Elden Ring Malenia Boss Guide Location Weakness and Strategy

Malenia, Blade of Miquella, stands as one of Elden Ring’s most feared and formidable bosses, lurking deep within the treacherous Miquella’s Haligtree. Known for her relentless swordplay, life-stealing strikes, and devastating Scarlet Rot powers, she challenges even the most seasoned Tarnished to their limits. But with the right strategy, knowledge of her weaknesses, and careful preparation, you can conquer this seemingly undefeated goddess and claim her powerful Great Rune. Ready to face Malenia and emerge victorious? Here’s everything you need to know about her location, weaknesses, and how to beat her.

Don’t let that discourage you though; with the right preparations and a good battle strategy, even Malenia can be defeated. Our Elden Ring guide will show you how to beat Malenia, including details about her location, weaknesses, and attacks.

Malenia location in Elden Ring

Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is located at the bottom of Miquella’s Haligtree, a secret Legacy Dungeon in Elden Ring. To reach her, players must first obtain both halves of the Haligtree Secret Medallion and use them at the Grand Lift of Rold to access the Consecrated Snowfield, a northern region. From there, they must solve a puzzle in Ordina, the Liturgical Town, to unlock a portal leading to the top of the Haligtree. Descending through the Haligtree, navigating its dangerous pathways and defeating enemies, players eventually arrive at the Haligtree Roots Site of Grace, just above Malenia’s arena. This challenging journey through interconnected branches and the town of Elphael culminates in the boss fight with Malenia.

Malenia resides at the bottom of the Haligtree, the relatively small region found north of the Mountaintops of the Giants. To get there, you must advance through Liurnia, Altus Plateau, and the eastern part of the Mountaintops of the Giants before collecting the Elden Ring Haligtree Secret Medallions and gaining access to the Consecrated Snowfield.

In the Consecrated Snowfield, find Ordina, the Liturgical Town, and solve the evergoal puzzle to unlock a portal that takes you to the top of the Haligtree. From there, keep descending. At the bottom of the Haligtree, you’ll find a garden with a church; it has a lift inside that’ll take you to Malenia.

If you need more help, take a look at our detailed Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree walkthrough.

Things to know about Malenia

Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is one of the most challenging optional bosses in Elden Ring, known for her aggressive combat style and unique ability to heal with every hit she lands, even when blocked. She is located at the bottom of Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, accessible after progressing through several regions and solving puzzles in the Consecrated Snowfield. The fight consists of two phases: the first features her swift sword attacks, and the second transforms her into the Goddess of Rot, introducing devastating Scarlet Rot attacks. Malenia is weak to Frost and Bleed effects, which can help counter her self-healing, and players often use aggressive strategies, summons, and stagger tactics to overcome her. Due to her difficulty, a recommended player level is at least 120 with powerful weapons, and careful timing and positioning are crucial to avoid her lethal combos and status effects.

She heals with every hit. Malenia regains health every time she lands a hit on you, even if you block it. For that reason, using a shield in this fight is not advised.
She deals physical damage with slash and pierce attacks. During the second phase of the fight, she’ll inflict Scarlet Rot.
She has multiple one-hit-kill attacks. No matter how high you pump your vigor or how heavy your armor is, you can and will be one-shotted by several of Malenia’s attacks. You must learn to avoid them. We’ll go over them below.
She does have weaknesses. Malenia is almost unbelievably strong, but she does have weaknesses. We’ll tell you exactly what to bring to this fight.
Summons are key. Summoning other players for this fight is a gamble. You might get lucky, or your phantom helpers might die the first time Malenia uses Waterfowl Dance, leaving Malenia with beefed-up health while you’re still fighting her solo. Using a Spirit Ash is a more reliable choice. We’ll go over your best options in the guide.

