Face the towering menace of the Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree-a colossal boss whose devastating bites and relentless assaults demand precision and patience. Nestled in the water-filled arena of Shadow Keep, this beast’s immense health and lightning vulnerability set the stage for a battle where strategy and timing are your greatest allies. Ready your lightning spells, summon trusted allies, and learn to strike from the shadows to conquer this formidable guardian and unlock the secrets beyond.
Our Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree guide covers how to beat the Golden Hippopotamus, including its weaknesses and the best ways to prepare yourself for the challenge.
Golden Hippopotamus location in Elden Ring DLC
The Golden Hippopotamus is located in the first chamber of the Shadow Keep Legacy Dungeon in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. To reach it, players must progress to the Shadow Keep Main Gate Site of Grace, then take the elevator up to the central courtyard where the boss rests near the base of the giant Marika Statue. This boss is the initial major enemy guarding access to the deeper parts of Shadow Keep and defeating it is required to continue through the dungeon. The Golden Hippopotamus is larger and more powerful than standard hippopotamus enemies in the expansion, wielding Crucible powers and rewarding players with two Scadutree Fragments and the Aspect of the Crucible: Thorns upon defeat.
The Golden Hippopotamus sits in the central courtyard of Shadow Keep, and it’s the first enemy you’ll find in the dungeon if you approach it from the southern entrance in Scadu Altus. The boss is technically optional, since you can also enter Shadow Keep from the east, but defeating it gives you two Scadutree Fragments to help enhance your combat abilities. Taking the Hippo on is worth it for that alone.
No NPC allies are here to help with the Golden Hippopotamus battle, but you can summon your Spirit Ash companion.
Golden Hippopotamus weaknesses and how to prepare
The Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is notably weak to fire and lightning damage, with lightning being especially effective due to the water-filled arena that doubles lightning damage. It also has vulnerabilities to bleed and frost buildup, making status effects useful for whittling down its large health pool. To prepare, players should equip talismans that boost physical damage reduction like the Dragoncrest Greatshield and bring lightning-based weapons, spells, or Ashes of War, such as Lightning Slash or Lanseax’s Glaive, alongside the Lightning-Shrouding Cracked Tear to maximize damage output. Summoning allies like Freyja and Hornsent can help distract the boss, allowing safer opportunities to attack. Defensive buffs like Black Flame’s Protection and offensive buffs such as Flame Grant Me Strength and Golden Vow also improve survivability and damage during the fight. Positioning behind the boss is key, as the Golden Hippopotamus lacks a hind kick and must turn to attack rear assaults, providing openings to strike and avoid its long-range head and mouth attacks. Overall, focusing on high burst damage with fire or lightning, using summons, and maintaining careful positioning are essential strategies to overcome this tanky boss.
I wasn’t able to find any status ailment weaknesses with the Golden Hippopotamus, though the monstrosity does seem to be weak against slashing damage. It also has low poise, so a few casts of gravity magic – Rock Sling is, as ever, a strong choice for this battle – or four or five strong attacks should be enough to break its poise. Even if you miss the hitbox for landing a critical hit while the Golden Hippopotamus’ stance is broken, attacking its head deals heavy damage.
Swords, greatswords, and daggers are solid options for this fight. The Backhand Blade might not have the highest scaling, but its swift strikes and unique Ash of War that lets you dodge around your target make it a good option. The Blackgaol Knight’s sword is also an excellent pick, and if you’re running a magic build, any late-game weapon that scales with faith or intelligence works well.
If you want an assist, it’s worth starting Hornsent’s questline, as they can become a summon in this battle. In fact, if you progress past this boss before speaking to Hornsent you can get locked out, so make sure you do the aforementioned quest steps if that’s something you are interested in.
Speaking of assists – don’t hesitate to let your Spirit Ash summon do the work, especially if you have a Mimic Tear. A Tear that’s 6 or higher, with a Revered Spirit Ash level of four or higher, can take down the Golden Hippopotamus almost entirely on its own. Black Knife Tiche, the Nightmaiden and Swordmistress Puppets, and Swordmaster Yosh are strong alternatives capable of keeping the Hippo busy while you attack it.
