How to beat Radagon of the Golden Order in Elden Ring

Radagon of the Golden Order is an Elden Ring boss who you can fight shortly after you’ve cleared Leyndell, Ashen Capital.

The father of Malenia might not be as difficult to beat as the notorious Blade of Miquella, but he is still a challenging foe who can smack you quickly with holy-powered attacks.

If you’re having trouble when fighting Radagon or just want to start his fight with the upper hand, we’re here to help. In this Elden Ring guide, we’ll show you where to find Radagon, how to prepare for the fight and his weaknesses, as well as a complete explanation of how to win the fight.

Radagon of the Golden Order location in Elden Ring

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Radagon of the Golden Order is a late-game boss who you can only face after having progressed in the game and completed basically all the obligatory content.

Once you’re in the Ashen Capital, which is the latest area you unlock in Elden Ring, you need to defeat two other bosses, Sir Gideon Ofnir and Hoarah Loux. You can then get to Radagon’s arena, which is located inside the Erdtree. Just take the stairs from the Elden Throne arena and get into the ablaze massive tree in front of you.

Radagon weaknesses and how to prepare

At first glance, considering that you have just beaten Hoarah Loux, fighting Radagon will seem less complicated. Even so, there are a few aspects of this boss that you should consider before jumping to action. First, you should be around level 150 to kill him.

To improve your chances of surviving, it’s important to prepare your gear. Radagon attacks by swinging his hammer at you or with holy magic that follows up his regular moves. Dodging whenever Radagon tries to strike you with his hammer isn’t too tough, so you should focus on stacking Holy resistance for this — and the next — fight.

When it comes to armor, the Crucible Tree set is by far the best option against holy damage. You should also run the Lord’s Divine Fortification incantation which increases holy damage negation.

While physical damage works just fine against Radagon, detrimental effects such as poison and bleeding don’t do much in this fight. On the other hand, Radagon has no resistance against fire damage. Weapons like the Godslayer’s Greatsword or the Blasphemous Blade are great against him. Black Flame spells work fantastically too.

To assist in this battle, besides the multiplayer, you can only rely on summoning Spirit Ashes. There are no NPC summons to invoke to fight Radagon alongside you.

How to beat Radagon in Elden Ring

The Radagon boss fight has just one phase, and he has a set of moves with some variations. But this doesn’t mean it’s an easy fight. Radagon is an aggressive foe who rarely gives you time to heal or recast an incantation. He can move considerably fast, closing the gaps with quick dashes or attacking you from afar using magic.

The best strategy is to be patient, dodge his attacks, and learn the best moments to attack him. There are a few moments after Radagon attacks that you should take advantage of to hit him. Heavy hits can break his stance. Below, we will break down all the abilities and moves you need to learn about to finish him.

Radagon regular attacks list

The most basic moves in Radagon’s kit are the sequence of swings and a stomp attack. These are, to some extent, the foundational attacks in his move set. Throughout the fight, he’ll perform variations of them, but in most situations, will just use the regular versions.

The swings are sequential attacks with his hammer. Because the animations are fairly slow, roll away from them. While you can’t determine how many times he is going to attack in sequence, try to attack Radagon back after the last one — usually a hit on the ground. An early variation of this attack that he uses ends with a stomp attack instead of striking the ground with the hammer.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

In case you’re far from him, he might dash toward you and attack with his hammer. Like the swing sequences, the animation is clearly telegraphed, giving you more than enough time to roll toward him and avoid getting hit. Radagon will sometimes delay some of his swings, baiting your rolls. A more responsive approach is better than relying on predicting what he is going to do.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

The stomp attack, as mentioned, might happen after a Radagon swings his hammer a few times. He can, however, simply start with a stomp attack in case you are too close to him. Unlike the aforementioned moves, this animation is pretty fast since he won’t raise his leg too high. In other words, avoiding this attack is a matter of reflexes.

Radagon holy attacks list

Most of the time, Radagon attacks you with abilities imbued with holy magic or simply casts holy spells at you. These are the most deadly moves he has, so preparing yourself to deal with them is essential for your survival.

The swing and stomp attacks have a holy variation in which Radagon strikes the ground with a glowing hammer or feet causing a small explosion in the location. The stomp has two versions when imbued with holy magic, a quick and a slow one. While the former is similar to the regular version only changing the fact it causes the follow-up explosion, the latter has a slower animation, showing Radagon charging the attack with his leg raised. The area of the explosion is also larger, so try to get some distance if you see him in this pose.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

When it comes to casting direct spells, Radagon can shoot some holy darts at you. When you’re far from him, it’s not difficult to dodge them. However, Radagon might use this ability when close to you and more than once. There is also a chance of him mixing this ability with a sequence of hammer swings. By timing your roll correctly, you can escape the attack. Or you can simply put up a shield and try to mitigate as much damage as possible.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Radagon has a set of jumping attacks that aren’t too much of a problem if you know what is about to happen. Plus, they create wide windows of opportunity for you to attack him while he’s locked in the animation.

The first type is when he jumps and throws a spear of holy light at your location. It sticks on the ground and eventually explodes causing damage around it. When he uses this version, your goal is to dodge the lance and get far from it as quickly as possible.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Another version of the jumping attack is when he unleashes a wave of holy magic in front of him when he lands. You know he is about to use this version because his right arm holds the hammer toward his left side.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Radagon might also use this attack when he is on the ground as well. This move can hit you twice. The first is when the wave is unleashed and later when the area it covered explodes. Jump the initial part of the attack then dodge to your side to escape the cone area of the attack.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

The last version of the jumping attack that Radagon performs is a direct strike on the ground which is followed up by a large explosion. When using this move, Radagon jumps and holds the hammer with his right hand. To avoid getting smashed by it, move toward him or get some distance.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Eventually, Radagon starts using an ability that teleports him and causes an explosion when he reappears. When he is about to use this ability, Radagon’s body gets wreathed in golden light. After a few seconds, he will appear where you are. The best way to avoid this attack is to time it correctly and wait until Radagon is about to appear. Roll out of the location and get ready to avoid the attacks that usually follow this ability.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

The last type of holy attack that Radagon has access to is a powerful grab move, which can kill you in case you haven’t done any preparations to mitigate holy damage. To escape from this attack, pay attention to when he raises his left arm and it starts to glow. Run from him, otherwise, in case the attack connects, you get locked in the animation. If you get hit, stay calm, dodge any incoming attacks and find the right moment to heal yourself.

Once you have defeated Radagon, you find out that he was actually the longest first phase of a fight. Now, it’s time to finally face the Elden Beast.