Elden Ring boss guide: How to beat the Fire Giant

It's not unusual for bosses in FromSoftware's fantasy RPGs to be several times larger than you are, but none of them are quite as big as the colossal Fire Giant that you have to fight at the end of the Mountaintops of the Giants area. And between his massive health pool, devastating physical attacks, and dangerous fire magic, the Fire Giant also happens to be one of Elden Ring's toughest bosses.

With that said, he does have a weakness you can exploit in the first phase, and the fight as a whole can be made easier with the right gear, tips, and strategies. Here's our full guide on how you can take down the Fire Giant boss in Elden Ring.

Elden Ring: Fire Giant general tips

These general tips will help you plan and prepare for the Fire Giant boss fight, and will also give you a good idea of what you can expect from the battle.

• The Fire Giant uses a lot of physical and fire attacks, so wear armor and talismans that boost your resistance to these damage types. You should try to wear the heaviest armor you can, though you don't want to have a Heavy Load that restricts your ability to dodge.
• Using the Latenna the Albinauric Spirit Ash Summon is highly recommended. She has incredible range and will pump hundreds of arrows into the Fire Giant from afar while you distract him up close.
• Torrent is very helpful in Phase 2, so keep lots of healing raisins on hand. Being able to heal Torrent if he gets hit during Phase 2 is crucial, because if he dies, you'll have to waste a precious healing flask to bring him back.
• The Fire Giant can be inflicted with Bleed and Scarlet Rot. If you have any weapons or items that build up these status effects, using them is a great way to deal lots of extra damage.
• Don't get greedy in this fight; you can't afford to take hits often. The Fire Giant hits like a truck, and if you attack too much and don't have stamina left to dodge him, you're going to struggle.
• Summoning other players isn't recommended, as it makes the Fire Giant's huge health pool even bigger. It also stops you from using Torrent, which makes Phase 2 much harder.

Elden Ring: Fire Giant Phase 1

Phase 1 of the Fire Giant fight is the hardest of the two phases, so if you can get through Phase 1, things will get easier from there. Here's how to get through Phase 1.

• At the start of the battle, the Fire Giant will use his massive metal plate to launch a large wave of snow at you. Be ready to dodge it. Note that he generally won't use this attack again unless you run far away from him.
• In Phase 1, the Fire Giant's left heel is a weak spot that takes more damage than the rest of his body. Try to attack it as often as you can to make the fight go faster.
• Carefully dodge when the Fire Giant attempts to stomp you or hit you with a swipe from his metal plate, then attack. Attacks from the plate in particular do heavy damage, so it's crucial to avoid them.
• Be wary of when the Fire Giant jumps into the air and slams down with the metal plate. This move needs to be dodged, as it can often one-shot you.
• The Fire Giant will eventually begin using fire attacks. He either creates a floating explosive fire orb, a fast explosive fast fireball, or eruptions of flame at his feet. To avoid getting hit by the orb, get close to it and bait its explosion, then dodge away before it explodes. To avoid getting hit by the fireball, dodge as it hits where you are. To avoid the flame eruption, avoid the visible sprouts of flame on the ground.
• Occasionally, the Fire Giant will roll away from you. Watch for this and dodge out of the way. Otherwise, you'll take heavy damage.

Keep up the pressure against the Fire Giant until he reaches about 50% health, at which point a cutscene that signals the start of Phase 2 will begin.

Elden Ring: Fire Giant Phase 2

When Phase 2 begins, the Fire Giant's left leg will break and the Fire Giant will rip it off, burning it in his hands as the "second face" on his torso opens. Here's how to complete Phase 2 and finish off the Fire Giant.

• Immediately get on Torrent when Phase 2 begins. The Fire Giant is more mobile in this phase and his attacks are easier to avoid on horseback, making Torrent's speed incredibly valuable.
• The Fire Giant only uses his hands to attack in this phase, so focus on hitting his legs and backside. Note that his hands do take more damage than the rest of his body, but they're also incredibly difficult to hit, so we don't recommend trying to take advantage of this.
• In this phase, the Fire Giant shoots two fire orbs or fireballs at a time. Ride directly to the left or right to avoid them. Getting hit by two fireballs is usually a death sentence, so prioritize avoiding these whenever you see the Fire Giant preparing to shoot them.
• If the Fire Giant crawls towards you and tries to slam you with his right hand, ride under and then behind him. You can then get in several hits as he recovers and prepares to attack again.
• When the Fire Giant looks to the sky and begins creating a shower of meteors, ride close to him and begin attacking. This is a massive attack window you should take advantage of, as the meteors never land right next to the Fire Giant.
• The Fire Giant rolls more frequently in this phase, so always be ready to move away from him. If you see the Fire Giant begin to roll over, press the dodge button to give Torrent a burst of speed to make avoiding the roll easier.

And that's it. With enough patient dodging and the proper approach to each phase of the fight, the Fire Giant will be dead before you know it.

Elden Ring is finally here, and it's available for $60 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC. It's one of the best Xbox games you can play right now if you're a fan of challenging RPGs, and we strongly recommend it.