelabras In The Wind
In a portion of the video dedicated to showing new abilities and weapons in action, players can see the Tarnished fighting off two enemies that look like undead priests. These opponents carry candelabras and wear torn yellow and brown robes that cover most of their bodies in Elden Ring.
These opponents are capable of spreading fire to deal damage against the player. The scene in the trailer for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is not clear, but it does seem like they blow on the fire on the candelabras to use their fire-breathing technique.
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8 Cleaver Ghosts
A Hasty Spiritual Commoner
One fairly common-looking opponent, for the standards of the Lands Between, seems like a ghost carrying a large cleaver. This stretched-out humanoid figure is seen running toward a Tarnished in the trailer, only to be eliminated before reaching their target by the player’s throwing knives ability in Elden Ring.
The way this new enemy type in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is designed, it seems like they are a spectral form of the Commoner enemies from the base game. Their overall design makes them look like recurring opponents that should not pose much of a threat to more experienced adventurers.
7 Electric Porcupine Hippo-Crocodile
A FromSoftware Chimera Of Sorts
One of the most noteworthy creatures in the DLC so far is the strange monster that comes dashing toward the Tarnished in the gameplay trailer. The enemy looks like a mix between a hippopotamus and a crocodile with its short build and large mouth and teeth. The creature then stands up for an attack in Elden Ring.
This attack sees the monster create spine-like structures on its back, which make it look somewhat like a porcupine. In addition to that, the creature makes an electric discharge. Due to its unique design and seemingly immense powers, it is very likely that this will be a new boss in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, even if that is currently unconfirmed.
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6 Mutated Lantern Head
A Summer Lantern?
There is one creature that has been revealed for the upcoming DLC that is not actually present in the gameplay reveal trailer. This weird monster appeared exclusively on the official Elden Ring website. The creature in question seems like a wandering elderly person who has had their head mutated.
As seen on the website, this unnamed monster has had its humanoid head replaced with a bundle of lantern-like spheres, which illuminate the area around it. To sustain its heavy and bright head, its elongated body uses a walking stick.
5 Head-Sucking Leech With Arms
Thirsty For Brains
One of the first strange monsters to appear in the gameplay reveal trailer is somewhat hard to describe. This monster looks like a giant leech. It, however, has long hand-like limbs that it uses to hold its prey. In the new Elden Ring DLC trailer, this monster is seen holding the Tarnished with both hands, as if the player’s avatar were a juice box.
The leech-like enemy then uses its large mouth to suck on the Tarnished’s life force. This creature’s unique holding and sucking animation may hint at it being a boss or a mini-boss of sorts, but there is a chance it will be a regular opponent in Shadow of the Erdtree.
4 Mounted Boomerang Skeleton Lord
Don’t Call It A Comeback
Halfway through the gameplay reveal trailer, a very exquisite monster is presented. This is, almost certainly, a new boss in Elden Ring. The creature is a giant skeleton that has its skull hanging from the rest of its upright body structure. This new enemy is also mounted on a half-dead gargantuan horse that is having trouble moving around.
It is uncertain if the boss will have great mobility, but to compensate for a possible lack of swiftness, the creature focuses on dealing damage from afar. The skeleton boss monster throws a boomerang-like bone scythe, which returns to it. Considering the arena it is portrayed in, its size, and its unique design, this is very likely going to be a new boss in Shadow of the Erdtree.
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3 Big Fire Cage Boss
Set Fire To The Pain
One of the first creatures shown in the gameplay trailer is a fire cage boss-like creature. This seems to be an ambulant fireplace moved on coals that is bipedal, capable of using its arms, and quite large. Due to its size, it is easy to understand that this will likely be a new boss in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
The huge fire creature is seen stomping on the ground, which creates a ring of fire around it. Other than its design, which is complemented by a metal place resembling a face against the exterior of its cage-like body, little else is known about this new rumored boss opponent.
2 Toxic Lion Person Boss
King Of The Land Of Shadow
Possibly the weirdest creature revealed for the DLC so far seems to be a large humanoid figure wearing a lion’s head. This, which is most likely a boss opponent, has somewhat regular hands and feet, as shown in the trailer. The enemy’s hand is seen shutting the mount of the lion-like monster from underneath, closing two sets of teeth.
The gameplay trailer highlights the large monster’s impressive mobility, as it jumps across the arena. This enemy also seems to shoot gravel from its mouth. What is likely to appear in a second or third phase is its electric powers, as it seems to draw in lightning in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
1 Messmer The Impaler
Red But Not Rotten
The most present enemy in the DLC so far is the only one that is actually named: Messmer the Impaler. This red-haired humanoid foe has elongated limbs but seems somewhat rational in their approach. The armored figure’s red hair seems to hint at them being related to Malenia, possibly being Marika’s third child.
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This tall humanoid figure is accompanied by a long red snake that is wrapped around their body. Messmer is featured in the key art for the expansion, which indicates it may be one of the most important figures, if not the most relevant one in all of Elden Ring’s Shadow of Erdtree DLC.
Elden Ring
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC
- Released
- February 25, 2022
- Developer(s)
- FromSoftware
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action , RPG
- ESRB
- M
- How Long To Beat
- 56 Hours