Make sure to upgrade your weapon as well. If you’ve run out of Smithing Stones or Glovewort, take a detour back to The Lands Between to pick up some Bell Bearings for the Maiden Husks.
How to beat Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring DLC
To beat the Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, focus on staying clear of its head and mouth, as most of its deadly attacks come from there. The boss has a limited moveset but hits hard, so patience and careful dodging are key. Attack from the side or behind, and use charged or combo attacks during openings after its swings. The Golden Hippopotamus is vulnerable to Bleed and stagger effects, so weapons and items that inflict these are effective. Summoning allies like Hornsent and Redmane Freyja can help distract the boss, giving you safer windows to strike. Additionally, since the fight arena is watery, lightning damage is particularly effective, so bring lightning-based skills or incantations and consider using a Lightning-Shrouding Cracked Tear in your Wondrous Physick. In phase two, the boss gains needle attacks-dodge these carefully and continue your steady counterattacks until it is defeated.
The Golden Hippopotamus behaves in a manner similar to Ulcerated Tree Spirits. Most of its deadliest attacks come from its head and mouth, and it uses its long body and neck to reach far and block you from getting around on. On the bright side, the Hippopotamus’ massive size and reliance on frontal damage means you have more safe spots to strike than usual with major bosses, especially if a Spirit Ash summon is distracting the Hippo for you.
Golden Hippopotamus boss fight phase 1
The Golden Hippopotamus only has a few attacks in its initial phase. That may sound comparatively simple to deal with, but it tends to chain them together and move more quickly than you might expect. It’s easy to get caught and flattened before you even have a chance to react.
The Golden Hippopotamus will probably greet you with a gaping maw, as it rushes toward you with mouth wide open. The attack knocks you to the side and leaves you vulnerable to its follow-up, where the Hippo smashes its head and neck into the ground once or twice. Getting hit by both attacks is enough to end the battle, even if you have high vigor and strong armor, so dodge forward or to the side when you see it coming.
You can get away from its head slams that way as well, though if you see it lunge toward you with its mouth open, roll forward. It tends to whip its head to the side after biting, and a sideways dodge would put you in danger.
That’s pretty much all the Golden Hippopotamus does in this opening act. Avoid its mouth, and attack its side and rear to quickly whittle its HP down.
Golden Hippopotamus boss fight phase 2
Once the Golden Hippopotamus’ HP drops to the halfway point, it stops for a moment and sprouts golden, branch-like spines all down its back. You can take advantage of this brief lull to land some additional hits, but don’t linger too long before retreating a little. The newly coiffed Hippo sends a shower of holy-infused spikes raining down around it to celebrate its new style. It will occasionally repeat this attack again if you stay close to it for an extended period of time, and it telegraphs it by shaking its body all over.
The range of this attack is roughly two dodge-rolls back from the Hippo, so you don’t have to retreat too far before moving in for another strike.
The Golden Hippopotamus may also do a little spin and send spikes out in a circle all around it. Dodging this attack is mostly a matter of luck, as the spike spread is random with a fair bit of space between each spike. Rolling sideways is likely to put you in harm’s way, so the best way to handle it is either dodging forward toward the Hippo – handy, since you’ll be in range for a few attacks afterward while the Hippo finishes – or holding up your shield if you have one.
The most dangerous attack happens when the Hippo leaps into the air. After lingering there for a few seconds, it crashes down and rolls forward. This move is exceptionally powerful and can wipe you out in one hit if your HP isn’t full. Given the Hippo’s girth, your best bet for staying alive is to dodge forward when it crashes down, or, if you’re positioned further from the point of impact, when it rolls at you.
In my experience, the Golden Hippopotamus trades its head flops for aggressive bites in this phase. It’ll lunge forward, bite, and jerk its head to one side afterward, so make sure to keep staying away from its face when you can. It’ll also continue using the gaping rush attack, which is unchanged.
