What are the requirements for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree? Mandatory bosses, quests, and more explored

FromSoftware's DLCs are known to have some complicated set of requirements, and Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is no stranger to this. In fact, Shadow of the Erdtree is perhaps the most complicated among all FromSoftware souls-like DLCs to date. It requires you to not only progress through the central questline but also defeat some genuinely tough optional bosses before you can even start the DLC.

Like other DLCs FromSotware has released for their games, Shadow of the Erdtree is meant as end-game content, one that you are supposed to access after completing most of what the base game has to offer, and optimizing your build for a particular playstyle. However, if you want, you can also access the DLC much before the base game's ending.

But to do that, you will need to make sure your Tarnished meets the DLC's requirements. Here's everything you need to know about the requirements for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, including the mandatory bosses, quests, and more.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the author's opinions.

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What Elden Ring bosses are mandatory for Shadow of the Erdtree?

As mentioned, Shadow of the Erdtree, much like The Ringed City and Ashes of Ariandel DLCs for Dark Souls 3, is meant as an end-game content for Elden Ring. To access the DLC, you must reach quite close to the base game's finale. However, you don't necessarily need to finish the base game to experience the DLC.

Although not necessary, defeating Malenia can give you access to plenty of runes and her powerful weapon, which can be helpful in the DLC (Image via FromSoftware)

According to FromSoftware, there are a few bosses that you need to defeat before you can start Shadow of the Erdtree. These bosses include Mohg, Lord of Blood, Starscourge Radahn, and Morgott, the Omen King. Additionally, to reach Morgott, you will need to have killed another Shardbearer apart from Radahn.

You will also need to have defeated Margit, the Fell Omen, Godrick, the Grafted, and/or Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, who are the natural progression bosses in the opening hours of Elden Ring.

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How far do you need to progress in Elden Ring before starting Shadow of the Erdtree?

As for quest progress, you will need to have completed the Leyndel arc, i.e., defeated Morgott, the Omen King, and also made your way to Moghwyn Palace, an optional legacy dungeon and the gateway for the DLC. Shadow of the Erdtree is confirmed to start right after defeating Mogh, Lord of Blood, in Moghwyn Palace.

It is recommended to start the DLC with an end-game character (Image via FromSoftware)

Defeating Mogh allows you to interact with Miquella's cocoon, which much like the Eye of the Blood-drunk Hunter from Bloodborne, serves as the medium that allows travel to Elden Ring's "shadow realm," i.e., the DLC area.

While you can reach Moghwyn Palace early in the game by completing White Mask Varre's questline, it's recommended to play the DLC either before starting New Game+ or right before fighting the last few bosses in the Capital. Additionally, it's recommended to defeat all the optional bosses to get their remembrances.

If FromSoftware's previous DLCs are anything to go by, Shadow of the Erdtree will feature a massive difficulty jump compared to the base game. As such, having an end-game build with an optimized loadout can help you go toe-to-toe with everything the DLC has to offer, possibly without too much of a hassle.