Summary
Appearing as early as Mistwood, the Runebear is a beast of an enemy that stocks the player all acrossElden Ringas a type of mini-boss that can often block progress toward powerful items and hidden areas. However, while theLesser Runebear variant appears sporadically, there is strangely only one location where the massive creature gets the upgrade to a full-fledged boss.
This reversal from more commonly occurring lesser mini-boss is a rarity forElden Ring, given that most bosses that can be found as weaker variants in the field are usually found as bosses first before getting the downgrade. With a wild moveset almost reminiscent of the Guardian Ape fromSekiro, the boss version of the Runebear is a well-deserved upgrade for such a challenging enemy.
Lesser Beasts All Around the Shop
Runebear as a Warning of Size in Elden Ring
While players can take anyroute through The Lands Between, and therefore run into the Runebear anywhere in the world, the enemy will most likely be discovered in Mistwood. In fact, there are several in this location, and players can just as easily find the one sleeping in Mistwood Ruins as they might find the one scratching at a tree near the area map. Either way, finding any Runebears can be an early indication that things can grow to an immense size inElden Ring, and pack a deadly punch if disturbed.
Other examples of massive enemies can appear throughout the game before the first Runebear, likeFlying Dragon Agheel in the Dragon-Burned Ruins, but those are par for the course for fantasy dragons, especially in FromSoftware games. The Runebear is a slightly more unique spectacle, given that there are regular bears around where these first few lesser variants can be found, and they don’t even come close to the size of their larger cousins. This is what continues to help the Runebear stand out as a unique part ofElden Ring, separating this latest title from the developer’s other fantasy outings.
Runebear as a Solution to Puzzles in Elden Ring
There are plenty of puzzles inElden Ringthat can keep players racking their brains for answers for days, but other unique interactions like theStone Statues throughout the Lands Betweenare simple enough to understand. While at first, they seem to be impossible to open for the player, the trick to getting the treasures inside is to lure a larger enemy to break the statue. On more than one occasion, the Lesser Runebears are exactly the enemies that are large enough to shatter these statues and unlock the smithing stones that are glowing within.
Finding this Challenging Enemy in Boss Form
A Runebear Hidden Away in a Far-Off Cave
The single Runebear to be found in the Lands Between as aboss resides in the Earthbore Cave, hidden away at the northern end of the Weeping Peninsula. This is a cave that can only be found by going off the beaten path within the Weeping Peninsula, which is already a location that players might not find until late into their adventures into Limgrave. It’s a strange choice for the boss variant of an enemy that otherwise receives a lot of attention in its lesser form across the rest ofElden Ring.
For those looking for a true challenge from a Runebear, this is also one of the more difficult versions of the enemy, given that it tends to catch players off guard from the start and has a slightly expanded moveset compared to the lesser forms. That is unless players use acheat that is unique to the boss Runebear, where shaking out of the enemy’s grab attack can send it plummeting through the floor for an easy instant kill. So, if that particular Runebear is giving a player trouble, there are options to get around the fight, even if it robs them of a unique encounter.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
