How to Beat Radagon of the Golden Order in Elden Ring
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Elden Ring
How to Beat Radagon of the Golden Order in Elden Ring
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Radagon is the first half of Elden Ring’s final mandatory encounter, and that is what makes him more dangerous than he first appears. The fight is not just about beating Radagon — it is about reaching the Elden Beast with enough healing, FP, and summon value left to finish the run.
Because the second phase begins immediately, this guide connects naturally with How to beat the Elden Beast. The better you handle Radagon, the easier the full final boss sequence becomes.
Build choice matters here too. Radagon’s very high Holy resistance makes Sacred setups a poor choice, while physical and fire options perform much better. If you want a cleaner melee alternative for this part of the game, compare with Best Strength build.
Most players clear this encounter once they stop treating Radagon like a standalone boss and start treating him like the resource-management phase of the true final fight.
⚡ Quick Answer
Step by Step
Radagon is the first phase of the final boss — he transitions directly into the Elden Beast with no break. Stay close and aggressive, dodge his hammer attacks by rolling toward him, and punish after his combos. He performs much better against physical and fire damage than against Holy, and bleed-focused setups are a poor fit here. Recommended level: 120–130. Do not use Sacred or Holy damage — he has very high Holy resistance. Spirit Ashes are available for this fight. If you want the second phase guide too, see How to beat the Elden Beast.
1
Stay close at all times. Radagon’s ranged attacks — golden projectiles and AOE blasts — are significantly more dangerous than his melee. Staying in his face limits him to hammer swings which have clear telegraphs. The moment you create distance he punishes with fast golden bolt projectiles that are hard to dodge consistently.
2
Dodge his hammer swings by rolling INTO him. Most of Radagon’s hammer attacks swing outward — rolling toward him and slightly to the side puts you inside the arc of the swing where the hitbox doesn’t reach. This is counterintuitive but dramatically easier than trying to dodge away from each hit.
3
Punish after his three-hit combo. His most common attack string ends with a large overhead hammer slam — the slam has a long recovery. Get in 2–3 hits immediately after the slam lands. Watch for the golden AOE that sometimes accompanies the slam and dodge through it before attacking.
4
Dodge his teleport slam sideways. Radagon frequently teleports above you and slams down — dodge sideways at the last possible moment as he descends. Early dodges get caught by the delay. Wait until he is nearly on top of you before rolling — the timing feels late but consistently clears the hitbox.
5
Save resources for the Elden Beast. Radagon and the Elden Beast are a back-to-back fight with no Site of Grace between them. Manage your Flask charges carefully during Radagon — try to finish him with at least 4–5 heals remaining for the second phase. Using everything on Radagon and dying to the Elden Beast means starting from Radagon again. For the follow-up phase, see How to beat the Elden Beast.
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Prioritise physical and fire damage — Radagon has very high Holy negation and bleed is a poor fit here, so straight physical weapons or fire-leaning setups perform much better. If you want a simple melee option, compare with Best Strength build.
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Black Knife Tiche is the best summon for this fight — she stays mobile, avoids most of Radagon’s attacks naturally, and deals consistent damage throughout both phases. Mimic Tear is also strong but tends to take more damage from Radagon’s AOE attacks.
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Flame, Grant Me Strength + Golden Vow before entering the fog gate — these buffs last long enough to cover most of the Radagon fight and carry into the Elden Beast phase, saving you from needing to re-apply them mid-fight.
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Radagon is much better handled with physical and fire damage — his Holy negation is extremely high, while fire performs far better. Any weapon with a Heavy, Keen, or Fire affinity is usually a safer choice than Sacred damage here.