How to defeat Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

The Golden Hippopotamus is a boss Elden Ring‘S Shadow of the Erdtree DLC with fewer moves than bosses like Divine Beast Dancing Lion and Rellana, Twin Moon Knight. But simple doesn’t mean harmless. One wrong move will get you into big trouble.

Us Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree guide covers how to beat the golden hippoincluding the 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 central courtyard of Shadow Keep, and it is the first enemy you encounter in the dungeon when you approach it from the southern entrance in Scadu Altus. The boss is technically optional, as you can also enter Shadow Keep from the east, but defeating him will reward you with two Scadutree fragments to improve your combat skills. For that reason alone it is worth getting started with the Hippo.

There are no NPC allies here to assist in the battle for the Golden Hippopotamus, but you can summon your Spirit Ash companion.

Golden Hippo Weaknesses and How to Prepare

I could not find it any weaknesses in the Golden Hippopotamus status ailment, although the monstrosity seems weak against massive damage. It also has low balance, so some gravity magic – Rock sling is, as always, a strong choice for this battle – or four or five strong attacks should be enough to break his balance. Even if you miss the hitbox for a critical hit while the Golden Hippo’s stance is broken, attacking its head deals heavy damage.

Swords, greatswords, and daggers are solid options for this fight. The Backhand knife may not have the highest scaling, but the fast attacks 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 choice, and if you’re using a magic build, any late-game weapon that scales with faith or intelligence works well.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

If you’re having too much trouble, don’t hesitate to let your Spirit Ash summon do the work, especially if you have a Mimic a tear. A Tear of +6 or higher, with a Revered Spirit Ash level of four or higher, can take out the Golden Hippo almost entirely on its own. Black Knife Tiche, the Nightmaiden and Swordmistress Puppets, and Swordmaster Yosh are strong alternatives that can keep the hippo busy while you attack him.

Make sure you upgrade your weapon as well. If you 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 defeat Golden Hippopotamus in the Elden Ring DLC

The Golden Hippopotamus behaves in a manner similar to Ulcerated Tree Spirits. Most of his deadliest attacks come from his head and mouth, and he uses his long body and neck to reach far and prevent you from advancing. On the plus side, the Hippo’s sheer size and reliance on frontal damage means you have more safe places to strike than usual with large bosses, especially if a Spirit Ash summon distracts the Hippo in front of you.

Golden Hippo boss fight phase 1

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

The Golden Hippo only has a few attacks in the initial phase. That may sound relatively easy to deal with, but it tends to link them together and move faster than you might expect. It’s easy to get caught and squashed before you even have a chance to react.

The Golden Hippo will likely greet you with a gaping maw as it charges towards you with its mouth wide open. The attack knocks you aside and leaves you vulnerable to the follow-up action, which involves the hippo slamming its head and neck into the ground once or twice. Getting hit by both attacks is enough to end the fight, even if you have high strength and strong armor, so dodge forward or to the side if you see it coming.

You can also escape the blow from its head that way, but if you see it coming towards you with its mouth open, roll forward. He tends to flip his head to the side after biting, and a sideways dodge would put you in danger.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

That’s pretty much all the Golden Hippo does in this opening act. Avoid its mouth and attack its side and back to quickly reduce its HP.

Golden Hippo boss fight phase 2

Once the Golden Hippo’s HP reaches halfway, it stops for a moment and golden, branch-like spines appear all over its back. You can take advantage of this short break to get some extra hits in, but don’t linger too long before backing off a bit. The newly coiffed hippopotamus showers a shower of sacred spines around him to celebrate his new style. He will occasionally repeat this attack if you stay close to him for an extended period of time, and he telegraphs it by shaking his body all the way back and forth.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

The range of this attack is about two dodge throws back from the Hippo, so you don’t have to retreat too far before moving in for another attack.

The Golden Hippo can also spin around a bit and send spikes in a circle around it. Dodging this attack is mostly a matter of luck, as the distribution of the spikes is random, with quite a bit of space between each spike. Rolling sideways will likely put you in danger, so the best way to deal with it is to dodge forward towards the hippo – useful, as you’ll be in range for a few more attacks afterwards while the hippo is ready is – or by holding up your shield. if you have one.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

The most dangerous attack occurs when the hippo jumps into the air. After standing there for a few seconds, he crashes and rolls forward. This move is exceptionally powerful and can wipe you out in one hit if your HP is not full. Given the hippo’s girth, the best way to stay alive is to dodge forward when it crashes, or, if you’re positioned further from the point of impact, when it rolls toward you.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

In my experience, the Golden Hippo trades its head flops for aggressive bites at this stage. He will lunge forward, bite and then pull his head to one side, so make sure you stay away from his face if you can. It will also continue to use the gap rush attack, which is unchanged.

Both attacks give you the chance to get next to or behind the hippo and use your melee attacks to quickly reduce its health. Use strong or charged attacks and powerful weapon skills to break his balance and deal even more damage.

Once you defeat the Hippopotamus, you will receive the Aspect of the Crucible: Thorn Charm, inspired by the Hippo’s spines, and two Scadutree fragments.

Looking for more Shadow of the Erdtree Guides? Check out our guides on new Elden Ring DLC weapons, armor, map fragments, places of mercy and talismans. We also have location guides on where to find Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes, and an interactive Elden Ring DLC map.