Elden Ring has one of the most extensive storylines we’ve seen in a long time. The game is undoubtedly one of the best of the decade, and it’s got an extremely rich story with constant additions coming. But, if you’re a souls fan that wants to explore the game until it has nothing new to give to you, Elden Ring side quests have a lot to keep you busy.
Campaign games are notorious for having crappy side quests that are only used as fillers to add hours to the game and are super repetitive. However, when we’re talking about Elden Ring, the side quests are no joke. You’re getting brilliant side quests that are incredibly rewarding and are just as exciting as the actual main storyline.
Best Elden Ring Side Quests (Ranked)
Here are the ten best Elden Ring side quests to do once you’re done with the main game.
Ranni
Ranni the Witch is one of the first bosses you’ll encounter in Elden Ring. She can be found super early in the game and first introduces herself as Renna. You’ll find ‘Renna’ when you teleport to the Church of Elleh at the beginning of the game. This is the first meeting that will initiate one of the longest quests in the game.
Apart from that, you’re also going to be unlocking one of the best endings the game has, so that’s a plus too. Ranni will become a friend, and you’ll have to do her bidding in order to continue the quest. Ranni’s quest has a couple of items (no spoilers here!) that you’ll need for other quests in this list, so it’s best to start this side quest early on.
Volcano Manor
Volcano Manor is another extensive quest that starts by visiting a Legacy Dungeon in Mount Gelmir. You’ll face several bosses in this quest which also includes a demigod. The fun thing about this quest is that it has the potential to match you up with some characters that are going to take you into quests of their own, which just shows how complex the quest system is in Elden Ring.
Small hint, though, if you’re looking to explore them all, put off fighting Rykard since doing so will lock you out of the other side quests available. Basically, you’re going to be carrying out assassinations for the manor, which aren’t going to be too pleasing for your moral side. Every assassination is going to get you powerful weaponry or other equipment as a result, so it’s definitely rewarding.
Malenia, The Blade of Miquella
Chances are that you’ve heard of Malenia even if you’ve never touched Elden Ring. She’s the hardest boss of the game and one of Elden Ring’s best questlines. She’s a demigod that you’ll see even one of the best players in the world struggle against. This two-phased boss is the twin to Miquella, the most powerful Empyrean. Malenia has a prosthetic arm and a leg but don’t let that fool you. She’s going to kill you about 500 times before you manage to do the same with her.
Fighting Malenia is optional, but due to her difficulty level, you can’t really say you’ve finished Elden Ring until you defeat her. You can also get some help from friends (given that you’re on the same platform as them).
Side note, if you’re finding it difficult to beat Malenia once, player ‘Let Me Solo Her’ has beaten Malenia 1000 times. As a reward for his accomplishment, Bandai Namco even sent him an ACTUAL sword as a present.
Alexander The Iron Fist
Alexander The Iron Fist questline is weird, to say the least. Alexandar is practically just a jar that you’re going to have to listen to and fight later on in the game. You’ll find Alexander in Stormhill which is the area north of the Agheel Lake North Site of Grace.
The first time you find him, he’s going to be stuck in the ground. Setting him free will start his questline, which mostly just involves looking for him in various places. Once you find him in the Crumbling Farum Azula, he’ll challenge you to a duel, and winning it will mark the end of this Elden Ring quest.
Dung Eater
Dung Eater is an NPC that’s not going to be fun to talk to. He’s going to whine and moan the entire time you’re collecting Seedbed Curses for him. He’s going to constantly barrage you with threats that are nothing but an annoyance. Finishing the Dung Eater quest is a bit of a bittersweet feeling as it gives you one of the worse endings of the game. Once you FedEx him all the Curses, you’re going to have to defeat him to get the rune which alters the ending of the game.
Fia
Fia and Ranni’s quests are interlinked, so it’s a good idea to do both of them simultaneously. Once Fia’s quest starts, you’ll have to complete Ranni’s quest, and only then will you be able to complete this quest.
This is another one of those quests that unlock a secret ending (a pretty good one at that), and you’re going to have a lot of fun with this one. It’s not a particularly complex quest or one that goes on for a long time, but the boss you’re going to fight is super difficult.
Lord of Frenzied Flame
Another side quest, another bad ending, and that is exactly what makes it one of Elden Ring’s best questlines. The Lord of Frenzied Flame questline can be activated in Leyndell. Although, the quality of the ending from the rune you get isn’t really something that should make you go hunting. The quest will have you fight Mohg, and once you complete the questline, the alternate ending will possibly lock you out of the other available endings.
Millicent
Millicent is a descendant of Malenia, Blade of Miquella. If you’re an Elden Ring fan that wants to finish the game after exploring every possible ending, then this is one of the best side quests for you. Completing this quest gets you the rare Unalloyed Gold Needle that will prevent you from getting locked into a single ending.
Even if exploring all endings in the game is not your intent, the items you get from finishing this quest are definitely worth it. But, the bigger the reward, the harder the quest. This one is probably one of the most difficult quests to follow due to its complexity. The final fight of this Elden Ring quest is exciting as it gives you a choice to either stand with Millicent against her sisters or betray her.
Blaidd
Blaidd’s story is one of Elden Ring’s best questline. He’s another character whose quest is linked with Ranni’s. He’s Ranni the Witcher’s wolfman. He’s super easy to miss due to his howling and so turn up your volume as soon as you hit the Mistwood location. This quest is not going to get you a separate ending, but the equipment (armor and greatsword) you get here is going to help you in the long run. One thing to remember is that if you want to take on Ranni, it’s a much better idea to defeat Blaidd first. If you killed Ranni earlier, Blaidd is going to be extra angry.
Patches
If the other similarities between Dark Souls and Elden Ring were too subtle for you, here’s Patches, a character that was plucked right from the world of Dark Souls. Patches is a thief that has been luring players into ambushes for almost forever. Despite his mischievousness, he’s a character that the fans absolutely adore despite his lack of character development across the FromSoftware games. Patches’ quest isn’t complex, but it’s very easy to mess it up.
There are hidden parts to the quest that you will not want to miss. You’ll get a chance to kill him early on in the game, but if you skip that opportunity, Patches is going to end up giving you the best armor in the game. If you do spare Patches, you’ll also unlock him as a merchant, and since he contains a lot of super rare items, sparing him is definitely going to be good for you in the long run. A subtle warning, though, you’ll have to walk a lot in this quest.
Conclusion
The amount of entertainment you’ll get from Elden Ring’s side quests even puts some main quests of other games to shame. FromSoftware has clearly put in a lot of work to ensure that the players have much to do apart from the main quest. So, if you’ve successfully ended the main storyline, don’t worry, Elden Ring still has enough content to keep you busy for days!
