Elden Ring: How to Beat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon

How to beat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon

1. Bring a physical melee weapon. Rennala soaks magic damage, so swords, spears, fists, and bows do far more work than sorcery against her.
2. Equip a spirit summon before you enter. Lone Wolf Ashes are cheap and pull her ranged spells off you so you can close distance safely.
3. In Phase 1, do not waste hits on her shield. Run the room and kill the three students who glow yellow (Juvenile Scholars). A single hit interrupts each one, and clearing all three collapses her protective orb.
4. The moment she drops, sprint to her and land a charged heavy or jumping attack. She stays vulnerable only briefly before releasing a golden explosion and re-raising her shield.
5. Roll away the instant you see that golden burst, then repeat the cycle. You usually break her shield about three times to end Phase 1.
6. Watch the ceiling and floor in Phase 1. Chandeliers drop and she hurls debris, so keep moving and do not stand still to heal.
7. Phase 2 opens with a guaranteed magic beam. Dodge to the side immediately, then start your offense on the open watery plane.
8. Stay fairly close to her in Phase 2. When she summons a flying dragon, hugging her makes it easier to get behind the fire breath.
9. Glintstone comets travel slowly. Sprint straight at Rennala as they approach and they tend to miss, opening a window to attack.
10. When she summons wolves, kill them quickly (most die in one hit). For tougher summons like the Bloodhound Knight, focus on dodging and keep the pressure on Rennala herself, since the boss and her summons share the same arena and her spirits vanish after a few attacks.

Phase-by-phase breakdown

Phase | Arena and behavior | What to do Phase 1 | Rennala floats inside a protective orb while students cast spells and throw books; chandeliers and debris fall | Kill the three yellow-glowing students to break the orb, hit her hard while she is stunned, then dodge her golden explosion and repeat (about three cycles) Phase 2 (start) | Arena shifts to a dark, moonlit water plane; an illusory Rennala (linked to Ranni's spell) attacks with a full health bar | Dodge the opening magic beam, then move in and apply steady physical damage Phase 2 (below 60% HP) | She begins summoning spirits: wolves, troll knights, flying dragons, and bloodhound knights; each summon spawns a damaging ring around her | Avoid the expanding ring, clear weak wolves fast, dodge the dragon's fire by staying behind it, and keep hitting Rennala rather than chasing summons that despawn

Recommended setup

Run a straightforward physical melee build for this fight. A fast bleeding weapon such as the Uchigatana lets you interrupt the Phase 1 students quickly and still chunk Rennala during her stun windows. Pair it with a spirit summon to hold aggro and a high-stability shield if you want a safer Phase 2. Leave your Intelligence sorceries on the bench here, since her magic resistance makes spell builds slow and frustrating in this specific fight. For a full physical loadout, see our bleed katana melee build guide.

FAQ

Where do I find Rennala and what is the nearest grace? Rennala waits in the Raya Lucaria Grand Library inside the Academy of Raya Lucaria. The closest Site of Grace is the Debate Parlor, and you must defeat her to progress through the area.

Why does my magic barely hurt her? Rennala resists magic and sorcery in both phases. The Academy is full of magic loot, but using spells against her is inefficient. Switch to standard physical attacks (slashing, striking, or piercing) for far better damage.

What do I get for beating her? She drops 40,000 runes, the Remembrance of the Full Moon Queen, and the Great Rune of the Unborn. You can trade the Remembrance with Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold for either the Carian Regal Scepter or the Rennala's Full Moon sorcery.

Does beating Rennala break Ranni's questline? No. Although Ranni's spell powers the illusory Rennala in Phase 2, defeating the boss does not fail Ranni's quest. Afterward you can use Rennala to reborn (rebirth) your character in exchange for Larval Tears.

How hard is the Phase 1 shield to break? Not very, once you stop attacking the orb directly. Each of the three glowing students goes down in a single hit, so a fast weapon clears all three quickly, dropping her so you can strike. Then you repeat the process roughly three times.