Malenia’s weakness and resistances

Malenia, Blade of Miquella, in Elden Ring has notable weaknesses and resistances that players should consider when preparing for the fight. She is particularly weak to Fire, Bleed (Blood Loss), and Frost damage, making these damage types highly effective against her. Conversely, Malenia has high resistance to Poison and Scarlet Rot, being almost immune to these status effects, which aligns with her identity as the Goddess of Rot. She also shows strong resistance to Madness and Death Blight. In terms of physical damage, she has moderate negations against Standard, Slash, Strike, and Pierce attacks. Additionally, Malenia is vulnerable to critical hits after her stance is broken or she is parried. Players should avoid Holy damage and focus on exploiting her susceptibility to Fire, Bleed, and Frost to maximize their chances of victory.

Luckily, even Malenia is weak to certain damage and attack types. Here’s a list of everything Malenia is weak against:

Frost damage. This is Malenia’s lowest resistance.
Bleed damage, also known as Blood Loss. This is Malenia’s second-lowest resistance.
Fire damage. While using magical spells isn’t the best strategy against Malenia (more on that below), weapons with innate fire damage work great.
Physical damage. Melee attacks can work very well against Malenia.

To avoid using this, here’s a list of everything Malenia is exceptionally strong against:

Scarlet Rot damage. Malenia is highly resistant to the Scarlet Rot status effect.
Poison damage. Malenia is highly resistant to the poison status effect.
Holy damage. Malenia has a high Holy damage absorption. If you have a Faith build, it’s better to use fire incantations like Burn O Flame instead of Holy damage.
Most magic. Malenia will easily dodge most sorceries and incantations you can throw at her. There are exceptions, like the Night sorceries, Ranni’s Dark Moon, and Dragonice. But even then, it’s hard to find enough time to cast them. To top it off, landing spells on Malenia often triggers her most devastating attack, Waterfowl Dance.
Shields. Malenia heals herself even if you block her attack with your shield, so using one puts you at a serious disadvantage.
Parrying. Unfortunately, Malenia will only be staggered by every third parry, instead of every parry like a normal enemy. It’s doable, but not recommended.

Prepare for the Malenia boss fight

To prepare for the Malenia boss fight in Elden Ring, it is recommended to be at least level 120, ideally 125 or higher, with weapons upgraded to +23 or more to withstand her brutal attacks and healing abilities. Equip armor with high physical defense and talismans like Erdtree’s Favor and Dragoncrest Greatshield to boost stamina and guard. For melee builds, focus on stamina and physical defense, and consider using weapon arts like Bloodhound Step for better dodging or Hoarfrost Stomp for crowd control. Summoning aggressive NPC allies can help distract Malenia, but be cautious as her attacks heal her even when blocked or when hitting summons. Prepare to dodge her signature Waterfowl Dance by learning its patterns, and use fire or bleed damage to exploit her weaknesses. Bringing Scarlet Rot-preventing items and the Flame Cleanse Me incantation can mitigate her rot attacks in phase two. Overall, patience, high defense, aggressive counterattacks, and mastering dodging are key to surviving this challenging fight.

Now that you know Malenia’s strengths and weaknesses, how do you exploit them? Here’s a list of combat strategies that work well against Malenia:

