Godfrey and Hoarah Loux is a mandatory endgame boss encounter in Leyndell, Ashen Capital, fought in two sharply different phases: a disciplined spectral warrior and a savage grappler.
Role
Endgame story boss
Status
active encounter
Importance
major
Elden Ring · character art
01
Key takeaways
The battle becomes more manageable when each phase is treated as a separate moveset rather than one continuous boss pattern.
01
Expect a phase change
Godfrey begins with his axe and transitions into Hoarah Loux, Warrior during the same health bar. Do not spend every limited consumable or long cooldown before the transformation unless you already have a reliable plan for the second phase.
02
Do not panic-roll the stomps
Several area attacks have delayed timing or cover a broad section of the arena. Watch the release of the attack and use a well-timed roll or jump instead of reacting to the initial wind-up.
03
Treat grabs as the main emergency
Hoarah Loux's wrestling attacks can take a large amount of health and are not ordinary weapon blows that a shield makes safe. Preserving stamina and leaving room to evade is more valuable than standing directly in front of him for an extra hit.
04
Punish recovery, not animation length
Both forms display long-looking attacks that remain dangerous until their recovery begins. Commit damage after a confirmed miss, then disengage before the next stomp, sweep or grab can connect.
02
Godfrey and Hoarah Loux overview
Spoilers
Story spoilers ahead. This section covers the character’s later arc and outcomes.
Godfrey and Hoarah Loux is a late-game two-phase boss battle that tests spacing, delayed attack recognition and the ability to punish brief openings without becoming greedy.
The encounter takes place at the Elden Throne in Leyndell, Ashen Capital, after Leyndell has changed during the endgame sequence. The player first faces Godfrey, First Elden Lord, as a large spectral manifestation wielding an enormous axe. This first form combines heavy melee swings with attacks that weaponize the arena itself, so the safest approach is to learn the timing of his delays rather than treating his size as a signal to roll immediately.
Godfrey's first phase is built around controlled pressure. His axe gives many attacks substantial reach, while stomps and shockwaves can catch a player who retreats in a straight line or assumes that jumping is always safer than rolling. The fight rewards staying near his flanks when possible: close positioning can make some long-range options less threatening, but it also demands careful recognition of his foot and axe follow-ups.
At roughly the midpoint of the battle, the spectral presentation ends and Godfrey reveals his identity as Hoarah Loux, Warrior. The second phase abandons the measured axe style for wrestling attacks, lunges, leaps and enormous area-of-effect slams. Hoarah Loux's grabs are especially important because they bypass the normal rhythm of trading hits with a weapon boss; the player must read the approach and evade the grab rather than attempting to block it like an ordinary strike.
This boss matters because it is one of the final mandatory barriers before the conclusion of Elden Ring. It is also a deliberate contrast between Godfrey's ceremonial image and Hoarah Loux's original warrior identity. Players deciding whether to use a spirit summon, a shield or a ranged build should plan around the phase transition: tools that create safe damage during the axe phase may be less reliable once Hoarah Loux begins covering the arena with leaps and ground eruptions.
03
Encounter progression
Spoilers
Story spoilers ahead. This section covers the character’s later arc and outcomes.
Endgame approachReach the Elden Throne
Phase oneGodfrey, First Elden Lord
Phase twoHoarah Loux, Warrior
Post-battleClaim the remembrance and continue toward the finale
1Enter the Elden Throne arenalocationThe boss fight begins after entering the arena in Leyndell, Ashen Capital.
2Defeat Godfrey, First Elden LordphaseLearn the axe, stomp and shockwave timings before the transformation.
3Trigger the Hoarah Loux transitionphaseThe battle continues with the same boss health bar after the first form is overcome.
4Defeat Hoarah Loux, WarriorphaseAvoid the wrestling attacks and punish the recovery after leaps and slams.
5Collect the victory rewardscompletionThe encounter awards its remembrance and rune reward after victory.
