How to Beat Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Jun. 21, 2024

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree features some of the baddest and most difficult boss fights in the FromSoftware franchise. However, there are a few bosses that are extremely annoying to fight, such as Golden Hippopotamus, mainly because of camera angles and less movement space. This boss will greet the player pretty unpleasantly when they first enter the Shadow Keep through the main gate. If you want tips and tricks to defeat the Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring, here is a complete guide for you.

Golden Hippopotamus Location in Elden Ring

The Golden Hippopotamus islocated in theShadow Keep in Scadu Altus. He is the first boss you face after entering the Shadow Keep from the main gate. To enter Scadu Altus,you need to defeat Rellana in the Castle Ensis.

After you have made your way into Scadu Altus, continue making your way north until you see a looming dark fortress. You will need to defeat the Golden Hippopotamus to unlock the way to the Ancient Ruins of Ruah. Here are the steps to reach the Golden Hippopotamus:

The Golden Hippopotamus has a few weaknesses, and here is a quick preview:

Solo-fighting the Golden Hippopotamus fight was one of my biggest nightmares during the early review playthrough. Again, like theDancing Lion boss, this fight is hard due to the extremelybad camera anglesand getting cornered in the small room.

The Golden Hippopotamus is very aggressive andconstantly tries to ram youagainst the wall. Here is a complete guide on how to defeat the Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring.

The first thing you must remember at all times isto not corner yourself towards one of the walls.Always try tostay at the centerof the room and move circularly. Otherwise, the Golden Hippopotamus will slam you into the wall constantly, taking away your space to dodge. Next, the camera angle is very bad in this fight, so it is best to not lock on to the enemy.

Now, I willrecommend using Spirit Summonsfrom the get-go to defeat the Golden Hippopotamus, because this fight is definitely not worth it. Use Spirit Summons to take on the enemy aggro from the start and use Bleed builds to quickly chop down its health.

Here are all of Golden Hippopotamus attack patterns in Phase 1 and how to dodge them:

After the Golden Hippopotamus loses 40% or more of its HP, it transitions into the second phase. In its second phase, itsprouts spikes on its back,like a porcupine, and shoots spikes during most of his Phase 1 attacks. This phase also adds a couple of new moves and makes him slightly faster.

The strategy here is similar to the one in Phase 1.Let your Spirit Summon take the aggro as you close in to deal damage. Stay at the center of the room at all times and don’t get grabbed by its bite attack.

Here are all the new Golden Hippopotamus attack patterns in Phase 2 and how to dodge them:

In most case, you will take some damage from this attack so the plan is to minimize the damage and quickly heal up.

After reducing the Golden Hippopotamus’s health bar to zero, it will be defeated. Here are all the rewards dropped from the Golden Hippopotamus on defeat:

Defeating the Golden Hippopotamus will also unlock the rest of the Shadow Keep, allowing you to travel to the Ancient Ruins of Ruah. So, that’s it. If you are still having trouble defeating the Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, ask your queries in the comment section and we will try to help you out.

An old soul who loves CRPGs and Souls-Like to death. Takes pleasure in simplifying “Complex and Hard” games for casual players with tailored guides and videos. He loves to explore new places, read fantasy fiction, watch anime, and create wacky character builds in his off time.