Fan Rebuild Uncovers Elden Ring’s Greatest Boss Design Hidden In Plain Sight

Key Takeaways

Elden Ring showcases Miyazaki’s accumulated skills, leading to stellar boss designs.
A fan remake of Dragonlord Placidusax’s original form shows what could have been the coolest boss design in the game.
More Placidusax’s lore is unveiled in Shadow of the Erdtree, revealing his nemesis and Dragon Communion.

Elden Ring can easily be called an accumulation of all Hidetaka Miyazaki might have learned over the years being the pioneer behind the Soulsborne/Souslike genre, allowing him to nail every single detail, including amazing boss designs.

When visiting the Crumbling Farum Azula, the player not only fights the likes of the Godskin Duo and Maliketh but also crosses paths with Dragonlord Placidusax. This optional boss boasts a mountain of lore starting with how he was the first Elden Lord of The Lands Between, appearing even before the Erdtree and Queen Marika herself.

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The in-game version of Placidusax that we fight is arguably the weakest he has ever been, but we now know how he might have looked if he was in his prime, thanks to u/Who-Is-The-Biggest on Reddit who reconstructed the original look of the early Elden Lord.

From Starscrourge Radahn to the final battle against Radagon and the Elden Beast, the game features arenas and beasts never seen before. However, the best boss character design arguably done by the studio has been hiding in plain sight all this time, lying within the Crumbling Farum Azula, or what remains of it.

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The render restores the original version of the Dragonlord, showing him in his full glory with all five heads, three sets of wings, and an uncut tail, and it quite possibly tops the charts for being the coolest-looking Elden Ring boss ever.

The Lore Behind Dragonlord Placidusax

Since Elden Ring’s release in 2022, players had no idea how Pladidusax had come to be as weakened and sorry looking as he does when the player encounters them in game. This was until the game’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC was released.

The Realm of Shadows unraveled the story of Bayle The Dread, Placidusax’s nemesis, and the one who damaged him gravely before fleeing.

Elden Ring Radagon Icon on left, Elden Ring promo image in middle, Pearldrake Talisman +2 on right

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Looking closely at Bayle’s design, you could even see one of the former Elden Lord’s heads hanging off his body, hinting at what might have been the greatest battle in the Elden Ring timeline.

Bayle is ultimately also the reason why Placidusax resorted to founding the Dragon Communion, which had the sole purpose of hunting down his nemesis and his descendants, called the Drakes.

The 2022 action RPG by From Software joins the Souls-like subgenre by presenting one of the most punishing games in the field with grotesque, memorable bosses to keep you up at night. Inside a world built by Hidetaka Miyazaki and Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin, Elden Ring’s gothic landscape, unforgiving combat, and top-tier exploration will keep you invested well into the year.

Released: February 25, 2022
Engine: Proprietary
ESRB: M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
How Long To Beat: 58 Hours
X|S Optimized: yes
Metascore: 96
Platforms That Support Crossplay: PS4 & PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
PS Plus Availability: N/A
Steam Deck Compatibility: yes
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty
Cross Save: no
Cross-Platform Play: PS4 & PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S