How to Beat Dragonlord Placidusax in Elden Ring
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How to Beat Dragonlord Placidusax in Elden Ring
Tips for Dragonlord Placidusax
Dragonlord Placidusax is widely considered one of Elden Ring’s most spectacular boss fights — a two-headed ancient dragon god who predates the current age, fighting in a storm of golden lightning above the clouds of Farum Azula. He is entirely optional and many players miss him entirely because of the hidden «Lie Down» entrance. The fight rewards patience and positioning over reflexes — once you understand that staying under his body negates most of his kit, he becomes significantly more approachable. His reward, the Remembrance of the Dragonlord, can be exchanged for his unique incantation or weapon at the Roundtable Hold.
FAQ
⚡ Quick Answer
How to Reach and Beat Dragonlord Placidusax
Stay directly under his body and hug his back legs — most of his attacks miss entirely from this position. His most dangerous move is the golden lightning erasure in Phase 2 — sprint away the moment he begins charging it. He is found in Crumbling Farum Azula and is entirely optional.
1
Get to Crumbling Farum Azula. Farum Azula is reached by resting at the Forge of the Giants Site of Grace and choosing to burn the Erdtree — this triggers the teleport to Farum Azula automatically as part of the story. Alternatively, reach it earlier by completing Millicent’s questline for an optional early entry. See the full route in our Farum Azula guide.
2
Find the hidden boss entrance. Placidusax is not found through the main path. From the Beside the Great Bridge Site of Grace in Farum Azula, take the elevator down. At the bottom, walk out onto the broken platform and look for a specific spot at the edge where a prompt appears to «Lie Down» — this is a hidden interaction that drops you into the Dragonlord’s arena below. It is easy to miss if you don’t walk to every edge of the platform.
3
Phase 1 — stay under his body. Placidusax is a massive two-headed dragon. Position yourself directly beneath his torso between his back legs — from here his claw swipes, head slams, and most breath attacks miss completely. Attack his legs and belly freely. His teleport is the primary threat — he vanishes and reappears for a slam or grab. Sprint away immediately when he disappears.
4
Phase 2 — watch for the golden erasure. Below roughly 50% health Placidusax gains a new devastating attack: he flies up, the arena glows gold, and a massive golden lightning storm erases everything in a large area around him. When you see him fly upward and the gold glow begin — sprint at full speed away from him in a straight line. The erasure has a very large radius but a clear edge you can outrun. After it ends, sprint back underneath immediately.
5
Exploit the recovery windows. After each major attack — especially the teleport slam and the golden erasure — Placidusax has a long recovery animation. These are your primary damage windows. Land 3–5 hits then back off before his next attack begins. Torrent is allowed in this fight and makes repositioning after the erasure much faster.
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He is weak to Scarlet Rot: like most dragons, Placidusax is susceptible to Scarlet Rot. Apply it with Rot Pots or Rotten Breath — a single application deals 10% of his health passively. Two applications across the fight contribute enormous free damage while you focus on dodging the golden erasure.
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Recommended level 120+: Placidusax is an endgame optional boss in one of the game’s final areas. Arrive at Soul Level 120+ with a +22 or higher weapon. His health pool is large but his damage windows are generous — aggressive play with a strong build ends the fight quickly.
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Use spirit summons: any spirit summon draws one of his heads reliably, giving you constant free damage windows. The Mimic Tear and Black Knife Tiche work particularly well — Tiche’s mobility lets her dodge the erasure without player input, keeping her alive through Phase 2.
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Buff before entering: cast Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength before the fog gate if you have access to them. The fight has long enough recovery windows that these buffs remain active for most of the encounter, significantly increasing your total damage output.
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The erasure has audio cues: the golden erasure is telegraphed by a distinctive rising musical tone and a gold glow on the arena floor. Learn to react to the audio rather than waiting to see the visual — starting your sprint 0.5 seconds earlier makes the escape much more comfortable.
Where is Dragonlord Placidusax in Elden Ring?
Placidusax is in Crumbling Farum Azula. From the Beside the Great Bridge Site of Grace, take the elevator down to the lower platform. Walk to the edge of the broken platform and interact with the «Lie Down» prompt that appears — this drops you into his hidden arena below the main path.
Is Dragonlord Placidusax required to beat Elden Ring?
No — Placidusax is entirely optional and not required for any ending. He is one of the most challenging optional bosses in the game, hidden in a secret location in Crumbling Farum Azula. Fighting him is purely for the challenge, lore, and his unique Remembrance rewards.
How do I survive the golden lightning erasure attack?
When Placidusax flies upward and the arena begins glowing gold, sprint in a straight line directly away from him at full speed. The erasure has a large radius but a clear edge — sprinting without stopping gets you out of range. Using Torrent makes this significantly easier to outrun.
What does Placidusax drop in Elden Ring?
Placidusax drops the Remembrance of the Dragonlord, which can be exchanged at Enia in the Roundtable Hold for either the Placidusax’s Ruin incantation (a devastating golden lightning beam) or the Dragon King’s Cragblade weapon. The Remembrance can also be duplicated at a Wandering Mausoleum.