Both of these attacks give you a chance to get beside or behind the Hippo and use your melee strikes to whittle its health down quickly. Use strong or charged attacks and powerful weapon skills to break its poise and deal even more damage.
Once you defeat the Hippo, you get the Aspect of the Crucible: Thorns incantation, inspired by the Hippo’s spines, and two Scadutree Fragments.
What secret strategies can help me outsmart the Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring
Secret Strategies to Outsmart the Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
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Keep to the sides or behind the boss: The Golden Hippopotamus has a large frontal attack range, but its rear and sides are safer spots to attack. Staying behind its front legs minimizes its ability to hit you and allows for safer, consistent damage.
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Use a shield and guard boost talisman: Instead of relying solely on dodging, blocking most attacks with a strong shield combined with a guard-boosting talisman can make you nearly invincible to its hits. Only roll to avoid specific moves like the mouth grab or breakdance attack.
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Summon Spirit Ashes, especially Mimic Tear: High-level Spirit Ash summons can distract the Golden Hippopotamus, allowing you to safely attack from behind or the sides. A Mimic Tear or Revered Spirit Ash at level 4 or higher can almost solo the boss, significantly easing the fight.
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Exploit its low poise and weakness to slashing and lightning: The boss has low poise, so using gravity magic like Rock Sling or powerful weapon skills can break its stance, opening it up for critical hits. It is also vulnerable to lightning damage, so applying lightning buffs or using lightning spells can accelerate the fight.
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Dodge smartly: When the hippo charges with its mouth open, sprint or roll to the side early to avoid the attack. Timing your dodge early is crucial because its attacks have large areas of effect.
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Use bleed and scarlet rot effects: Applying bleed or scarlet rot damage over time can chip away at the boss’s health steadily, making the fight easier. Using weapons or spells that inflict these status effects is recommended.
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Upgrade your weapons and use talismans that boost thrusting or melee damage: Thrusting weapons combined with the spear talisman (which increases thrusting damage by 15%) allow safe pokes while guarding. Upgrading your weapon to +6 or higher is advised to maximize damage output.
These strategies combined-maintaining position behind the boss, smart dodging, using Spirit Ash summons, exploiting elemental weaknesses, and applying status effects-form a comprehensive approach to outsmart and defeat the Golden Hippopotamus efficiently.
What hidden attack patterns does the Golden Hippopotamus use that I can exploit
The Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has several hidden attack patterns you can exploit to gain the upper hand:
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Charging Bite Attack: The boss charges with its mouth wide open to grab you. This move is slow but deadly. You can easily avoid it by side-dodging to the left or right as it approaches, then rolling toward its back for a safe counterattack.
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Ground Slam: The hippo rises on two legs and slams down, creating a shockwave around it. Sprint sideways when it rises and time a jump exactly as it slams to dodge the shockwave.
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Head Slam Combo: It lifts its head and performs two consecutive slams while moving toward you. A quick double side dodge right before the first slam avoids damage. Rolling backward is risky as you may get cornered.
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Sideway Bite and Head Bash Combo: The boss bites near its right shoulder, then follows with a head bash to the left. Side-roll the bite, wait a moment, then roll again to evade the head bash.
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Phase 2 Spike Attacks: After losing about 40% health, it sprouts spikes on its back and gains new attacks:
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Spike Rain: Shoots spikes into the sky that fall over time. Sprint continuously to avoid the falling spikes.
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Jumping Spike Roll: Jumps and rolls toward you. Sprint toward it when it jumps, then dodge roll as it lands and rolls to minimize damage.
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Aggression and Slow Telegraphing: The Golden Hippopotamus is aggressive but telegraphs its moves clearly, allowing you to use quick evasive skills like Bloodhound Step to avoid attacks and counter with lightning spells or Spirit Ash summons.
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Low Poise and Vulnerability Window: After certain attacks, the boss pauses briefly, giving you a window to land heavy hits or break its stance for critical damage.
Exploiting these attack patterns-dodging the charging bite, avoiding slam shockwaves, timing rolls against combos, and managing phase two spike attacks-will help you outmaneuver and defeat the Golden Hippopotamus efficiently.
