As Elden Ring Nightreign inches ever closer to its May 2025 release, fans of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s work are sure to wonder which bosses from his other franchises are slated to appear in FromSoftware’s take on the roguelike genre.
Limveld beckons the Nightfarers, Elden Ring Nightreign’s new protagonists who will encounter familiar faces from Miyazaki’s past titles as they explore Limveld as the Nightfarers. With the Nameless King from Dark Souls III already confirmed as a boss, here are a few more FromSoftware legends that could give the Nightfarers a challenge in Nightreign.
10. Lady Maria from Bloodborne: The Old Hunters
With her trusty Rakuyo, AoE attacks, and deadly agility, Lady Maria is an excellent addition to Elden Ring Nightreign considering how three Nightfarers would have to work in tandem to take her down even as she unleashes devastating, unpredictable attacks while mixing up her many combos.
The guardian of the Astral Clocktower would work very well as a boss considering how each Nightfarer class has unique abilities that counter specific aspects of her fighting style. Lady Maria has the potential to push the Nightfarers to their limits, requiring Nightreign players to bring their best skills and strategies to the fight to take her down.
9. Slave Knight Gael from Dark Souls III: The Ringed City
With his long, winding combos and increasing damage, as players whittle down his health, Slave Knight Gael is a great choice for an Elden Ring Nightreign boss. Given that he varies his attacks while warping the boss arena to his advantage, the Nightfarers would be hard-pressed to keep him on the back foot.
His projectiles are sure to keep players on their toes, as will his aggressive melee attacks, making him a great choice as a Nightreign boss from thematic as well as gameplay perspectives. Furthermore, the fact that he changes his stance with each phase of the battle requires an additional layer of strategy from players looking to manage his onslaught of attacks.
8. Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough from Dark Souls II
The guardians of Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight in Anor Londo could make waves in Limveld considering their devastating, coordinated attacks that the Nightfarers would be hard-pressed to fend off. Ornstein’s spear and Smough’s hammer are a deadly combination, offering a skill check like no other to those who are brave enough to take them on.
They would make fine additions to Elden Ring Nightreign considering how taking one of them down imbues the other with their fallen comrade’s powers. It would also give the Nightfarers an incentive to take them on again if the original game’s loot drops make their way into Nightreign. However, the threat that they pose might give even the most seasoned Nighfarers a reason to stay away given the heady mix of melee and ranged capabilities they bring to the table.
7. Sister Friede and Father Ariandel from Dark Souls III: The Ashes of Ariandel
The final bosses of the Painted World are no pushovers, with Sister Friede’s devious stealth attacks working well with Father Ariandel’s menacing urn of molten lava working in tandem to keep the Ashen One on their toes in Dark Souls III. The duo could pose a serious threat to the Nightfarers, requiring coordination and strategy to bring them down.
The original three-phase boss fight would be an excellent way to cap off Elden Ring Nightreign’s three-day trek through Limveld, giving the Nightfarers a harrowing yet rewarding encounter that is sure to push them to their limits. Players will have to bring their best builds to the field if they want to take on Friede’s deadly blend of dark fire and ice while also contending with Ariandel’s rush attacks and mad slams that are sure to bring back memories for dedicated FromSoftware fans.
6. Sword Saint Isshin from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The leader of the Ashina clan is sure to give the Nightfarers a memorable challenge if he were to make an appearance in Elden Ring Nightreign. His unique blend of attacks from his sword, spear, and firearms combined with the deadliest of Ashina techniques would be a worthy addition to the ranks of Nightreign’s list of FromSoftware bosses if he were to make an appearance.
An interesting wrinkle would be the appearance of Genichiro’s demonic form which players were required to beat before taking on the Sword Saint, giving the Nightfarers an additional challenge that other bosses in Limveld would find hard to imitate.
5. Gehrman, The First Hunter from Bloodborne
The penultimate boss of Bloodborne and the wielder of the Burial Blade would be an interesting addition to Elden Ring Nightreign when his arsenal of attacks and deadly mobility are considered. Gehrman’s slouching gait is no indicator of the deadly speed and precision with which he unleashes his attacks, a factor that could allow him to keep applying pressure on even the most powerful Nightfarers.
Capable of devastation at any range, Gehrman is a fine choice for FromSoftware to factor in some nostalgia in its take on the roguelike genre while potentially making Bloodborne fans wonder if Hidetaka Miyazaki might get around to making a sequel to his hit title at some point.
4. Malenia and Miquella from Elden Ring
While the Tarnished took on Malenia, the Blade of Miquella in Elden Ring while also undoing Miquella’s misguided plans in Shadow of the Erdtree, combining these two characters’ unique skill sets into a single boss fight would be an incredible addition to Elden Ring Nightreign given their popularity with the title’s fans and their potential to pose one of the game’s deadliest challenges.
The twin prodigies would be the ultimate combination of brains and brawn, requiring an equally potent mix of power and strategy from a trio of Nightfarers looking to bring them to their knees as they explore Limveld together. Perhaps LetMeSoloHer could be of help?
3. Ludwig the Accursed from Bloodborne: The Old Hunters
The founder of the Healing Church Workshop and the first Hunter of the Healing Church has the potential to lay waste to Limveld’s most skilled Nightfarers with his unpredictable movements and vicious attacks. Relentless, ruthless, and eternally hungry for blood, Ludwig’s bestial form could be the least of the Nightfarers’ worries as taking it down makes way for an iconic fight against Ludwig, the Holy Blade.
Fans of FromSoftware titles will certainly be thrilled to see the Holy Moonlight Sword back in action in Elden Ring: Nightreign with the added potential of it being a loot drop that the Nightfarers could then use against other bosses in the game.
2. Pontiff Sulyvahn from Dark Souls III
The final boss in Irythill of the Boreal Valley would be a fine addition to Limveld’s rogues gallery given his dual greatswords, incredible agility, and deadly combos which work well to give even the most seasoned FromSoftware veterans a hard time. Considering that the original boss fight allowed players to bring as many as three Summons along for the fight, Nightreign players could very well work together to bring him down although that’s easier said than done.
Sulyvahn’s varied attacks are bolstered by a clone that he summons in the fight’s second phase giving the fight an additional layer of challenge that the Nightfarers must be ready to take on, in addition to new attacks that are quite hard to dodge, making him a great choice for an Elden Ring Nightreign boss.
1. The Abyss Watchers from Dark Souls III
The guardians of Farron Keep are an excellent choice for a final boss in Limveld considering their ability to create multiple clones of themselves in order to keep the pressure on a trio of Nightfarers. With their speed, skill, and brutal combos that make incredible use of fire attacks, the Abyss Watchers can lay waste to even the best-laid plans that Elden Ring Nightreign players can come up with.
Taking them on could be among the hardest challenges that Limveld has to offer if FromSoftware decides to include them in its roster of bosses from previous titles, offering up an encounter that is both nostalgic and very rewarding for players who manage to take them down.
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With a passion for gaming that is equaled only by his love for writing, Varun has either a controller, keyboard, or a guitar in his hands when he is not out exploring the middle of nowhere on a motorcycle. Soulslikes, RPGs, and action-adventure titles keep him awake at night and get him out of bed in the morning. He will never stop lamenting the lack of a Bloodborne sequel even as he spends another couple of hours exploring the Lands Between in Elden Ring.
