How do you beat Beast Clergyman and Maliketh, the Black Blade in Elden Ring? The final boss fight of Crumbling Farum Azula may not be quite as hard as the two that came before it, but this is still no pushover. In this Elden Ring guide, we're going to reveal how to beat Beast Clergyman and Maliketh, the Black Blade. Killing them unlocks the Maliketh the Black Blade Trophy.

How to Beat Beast Clergyman and Maliketh, the Black Blade in Elden Ring?

Elden Ring: How to Beat Beast Clergyman and Maliketh, the Black Blade Guide 2

On this page, we're going to explain how to beat Beast Clergyman and Maliketh, the Black Blade in Elden Ring. We'll include an overview of the foe, boss fight strategies, tips and tricks, and item drops.

Beast Clergyman and Maliketh, the Black Blade: Overview

Name
Beast Clergyman and Maliketh, the Black Blade
Location
Crumbling Farum Azula
Recommended Level
95
Runes Reward
220,000 Runes
Item Drops
Remembrance of the Black Blade

Beast Clergyman and Maliketh, the Black Blade: Boss Fight Strategy

This boss encounter consists of two parts: the first half of the health bar is for Beast Clergyman, and the second half is for Maliketh, the Black Blade. Once you've whittled Beast Clergyman's health down to 50 per cent, a cutscene plays and it turns into Maliketh, the Black Blade. Detailed below is how to beat both phases of this boss fight.

How to Beat Beast Clergyman

The first phase of this boss fight is fairly simple, with the enemy being the figure you encounter at the Bestial Sanctum in Caelid. It attacks you with a dagger and pounds the ground around it to activate abilities that damage the immediate area all around it. If you get caught up in a tight spot, use the big pillars spread throughout the arena to make some space for yourself.

We recommend using the Mimic Tear Ashes — ideally at a +10 upgrade — so you have a copy of yourself on the battlefield fighting alongside you. Then you'll want to make use of Bleed damage to take out large chunks of its HP at a time. We used the Ashes of War called Bloody Slash and it worked really well.

As always, let your Mimic Tear Ashes take aggro from the boss — it has a really big health bar so can withstand a lot of hits — while you get in behind for some free hits. Retreat when its attention turns to you, dodging out of the way of its blows. Before too long, your copy will be attacking once more. Once you knock off 50 per cent of its health, the second phase begins.

How to Beat Maliketh, the Black Blade

Elden Ring: How to Beat Beast Clergyman and Maliketh, the Black Blade Guide 1

This is when the boss fight really begins. Luckily, though, you only have to focus on half a health bar. Maliketh, the Black Blade will now reveal itself, and it's a lot more aggressive than before. Equipped with a gigantic sword, you'll need to watch out for its attacks as well as the lingering effect any contact leaves. If you're struck by an attack, you'll take further damage over time for roughly five seconds as a special ability of the sword lingers. It's not much, but if you're already really low on health from the initial attacks, you could die from the effect.

Therefore, always keep yourself healed all the way, using your Sacred Flask as soon as you get hit. Even if you've got more than half your health left, we strongly recommend healing anyway. It's better to be safe than sorry during the next attack phase. You'll be subject to this effect also if almost any of its attacks connect with you. This includes ones where it throws the energy at you from the air, another where it slams its sword into the ground and damages the area around it, and just the general swipes of its blade.

By this point in the fight, your Mimic Tear Ashes should still be alive and healthy. You're basically going to repeat the same strategy as in the first phase, but play it a lot more carefully. One wrong move can spell death at this stage. Again, let your copy take aggro while it deals some damage itself, allowing you to get behind for some free attacks. In its second phase, the boss switches aggro much more quickly, so you won't have as many free opportunities this time to take off HP.

This becomes a balancing act of attacking and retreating when the time is right. Don't forget those pillars around the arena will still be standing and can be used as a bit of a safety net to hide behind.

Elden Ring: How to Beat Beast Clergyman and Maliketh, the Black Blade Guide 5

What tips do you have for how to beat Beast Clergyman and Maliketh, the Black Blade in Elden Ring? Let us know in the comments below and check out our Elden Ring guide for much more help and information.