Elden Ring DLC boss made less terrifying by surprising revelation

Elden Ring players who’ve faced off against the Dancing Lion boss in Shadow of the Erdtree are shocked to learn the truth about the hulking creature.

The Divine Beast Dancing Lion is among the first bosses players encounter when diving into Shadow of the Erdtree. Like other Elden Ring bosses, this foe is fearsome and requires plenty of trial and error to overcome.

However, YouTuber BonfireVN has discovered what actually lies beneath the Dancing Lion – two giant characters dressed in an elaborate costume.

The person at the front wears the shaggy headpiece, their hands clasped on either side of the lion’s face to manipulate its roaring and head-shaking maneuvers.

Meanwhile, a second person crawls on all fours behind the leader to act as the tail. A glimpse beneath the suit shows the crawling man is put through the wringer whenever Elden Ring’s Dancing Lion pounces around the area.

Shadow of the Erdtree fans have expressed shock at the revelation, though some noted the Dancing Lion has roots in Chinese tradition.

Such getup is specifically modeled after the Barongsai, a Chinese lion dance performed at festivals and other events. Two dancers operate the lion costume, with one manipulating the head while the other controls the tail end.

One person in the YouTube comments wrote, “Never have I imagined a barongsai… [being] reimagined as something so otherworldy. Really fantastic work by the design team.”

Someone else said the reveal makes the Dancing Lion look a lot less terrifying. “The guy on the back… The horror of this boss turned into humor. So funny to see him running around on all 4s.”

Interestingly enough, this is the same boss that streamer Perrikaryal beat with a mind-controlled gamepad.