Step into the foreboding gates of Castle Ensis, the pivotal Legacy Dungeon in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, where every shadow conceals deadly foes, hidden treasures, and the key to unlocking the northern reaches of the map. From battling the formidable Troll Knight guarding the bridge to uncovering rare talismans and powerful weapons, this walkthrough guides you through every twist and turn of the castle’s imposing halls, ensuring you’re prepared to conquer its challenges and claim its secrets.
Our Elden Ring guide will walk you through the Castle Ensis legacy dungeon and point you toward every site of grace, boss fight, and important item.
Castle Ensis location
Castle Ensis is a Minor Legacy Dungeon located northeast of the Gravesite Plain in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. To reach it, players must travel past the Scorched Ruins and cross the Ellac Greatbridge. The castle serves as a gateway to the northern part of the map and is found north-northeast of the Three Path Cross checkpoint (site of grace). It is situated east of Belurat, Tower Settlement, following a note from Needle Knight Leda directing players eastward. Castle Ensis features a compact layout filled with magical scholars, soldiers, and deadly enemies, culminating in a boss fight with Rellana, Twin Moon Knight.
After you complete Belurat, Tower Settlement, a note from Needle Knight Leda will point you to the east. There’s only one settlement in that direction – Castle Ensis. The castle serves as both your next step on Leda’s quest and also the gateway into Shadow of the Erdtree’s next region to explore, Scadu Altus.
There are no NPCs to meet here. You’ll face two named bosses – Moonrithyll, Carian Knight and Rellana, Twin Moon Knight.
Entering Ensis Castle
To enter Castle Ensis in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, start by crossing the bridge northeast of Gravesite Plain, but before crossing, explore underneath the left side of the bridge to find a room with valuable loot like the Spelldrake Talisman +3. After crossing, defeat the Troll Knight guarding the entrance, then enter the nearby building to face a Lazuli Sorcerer and collect a Shadow Realm Rune. Proceed up the stairs past several enemies to reach a ladder leading to a chest containing the Milady light greatsword. From there, follow the path through a cave and large courtyard, defeating a Black Knight with a Greatshield and other foes. Inside the stone building on the left, find the Loyal Knight’s Cookbook in a chest. Continue to the Castle Ensis Checkpoint Site of Grace, where you can rest and prepare for deeper exploration of the castle. The main gate is locked, so you must find alternate routes by climbing stairs to castle walls and using ladders to progress further into the dungeon.
From the Three-Path Cross Site of Grace, follow the road northeast and you’ll come to Ellac Greatbridge. There’s a particularly nasty ballista pointed at you from the far end, along with a ton of soldiers and perfumers.
When you reach their camp, head to the right (east) side. Back in the area with the tents, there’s a chest containing the Firespark Perfume Bottle.
On the other side of the road (the west side), look for a small clearing with a Black Knight and a few more soldiers. You’ll find the Fire Knight’s Cookbook (2) inside a nearby tent.
Head back to the main road through the center of the camp and follow it north. You’ll pass a headless statue on your right with a Scadutree Fragment at its feet. The Castle Front Site of Grace is just a little farther up the road, also on your right.
Reach the Castle Ensis Checkpoint Site of Grace
To reach the Castle Ensis Checkpoint Site of Grace in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, start by defeating the enemies in the castle’s front courtyard and then head left from where you fought the Troll Knight. Follow the stairs up to a cliff overlooking a waterfall, then look left to find a staircase leading onto the castle walls, guarded by a Messmer Soldier and a dog. After defeating them, climb the ladder in the tower’s back corner to find the Milady Light Greatsword. Continue north through a cave into a large courtyard, where you will face a Black Knight with a Greatshield. Defeat him, enter the nearby stone building to collect the Loyal Knight’s Cookbook, and then proceed to the Castle Ensis Checkpoint Site of Grace. Here, pick up a message from Leda that details the path to Miquella, which will be important for your journey ahead. To unlock the checkpoint gate, go right from the grace, follow the ledge down into a cave with hostile dogs, then exit to a narrow cliff path around the moat. Navigate the paths carefully, loot items along the way, and climb the ladder to an armory where two soldiers await. Defeat them and pull the lever inside the building opposite the armory to unlock the checkpoint and continue your exploration of Castle Ensis.
Go up the stairs and across another, smaller bridge. You’ll meet a Troll Knight at the end. Duck into the small room on the right to face a Lazuli Sorcerer and pick up a Shadow Realm Rune (4) worth 15,000 runes.
Back outside, take a right and keep going up the stairs. At the top of the first rise, take a left around the back of the building there. Deal with the enemies on the stairs and climb up to the roof. To the right, you’ll find a ladder to the top of a tower. Climb up and open the chest at the top for the Milady light greatsword.
