Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: How to beat Golden Hippopotamus
We've covered everything you need to know about the Golden Hippopotamus boss fight in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree so you can finish off the fight and move on.
This is part of the ‘Elden Ring’ directory
Directory contents
The Golden Hippopotamus is a boss in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree that resembles the love child of a hippo and a rhino, and makes for a ferocious fight.
With that said, it is one of the easier bosses you can fight in the expansion, though you don't need to actually fight it at all. If you still need some advice on how to put the beast down for good, we've covered everything you need to know.
Boss breakdown
The Golden Hippopotamus is optional, but it's also found along the main story path that most players will take when playing the DLC, so the majority of players will likely slay it.
You'll encounter it when first arriving at the Shadow Keep legacy dungeon and heading up the lift inside. You'll see the hippo in front of you at the foot of a statue, and entering through the doorway will begin the fight.
The boss has a fairly low number of slow but heavy-hitting attacks; you may need a couple of tries to get a feel for dodging them, but they're intuitive enough that you can knock it out in one try.
Strategy, tips & tricks
First phase
As you enter the arena, the Golden Hippopotamus will likely charge you head-on straight away. If you see its mouth open here, you need to do everything to avoid the attack, as it will trap you in its mouth and perform an animation where it bites down before slamming you on the ground and throwing you up.
You can avoid this by sprinting to the side to take advantage of its slow turning speed (something to keep in mind for the whole fight) and then rolling out of the way.
It has another similar attack where it pulls its head back to charge you down and slams you with its head. This is easier to dodge, as you can roll into its body or straight to the side.
When you're close, there are two attacks to watch for: a simple bite attack telegraphed by it opening its mouth wide, and an area of effect (AOE) belly slam where it stands on its hind legs before dropping downward.
All of these can dodged, but for this boss, I recommend slapping on your heaviest armour and increasing poise with whatever talismans you have. This allows you to soak up the damage and stop yourself from being knocked down or stunned, giving you the time needed to just wail on it until it gets to half HP.
Avoiding the charge attacks offers the best chance for you to get in some hits, as you can manoeuvre behind easily enough. Don't get carried away though, as this is usually the time it will do a belly slam as punishment.
Second phase
The second phase sees the hippo generate a number of golden spikes on its back, which primarily buffs the belly slam attack with a wider AOE that causes the spikes to be shot down from above.
This attack hits hard, but if you're following the armour and poise advice from the first phase, you should still be able to tank it. If you're still susceptible to damage, then just sprint or roll back a number of times to steer clear.
Like the first phase, the charge attacks give you the best chance to get in some hits, but you need to be more careful about the hippo performing the belly slam due to the larger AOE.
This is also a great fight to make use of an Ash Summon, as when it's distracted, you only need to worry about the belly slam hurting you.
Rewards
- 200,000 Runes
- Aspects of the Crucible: Thorns (Incantation)
- Scadutree Fragment x2
About The Author
Tarran Stockton
Tarran is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon. He previously wrote reviews for his college newspaper before studying Media and Communication at university. His favourite genres include role-playing games, strategy games, and boomer shooters - along with anything indie. You can also find him in the pit at local hardcore shows.
This is part of the ‘Elden Ring’ directory
Directory contents
