Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Divine Beast Dancing Lion Boss Guide

Your journey through Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is filled with dangerous dangers and challenges, including powerful enemies and a brand new set of bosses to defeat. The adventure begins with the Divine Dancing Lion Boss, considered the first major skill check in the DLC and typically encountered early on by most players.

Fortunately, you won't need to face this challenge alone. We're here to guide you through every step needed to conquer this ferocious enemy. Let's dive in and show you how to locate and defeat the Divine Dancing Lion Boss in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree.

Divine Beast Dancing Lion Boss Location

The Divine Beast Dancing Lion boss can be found in the Belurat legacy dungeon, specifically at the top of the settlement, which you'll naturally reach after exploring the area. This boss is mandatory as it is one of the DLC's main bosses required to progress the story.

Once you make your way toward the boss room, you can grab a Site of Grace just before it, and there's a Stake of Marika just outside for easy boss running and summoning human players to aid you. Now, let's dive into the boss's move set and some tips on how to take down this beast and continue your journey through the DLC.

Divine Beast Dancing Lion Boss Fight Overview

Phase 1 Abilities

1. Bite Combo: The boss performs a three to four-bite combo directly in front of itself.
2. Bite Grab: The boss charges up, then darts its head forward horizontally to bite and grab you.
3. Twisting Combo: The boss rises, twists around, then swoops forward to bite you, followed by slamming its head into the ground and then sweeping its head back up.
4. Rear Whip: The boss jumps up and whips its lower half toward you.
5. Body Sweep: The boss lunges forward to bite you, then follows up with its rear end swinging around to slam into you.
6. Wind Blast: The boss releases a blast of wind from its mouth in your direction.
7. Wind Spin: The boss raises itself and fires a gust of wind toward the ground around it as it rotates, dealing damage around it and extending outward.

Phase 2 Abilities

The boss retains all moves from Phase 1 but is now imbued with one of three elements: Wind, Lightning, or Ice.

1. Lightning Spear: The boss charges a bolt of lightning in its mouth and fires it quickly at you.
2. Lightning Blast: The boss expels a burst of lightning from its mouth in a beam toward you.
3. Lightning Spin: Similar to Wind Spin but using lightning.
4. Lightning Field: The arena lights up with yellow/red distortions, signaling incoming lightning strikes.
5. Lightning Burst: Each physical attack the boss delivers results in a burst of lightning around its body.
6. Wind Hurricane: The boss unleashes a massive hurricane that can knock you into the air and deal heavy damage.
7. Wind Burst: Each physical attack results in a burst of wind around its body.
8. Ice Spin: Similar to Wind Spin but using ice.
9. Ice Burst: Each physical attack results in a burst of ice on the ground.
10. Ice Blast: The boss expels a burst of ice from its mouth in a beam toward you.
11. Ice Stomp: The boss raises its leg and stomps the ground, unleashing a wave of ice that explodes, dealing damage if you're standing on it.

Tips for Defeating the Divine Beast Dancing Lion

No matter your build or playstyle, there are key considerations when fighting the Divine Beast Dancing Lion. First and foremost is positioning, as the boss moves quickly, and knowing where to position yourself throughout the fight is crucial for having enough time to respond to its attacks. This also helps manage the camera, which can become erratic as it follows the boss around the room.

It's generally best to stay at a medium distance from the boss. This position allows you to back away when it performs ranged attacks like Blasts or Lightning bolts in Phase 2. For melee players, it provides enough time to close in and deal damage, while for ranged players, it offers the space needed to back up, cast spells, or use Ashes of War.

As with any boss, learning its attack patterns is essential. Knowing when to cast abilities or go in for a few hits is crucial. In Phase 2, note the boss's elemental changes. The ice element is easier to manage up close and to the side, whereas lightning and wind are best dealt with from a distance due to their potentially overwhelming attacks.

It's also important to remember that the boss switches elements more rapidly when its health drops below 30%. This requires you to stay alert as the boss nears defeat. By playing it safe, understanding its abilities, and knowing how to avoid or dodge them, you can bring down the Divine Beast Dancing Lion with some practice and move on to the next challenge in Shadow of the Erdtree.