The Red Bear is one of the four NPC-type bosses found in mausoleums in Shadow of the Erdtree. He is located in the Northern Nameless Mausoleum after the Ancient Ruins Base Site of Grace in Graveside Plain. This dude is halfway to becoming one of those horned giant red bears you might have faced while roaming the Land of Shadows.
His unwavering attacks might prove lethal for the uninitiated, but if you know his maneuvers, there is little to worry about. So let us learn everything this teddy bear is hiding under his fur.
Fighting Red Bear
Red Bear is a cosplayer who is trying to channel his inner red bear and is somewhat succeeding. He has the same level of ferocity as his bestial counterparts.
Although he fights like the player character, if you have experienced the Beast Claw weapon, you must know that its attacks are hard to read, thus making it a tad bit harder to react appropriately. If he manages to start his combo, this unconventional weapon’s unpredictable moves, attacking speed, and lunges will make quick work of you.
With each hit, he will build bleed/hemorrhage, which, if unmanaged, will proc and eat away your HP.
Not to mention, he has a meme spell similar to the Dragon Communion incantations called Roar of Rugelea that still hits like a truck. This wide AOE will destroy you if you happen to be in range.
All in all, he is a simple boss with certain gimmicks that will prove challenging.
These are some additional details that might come in handy for the boss:
- No NPC or spirit summons are allowed in this fight. Multiplayer is accessible, though.
- To access the mausoleum, you must first unlock a sealed Spiritspring at the base of the cliff. To open it, the seal you have to destroy is found just up the ramp near the Spiritspring.
- Like other NPC bosses, Red Bear will try to heal with his own flask when his HP is low.
- He doesn’t have much poise, so you can continue to stagger him with consistent light melee attacks.
- He loves to dodge profusely, which makes it annoying to catch him.
Moveset
Red Bear will use the following attacks. Better to know how to react to them:
| Attack | Description | Reaction |
|---|---|---|
| Beast Claw Combo | He uses the eccentric hopping-type attacks of his beast claws. He will either use a 2-hit combo or a longer 4-hit chain. | It is best to roll back for either combo until he is done. Make sure to push and attack as soon as he stops. |
| Jumping Attack | It’s a standard jumping attack where he goes airborne and slams his beast claws where you stand. | Roll to the side right before he lands. If you have a fast enough weapon, hit him while he is in the air, and he will drop to the ground, giving you a wide opening to punish. |
| Roar of Rugalea | Like the incantation, he will conjure a giant bear head and let out an AOE roar that deals physical damage. | It has a long wind up, so when you see the bear head appear, start running back and out of range of the roar. |
| Red Bear Hunt (Weapon skill) | He slashes his claw diagonally with a wind effect. Deal more damage than regular slashes. | Dodge backward and out of range of the attack. |
| Running Attack | He will run up to you and perform a double slash. | Dodge to the side as soon as he gets closer. |
| Dodge Attack | He will sometimes come out of his dodge rolls swinging his claws twice. | Dodge backward or to the sides. |
Weaknesses and Resistances
Red Bear is resistant to the following damage types, so try to avoid using them:
- Holy
- Frostbite
- Hemorrhage
The boss is weak to:
- Lightning
- Sleep
- Madness
Most of his melee attacks can be parried. Parrying will stagger him, whereby you can perform a critical strike. Additionally, with swift leg work, you can move behind the boss and execute a backstab critical strike anytime during the fight.
Boss Strategy
It is futile to trade blows with Red Bear; he will likely come out on top because of his flurry of attacks.
The best approach to this fight is to keep a distance from him, dodging away from his attacks and looking for openings between his attacks/combos to land a few light attacks.
A long-reaching weapon with relatively high poise damage will do the trick. Once you run out of stamina, back off to recover it and wait for your next opening to continue your onslaught.
His main attack pattern usually involves him jumping up and doing two slashes with his claws, giving you a small opportunity for damage. However, if he has claws equipped in only one hand, he will go for a three-hit combo. It does get hard to discern which attack is coming, so keep an eye on his hands.
His special Roar of Rugalea spell is relatively easy to predict. He will always have a claw in only one hand and his casting seal in the other and stops abruptly to cast. The time between the cast and the roar to occur is substantial enough to get out of dodge.
He might use the roar twice in quick succession, so approach him carefully.
Thrusting Shield builds will overpower the boss while remaining safe behind cover. The boss flinches very easily, so putting up your shield and spamming light attacks won’t give him time to react or even hit you with his attacks.
Any weapon, other than smaller ones, will deal a ton of stagger damage to the boss because of his low armor rating so you are fine in most cases. Just keep swinging your weapon, and he will wobble in place, ready to be cut down like a sitting duck.
Rewards For Defeating Red Bear
Putting down Red Bear will unlock these goodies:
- 80,000 Runes
- Red Bear’s Claw – One of the only two new Beast Claw weapon types in Shadow of the Erdtree.
- Iron Rivet Armor Set
- Iron Rivet Armor
- Iron Rivet Gauntlets
- Iron Rivet Greaves
- Fang Helm
Even though the boss drops the Fang Helm, he actually wears the Pelt of Ralva over his head. You will get that headgear by defeating Ralva, the Great Red Bear. [Map Location]
How to Cheese Red Bear?
To easily cheese this bear wannabe, all you need is the powerful Wave of Gold weapon skill from the Sacred Relic Sword. A lot of people have already been using and upgrading this skill to collect runes in Elden Ring.
Reminder: The weapon skill consumes a large amount of stamina, so be sure to equip talismans that boost stamina and facilitate its regeneration for its continuous use. Radahn’s Great Rune is also effective for this purpose. Additionally, remember to have some FP flasks on hand.
When you step into the arena, unleash the Wave of Gold. As the wave sweeps through Red Bear, you’ll see him hilariously topple over, taking a good amount of damage. There’s a decent amount of time after his fall for you to replenish your stamina and release another wave. Just make sure to use the skill only when the boss is upright, or it won’t connect.
Keep using the skill repeatedly and you’ll see him fall to the ground. If he gets too close, quickly create some distance between you and the boss and unleash another one.
If you execute this routine correctly, he won’t even have the opportunity to hit you once or get near you. He’ll likely be spending most of his time flat on the ground. This tactic is effective for most other NPC battles in Shadow of the Erdtree, so feel free to take advantage of it.
In my opinion, Red Bear is the easiest boss fight out of all the mausoleum fights in Elden Ring DLC. He seems like he can shred you with his claws, but in fact, he is just a cub trying to act like a bear. Speaking of claws, don’t forget to use his weapon; you will be surprised at the damage it outputs, especially with that weapon’s skills.