Of the many optional bosses in Elden Ring, Deathbird is one of the creepiest. This avian fiend can only be found in central Limgrave at night. You’ll have to approach the ruins that it haunts for them to appear.
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Deathbird’s Location
From the Warmaster’s Shack Site of Grace, travel southeast towards a chunk of some long-faded ruins. However, at this bit of ruins, Deathbird will only spawn if it is nighttime. You can pass time by resting at a Site of Grace, which makes spawning this optional boss convenient.
Unfortunately, this part of Limgrave is pretty crowded at night. This means that you might have to deal with other enemies while you battle Deathbird. There are some aggressive rams as well as a few bat enemies that can pester you, though, there are some trolls nearby that can make this boss fight much more chaotic. To avoid drawing unwanted attention, you’ll want to fight Deathbird while atop the chunk of ruins it spawns. Thankfully, the troll kneeling nearby won’t seem to notice—even if you accidentally stumble around near to them.
How to Beat Deathbird
Thankfully, Deathbird’s attacks are mostly telegraphed clearly. As such, you’ll be able to see many of them coming and dodge roll in time. The trickiest move to deal with is Deathbird’s hook attack. The boss will lunge forward and thrust with their large hook. However, after the initial strike, Deathbird will pull the hook towards themselves, which is a follow-up attack. You cannot block the follow-up part of the hook attack, as the damage comes from behind. The only maneuver that lets you avoid damage is to dodge roll out of the way.
Once in a while, Deathbird will also let out a shriek that deals damage and builds up the Death status effect bar. You can’t block the status effect increase of this attack, so be sure to roll away from Deathbird’s head if they open their mouth.
Deathbird’s Weaknesses
This boss seems to be particularly weak to fire damage. As such, fiery incantations and Fire Grease applied to your weapon can help you defeat Deathbird. Furthermore, this boss takes more damage if you hit them in their head. The fiend’s legs are easier to reach most of the time, however, aim for that cracked skull for bigger hits. The boss will lower their head on occasion, so stay near their front for an easier time lining up a shot. Just be ready to dodge more attacks, as this location is within Deathbird’s striking zone.
Rewards for Beating Deathbird
- 2,800 Runes
- The Blue-Feathered Branchsword talisman
You’ll get a bit of Runes for the trouble of defeating Deathbird, however, you’ll also get a useful talisman. The Blue-Feathered Branchsword will raise your defense when your HP is low. As such, it can be a life-saver if you’re close to death.
Furthermore, this talisman’s item description hints at the lore surrounding Deathbird. The wording makes it seem as if this boss was created from the result of death-related rituals. Persisting beyond death seems to be something that is both somewhat common and is taboo in Elden Ring. Though, strangely, Deathbird does not give you any Deathroots when defeated, despite being a very good candidate for such a drop in terms of the lore.
