10 Bosses from Dark Souls that could return in Elden Ring Nightreign

Elden Ring Nightreign will see Dark Souls bosses invade a parallel version of the Lands Between, but which old foes will cross time and space to slay again?

The trailer of Elden Ring Nightreign revealed that three bosses from the Dark Souls games will be returning. Each one represented a different game in the trilogy, with the returning Nameless King causing the biggest stir.

While the developers have revealed that Dark Souls assets will be used sparingly in Nightreign, there are likely to be more bosses from the series that have yet to be revealed. Below, we try to work out who’ll be returning, why they should, and how it could be possible.

Spoilers for various Dark Souls games below. We’ve also not included any bosses from Bloodborne or Demon’s Souls in this list, as Elden Ring Nightreign is strictly a Dark Souls and Elden Ring crossover. 

Ornstein and Smough 

These two ruined many a Chosen Undead’s day and went down as one of the most difficult boss fights in the history of Dark Souls. Serving as the guardians of Annor Londo, in the original Dark Souls, the noble knight Ornstein and his cannibalistic ally Smough, double-teamed players in a two versus-one battle that likely caused many a smashed controller.    

Bringing them back in Elden Ring Nightreign not only revisits a classic Souls encounter – it levels the playing field. Nightreign is a game focused on co-op multiplayer, allowing players to get revenge and gang up on them for a change. Of course, even with a team of four, Ornstein and Smough are unlikely to be pushovers.

Great Grey Wolf Sif

I’ll try not to choke up while writing this one, but if there’s any boss who deserves to return in a parallel universe, it’s the best boy of Dark Souls 1: Great Grey Wolf Sif. You see, Sif isn’t a monster trying to smash you into dust or a demon who wants to consume your soul. 

He’s trying to protect you from becoming corrupted by a malevolent force known as the Abyss, something his first master succumbed to – even if that means killing you.

Nightreign could see Sif transported to the Lands Between along with other bosses who previously died in Lordran. There, he could serve as a boss again and maybe escape his fate this time. Or to honor the poignance of the story, his death could still play out, but in a way that contributes to Nightreign’s plot in a significant way. 

Knight Artorias

Artorias is Sif’s former master and the warrior who was corrupted and enslaved by Manus. He falls to the Chosen Undead’s blade when they’re sent back in time, but history attributes the destruction of Manus to Artorias, not the Chosen Undead, making his legend a lie. Only the player and Sif know the truth. 

Elden Ring Nightreign could give Knight Artorias a shot at redemption. If the fallen warrior is pulled into the Lands Between, and if Manus is connected to the two worlds colliding – as we suspect he may be, then the hero could get the chance to slay his foe after all. Or Artorias could be instrumental in the defeat of the Night Lord in some fashion.

A rematch against Knight Artorias in Elden Ring Nightreign could be an epic boss fight and would lend itself well to the co-op nature of the game. Slaying the game’s villain with his sword could also be a bittersweet tribute to one of Dark Souls 1’s most beloved, but saddest characters. 

Gwyn, The First Lord of Cinder

You hear a lot about Gwyn before you actually come face-to-face with him at the end of Dark Souls 1. Sadly, this God of Fire has become a hollow shell of his former self and has given his immortal life and godlike essence to save the world. However, he’s still a powerful fighter, and his zombified nature hasn’t slowed him down in the slightest.

Gwyn would be a great choice to return in Elden Ring Nightreign. The character could even be connected to the Flame of Ruin from Elden Ring, finally tying this to the First Flame in Dark Souls. The multiversal craziness of Nightreign makes this the ideal setting to tell such a story. 

There are also several parallels between Gwyn and Marika, the fallen goddess of the Lands Between. Both gave everything and became puppets to forces beyond their understanding. This could be great fun to explore further. 

The Ancient Dragon

There are many dragons in the Souls games, but this one is probably the largest and the strongest – at least out of the ones that still fly.  Both Dark Souls and Elden Ring saw their respective pantheons go to battle with Ancient Dragons to secure their power, and this dragon is the survivor of that conflict. 

