How to Beat Valiant Gargoyles in Elden Ring
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How to Beat Valiant Gargoyles in Elden Ring
Tips for the Valiant Gargoyles Fight
The Valiant Gargoyles are one of the most controversial boss encounters in Elden Ring — many players find multi-enemy fights frustrating, particularly when the second enemy appears mid-fight rather than at the start. The key insight that makes it manageable is treating it as two sequential one-on-one fights with a brief overlap rather than a sustained two-versus-one. If you can bring the first gargoyle to 20–30% health before the second appears, you have at most 30 seconds of true two-versus-one before finishing the first. From there it becomes a standard one-on-one with a familiar enemy type. Defeating them opens the path to the Deeproot Depths and is required for completing Fia’s questline.
FAQ
⚡ Quick Answer
How to Beat the Valiant Gargoyles
Focus one gargoyle at a time — kill the first before the second reaches full health. Both share the arena so you must constantly reposition. Use a spirit summon immediately on entry to split their aggro. The biggest mistake is fighting both simultaneously — always prioritise one target until it dies.
1
Understand the fight structure. The Valiant Gargoyles is a two-boss encounter at the bottom of Nokron, Eternal City. The first gargoyle — the Black Blade variant — starts the fight alone. At roughly 50% health, a second gargoyle — the Twinblade Gargoyle — drops from above. You must kill both to win, and they share the arena for the second half of the fight.
2
Summon a spirit immediately on entry. The moment the fight starts, summon your strongest spirit — Mimic Tear, Black Knife Tiche, or Lhutel the Headless all perform excellently here. Your summon draws the first gargoyle’s aggro while you deal free damage from behind. Having a summon alive when the second gargoyle appears is crucial for managing both targets.
3
Kill the first gargoyle as fast as possible. Pour all your damage into the Black Blade Gargoyle before the second appears. The faster you kill it, the less time you spend fighting two simultaneously. Use your most aggressive combos — charged R2s, Ash of War attacks — and do not back off to play safely. Speed matters here more than caution.
4
When the second gargoyle appears — keep targeting the first. The Twinblade Gargoyle drops when the first hits roughly 50% health. Most players panic and switch targets. Do not switch — keep all your damage on the first gargoyle and finish it. The second gargoyle will start at partial health but is easier alone than fighting both at once.
5
Clean up the second gargoyle. After the first falls, drink Estus and regroup before engaging the Twinblade Gargoyle. It uses fast dual-blade combos and a poison breath attack — stay to its sides and dodge through its spinning attacks rather than away. Its health should be reduced from when it dropped in, making it manageable one-on-one.
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Poison resistance helps significantly: the Twinblade Gargoyle uses a poison breath attack that covers a large area and builds up fast. Equip the Immunizing Horn Charm talisman or use Preserving Boluses to cure poison quickly. Getting poisoned mid-fight while managing both gargoyles simultaneously is a common death cause.
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Both gargoyles are weak to Scarlet Rot: applying Scarlet Rot to either gargoyle deals 10% of its health passively. Use Rot Pots or the Rotten Breath incantation — two applications across the fight contributes enormous passive damage. A high Arcane build trivialises this fight through repeated Rot applications.
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Use the arena pillars for separation: the arena has large stone pillars — use them to break line of sight when one gargoyle is between you and the other. Running around a pillar forces the gargoyles to path separately, giving you brief one-on-one windows even during the two-gargoyle phase.
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Recommended level 70–80: the Valiant Gargoyles gate access to Nokron’s deeper areas and the path to the Deeproot Depths. Arrive with a +16 or higher weapon and adequate Vigor — both gargoyles hit hard and the two-phase nature of the fight requires sustained damage output over a longer encounter than most single bosses.
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They drop the Gargoyle’s Black Blade and Twinblade: defeating the Valiant Gargoyles rewards you with both weapons as remembrance-style drops — the Gargoyle’s Black Blade scales with Strength and Faith, and the Gargoyle’s Twinblade scales with Strength and Dexterity. Both are solid weapons worth upgrading for their respective builds.
Where are the Valiant Gargoyles in Elden Ring?
The Valiant Gargoyles are found at the bottom of Nokron, Eternal City, in an area called the Siofra Aqueduct. Nokron is only accessible after defeating Radahn, which causes a meteor to open a passage into the underground city from the Mistwood area of Limgrave.
Should I fight both gargoyles at the same time?
No — always focus all damage on one gargoyle until it dies before engaging the second. Fighting both simultaneously drains your resources twice as fast and gives you no safe windows to heal. Kill the first gargoyle as quickly as possible, then deal with the second alone.
What do the Valiant Gargoyles drop in Elden Ring?
Defeating the Valiant Gargoyles drops the Gargoyle’s Black Blade (a greatsword scaling with Strength and Faith) and the Gargoyle’s Twinblade (scaling with Strength and Dexterity). Both are unique weapons that cannot be obtained elsewhere.
Are the Valiant Gargoyles required to beat Elden Ring?
The Valiant Gargoyles are not required for the main story endings, but they are required to access the Deeproot Depths and complete Fia’s questline, which leads to the Age of Duskborn ending. They are also required if you want to fully explore the underground river network beneath the Lands Between.