Use dual-wielding. Forget about shields; dual-wield two weapons of the same type instead. This allows you to power-stance, which unlocks new attacks using the L1 button. Fast weapons like katanas or twinblades are best, but greatswords like the Claymore can work if you have more strength than dexterity. Whatever you choose, make sure to upgrade both weapons as much as possible.
Use a light load. Malenia is fast and you don’t have a shield, so you must rely on dodging to stay alive. A heavy load makes things difficult, a medium load is doable, but a light load of less than 30% maximum equipment makes dodging easy. Then again, this is a very risky strategy – one mistake could tilt the fight in Malenia’s favor.
Or at least not a heavy load. You can use a heavy weapon, but don’t go for a full heavy loadout as you won’t be able to dodge Malenia’s attacks. Basically, choose the most powerful armor set you have that still falls within medium load range.
Build resistance against physical damage. Armor sets with high resistance against slash and pierce are always the best choice. Don’t forget to combine them with a physical damage-reducing talisman like the Dragoncrest Greatshield.
Make dodging easier with Bloodhound’s Step. If the light load sounds too difficult, you may imbue your right-hand weapon with the Bloodhound’s Step Ash of War. This is a souped-up dodge that causes you to briefly turn invisible and slide around the room, totally impervious to damage. Without a doubt, it’s the single best tool to give you a slight edge against Malenia. You can get it by defeating the Night’s Cavalry mini-boss at the bridge north of Lenne’s Rise in eastern Caelid.
Exploit Malenia’s Frost weakness. Imbue at least one of your weapons with the Cold Affinity. Grab the Glintstone Whetblade from the courtyard of Raya Lucaria, or use Dragonice, purchased at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid (though its slow cast time leaves you vulnerable). The same goes for Ranni’s Dark Moon, which you can get by following Ranni’s questline and reaching the Moonlight Plateau. If you’d rather just chuck grenades at her, the recipe for Freezing Pots is in the Glintstone Craftsman’s Cookbook [6], located in a building on the east side of the main courtyard of Caria Manor.
Focus on causing Bleed damage. Thanks to its innate Bleed damage, Rivers of Blood is one of the best weapons against Malenia. If using a katana or another weapon with innate Bleed damage is not an option for your build, go get the Black Whetblade at Night’s Sacred Ground, a part of Nokron, Eternal City accessed by jumping down the rooftops near the Ancestral Woods site of grace (down the meteor hole that appeared after you defeat Radahn). The whetblade enables you to add Blood Affinity to most weapons that have no innate element.
Deal fire damage. If you have a weapon with innate Fire damage, such as the Magma Blade, that’s a great option too. You can obtain it at Volcano Manor, where it’s dropped by man-serpents. Alternatively, bring some Volcano Pots and chuck them at Malenia whenever you can.
Stagger Malenia. Yes, you can stagger Malenia, and it’s actually not that hard. Wait for her to finish an attack combo, then hit her immediately afterward to stagger her.
Get a Scarlet Rot cure. Last but certainly not least, bring enough Preserving Boluses with you to cure Scarlet Rot in the second phase of the battle. The crafting recipe is found in Armorer’s Cookbook [6].

Best weapons for Malenia

Malenia is notoriously difficult to defeat in Elden Ring, but some weapons stand out as particularly effective against her. The Bloodhound’s Fang is highly recommended due to its fast moveset and ability to cause bleed buildup, which Malenia is vulnerable to, making it easier to stagger her. Other strong choices include the Nagakiba katana and Eleonora’s Poleblade, both of which inflict bleed and fire damage, exploiting her weaknesses. For players favoring heavier weapons, the Blasphemous Blade Greatsword delivers massive physical and fire damage and can stagger Malenia effectively. Additionally, colossal weapons like the Zweihander combined with the Lion’s Claw Ash of War can break her stance and interrupt her attacks. Using weapons that apply bleed or fire damage while employing the Bloodhound’s Step Ash of War for mobility provides a solid strategy to overcome Malenia’s healing and aggressive combat style.

Let’s go over some build examples you may use against Malenia. A solid choice for dual-wielding would be the Cold Uchigatana with Bloodhound’s Step in your right hand and Rivers of Blood in your left hand. When using Bloodhound’s Step, equip the Carian Filigreed Crest talisman, which you can purchase from the blacksmith Iji when following Ranni’s quest. It reduces the FP cost of skills, allowing you to teleport-dodge more frequently.

The Nagakiba katana and Eleonora’s Poleblade are also great weapons against Malenia, especially since both come with Bleed damage and (in the case of the Poleblade) Fire damage. Nagakiba is obtained by completing Bloody Finger Hunter Yura’s questline or by defeating him in combat, and Eleonora’s Poleblade is obtained by defeating Eleonora, the Violet Bloody Finger, at the Second Church of Marika in Altus Plateau

Don’t underestimate the Bloodhound’s Fang either, which has amazing physical damage. You can get it by defeating the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Limgrave. Dual-wielding this weapon is quite overpowered as it builds Bleed incredibly fast, but you can only obtain a second Bloodhound’s Fang if it’s gifted to you in multiplayer. If that’s not in the cards, Bloodhound’s Fang goes perfectly fine with Rivers of Blood.