The battle is one encounter with two distinct movesets, not two separate arena fights.
04
Requirements and preparation
No specific player level, weapon or quest item is required by the encounter itself. Preparation should focus on surviving delayed area attacks and the phase-two grab pressure.
RequiredReach Leyndell, Ashen CapitalThe fight is located at the Elden Throne in the endgame version of Leyndell; the earlier royal-capital encounter with Godfrey is not this battle.
RequiredA damage plan for two phasesChoose a weapon, spell selection or skill that can deliver damage in short windows. A setup that needs long uninterrupted casting can lose its safe opportunities when Hoarah Loux begins leaping and closing distance.
RecommendedEnough healing and defensive resourcesThe fight punishes repeated mistakes rather than requiring one particular item. Enter with enough healing to survive learning both movesets instead of relying on a single phase-one burst strategy.
RecommendedRoom to maneuverAvoid filling the arena with unnecessary effects or positioning yourself against the boundary. Hoarah Loux's leaps and eruptions are easier to evade when there is open space behind the player.
OptionalSummon choice, if usedA spirit summon or cooperator can create attack windows, but additional targets do not remove the need to recognize grabs and area attacks. Use the distraction to secure controlled damage rather than attacking continuously.
05
Encounter phases and attacks
Spoilers
Story spoilers ahead. This section covers the character’s later arc and outcomes.
1
Godfrey, First Elden Lord
Starts: The opening of the encounter
Opening portion of the shared boss health bar; exact threshold is not specified here.
Godfrey fights with his axe and uses stomps or ground shockwaves to extend his threat beyond the weapon's immediate hitbox. His attacks are powerful but readable when the player waits for the actual impact instead of rolling at the beginning of the animation.
Axe swings and sweeping combosTell Godfrey raises or draws the axe through a broad wind-up before committing to the swing.Answer Roll toward a safe side of the attack or around his body, then take only a brief punish before checking for the next swing.
Stomp shockwaveTell He lifts a foot and creates a ground-based area attack that can reach a player who is backing away.Answer Jump or roll according to the timing of the release; do not assume that distance alone removes the threat.
Axe slamTell The axe is lifted for a heavy downward strike, often creating a dangerous area around the impact.Answer Move laterally or roll through the impact, then attack during the recovery rather than during the wind-up.
Repeated ground pressureTell Godfrey chains his foot or axe pressure into another area attack instead of always ending after one hit.Answer Wait for the complete sequence before committing to a heavy attack, especially if your recovery animation is long.
Stay near a flank when you can read the axe's direction, but keep enough stamina for a second roll.
Jumping can avoid some ground-based attacks while preserving a counterattack opportunity, but it is not a universal answer to every axe swing.
Use the first phase to learn the arena and conserve resources for Hoarah Loux.
2
Hoarah Loux, Warrior
Starts: The transformation during the same boss battle
Closing portion of the shared boss health bar; exact threshold is not specified here.
Hoarah Loux discards the axe and attacks as a grappler. He closes distance quickly with lunges, leaps and wrestling attacks, while ground impacts can spread across the arena and punish players who remain underneath him.
Wrestling grabTell Hoarah Loux lowers into a forward approach and reaches for the player rather than using a conventional weapon swing.Answer Evade sideways or through the approach at the last moment; blocking is not a dependable answer to the grab.
Leaping grab or body attackTell He launches into the air or covers distance with a sudden forward movement before crashing down.Answer Watch his trajectory and roll on the descent or leap away from the landing zone; punish only after confirming that the follow-up has ended.
Ground slam and eruptionTell A forceful impact marks the beginning of a broad ground effect that can persist beyond the initial hit.Answer Create distance, jump or roll through the active timing, and return after the eruption has finished rather than trying to trade beneath him.
Charging rushTell He drives directly toward the player with little need for the axe's extended range.Answer Move diagonally rather than retreating in a straight line, then attack from the side after the rush misses.
