Maliketh, the Black Blade (2024)

Maliketh, the Black Blade is a boss in Elden Ring, encountered in Crumbling Farum Azula. This is not an optional boss as Maliketh must be defeated to unlock Leyndell, Ashen Capital and reach the endgame of Elden Ring.

Overview[]

Maliketh is the loyal Shadowbound Beast and half-brother of Queen Marika the Eternal,^[1][2] an Empyrean of Numen descent,^[3] who would become the vessel of the Elden Ring.^[4]

Maliketh fought and defeated the Gloam-Eyed Queen, the leader of the Godskin Apostles.^[5] On Marika's orders, Maliketh sealed away the Rune of Death,^[1] binding it within his blade,^[6] causing the true power of the god-slaying black flame to be lost.^[7]

When the Rune of Death was plucked from the Elden Ring,^[8] and confined,^[9] the Golden Order was created, with Queen Marika as its one true god.^[10] Marika's offspring were granted a form of immortality owing to the removal of their fated deaths from the Elden Ring,^[11] however there was not one Demigod who did not fear Maliketh and his blade imbued with death.^[2] He was a beast of such terrifying ferocity that his name came to mean "Death of the Demigods".^[12] He also led the Black Blade Kindred, living gargoyles who wielded weapons held together by blackened corpse wax.^[13]

During the Golden Age of the Erdtree, a fragment of the Rune of Death was stolen from Maliketh.^[14] The perpetrator was Ranni the Witch, who used it to forge godslaying black knives,^[15] which were wielded by the Black Knife Assassins during the assassination of Godwyn the Golden on the Night of Black Knives.^[16] Maliketh responded by binding his blade- and the Rune of Death sealed within- into his own flesh, to prevent death from ever being stolen again.^[6] Later, the Rune of Death sprouted from Godwyn's corpse and began to spread through the Lands Between in the form of Deathroot. Maliketh, under the name Gurranq, resolved to track down and devour the Deathroot,^[17] eventually gaining an insatiable hunger for it.^[18]

Maliketh, now Gurranq, eventually came into contact with D, Hunter of the Dead. D entered Gurranq's service and assisted him in weeding Deathroot, the source of Those Who Live in Death.^[19] D would later find a Tarnished, who agreed to take his place in weeding Deathroot.^[20]

The Tarnished encounters Gurranq in the Bestial Sanctum in Caelid. The beast, dressed in the robes of a clergyman, gives them an eye which trembles in the presence of Deathroot,^[21] and instructs them to bring him any Deathroot they find in return for bestial incantations.^[22] Despite consuming all the Deathroot the Tarnished could bring him, Gurranq is not sated, yet he realises that he has done all he can for the land and departs, with his hunger as his only companion.^[23]

When the Tarnished arrives at the foot of the Erdtree, they find the entrance obstructed by thorns. To remove the thorns, the Tarnished and their companion, Melina, set the Erdtree ablaze at the Giant's Forge.^[24] After doing so, the Tarnished finds themselves in Crumbling Farum Azula, an ancient city in the sky, where they seek the Rune of Death.^[25] The Tarnished finally comes upon Gurranq, who attempts to stop them from stealing the Rune of Death from him.^[26] Despite his best efforts, Gurranq struggles to overcome the Tarnished. As a last resort, he unbinds his death-imbued blade from his flesh and reveals his true identity to the Tarnished.^[27] Nevertheless, Maliketh falls to the Tarnished, and with his dying breath cries out to Marika for forgiveness.^[28] The Rune of Death is unbound, and enshrouds the Lands Between. However, this allows the impenetrable thorns to finally burn away,^[29] allowing the Tarnished to finally gain access to the Erdtree.

Boss Fight[]

Moveset[]

Phase 1 - Beast Clergyman[]

Phase 1 is much like combat against Gurranq. During this phase, the Beast Clergyman will make use of his Cinquedea as well as a variety of bestial incantations. His attacks are very fast, leaving few obvious spaces for the player to attack. He may use an earthquake attack, causing area of effect damage in a small circle around him.

Phase 2 - Maliketh, the Black Blade[]

At half health, a cutscene will play and phase 2 will begin. Maliketh now wields his Black Blade, and all of his attacks will cause rapid health loss overtime as well as temporary reduction of maximum health. Maliketh is a fast and acrobatic fighter, relying on quick slashes, spins and leaps. He will sometimes jump up and cling to the pillars around the arena, before either jumping at the player or jumping away and firing a ranged attack.

During this phase, the Blasphemous Claw can be used to deflect Maliketh's Black Blade attack, as well as the spin attack he performs after plunging his sword into the ground. Deflecting his attacks will stun him for a few seconds, creating a window during which to attack.

Environment[]

The arena is a wide, circular room. It is possible to fall off the edges all around the perimeter of the room. There are several pillars around the centre of the room, which Maliketh may jump onto to perform certain attacks. These pillars can also be used to create distance between oneself and Maliketh, or to avoid his ranged attacks.

Gallery[]

Concept Art[]

Image[]

Dialogue[]

References[]