How to Beat Maliketh, the Black Blade in Elden Ring (Fast Guide)

How to beat Maliketh, the Black Blade

This is a two-stage fight. First you face the Beast Clergyman (Gurranq), then at half health he reveals himself as Maliketh and the real test begins. Follow these steps.

1. Grab the Blasphemous Claw first. It is found near the arena and lets you parry any Maliketh attack that flashes gold, stunning him for a punish window. Pick it up before you walk through the fog.
2. Summon a spirit ash right after entering. A tanky summon that holds aggro buys you space to land hits and recover in both phases.
3. In phase 1, focus on posture. The Beast Clergyman is fast and erratic, so bait his slower committed moves, then land heavy or charged attacks to build stance damage toward a posture break and riposte.
4. Jump his low horizontal swings and roll forward through his rock-sling and air-burst ranged attacks to close the gap.
5. Try to enter phase 2 with his posture nearly broken. Posture buildup carries over, so you can stagger Maliketh almost immediately after the transition cutscene and get a free riposte.
6. In phase 2, get aggressive and stay glued to him. Roll toward and under his swings rather than away. Most of his sword strings and his black flame burst are frontal cones that miss if you are tucked under or behind him.
7. Drink a Crimsonburst Crystal Tear (or keep heals ready) to offset the rapid health drain his Black Blade inflicts.
8. Dodge his aerial black flame to the side, not backward. When he leaps and throws two or three flame projectiles, side-roll each one, and brace for a follow-up slam with an AoE if he only throws two.
9. Use the Blasphemous Claw on his gold-flashing strikes (such as the leaping piledriver and the spin after he stabs the ground) to deflect them and open a big damage window.

Phase-by-phase breakdown

The single biggest mindset shift between phases: phase 1 rewards patience and spacing, while phase 2 rewards staying tight to his body where his cone attacks cannot land.

Weaknesses and damage tips

Maliketh has no single elemental soft spot, but he is workable with the right plan.

• Status effects do solid work. Bleed, Scarlet Rot, Poison and Frost can each proc a few times across the fight to chip large chunks of health, even though his status resistance is only standard.
• Posture/stance damage is your best friend. Heavy weapons, jump attacks and charged R2s can break his stance for a critical riposte, and the buildup from phase 1 carries into phase 2.
• Avoid leaning on Holy damage. He heavily resists it, which is ironic given his Black Blade carries the Rune of Death, so a Holy-scaling build will struggle here.
• He also shrugs off most Fire, Lightning and Magic, so raw physical plus a status proc is more reliable than swapping to an element.

Recommended setup

Aim for at least level 120, ideally 130 to 150, with Vigor at 40 or higher and your main weapon fully upgraded. A melee build is strongly preferred because Maliketh constantly closes distance and makes pure ranged play miserable solo.

A clean, accessible plan for this fight:

• Weapon: a strong physical melee weapon with high stance/posture damage, or a bleed-focused katana to stack the status route.
• Spirit Ash: a tanky summon that pulls and holds aggro so you can punish from his back.
• Flasks: split toward HP, and reserve a Crimsonburst Crystal Tear in your Wondrous Physick to counter his health-drain attacks.
• Talismans: stack Physical and Fire damage negation plus max-HP boosts.
• Key item: the Blasphemous Claw for parrying his gold-flash attacks.

Defeating him rewards 220,000 Runes and the Remembrance of the Black Blade, which Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold can exchange for either Maliketh's Black Blade (a colossal sword) or the Black Blade Incantation. His armor set also becomes purchasable from Enia afterward.

FAQ

What level should I be to fight Maliketh? Aim for level 120 at minimum, with 130 to 150 being more comfortable. Put at least 40 points into Vigor and bring your weapon to max upgrade, since his phase 2 hits extremely hard and drains health over time.

Is Maliketh optional? No. He is a mandatory Legend boss. You must defeat him to open the path to Leyndell, Ashen Capital and progress toward the ending.

What does the Blasphemous Claw do? It parries Maliketh's attacks that flash gold, including moves like his leaping slam and the spin after he plants his sword. A successful deflect stuns him for a few seconds, giving you a safe window to attack. You can find it near the arena.

Why is my Holy weapon doing so little damage? Maliketh heavily resists Holy damage despite wielding the Rune of Death. Switch to a strong physical weapon and lean on status buildup like Bleed or Scarlet Rot instead.

How do I survive the phase 2 health drain? His Black Blade attacks cause a fast damage-over-time effect and temporarily cut your max HP. Keep a Crimsonburst Crystal Tear loaded in your Wondrous Physick, heal proactively, and avoid getting hit in the first place by staying tucked under and behind him where his cone attacks miss.