Keep the boss in view and avoid standing directly in front of him when your stamina is low.
Do not chase after every leap; the safest damage often comes after the landing recovery.
If a summon draws attention, use the opening for one or two attacks and reposition before Hoarah Loux turns back.
06
Boss encounter strategy
Spoilers
Story spoilers ahead. This section covers the character’s later arc and outcomes.
Boss encounter strategySpoilers
Location
Elden Throne, Leyndell, Ashen Capital
Health
Two-phase shared health bar; exact totals are not specified.
Open by watching Godfrey's first complete sequence rather than immediately spending your strongest resource. His axe attacks are easier to manage from an angle than directly in front, but do not remain close after a punish because a stomp can begin before the next weapon swing. When the second phase starts, reset your spacing: Hoarah Loux's threat comes from rapid gap closing and grabs, so preserve stamina and wait for a missed lunge, leap or slam. Ranged characters should cast after a confirmed recovery instead of during a long neutral animation, while melee characters should prefer quick attacks and leave before the next area attack. Summons can provide useful distraction, but the encounter is still safest when the player treats every opening as temporary.
Weaknesses
Short punish windows after completed attacks
Side and rear positioning when the boss is committed to a forward attack
Ground-based attacks that can be avoided with correct jumping or rolling timing
Rewards
Remembrance of Hoarah Loux
Rune reward
07
Strategy
Spoilers
Story spoilers ahead. This section covers the character’s later arc and outcomes.
StrategySpoilers
01
Begin the boss encounter without losing the room needed for later evasions.
Enter the arena and establish spacing
Pass into the Elden Throne arena and let Godfrey approach before committing to a long attack or spell. Keep the camera centered on him and position yourself with open floor behind you, because the fight's ground attacks become harder to read when you are trapped against the edge.
Location: Elden Throne, Leyndell, Ashen Capital
TipA short opening attack is safer than a full combo while you are still learning the distance of the axe.
02
Identify whether the current animation is an axe strike, a stomp or a chained follow-up.
Read the first axe sequence
Godfrey's opening form uses broad axe attacks with delayed commitment, so watch the weapon and shoulders rather than rolling as soon as he raises the axe. Evade through or around a completed swing, then make a brief attack before checking whether he has started a stomp or a second swing.
Location: Elden Throne
Watch outRolling early can place you inside the path of the delayed hit or leave you without stamina for the continuation.
03
Avoid the area damage while preserving a punish window.
Handle the ground shockwaves
When Godfrey lifts a foot or drives the axe into the ground, do not simply sprint straight backward. Use the appropriate jump or late roll for the attack's release, then return to his side only after the active shockwave has passed.
Location: Elden Throne
TipJumping is useful against attacks that travel along the floor, but it does not replace reading the axe's direct hitbox.
04
Reduce the first phase without trading health for damage.
Damage during recovery windows
Attack after Godfrey completes a swing, slam or stomp rather than trying to interrupt the wind-up. Favor attacks with short recovery unless you have a confirmed long opening, and disengage immediately if he turns into another ground attack.
Location: Elden Throne
Watch outGreedy charged attacks can still be caught by the next stomp even when the previous animation looked finished.
05
Survive the transition and begin the second phase with resources intact.
Prepare for the transformation
When the first form gives way to Hoarah Loux, stop using the old axe-phase rhythm and create space before attacking again. Reorient the camera, recover your stamina and ensure that your summon or cooperator is still visible before committing to a spell or heavy skill.
Location: Elden Throne
Watch outThe phase change is not a separate checkpoint; dying after the transformation requires repeating the opening phase.
06
Remove the most dangerous source of sudden damage in phase two.
Evade Hoarah Loux's grabs
Hoarah Loux approaches with wrestling attacks that must be avoided rather than absorbed. Watch for the forward reach or leap, roll sideways or through the approach at the final moment, and wait until the landing or grab sequence is over before attacking.
