Starscourge Radahn

Lore & Background

Radahn was born to Radagon, a red-haired champion of the Golden Order, and Rennala, Queen of Caria. This union allied the Golden Order with the Carian nobles. Despite his father's resentment toward his red hair—a curse from the Giants—Radahn viewed it as a sign of heroism. Growing rapidly in size, he feared abandoning his beloved scrawny steed, Leonard. To solve this, he studied gravitational magic under an Alabaster Lord, learning to lower his weight enough to ride despite dwarfing the horse. He also formed a friendly rivalry with Gaius and Messmer, who acted as elder brothers; Gaius even created the "Blades of Stone" sorcery during their competition. Radahn's greatest feat was challenging the stars, succeeding in a crushing victory that halted their movement entirely. This act froze the destiny of Miquella as well. During the Shattering, Radahn failed to capture Leyndell. His half-sister Malenia marched from the Mountaintops of the Giants to confront him, seeking his death so Miquella could reclaim his soul. Their battle ended in a standstill, forcing Malenia to unleash her full power and spread the Scarlet Rot. The toxin engulfed all of Caelid and consumed Radahn's mind, leaving him a feral beast. His loyal soldiers, the Redmanes, established the "Radahn Festival" to invite warriors to kill their general honorably, preserving his dignity while waiting for the stars to align.

In Their Own Story

The wind carried the scent of decay across Caelid as thousands of warriors gathered at the Radahn Festival. They cheered for a leader who no longer recognized them, riding Leonard through the scarlet wasteland. When the Tarnished arrived, the battle began with Radahn's gravity magic pulling enemies toward him before he unleashed devastating meteor strikes. In a poignant moment during his second phase, Radahn pushed Leonard underground to protect the horse while continuing to fire meteors from below. Upon his defeat, the stars snapped back into position, restoring fate for Ranni the Witch and causing a massive meteor impact that unlocked the underground city of Nokron. Later, in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Radahn's soul traveled to the Land of Shadow as planned by Miquella. He was resurrected in the body of his stepbrother Mohg, restored to full strength as "Promised Consort Radahn," with Miquella riding on his back. In this final confrontation, he battled the Tarnished one last time before falling permanently.

Reader's Guide

Radahn is an optional boss found in Caelid, but defeating him is required to obtain a Great Rune and progress Ranni's questline or access the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. The first encounter features a massive arena where players can summon various NPCs to assist, a mechanic praised as thematic and emotionally rewarding. While the fight is challenging, using summons makes it manageable. A known trick allows players to stand adjacent to a cliff during his meteor attack; if Radahn undershoots, he may fall off the arena ledge. The second boss fight in the DLC is widely considered one of the hardest in FromSoftware's history due to its aggressive moveset and high difficulty. An update in 2024 lowered his power slightly to address visual clutter and hitbox issues. Data mining revealed cut dialogue where Radahn introduces himself during this battle. Players have defeated him using unconventional methods, such as a saxophone controller or without taking damage. Beating this form is essential for completing the DLC storyline.

Did You Know?

• Radahn studied gravitational magic under an Alabaster Lord specifically to lower his weight so he could continue riding his small horse, Leonard.
• Defeating Radahn is required to unlock the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC and allows access to two different endings in the main game.
• Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that the first encounter with Radahn was his favorite boss battle, citing the festive feeling of the fight.
• The second Radahn fight in the DLC is so difficult that player 'Let Me Solo Her' took three hours to defeat him after initially struggling against Malenia.
• Radahn's red hair, which he viewed as a heroic trait, was actually a curse from the Giants and their Fell God.