If you’d rather try to stagger Malenia with a heavier weapon, the Blasphemous Blade Greatsword with its massive physical and fire damage is one of the best options. Its Taker’s Flames ability deals amazing stagger damage, knocking Malenia down if you can manage to land it without her dodging the flames. You can trade Rykard’s Remembrance for it in the Roundtable Hold.

If you’re looking for a way to ’cheese’ the Malenia boss fight, the Ordovis Greatsword is your friend. This is quite surprising, especially since some of its damage is Holy, but the Ordovis Greatsword’s value lies in its Ordovis’s Vortex spinning skill (demonstrated in the picture below).

This attack requires a short charging time, but if Malenia gets caught in it, she can’t break away and it’ll knock her down – allowing you to use it again. In other words, you must carefully wait for an opening, stun-lock Malenia in Ordovis’s Vortex, and deplete her HP. Ordovis Greatsword is dropped by the Crucible Knight in Auriza Hero’s Grave, a dungeon north of Leyndell.

Best Ashes and Talismans for Malenia

The best Ashes of War to use against Malenia are Black Knife Tiche and Mimic Tear, with Tiche being especially effective due to its high dodge ability and evasion of Malenia’s attacks, despite having lower health. For Talismans, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman is recommended for its physical damage reduction, along with Ritual Shield and Green Turtle Talismans to boost survivability. Additionally, the Winged Sword Insignia talisman can enhance attack power with successive hits, which complements aggressive playstyles against Malenia. Using Bloodhound’s Step Ash of War is also highly advised, as it allows players to evade Malenia’s rapid moveset, including her Waterfowl Dance, making it easier to stay in close combat without taking damage. Combining these Ashes and Talismans can significantly improve your chances of defeating Malenia in Elden Ring.

Besides Bloodhound’s Step, there are other Ashes of War that Malenia has a hard time dealing with. Rivers of Blood’s Corpse Piler can rapidly proc Bleed and staggers her somewhat reliably. You get it from the NPC invader near the Church of Repose in Mountaintop of the Giants.

Similarly, Eleonora’s Poleblade’s Bloodblade Dance lets you do heavy Bleed and poise damage then dance away from her to avoid retaliation. It’s obtained from the NPC invasion at the Second Church of Marika in Altus Plateau as part of Yura’s questline.

The best Spirit Ashes to use against Malenia are Black Knife Tiche or Mimic Tear. Unfortunately, tanky spirits aren’t as good as you might think because Malenia will regain health every time she hits them. Tiche, on the other hand, doesn’t have a ton of health but is excellent at dodging.

She’ll distract Malenia while you unleash your attacks. You can get Tiche from the Ringleader’s Evergaol on the Moonlight Plateau (once again, part of Ranni’s quest). As long as you have a decent loadout, the Mimic Tear is always a great choice, but especially if you’re focused on building Frost and Bleed status effects.

As for talismans, the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman is incredibly useful as it negates a lot of incoming physical damage. Erdtree’s Favor can help you increase your equipment load limit (especially handy if your favorite armor set is a tad too heavy) while also improving your HP and stamina. For those who depend on vigor, strength, dexterity, and endurance, Radagon’s Scarseal is an amazing option, but beware that it also increases incoming damage. A simple strength-boosting talisman like Starscourge Heirloom may therefore be the better choice.

How to defeat Malenia phase 1

To defeat Malenia in phase 1, focus on aggressive tactics that exploit her low poise, allowing you to stagger her with heavy or colossal weapons and land critical hits, especially jumping attacks. Using the Bloodhound’s Step Ash of War is highly effective, as it lets you dodge through her rapid attacks, including the dangerous Waterfowl Dance, maintaining pressure while avoiding damage. Malenia heals with every hit she lands, even if blocked, so avoid blocking and instead dodge or parry when possible. Ranged or magic users should capitalize on spells that cause frostbite or knockdowns, like Zamor Ice Storm or Gravity sorceries, and summon spirits like the Greatshield Soldiers to distract her. Summoning aggressive NPC allies can also help by dividing her attention. Staying close but mobile, punishing her recovery frames, and preventing her from healing are key to winning phase 1.