Location: Elden Throne
TipKeep a reserve of stamina for the evasive roll; spending the entire bar on attacks directly in front of him makes the grab much harder to escape.
07
Convert phase-two recoveries into safe damage.
Punish leaps and ground eruptions
After a missed leap, slam or charge, move in for limited damage from the side and then retreat before the next eruption begins. If the impact creates a broad ground effect, wait it out instead of chasing the boss through the active area.
Location: Elden Throne
Watch outThe end of the leap animation is not always the end of the attack; confirm that the follow-up ground effect has stopped.
08
Defeat both forms and complete the mandatory encounter.
Finish the shared health bar
Repeat the evade-and-punish cycle until Hoarah Loux falls, prioritizing survival over a final burst. Once the boss is defeated, collect the victory rewards before leaving if you want to confirm the remembrance is in your inventory.
Location: Elden Throne
Checkpoint
08
Pre-fight checklist
Confirm that your weapon, spell loadout or skill can deal damage in short openings.Long uninterrupted attacks are difficult to protect once Hoarah Loux starts closing distance.
Keep enough healing and stamina for the second phase.Do not treat the transformation as the end of the encounter.
Choose whether to use a spirit summon or cooperative help.A distraction can create openings, but it does not make grabs safe to ignore.Optional
Leave room behind and beside your character in the arena.Open space improves your response to leaps, rushes and ground effects.
Practice identifying delayed stomps before spending limited buffs or consumables.The first phase provides a safer opportunity to learn the timing.Optional
09
Weaknesses and damage
Weaknesses and damage
Strengths
Godfrey controls a large area with the axe's reach and ground shockwaves, making careless retreating unreliable.
Hoarah Loux closes distance quickly and replaces conventional weapon pressure with grabs that punish players who remain directly in front of him.
The encounter changes its attack language at the transformation, so a strategy learned exclusively against the axe form does not transfer perfectly.
Weaknesses
Both forms offer punish windows after committed attacks miss or finish, especially when the player attacks from an angle rather than standing in front of the boss.
Several ground-based attacks can be avoided with a correctly timed jump, giving some melee builds a way to evade while preserving access to a counterattack.
Quick attacks and flexible movement generally fit the encounter better than slow commitments made without a confirmed recovery.
Best uses
A mobile melee setup is strongest when it can stay near a flank, land limited damage and retreat before a stomp or grab.
Ranged attacks and spells work best after a leap, slam or completed axe sequence, when the boss has already committed to recovery.
Summons and cooperative allies are most useful for creating brief attack windows; they are less useful as a reason to ignore the boss's area attacks.
10
Failure conditions
Spoilers
Story spoilers ahead. This section covers the character’s later arc and outcomes.
The player dies during either phaseThe encounter resets, and a death after the transformation requires defeating Godfrey's first form again before reaching Hoarah Loux.
The player is caught by a Hoarah Loux grabA failed read of the forward reach or leap can cause severe damage and may leave too little health for the following ground attack.
The player rolls early into a delayed stomp or axe attackThe initial wind-up is not necessarily the impact timing. Rolling on the visual start of the animation can place the player inside the later hit.
The player exhausts stamina while attacking in front of the bossWithout stamina for a last-second evasive roll, the player is vulnerable to the next grab, rush or area attack.
The player remains in an active ground effectMoving toward the boss immediately after a slam can cause the lingering eruption or shockwave to connect even though the initial impact was avoided.
On failure
The phase transition does not function as a separate restart point.
11
Rewards and drops
Spoilers
Story spoilers ahead. This section covers the character’s later arc and outcomes.
Rewards and dropsSpoilers
Remembrance of Hoarah Loux
A boss remembrance awarded for victory. It can be exchanged through the game's remembrance systems for one of the associated rewards or consumed for runes, so keeping it is preferable if you want to inspect both exchange options first.
Rune reward
The victory grants a large quantity of runes, the game's currency for leveling and purchasing. The exact amount is not stated here because reward values can depend on game context.
