The Elden Ring DLC's secret Jolan and Anna Spirit Ashes are a Bleed build's best friend — here's how to get them in Shadow of the Erdtree

Everyone knows the best Elden Ring Spirit Ashes are Mimic Tears, but let's be real — we've been using those for two years now, and if you ask me, the novelty of making a goopy clone of yourself has worn off. Luckily, Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has added several new Spirit Ashes to play around with, including a secret one I expect to become a staple for Bleed build users: Jolan and Anna, twin Swordhands of Night. One uses a katana and the other wields claws, but both rapidly build up the Bleed status effect with their attacks and rip huge chunks of HP off boss health bars when it procs.

These Spirit Ashes won't be a good fit for every Elden Ring encounter or build — some bosses are immune to Bleed, the sisters don't have a ton of health, and with an FP requirement of 144, they can't be summoned without at least 25 Mind — but they synergize exceptionally with Bleed setups, and are also a great way to incorporate Bleed into your approach to boss fights if your build lacks it. However, acquiring them is a lengthy process, as you'll have to complete a side quest, make a specific choice for an NPC's fate, access a hidden area, and do some tricky Torrent platforming to reach the secret location where you get them.

Don't worry, though, because in the guide below, I'll go over that entire process in detail. Without further ado, here's how to get the secret Jolan and Anna Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

Complete Count Ymir's questline

To get the Jolan and Anna Spirit Ashes, the first thing you need to do is complete Count Ymir's questline at the Cathedral of Manus Metyr. This building is located in eastern Scadu Altus, and it's accessible by taking the underground path from Moorth Ruins to Bonny Village, then going east across the bridges, and finally traveling north up the path until you reach a fork, at which point you head left.

Count Ymir sits on the throne inside — Jolan is leaning against a pillar in front and to the right of him, by the way, so feel free to talk to her — and will ask you to sound a bell at "hallowed ruins" in the Land of Shadow. The ruins he's referring to are actually Finger Ruins, and the first two parts of his quest involve finding two of these and sounding the bells at their centers.

First, Ymir will direct you to the Finger Ruins of Rhia, which you can access from southeastern Cerulean Coast. After you sound the bell there and go back to his cathedral to speak with him again, he'll then ask you to find the bell at the Finger Ruins of Dheo, which are accessible from the eastern part of the Hinterlands.

Note that the path that leads to Cerulean Coast can be found by traveling down the sloped path southeast of the Castle Front Site of Grace in front of Castle Ensis in Gravesite Plain. The Hinterlands, meanwhile, are far trickier to get to; you'll first have to obtain the O Mother gesture from a Marika statue north of the Bonny Village, then use it in front of the Marika statue near the Shadow Keep, Back Gate Site of Grace to open a hidden pathway. I recommend using this Elden Ring DLC interactive map if you're having trouble finding these places or items.

Head back to Ymir once you've rung both bells and speak with him. After thanking you, he'll give you a third Finger Ruin to find, along with a map that shows it's directly below the Cathedral of Manus Metyr. This is your cue to reload the area by resting at or fast traveling to the cathedral's Site of Grace, at which point Ymir will disappear from his throne. To get to the Finger Ruins underground, approach his throne and interact with it to open a secret path.

Fight Metyr, Jolan, and then Ymir

Head down the ladder and you'll enter the Finger Ruins of Miyr, where you'll be invaded by Swordhand of Night Anna; defeat her to obtain her Claws of Night, then activate and rest at the Site of Grace before you sound the nearby bell.

This will begin the boss fight against Metyr, Mother of Fingers, an entity you'll need to beat to finish Ymir's quest. My comprehensive guide on the battle goes over it in great detail, but some basic things about it to know are that Metyr is weak to Frostbite and Bleed and deals both Physical and Magic damage. Once she's dead, head back up to the Cathedral of Manus Metyr.

You'll be invaded by Swordhand of Night Jolan, and defeating her will start a minor boss fight with Count Ymir himself. Now all you have to do is beat him to conclude his questline.

Get the Swordhand of Night Jolan Spirit Ashes

Once Ymir is dead, reload the area and go back to where Jolan was leaning originally. There, you'll find her wounded and dying, and she'll tell you to "give me light." Following this, you'll be presented with the option to give her an Iris of Grace or an Iris of Occultation (you'll find one of each of these in the Shadow Keep Legacy dungeon, another Iris of Grace at the Tree-Worship Sanctum Site of Grace, and another Iris of Occultation from an Omenkiller at the Fort of Reprimand).

If you give Jolan an Iris of Occultation, you'll get her Sword of Night, a unique Katana that scales exclusively with Dexterity, causes Bleed buildup, and features the Witching Hour Slash Ash of War that lets you perform a series of rapid unblockable slashes. However, if you want to get the Jolan and Anna Spirit Ashes, you'll need to give her an Iris of Grace. This is because you'll get the Swordhand of Night Jolan Spirit Ashes in return, which you'll need for the final part of this process.

I should note that while getting one rewards locks you out of obtaining the other in your current playthrough, you may be able to find someone willing to drop you the Sword of Night on the r/PatchesEmporium Elden Ring item trading subreddit (Spirit Ashes can't be dropped, so you wouldn't be able to get Jolan's that way). You could also get the Sword of Night in a NG+ cycle.

Get to the top of Rabbath's Rise

Now that you have Jolan's Spirit Ashes, the final thing you need to do is get to the secret room on top of Rabbath's Rise that has the doll of her sister, Anna, in it. First, head to the Shaman Village in the Hinterlands, which is found south of the bridge you crossed to get to the Finger Ruins of Dheo earlier.

This is a gorgeous location with huge connections to the lore of Elden Ring and the Land of Shadow itself, so be sure to explore it at some point. For now, though, head to its southern edge and you'll see the top of the Rabbath's Rise tower, along with small pieces of flat ground on the cliffside you can jump to with Torrent to get closer to it. Carefully hop down and you'll see a stone balcony you can land on; do so once you're close enough to do it safely.

At this point, all you have to do is walk into the room this balcony is attached to and interact with Anna's puppet body to get the Jolan and Anna Spirit Ashes.

Note that you can freely switch between the Swordhand of Night Jolan Spirit Ashes and the Jolan and Anna Spirit Ashes whenever you want by returning here, though Jolan alone honestly isn't worth using since she doesn't have much health. Together, though, these two Swordhand sisters are capable of great things.

The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is finally here, and it makes one of the best Xbox games and best PC games of all time even better. It's out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and Windows PC for $39.99.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree | $34.89 at CDKeys (Xbox)

Shadow of the Erdtree is Elden Ring at its most refined, with the base game's overly formulaic elements cut away and some of FromSoftware's best boss fights. The result is a 40-hour-long masterpiece of a DLC that's an absolute must-play for any Soulsborne fan.

Also see: Shadow of the Erdtree (PC, $37.09) | Deluxe Edition (PC, $90.89)

Collector's Edition: Bandai Namco Store (€249.99)