Head back down to the main road and keep following it north through the tunnel. At the next clearing, deal with the Black Knight, and then head to the right. Take out the soldiers on the roof, and then head to the back left corner.
Drop off the roof and down to the ledge below you. Grab the Scriptstone from the corpse there (you passed under it a second ago), and then turn around. Follow the tunnel behind you to reach another corpse holding a Glintslab Firefly. Drop off the ledge and take a right – this is the main path’s tunnel you just came through.
When you get back to where you fought the Black Knight, head to the left. You’ll find an open door and a room with a chest inside. Open it for the Loyal Knight’s Cookbook.
Back outside, take a left and go up the slope. At the top on your left, you’ll find a Message from Leda, a Miquella’s Cross, a Scadutree Fragment, and the Castle Ensis Checkpoint Site of Grace.
Open the gate
To open the gate at Castle Ensis in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, start from the Castle Ensis Checkpoint Site of Grace and head immediately to the right where a soldier sits on a ledge. Follow the ledge down until you fall into a small cave filled with hostile dogs. After defeating them, exit to a narrow cliff edge around the castle moat. Take the southern path to reach a rooftop and collect an item from a corpse, then proceed along the northern path, carefully navigating past animals and climbing the waterfall. Behind the waterfall, find more loot before taking the ladder on the left to a room guarded by two soldiers. Defeat these enemies, then cross to the adjacent room and pull the lever to unlock the checkpoint gate, allowing you to continue deeper into Castle Ensis.
The gate (portcullis) next to the checkpoint site of grace is closed, so cross the main road heading south. Deal with the Messmer Soldier there, and then drop off the ledge. Grab the knot resin from the corpse, and then drop down through the hole ahead of you.
Grab the Royal Magic Grease and deal with the Rotten Strays, and then follow the cave south. When you exit the tunnel, take a right.
Follow the ledge around the cliff until you can jump over to the roof. Grab the Starlight Shards from the corpse, and then carefully drop off the left (east) side of the roof to find another corpse with a Furlcalling Finger Remedy. Head back to the south around the building to return to where you fought the Troll Knight. Retrace your steps back up the hill.
This time, when you leave the checkpoint site of grace and drop through the hole, pass through the tunnel and take a left. Use the jutting rocks to climb on top of the waterfall and follow the river into the castle.
Straight ahead, there’s a corpse with some Drawstring Royal Magic Grease and a tunnel under another waterfall. Follow the tunnel for some more knot resin.
Back outside, take the ladder up. Deal with the soldiers in the room at the top, and then head outside. Cross past the gate (we’re on the other side of it now) and into the room directly across from you. There, you’ll find a lever that opens the gate back to the site of grace.
Defeat Moonrithyll, Carian Knight
To defeat Moonrithyll, Carian Knight in Castle Ensis, take advantage of her relatively slow attack patterns by dodging and blocking carefully. Before engaging, clear out nearby enemies, especially the dogs, to avoid distractions. Moonrithyll wields the Moonrithyll’s Knight Sword and can deal heavy damage with just a few hits, so maintain caution when closing in. She is vulnerable to Pierce and Lightning damage, and can be staggered easily, particularly by Strength builds. A useful tactic is to sneak around the right edge of her arena to initiate a sneak attack. Additionally, ranged attacks and poison or Scarlet Rot-inflicting spells like Rotten Breath can be used to cheese the fight by keeping her at a distance and gradually wearing her down. Some players also use cliff-jump strategies or lure her near edges to gain an advantage. Upon defeating her, you will obtain the Moonrithyll’s Knight Sword as a reward.
Head up the stairs and cross the bridge, dealing with any soldiers you meet. At the far end of the bridge, there’s a corpse with some string off to the left. Keep heading up – a rotten stray will jump out at you from the right side about halfway up the hill.
At the top of the hill, take a right. There’s a trio of Noble Sorcerers who are a just a pain to deal with there. Take another right just before the stairs and follow the path around the outcropping to find a ladder. At the top, take out the Page and grab the Somber Smithing Stone (6). You can drop off the edge of the roof to take out the third Noble Sorcerer.
Climb the steps and take a left to meet Moonrithyll, Carian Knight. If you’re quiet, there’s a second door to the right of the one he’s protecting. That will lead you around behind him for a sneak attack or to just skip him completely. If you defeat him, you’ll pick up the Moonrithyll’s Knight Sword.
Before you leave the outside area where you fought him, look in the northwest corner for an easy-to-miss staircase. Take the stairs down and head through the door on your left. You’ll find a chest inside with the Wolf Crest Shield.
Continue south into the next room to chat with a ghost and grab the Rellana’s Cameo talisman from the altar.