12
Lore
Spoilers
Story spoilers ahead. This section covers the character’s later arc and outcomes.
Godfrey was the first Elden Lord and a central figure in the history of the Lands Between. His public identity is associated with kingship, conquest and the role of a consort to Queen Marika, while his original name, Hoarah Loux, points to a life and reputation rooted in warfare rather than courtly rule.
The spectral opening form presents Godfrey as a solemn, monumental figure carrying his axe. The change to Hoarah Loux is more than a cosmetic phase transition: it frames the fight as a return to the warrior beneath the title. The axe disappears, and the boss attacks with throws, lunges and impacts that express physical aggression rather than formal weapon discipline.
The encounter's setting reinforces its narrative position. Leyndell, Ashen Capital is no longer the intact royal city encountered earlier, and the Elden Throne marks the approach to the final sequence of the game. Defeating Godfrey and Hoarah Loux therefore resolves a major confrontation with the figure who once held the Elden Lord title while opening the path toward the remaining endgame battles.
13
Encounter components
Spoilers
Story spoilers ahead. This section covers the character’s later arc and outcomes.
EBElden BeastThe final opponent fought after the preceding endgame battle.
15
Trivia
Spoilers
Story spoilers ahead. This section covers the character’s later arc and outcomes.
The encounter uses both names in its title because Godfrey's lordly identity and Hoarah Loux's warrior identity are represented as separate phases of the same battle.
The first phase's spectral presentation contrasts with the physical, unarmed second phase, making the transformation communicate character history through mechanics as well as dialogue and visual design.
The boss is a late-game counterpart to the earlier Godfrey encounter in Leyndell, but the two battles should be treated as separate pages and separate movesets rather than one repeated fight.
16
Frequently asked questions
Spoilers
Story spoilers ahead. This section covers the character’s later arc and outcomes.
Where do I fight Godfrey and Hoarah Loux?
The encounter takes place at the Elden Throne in Leyndell, Ashen Capital. It is not the earlier Godfrey battle found during the normal Leyndell progression.
How many phases does Godfrey and Hoarah Loux have?
The encounter has two phases within one shared boss battle. It starts with Godfrey, First Elden Lord, and changes into Hoarah Loux, Warrior.
Is Hoarah Loux a separate boss fight?
No. Hoarah Loux, Warrior is the second form of the same encounter, so dying in that phase sends the player back to the beginning rather than restarting at the transformation.
Should I use a shield against Hoarah Loux?
A shield does not remove the need to evade his wrestling grabs, and blocking alone is not a complete answer to the phase-two moveset. A shield can still fit a broader defensive build, but stamina and positioning remain essential.
What is the safest way to damage the boss?
Wait for a completed axe sequence, stomp, leap, rush or slam, then land a limited attack during recovery. Avoid staying in front of the boss for extended trades, particularly after the Hoarah Loux transformation.
What does the boss drop?
Victory awards Remembrance of Hoarah Loux and a large rune reward. The remembrance can be retained for its associated exchange options rather than immediately consumed.
Can I summon help for this encounter?
Spirit summons and cooperative help can create distractions and attack windows, but they do not make the boss's ground effects or grabs harmless. Use the opening created by an ally to deal controlled damage and reposition.
coreGodfrey, First Elden LordA separate Godfrey encounter in Leyndell with a different presentation and moveset.
coreQueen MarikaThe queen associated with Godfrey's role as Elden Lord.
Main-story boss guarding access to the route toward Morgott, the Omen King.Godfrey, First Elden Lord (Golden Shade)Godfrey, First Elden Lord (Golden Shade) is a required spectral boss encountered in Erdtree Sanctuary in Leyndell, Royal Capital. He uses a greataxe, broad swings and ground-shock attacks.
majorGodrick the GraftedGodrick the Grafted is a demigod and the ruler of Stormveil Castle, encountered as a major boss at the end of the castle’s legacy dungeon in Limgrave.