Malenia will approach you as soon as you enter the boss arena. When she’s within melee range, be prepared to dodge her first attacks. The trick to surviving is to be very patient, keep dodging, and hit whenever her combos have finished.

If you’re able to proc Bleed and Frost multiple times, you can burn her down before she even gets a chance to use Waterfowl Dance. Most of the time, mastering this phase is simply a matter of keeping your distance so she doesn’t catch you by surprise, managing your FP so you can always use Bloodhound’s Step to get away from Waterfowl Dance, and being smart about when you try to get in a hit or two.

Here’s an overview of the attacks used by Malenia in the first phase of the battle:

Idling. Malenia’s idle state during the first phase of her fight is to simply walk slowly toward you. There’s an opportunity to attack here, as it’s often safe to walk up and poke her with a single probing attack while she’s doing this. Just be ready to dodge away when she inevitably responds. You can “trigger” her idling stance if you dodge away and create a lot of distance between you and Malenia.
Side jump. Sometimes, when dodging or after taking a hit, Malenia will jump to the left (your left) and have a brief moment of poise break. It’s a great opportunity to land another hit, as she won’t attack immediately afterward. You can try to do a quick stab during idling and follow it up with another attack after a side jump.

Normal slashes. Malenia has a bevy of general slashing attacks using her extra-long katana. She combines these in unpredictable patterns that make them challenging to dodge. Bloodhound’s step makes it easier. In general, you want to keep a medium distance from her for most of the fight, and never try to sneak an attack in during her standard slashing combos. She will punish you almost every time.
Spin kick. Malenia often opens her combos with a deadly spin kick, which can’t be blocked or parried. Thankfully, it’s slow and the windup is obvious. Since her follow-ups can be more deadly, get some distance when she kicks. Don’t try to attack after it.

Spark Combo. One of Malenia’s most common attacks is a quadruple-slash combo that’s telegraphed by a mechanical sound effect and orange spark from her prosthetic arm. Get used to recognizing this cue and get the hell out of her way when she unleashes this, which she does constantly. With Bloodhound’s Step, you can teleport backward and get out of its range. It’s more difficult to avoid with a normal dodge, so you must make sure you’re far enough away from her at all times.
There are two variations of that move. You can tell which version you’re getting by the fourth slash in the combo: If the fourth slash arrives quickly after the third, the combo is likely to continue. However, if there’s a slightly longer delay before the fourth slash arrives, she’s about to stop moving for a moment, providing one of your best attack opportunities in the fight.

Spark thrust. This move is predicated by the same sound effect and orange spark as the previous one, but Malenia’s stance is completely different; she hops in the air for a moment while drawing her sword back, then thrusts towards you. This is the single best attack opportunity during phase 1, as there’s a way to predict it (it often triggers when you create a bit of distance between you and Malenia) and dodge; you don’t even have to use Bloodhound’s Step. And she never follows it up with anything during this phase, so you’re always safe to get a slash or two in after she uses it.

Slow lunge combo. When Malenia draws her sword slowly behind her in a crouch, she’s about to lunge toward you for a two-slash combo. There are two variations of this, with slightly different timing. You’ll have to learn the difference, although Bloodhound’s Step makes it easy to dodge either one. This is another attack opportunity – she’s vulnerable after the second swing, and if you’re near her when she starts winding it up, you can even get some hits in before she lunges.
Overhead jump slash. This attack is similar to the previous one, but without the long wind-up. It’s always preceded by a standard horizontal slash, and often follows the fast version of the four-slash Spark Combo. It’s another great opportunity to attack, as she’s vulnerable after landing.

Lunging Grab. Malenia pulls her left hand back, crouching down slightly, and lunges at you after a short delay. Avoid this at all costs. It’s easy to dodge, but is also guaranteed to kill you if it lands. We’ve never survived this attack with any build. Thankfully, once you dodge it successfully, it’s another opportunity for you to attack.

