Summary
Elden Ringis meant to provide players withdozens of hours of fun, as the game features several areas that players must explore in order to progress, and its challenging enemies are likely to leave some gamers stuck.
For players who are completionists,Elden Ringcan be almost twice as long, as there are many questlines from various NPCs throughout the Lands Between that are not only tedious and time-consuming but also full of difficult requirements that must be met. In most cases, though, said questlines will yield valuable items, weapons, enchantments, and even Spirit Ashes. Only the most dedicated players will be able to complete thehardest side quests inElden Ring, but doing so is usually worth the effort.
5Getting The Dung Eater Puppet
Easily Locked By A Single Mistake In Ranni’s Questline
This Spirit summon is based on the loathsomeDung Eater, an evil fellow Tarnished who inhabits the Roundtable Hold. This particular puppet is one of the many sold by Preceptor Seluvis and can be purchased for the steep price of 5Starlight Shards. However, things aren’t as simple as they seem, as players will have to first complete a series of long and tedious quests to unlock this particular item.
It all starts withRanni the Witch’s questline at Ranni’s Rise. There, players will have to talk to the spirit versions ofWar Counselor Iji,Blaidd, and Preceptor Seluvis and exhaust their dialogues, which in and of itself can take a while. Then, Seluvis will reveal to players that they can meet him near his tower, which will trigger another questline that must be completed by following certain steps and avoiding others. To prevent losing the chance to get the Dung Eater Puppet, players must finish this Spirit Ash’s questline before giving Ranni theFingerslayer Blade.
While the Dung Eater Puppet doesn’t have its own questline, it does require players to progress far into Ranni’s and the Dung Eater’s to unlock it. That, and the fact that Seluvis demands 5 rare Starlight Shards to part ways with his puppet, justifies it making the list of thehardest side quests to complete inElden Ring.
4Ranni The Witch’s Questline
A Long Questline That Features Easy-To-Miss Steps
Ranni the Witch is an interesting NPC. As an Empyrean, she was divinely chosen upon her birth to eventually replace Queen Marika and become one of the new gods. Her backstory is enticing and complex, but not as much as her questline. When players first encounter her in the Church of Elleh, she introduces herself as Renna. After exhausting her dialogue, she will gift players theSpirit Calling Belland theLone Wolf Ashes.
This encounter, however, does not trigger her questline. To do so, players will have to reach Ranni’s Rise by traversing Caria Manor and defeatingRoyal Knight Loretta. Upon reaching Ranni, she will ask players to find the hidden treasure of Nokron and to talk to the three people in the lower levels of the tower. This will unfold a long chain of events that will require players to follow the right steps to eventually obtain the Dark Moon Greatsword and theAge of the Stars secret ending.
Players should bear in mind that, if Radhan’s Festival has already started at Redmane Castle, Ranni will not appear in Ranni’s Rise and must be found elsewhere.
3Latenna’s Questline
Requires Players To Go To One Of The Hardest Optional Areas In The Game
Latenna the Albinauric’s questline isn’t the most exciting in the game, but it does demand that players take her to one of themost challenging areas in the gameto complete it. This NPC’s questline doesn’t start by talking to her, but rather by finding another NPC by the name of Albus in the Village of the Albinaurics. Albus will give players theHaligtree Secret Medallion (Right)under the condition that they find Latenna and give it to her. Upon meeting Latenna, she will ask players to take her to Miquella’s Haligtree, which is what makes this one of thehardest side quests to complete inElden Ring.
Miquella’s Haligtree is full of high-level enemies, difficult platforming areas, and is home to none other thanMalenia, Blade of Miquella. This area is completely optional, but if players want the Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone given by Latenna at the end of her questline, they’ll have to endure the hardships of the Haligtree.
Players must bear in mind that if they collect both pieces of theHaligtree Secret Medallionbefore talking to Latenna, she will die, and her questline will no longer be available until NG+.
2Millicent’s Questline
Features Several Boss Fights That Would Otherwise Be Optional
Millicentcan be found at the Church of the Plague, northeast of Gowry’s Shack. She only has one arm and is withering away from an advanced stage of Scarlet Rot. To trigger her questline, players will have to first speak to Gowry in his shack. There, he will ask a favor - to find Millicent and help him cure her.
The first item players will have to find to progress through Millicent’s questline is theUnalloyed Golden Needle, which is dropped byCommander O’Neilin the Swamp of Aeonia. Then, Gowry will repair the needle and give it to players so that they can take it to Millicent in the Church of the Plague. After this, players will have to complete dozens of tasks anddefeat many enemies, including theGodskin Apostle (Dominula, Windmill Village), all in hopes of eventually finishing Millicent’s questline and obtaining precious rewards, including the Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom, which boosts Dexterity.
Millicent is one of the few NPCs on this list who can also be encountered as an invader in the Swamp of Aeonia at any time of the day.
1Fia’s Questline
Long Quests That Culminate In A Challenging Boss Fight
Lastly, it’s time to talk about the famed Deathbed Companion’s questline. From the moment players meet Fia in the Roundtable Hold, it’s evident that there’s an air of death around her. She offers to hold the Tarnished but for a brief moment, which is necessary to start her questline. However, this will inflict a debuffing effect on players (thankfully, it can be removed later).
Once players have started Radahn’s Festival in Redmane Castle, they can return to Fia to be embraced again and gainan additional line of dialoguethat will culminate with her giving the Tarnished aWeathered Dagger. After this, players will have to follow a strict set of steps that will eventually lead to her being asleep, allowing them to enter her Deathbed Dream to fightLichdragon Fortissaxand her champions for a neat reward. Considering how hard her champions and Fortissax are, it’s safe to say that Fia’s is one of thehardest side quests to complete inElden Ring.
