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Entering the Shadow Realm in the Elden Ring Shadow of The Erdtree means more enemies that’ll cut your head off once you take a step toward them. The new DLC has many bosses, and the director has confirmed that some of them will even challenge series veterans! For the Golden Hippopotamus boss in Elden Ring Shadow of The Erdtree, however, it’s not that much of a challenge once you learn the big guy’s attack pattern.
Where to Find the Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring
The Golden Hippopotamus rests at the main gate of the Shadow Keep in Elden Ring Shadow of The Erdtree. Getting to this location is a hassle since there’ll be dozens of enemy creatures standing in your way. As always, however, you can try calling your mount and drive right past all of them to reach the main gate. Also, remember to enter the Shadow Keep from the south; the north side’s entrance is a bit tricky.
How to Defeat the Golden Hippopotamus Boss
The good thing about fighting the Golden Hippopotamus is that this poor creature is slow. So slow. However, there are no light attacks on Hippo’s list, meaning that if you get hit once by the boss, you’re probably done.
Dodging is the only way to counterattack the Golden Hippopotamus boss in Shadow of The Erdtree. Thankfully, the attack window after every dodge is more than enough to drain a lot of HP from the boss. Here’s how you can gain this advantage by learning Hippo’s attack pattern.
Note: The attack names below aren’t official. They’re just made up to easily illustrate the boss’s moves/attacks.
| Attack | Description |
| Ram Bite | This happens whenever you’re a bit away from the Golden Hippopotamus. It’ll try reaching you with a not-so-quick bite attack, which you can easily dodge to the sides. |
| Ground Slam | The Hippo tries to smash you by slamming the ground. You need to keep your distance from the Golden Hippopotamus during this, as you’ll still get hit if you’re in the smashing radius. |
| 2x Smash | The boss tries hitting you with two predictable swings of its head. Dodge twice, and you’ll have a small window to hit the Hippopotamus with one heavy attack. |
| Uppercut | This is a life-squishing attack by the Golden Hippopotamus, during which he tries hitting you with an uppercut-looking move with its head. Dodge sideways, then you’ll have the chance to attack. |
| Elden Tails | If you hit the Golden Hippopotamus enough, it’ll show you its Godzilla-type tails, and they’ll hit you even if you dodge in the same/opposite direction! The only way to save your Tarnished from this deadly assault is by staying far from the Hippo. |
If you manage to survive the second wave of the Golden Hippopotamus’s attacks in Elden Ring Shadow of The Erdtree, all you need to do is dodge a few more basic moves. Then, the Hippo falls, and you’ll have the opening to finish off the target.