Could this dragon reveal that there’s a connection between the Ancient Dragons of Dark Souls and Elden Ring? If any character could, it’s him, and with both worlds colliding, who knows what Draconic time travel fun we could have? 

Slave Knight Gael 

The final boss of the final Dark Souls 3 DLC, Slave Knight Gael is as tough as he is tragic. Gael is an ancient figure who’s been searching for “the pigment” for thousands of years. 

It turns out that the pigment he’s looking for is the Dark Soul itself, which has now become the blood of Manus’ descendants. 

Gael hunts, kills, and drinks the blood of this race, turning into a grotesque and insane monster with the pigment now trapped in his body. Gael engages the protagonist in a duel and dies happy, knowing you’ll give his blood to the one who set him his task –  a young girl in an attic, who’s painting a “new world” using the power of the Dark Soul. 

Could this new world be connected to Elden Ring Nightreign? Could it even be the Lands Between?

Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin

Aldia was a scholar who desperately wanted to escape the cycle of either linking the Flame or allowing it to burn out in Dark Souls 2, suggesting there could be a third option using the Throne of Want. It’s all very vague, but many of his predictions came true in Dark Souls 3.

As the Throne of Want, or something that resembles the doorway to it, has been seen in the Elden Ring Nightreign trailer, we may finally see if Aldia knew more than he was letting on. After all, the Dark Souls characters in the Lands Between have indeed escaped that cycle, the only question is, has this led to the rise of the Night Lord instead?

Grave Lord Nito

“The First of the Dead” Nito is a member of the pantheon in Dark Souls 1, an ally of Gwyn’s and effectively that world’s version of the Grimm Reaper. Nito helped Gwyn slay the ancient dragons by exposing them to death for the first time.

In Elden Ring, Marika uses the Erdtree to manipulate life so that nothing can ever truly die. This would horrify Nito if he was transported to the Lands Between in Nightreign – and this would be a fascinating thing to explore.

As far as bosses go, Nito is a terrifying sight to behold and this would look incredible on modern systems. He also summons skeleton warriors to protect himself, making him an excellent choice when choosing bosses suited to co-op. 

Abyss Watchers

The Abyss Watchers are a legion dedicated to killing anything that’s tainted by the Abyss or Manus in Dark Souls 3. They model themselves on Knight Artorias and are ruthless in their pursuit of anything tainted – even beyond death.

If characters touched by the Abyss have escaped into the Lands Between, then the Abyss Watchers will be sure to rise again and pursue them which could make for some impressive battles. This is especially true if the Night Lord has used the Abyss to corrupt the Elden Ring.

The Abyss Watchers are fun to fight as multiple legionnaires rise at once and if you kill one, another appears. Now, imagine this battle with co-op partners in an open world. It was brilliant in Dark Souls 3, it could be legendary in Elden Ring Nightreign, not to mention a perfect fit.

Nashandra

One of the best villains in Dark Souls, Nashandra is the final boss of Dark Souls 2 who aspires to become a powerful goddess. She also manipulates kings, gods, and the player into doing her bidding. Nashandra aims to control the Throne of Want, and therefore the First Flame, until she’s eventually defeated.

As the gateway to the Throne of Want looks like it’s been fused with Miquella’s Eternity Gate (something that lets you become a god) in Elden Ring Nightreign, Nashandra may not be far behind and could be a contender for the identity of the Night Lord. She’s also a fragment of Manus and therefore, the Dark Soul itself, putting her on a collision course with various other names on this list.

What if Nashandra is able to take Marika’s place and corrupt the Elden Ring to achieve her goals, spreading the Abyss and seizing control of the First Flame? Now that is a final boss worthy of a Dark Souls and Elden Ring crossover. She took all our effort to take down in Dark Souls 2, but this time, we’re bringing friends. 

Here are all the returning bosses confirmed so far in Elden Ring Nightreign.