Elden Ring: Divine Beast Dancing Lion Boss Guide
Found in Belurat, the Tower Settlement, the Divine Beast Dancing Lion serves as the climactic fight of this dungeon. Though defeating it is optional, victory rewards players with a generous supply of Elden Ring Runes, valuable Elden Ring Items, and the satisfaction of conquering one of the expansion's most mesmerizing bosses.
This guide will help you locate the Dancing Lion, understand its mechanics, and devise strategies to emerge victorious.
Where to Find the Divine Beast Dancing Lion
The Divine Beast Dancing Lion resides at the top of Belurat, Tower Settlement, a haunting location filled with stone warriors, spectral enemies, and signs of ancient worship. To reach the boss arena, start from the settlement's lower streets and make your way up the left staircase that winds through the main plaza. You'll notice groups of enemies praying around a withered tree, an eerie prelude to the divinity that awaits above.
After clearing these foes, continue ascending toward the Stagefront Site of Grace. From there, you'll see a set of engraved double doors that mark the boss chamber. Prepare your gear and consumables before entering, as a cutscene will immediately trigger when you pass through.
The cinematic introduces the Divine Beast Dancing Lion, a massive creature with a body composed of swirling clouds and animal skulls, draped in ceremonial fabric. It moves like a dancer, but strikes with the power of a thunderstorm.
Understanding the Divine Beast Dancing Lion
The Dancing Lion is an elemental shapeshifter, cycling between attacks that deal wind, lightning, frost, and fire damage. Its unpredictability makes it dangerous, but careful observation reveals patterns that you can learn to exploit.
Wind Form: The boss moves erratically and performs wide swipes that create gusts of wind. Roll through the attacks and stay close to its side.
Lightning Form: It roars, charging the arena with electricity before slamming the ground. Roll into the shockwave right before impact.
Frost Form: It exhales icy breath that covers the floor in frost, inflicting Frostbite buildup. Avoid staying in one spot and keep moving to the edges.
Fire Form: The most dangerous phase, flames engulf the arena, and its leaps and spins deal immense damage. Equip fire-resistant gear or use fire negation talismans.
Each phase transitions after the boss takes significant damage or over time. Staying patient and learning its elemental cycles is crucial to survival.
Recommended Strategy and Setup
The Divine Beast Dancing Lion's relentless assault demands both agility and endurance. Proper preparation and the right combination of Elden Ring Items can make all the difference.
Recommended Spirit Ash Summons
Black Knife Tiche: Agile and intelligent, Tiche can dodge elemental attacks and deal consistent chip damage. Her Destined Death ability also reduces the boss's maximum HP.
Mimic Tear: Great for players confident in their build. Doubling your offensive output is invaluable during elemental transitions.
Recommended Armaments
Black Knife: Effective for Dexterity/Faith builds, allowing quick, precise strikes.
Blasphemous Blade: Perhaps the best choice for this fight. The boss is weak to fire, and the weapon's Taker's Flames skill can hit twice due to the lion's large body, dealing massive damage while restoring HP.
Recommended Sorceries and Incantations
Frenzied Burst: High damage and long range, ideal for punishing moments when the boss pauses.
Rotten Breath: The Dancing Lion is susceptible to Scarlet Rot, which steadily drains its health over time. Cast it early and let the effect tick down.
Swarm of Flies: Deals stagger damage and helps maintain pressure when you're forced to keep distance.
Unendurable Frenzy: Risky but powerful, best used when the boss is staggered or trapped in an elemental transition animation.
Useful Elden Ring Items
Opaline Bubbletear: Absorbs one powerful hit, perfect for surviving an unexpected elemental burst.
Cerulean Crystal Tear: Restores FP for long spellcasting sessions.
Flameproof Dried Liver or Fireproof Talismans: Greatly reduce fire damage during the final phase.
Boluses: Carry Stanching and Thawfrost Boluses to mitigate Bleed and Frostbite buildup.
Battle Tactics
Phase 1: Observation and Positioning
When the battle begins, focus on staying alive rather than rushing in for damage. Watch the lion's body for color cues, its mane glows faintly in the color of the element it's about to unleash.
Roll toward its body during wind attacks and punish with one or two quick hits.
Keep mid-range distance during lightning and frost phases to bait out ranged attacks you can dodge.
Use your Spirit Ash to divide its attention.
The key is patience. Getting greedy will lead to punishment, as its combos are fast and often unpredictable.
Phase 2: Fire Ascension
At roughly 50% HP, the Dancing Lion roars and ignites in flame. Its movements become wilder, and it begins performing aerial spins that can cover the entire arena.
Roll diagonally to avoid flame shockwaves.
If using the Blasphemous Blade, unleash Taker's Flames whenever it lands, each hit not only deals massive damage but heals you.
Faith users can safely apply Rotten Breath at this point if the boss is momentarily stationary.
Keep circling and striking during recovery windows. Remember: its size is both an advantage and a weakness, it's easy to hit, but getting trapped underneath can result in instant death.
Rewards and Loot
Defeating the Divine Beast Dancing Lion rewards you with a large amount of Elden Ring Runes, ideal for leveling key stats like Vigor, Mind, or Endurance before tackling the next major area in Shadow of the Erdtree.
You'll also receive several rare Elden Ring Items, which may include:
Remembrance of the Dancing Lion: Can be exchanged for powerful elemental-based incantations or weapons at Enia.
Beast's Mane Fragment: A crafting material tied to unique talismans that boost elemental resistances.
Golden Runes and Smithing Stones: Common rewards that help with weapon upgrades.
These drops make the boss well worth the effort, especially for players chasing strong elemental builds.
Final Thoughts
The Divine Beast Dancing Lion embodies everything that makes Elden Ring's boss design legendary: spectacle, speed, and layered challenge. Every movement feels like a dance, beautiful yet deadly. By preparing wisely, mastering elemental counters, and leveraging your best Elden Ring Items, you can bring down this divine beast and claim its power for yourself.
The victory not only earns you a bounty of Elden Ring Runes but also marks your growth as a Tarnished capable of overcoming gods and monsters alike. Whether for glory, loot, or pure triumph, the Dancing Lion's fall will be a moment you'll never forget.