Waterfowl Dance. This is the big one. Once her health drops below 75%, Malenia can unleash the deadly Waterfowl Dance any time. She jumps into the air for a long pause (see picture above, make sure you recognize it!), then flies toward you, unleashing a flurry of white slashes. This will kill you if she catches you in it – and yes, it’s borderline unfair. Thankfully, it can be dodged. As soon as she rises into the air, you have to sprint or Bloodhound Step away from her as quickly as possible (this is the main reason why you can’t spend the whole fight up in the boss’s face pressuring her with attacks; if you’re right under her when she does this, it’s almost impossible to survive, even with Bloodhound’s Step). If you can catch enough distance, the first two parts of the Dance will miss you. For the third flurry, she always teleports directly to you, no matter how far away you got; you have to dodge toward her as soon as she does it. She’ll shoot past you, and you can hover just outside of her range for the fourth part, including the final spherical slash that marks the move’s conclusion. After this, she’s vulnerable to another attack – provided you survive that long.

How to defeat Malenia phase 2

To defeat Malenia in phase 2, wait for her to finish an attack combo, then hit her immediately afterward to stagger her. Bring enough Preserving Boluses with you to cure Scarlet Rot during this phase. If you’re not prepared at the start of phase 2, she’ll likely kill you instantly with her new attack, in which she floats high in the air and then dive-bombs you. To dodge this attack, run towards Malenia and get behind her, as she cannot steer much while charging the attack.

Other tips to defeat Malenia, Goddess of Rot:

Consider dual-wielding two of the same weapon type, which allows you to power-stance and unlocks new attacks using the L1 button.
Fast weapons like katanas or twin blades work best, but greatswords like the Claymore can work if you have more strength than dexterity.
Maintain a light load, which makes dodging easier.
If you’re a strength build, try to stagger her for a riposte or two by being super aggressive.
Incantation users can use Swarm of Flies when summoning, particularly Black Knife Tiche Ashes.
Keep your distance and get ready to dodge Waterfowl Dance.
Use the recovery of Scarlet Aeonia to spam Swarm of Flies.
Dodge the slam by rolling in any direction, and roll again if you see a double Scarlet Explosion.
When she flies in the air, creating a pool of scarlet rot and firing phantom versions of herself, roll backward twice, then forward twice, then to the left twice.

Malenia’s second phase is considerably more difficult than the first, as she adds several new attacks to her repertoire:

Rot Nuke. Malenia flies up into the air, orange and scarlet wings fluttering, and pauses before dive-bombing you. You can survive this by dodging at the exact right moment – try activating Bloodhound’s Step as soon as she begins moving from her floating stance. Then, if you survive the initial impact, the boss explodes again as her petals open, turning her into a huge orange flower. Stay out of range as the petals open to avoid the damage and scarlet rot build-up they cause. This is your one reliable ranged attack opportunity during the fight; you can unleash spells, incantations, and throwables while she’s recovering. You can also rush in as the petals finally dissipate to attack her briefly up close. She always opens the second phase with this attack, so it’s imperative that you learn how to dodge it.

Phantom clones. Malenia floats into the air and sends a series of phantom clones slashing and thrusting your way. This attack is fairly easy to recognize as Malenia will fly upward in a glowing whirlwind, but the phantoms are hard to dodge. With Bloodhound’s Step, you can simply spam L2, provided you have enough FP. She ends this attack by lunging toward you herself with a powerful sword thrust. She’s vulnerable to attacks afterward, if you’re close enough to her after dodging, though it’s a small window, since she usually starts up another combo a moment after landing.

Small scarlet flower. Malenia plants a small orange bloom in front of her, which explodes a moment later, causing damage and scarlet rot build-up. Sometimes she flies into the air for a moment, but not always. This is the reason why your attack opportunities from phase 1 are unreliable now. Malenia retains all the same moves and combos from before, but now, she has a roughly 50% chance to follow up any move with this ability. Any combo after which she would have previously been vulnerable, from the Spark Thrust to the Slow Lunge, can be followed by this attack instead. Luckily, she always pauses on the ground as the small flower blows up. If you can get behind her and avoid the small explosion, there’s still a window to attack here.

