The Elden Ring Boss Fight That Went Too Far

"Elden Ring" has captured the imagination of players everywhere with its high difficulty level and brilliant world-building assisted by the imagination of George R.R. Martin. In the days since the game was released, players have spent hours diving into its every secret, figuring out how to beat it as quickly as possible and finding ways to actually chill out and enjoy FromSoftware's enchanted world. And while some bosses have proven to be almost impossible to beat — even in the earliest stages of the game — players have come to respect the monsters in the game as much as they fear them.

Well, most of them, anyway. As it turns out, there's one "Elden Ring" boss that leaves a bigger impression that the others. Love or hate him, people can't seem to stop talking about the God-Devouring Serpent. From the beast's design to its truly unexpected transformations and attacks, here is why this is the one "Elden Ring" boss fight that feels like it goes a bit too far — in a good way.

Beware of minor spoilers ahead for "Elden Ring."

The God-Devouring Serpent is encountered in Mt. Gelmir, where it can be found cozily curled up in the center of a large volcanic cavern. The snakelike creature has small flailing arms off to its sides that are unnerving, but itself isn't terribly difficult to best if you have the right equipment. However, doing so will activate the second phase of the fight, revealing the beast for what it truly is: Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy.

In rapid succession, Rykard pulls a bunch of upsetting shenanigans. The seemingly dead serpent rises up, it's skin now bursting with small tendril-like arms and fingers. It turns its head to reveal Rykard's true face. One of the larger arms thrusts into the serpent's mouth and, in a spray of viscera, pulls out a bloody sword, which is also covered in flailing arms and veins. 

It's a truly wild cinematic, which players such as YouTuber EternityInGaming have referred to as the "most disturbing" moment in the entire game. On Twitter, players have praised the boss for its stellar and creepy design, while also lamenting how difficult he can be to fight. Some have referred to him as the worst boss in the game, while others argue that God-Devouring Serpent/Rykard is not much more than a gimmick (albeit a fun one). Some feel that FromSoftware went too far in ratcheting up the cinematic qualities of the fight at the expense of fun gameplay.

However you feel about this unsettling battle, it's hard to argue that this moment isn't one of the more memorable bits from "Elden Ring." Content creator Jacob Geller may have said it best when he tweeted, "'Elden Ring' boldly introduces a new brand of boss fight, 'oh god why are you pulling a sword out of there[?]'"