However, throughout Elden Ring there is a smattering of gothic horror, and deeper still, buried at the lowest points of the Lands Between, some cosmic horror too. With that in mind, several bosses in Elden Ring seem plucked straight out of its spiritual predecessor, Bloodborne. Be it beast-like men that move quickly across the screen or aliens that have crash-landed to earth, there is plenty of Yharnam to be found in the Lands Between.
6 Beastman Of Farum Azula
Covered head to toe in fur and wielding a cleaver like weapon, this boss seems like he belongs hiding behind a corner in the grimy streets of Yharnam. Located in the Groveside Cave in Limgrave and strikingly resembling the enemies that the good hunter will stumble across in the first few areas of Bloodborne, the Beastman of Farum Azula would undoubtedly fit right into the early-game gothic horror of Fromsoftware’s PS4 exclusive.
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It is not just this creature’s looks that place it firmly in the Bloodborne design school of thought, but also its quick and relentless attacks, which seem to move at a pace that a lowly Tarnished can not match. Indeed, despite the medieval setting of Elden Ring, this boss would certainly fit right in throughout Bloodborne.
5 Rykard, Lord Of Blasphemy
There is something about the grotesque combination of man and serpent that feels straight out of the doctors’ clinics hidden away in Yharnam. This, combined with this boss’s insistence on devouring the gods, results in an enemy that could very well be in Bloodborne.
But mostly, it is the body horror on display here that makes this enemy feel reminiscent of those in the Playstation exclusive. Hopefully, the poor souls writhing across this boss’ body are not the same victims that fans see on the One Reborn’s horrifying form.
4 Leonine Misbegotten
Another bestial enemy, the Misbegotten takes the speed, design and aggressiveness of Father Gascoigne’s second phase and drops it into Elden Ring’s fantasy setting. Wielding a blade reminiscent of Bloodborne’s Holy Greatsword, this boss leaps across the arena at a frightening speed, and swings its blade so quickly that only Yharnam’s hunters could hope to follow it.
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The lore behind this boss also gives echoes of Bloodborne, with the Misbegotten being the leader of a group of beast-like servants that turned on their noble employers. Overall, the combination of this boss’s speed, looks and moveset make it fit right into Bloodborne.
3 Elden Beast
Fromsoftware’s love of cosmic horror is clear to see when considering that this alien creature is the final boss of a high-fantasy game like Elden Ring. The polar opposite to the first part of this boss, the Elden Beast transports the player to an area that resembles the outskirts of the Hunter’s Dream, and employs celestial attacks that resemble the moves that one of Bloodborne’s Great Ones would use on the denizens of Yharnam.
Ultimately confirming that the forces influencing the Land’s Between are not of this world, the Elden Beast is an enemy that players would not be shocked to find in Bloodborne.
2 Mohg, Lord Of Blood
This list would not be complete without the Lord of Blood himself. Mohg, who can be found in two of the game’s underground areas, has this namesake for a reason. Lord of a blood-soaked kingdom, this demigod wishes to bring an age of blood to the Lands Between by having some very inappropriate relations with his half brother.
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This lore alone makes him perfect for Bloodborne, but when combined with his design and moveset, one begins to think he was taken straight from the 2015 title. From the tentacles that cover his body to his attacks that deal bleed damage, Mohg would be right at home in Yharnam. The cherry on this Lovecraftian cake, however, is Mohg’s life steal attack. This move is strangely similar to the ability of Bloodborne’s hunters, who steal their health back from enemies.
1 Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
Having traversed a lake of crimson rot, fought past dozens of insect-like creatures, and traveled down a river blood in a coffin, players would be forgiven for thinking they were playing Bloodborne when they come face-to-face with Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. More than any other boss in Elden Ring, this alien behemoth seems plucked straight out of Bloodborne’s Lovecraftian horror playbook.
Astel’s skeletal head, its pincer mouth, and its alien body make this boss a truly terrifying creature to behold. Combine that with the very heavy implications that this creature is not from the Lands Between, but the distant expanse of space, and this boss would fit seamlessly into the lore of Bloodborne and its story of Great Ones influencing the lives of unknowing people. Add Astel’s use of stars and its attacks, and the result is a truly Bloodborne-esque boss fight.
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