Which Remembrance bosses are mandatory in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree?

The Remembrance bosses are easily the most iconic aspect of Elden Ring's base game, and unsurprisingly, that holds true for the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion as well. The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC features a total of 10 Remembrance bosses (11, if you count in Bayle the Dread). However, out of these 10 bosses, only a handful are necessary to progress the main story.

And much like the base game, some of the earliest bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree, which you might've thought to be mandatory, are in fact completely optional.

That's not to say you'd want to skip any of these Remembrance bosses. But if you simply want to beeline the story and maybe return to some of the bosses later, it's best to know which are optional and which aren't. Here's a list of all the mandatory Remembrance bosses in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.

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

---

List of all mandatory Remembrance bosses in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Out of the 10 Remembrance bosses in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, only three are mandatory for the expansion's main storyline. While the game will nudge you towards Belurat Settlement and also Castle Ensis when you first set foot in the Shadow Realm, both these legacy dungeons are completely optional and can be skipped if you want.

As such, the only Remembrance bosses that are technically "mandatory" for the story of Shadow of the Erdtree are:

• Messmer the Impaler
• Romina, Saint of the Bud
• Promised Consort Radhan

This falls perfectly in line with how, in the base game, you only need to defeat a handful of bosses to progress the main story. You essentially needed to first defeat any two Remembrance bosses, be it Godrick, Rennala, Radahn, Rykard, or even Mohg, to enter Leyndell.

After that, you can simply beeline the main bosses - Morgott, Fire Giant, Maliketh, Godfrey, and the final boss, Radagon/Elden Beast. You do fight some other bosses in between, like Gideon, Godskin Duo, and Godfrey (spectral). However, these are basically mini-bosses and aren't counted as the "Remembrance" bosses.

Do note that in order to reach Scadu Altus, which is the second main region in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, you will need to make a rather long detour from the Gravesite Plains. This, if you're just starting the DLC, can be quite challenging. As such, it's best to not skip out on Castle Ensis and the battle against Rellana, Twin Moon Knight.

Going through Castle Ensis is the easiest and shortest way to reach Scadu Altus. And if you're at Scadutree Blessing Level 4 or above, you should not have too much difficulty taking down Rellana, Twin Moon Knight in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.