Reach the Castle-Lord’s Chamber
To reach the Castle-Lord’s Chamber in Castle Ensis, start by progressing through the castle’s main courtyard and defeating key enemies such as the Troll Knight and Lazuli Sorcerer. After crossing Ellac Greatbridge and entering the castle grounds, head left from the Troll Knight’s location and ascend the stairs to a cliff overlooking a waterfall. From there, take the staircase leading to the castle walls, where you will face a Messmer Soldier and a guard dog. Defeat these foes and climb the tower ladder to find valuable loot, including the Milady light greatsword. Continue north through the courtyard, defeating a Black Knight with a Greatshield and collecting important items like the Loyal Knight’s Cookbook. Follow the path to discover the Castle Ensis Checkpoint Site of Grace, near which you will find a message from Leda guiding you toward Miquella and the next steps in your journey. This route ultimately leads you closer to the Castle-Lord’s Chamber, the key area for advancing in the dungeon.
Take the door on the right (west) side of that church and work your way down the hall past the Lazuli Sorcerers.
At the end of the hall, take two lefts and climb the stairs to reach the roof. Push through the gate on your right and then take an immediate left.
Drop off the walkway you’re on down to a ledge. Hit the corpse for a dewgem and then climb the ladder behind you. At the top of another ladder, take out the Page and the Noble Sorcerer. Cross the roofs heading west to find one more corpse with a Somber Smithing Stone (2) at the far side of the courtyard.
Drop back into the courtyard and go back through the gate. Don’t drop off this time and keep following the rampart around to the east. Deal with the Messmer Soldiers for a couple more Somber Smithing Stones, and keep following the path to the tower at the end. Climb the stairs around the tower. At the top of the stairs, take a left into the tower itself to find a chest with an Imbued Sword Key inside.
Head back outside and take on the Black Knight blocking your path. Behind him, ride the elevator up and then take a right to find the Castle-Lord’s Chamber.
Defeat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight
Rellana, Twin Moon Knight is the formidable boss guarding the Castle-Lord’s Chamber in Castle Ensis, marking your first major challenge in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. This two-phase fight demands mastering her swift, flowing swordplay and magical attacks, which include powerful forward-facing combos and ranged Glintstone spells. Rellana is highly resistant to magic but vulnerable to Frost and Lightning damage, so equipping weapons or incantations that exploit these weaknesses is crucial. Dodging her attacks by moving forward or behind her can provide safer openings, and summoning allies may help distract her, though it increases her health. Defeating Rellana is essential to progress deeper into the Shadow of the Erdtree storyline and access the Castle-Lord’s Chamber Site of Grace.
Directly to the east of the site of grace, there’s a balcony with a corpse holding a Somber Smithing Stone (4). Back inside, follow the stairs up to find your next boss fight. Before you head in, there are two gold summon signs on the ground – one for Dryleaf Dane and another for Needle Knight Leda.
Once you defeat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, she’ll drop the Remembrance of the Twin Moon Knight. Visit the new Ensis Moongazing Grounds Site of Grace, and then you can head to Roundtable Hold to turn the remembrance into Rellana’s Twinblade light greatsword(s) or the Rellana’s Twin Moons sorcery.
Back at Castle Ensis, head to the north to reach the next region, Scadu Altus, and eventually the labyrinthine Shadow Keep legacy dungeon.
What hidden treasures await inside Castle Ensis in Elden Ring
Inside Castle Ensis in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, players can uncover a wealth of hidden treasures including the powerful Milady light greatsword found atop a wall structure, the Imbued Sword Key in a chest on the first ramp, and the Spelldrake Talisman +3 located in a secret room beneath the bridge leading to the castle. Additional valuable loot includes Somber Smithing Stones scattered on corpses throughout the castle, a Shadow Realm Rune from a defeated Lazuli Sorcerer, and consumables like Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot and Flight Pinion. Explorers can also find rare items such as the Loyal Knight’s Cookbook, Glintslab Firefly, Royal Magic Grease, and various runes and arrows hidden in caverns and ledges around the castle grounds. These treasures are well-guarded by formidable enemies including Troll Knights, Messmer Soldiers, and Black Knights, making thorough exploration and combat readiness essential to claim them all.
What rare items are hidden in the chasm below Castle Ensis
In the chasm below Castle Ensis in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, players can find rare items such as Flight Pinion floating in the air near a small cavern under the bridge, and several other lootable corpses containing Glintslab Firefly and Bolt. However, this chasm is an enclosed, water-filled pit that is initially inaccessible by direct drop, and the path to reach it is not straightforward-players must take a regular path east from the Castle Front Site of Grace to access this lower area rather than dropping down from above. The area also contains a hidden cavern with additional loot, including Drawstring Royal Magic Grease and Knot Resin. Despite the visible glowing items in the chasm, some parts remain difficult to reach without exploring alternative routes around the castle walls.
