Defeating Red Bear in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: A Comprehensive Guide

Red Bear, an optional boss in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, may seem like a straightforward encounter with a bear. However, it's actually a formidable humanoid foe that drops an exceptional armor set and a unique weapon, making the fight well worth the effort. In this guide, we'll break down how to reach the Red Bear, its attack patterns, the best strategies for beating it, and the rewards you'll reap from emerging victorious.

Red Bear Location

To find the Red Bear, you'll need to locate the Northern Nameless Mausoleum. The catch is that you can't access it immediately. You'll first need to find the Spiritspring that allows Torrent to reach new heights. However, the Spiritspring is blocked by a white crystal-like rock that you must break to enable it.

Starting from the 'Castle Front' site of grace, head north and circle around to the west to find the rock. Break the rock to unlock the Spiritspring, which will take you up the cliff and lead you to the Red Bear's location.

How to Beat Red Bear

As one of the Great Enemy Bosses in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, Red Bear is not to be taken lightly. It's an optional encounter that yields a full armor set, a unique weapon, and a substantial amount of runes if you can defeat him.

Attack Patterns

• Leap Slam: Red Bear quickly approaches you and leaps into the air for a ground slam attack.
• Bear Roar Spell: The boss equips a sacred seal and casts the Bear Roar spell, causing a powerful AoE that deals massive damage if you're too close.
• 2-hit Combo: Red Bear's basic combo involves two swift strikes with his claws.
• 4-hit Combo: As Red Bear becomes more aggressive, he unleashes a 4-hit combo with slashes from all directions.

Best Strategy

For most of Red Bear's attacks, blocking is the best course of action. However, the Bear Roar spell is too powerful to block and will deal massive poise damage if you try. If you're a ranged build character, maintain your distance and use spells or ranged attacks to strike Red Bear.

For melee build characters, focus on blocking Red Bear's attacks first and strike back after. Be cautious, as his attacks are fast and may be difficult to parry.

Rewards

After defeating Red Bear, you'll receive the following rewards:

• 80,000 runes
• Red Bear's Claw
• Fang Helm
• Iron Rivet Armor
• Iron Rivet Gauntlets
• Iron Rivet Greaves

If you enjoy taking on optional bosses, you may also want to consider fighting the Golden Hippopotamus and the Blackgaol Knight in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.