In addition to those new abilities, Malenia retains all the moves from phase 1. Beware that her combos are even more unpredictable as she tends to fly up into the air more often. Since she spends so much time in the air, it’s harder to predict when Waterfowl Dance is coming. Your only safe bet is to run away anytime she flies upward and get ready to dodge whatever attack is coming. Keep your distance, be patient, wait for your attack opportunities, and keep your FP and health topped up.

When defeated, Malenia drops the Remembrance of the Rot Goddess, Malenia’s Great Rune, and a whopping 480,000 runes on your first playthrough. If you manage to take her down, congratulations – you’re a true Tarnished, no matter how you did it.

Disclaimer: This article contains excerpts from “Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree Elden Ring walkthrough” by Mike Rougeau.

What hidden weaknesses can I exploit to defeat Malenia in Elden Ring

Malenia’s hidden weaknesses in Elden Ring revolve primarily around exploiting status effects and precise timing during her attacks. Notably, she is vulnerable to Frostbite and Bleed, which can outpace her self-healing and stagger her, especially during her Waterfowl Dance attack in phase two. Inflicting Frostbite deals significant damage (around 7% of her max health) and lowers her damage negation, while Bleed buildup can interrupt her regeneration, making weapons like Rivers of Blood highly effective.

Additionally, Malenia is weak to Fire damage and less resistant to Hemorrhage, so combining these effects can be advantageous. Using fast, dual-wielded weapons with Bloodhound’s Step Ash of War enhances your dodging and invisibility frames, helping you avoid her relentless attacks and counterattack safely.

Summons that can stagger or distract her, such as Redmane Knight Ogha or Black Knife Tiche, reduce her ability to heal off hits and create openings. Sorcery users can benefit from spells like Ranni’s Dark Moon to lower her magic resistance and inflict Frostbite, or Night Comet, which she cannot see and thus cannot dodge.

Finally, Malenia’s overhead slash combo leaves her briefly vulnerable, offering a critical window to land attacks before dodging away. Dodging her Phantom Spirits attack in phase two requires precise roll timing, which, if mastered, prevents damage and counters her healing from the final dive.

In summary, exploiting Frostbite and Bleed status effects, using evasive Ashes of War like Bloodhound’s Step, summoning stagger-capable allies, and attacking during her brief vulnerability after overhead slashes are key hidden weaknesses to defeat Malenia effectively.

How can I use Frost or Hemorrhage to stun Malenia effectively

To stun Malenia effectively using Frost or Hemorrhage (Bleed) in Elden Ring, you need to focus on triggering these status effects at key moments in her attack patterns, especially during her deadly Waterfowl Dance.

Using Frost:

Frostbite buildup deals a significant chunk of damage (about 7% of her max health) and lowers her damage negation, making subsequent hits more effective.
Throwing a freezing pot at Malenia just as she is about to start her Waterfowl Dance will cancel the entire attack animation and stun her briefly, opening her up for follow-up attacks.
You can proc Frostbite every 30 seconds, so timing is crucial; use it to interrupt her most dangerous moves.
Sorcery users can also apply Frostbite with spells like Ranni’s Dark Moon or Glinstone Icecrag to help trigger the effect without direct melee risk.

Using Hemorrhage (Bleed):

Bleed buildup can outpace Malenia’s self-healing and stagger her, especially if you can proc it multiple times quickly with weapons like Rivers of Blood or Greatswords with bleed effects.
Bleed procs more frequently than Frostbite (every 6-7 hits), allowing more consistent staggering.
While Bleed doesn’t cancel animations as reliably as Frost, it still interrupts her combos and reduces her ability to recover health from attacks.

General Tips:

Combining Frost and Bleed effects can maximize stagger potential and damage output.
Summons that distract Malenia can help you land these status effects more safely.
Use Ashes of War or weapons that apply these status effects quickly to keep pressure on her.
Remember that Malenia can dodge many spells, so use those with good tracking or that she cannot see, like Night Comet, to apply Frostbite reliably.

In summary, to stun Malenia, throw freezing pots or apply Frostbite right before her Waterfowl Dance to cancel it, and use bleed-heavy weapons to outpace her healing and stagger her consistently. Timing and persistence with these status effects are key to breaking her defenses and creating openings for critical damage.