In Elden Ring, Spirit Ashes are ghosts that you can summon to aid you during battle. Some can tank bosses and enemies for you, giving you room to heal or unleash powerful abilities. This guide will go through the best Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.
Top 5 best Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree & where to find them
Spirit Ashes were some of my best friends in the base Elden Ring game, and it's certainly no different in the even more massive (and more punishing) expansion Shadow of the Erdtree. Though their return to the tangible world is often quite a brief one, their assistance can certainly help shift the tide of battle.
They are therefore indispensable tools in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree and luckily for you, I've picked out five of the best Spirit Ashes in the DLC and outlined what's great about them – along with handy maps to show you where to find them.
5) Black Knight Captain Huw
Captain Huw was the captain of The Black Knights, who were the main battalion in Messmer’s army. This Spirit Ash wields a Twinblade and even dishes out some Crucible magic spells, making him a useful pick for punishing combat scenarios. If you invest in upgrading him, his spells can even take care of entire mobs of enemies.
To find Black Knight Captain Huw, you must head to the Scorpion River Catacombs. The catacombs can be found in Rauh Ruins, which are located southwest of Ravine North’s Site of Grace. Once you enter the perilous catacombs, you must reach the end of the L-shaped corridor and avoid crushing spike traps before you finally encounter the captain.
4) Fire Knight Hilde
Fire Knight Hilde is one of the strongest Spirit Ash summons to acquire in the early game of Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree because she boasts a greatsword with strong stagger potential, and can cast powerful fire incantations.
To find Hilde, you must first head to Shadow Keep. Starting at the Storehouse, Loft Site of Grace take the elevator up and then turn left before turning left once again. Next, take a right until you happen upon a bat hanging upside down from the ceiling (as they like to do).
Head to the other side of the room to find a ladder heading up. Climb it and then turn left until you reach an area featuring a large gear. Next, make yourself fall behind the column and land on the large gear before jumping off of it onto the next platform and reaching the ladder around the corner on the left. Climb this ladder and when you reach the top, take the wooden beam on the left which will take you to the lift on the right.
Activate the lift and then quickly roll back to the platform. Once another lift has taken its place, do the same and activate it before swiftly rolling back. Note that you will now need to jump onto the roof of the first lift. When it comes to a stop, jump across to the platform. You will now arrive at a corpse on the other side, which you can loot to finally obtain the Spirit Ash of Fire Knight Hilde.
3) Black Knight Commander Andreas
If you're looking for a tanky Spirit Ash, then look no further than The Black Knight Commander Andreas. He was the original head of Messmer’s army and therefore used some pretty beefy equipment in battle. He can tank a ton of damage in battle, and the hammer he uses is great at dishing out pretty noteworthy posture damage to the enemy.
You'll find Black Knight Commander Andreas by first making your way through the Fog Rift Catacombs. As you explore the area, you will happen upon a black knight guarded by three Messmer Soldiers. Take them out and then jump on top of a spike trap that falls from the ceiling and cross it into the corridor on the left. You will find a coffin there which you can open and – abracadabra – the Spirit Ash will be inside.
2) Bloodfiend Hexer
Another stellar Spirit Ash that you can get early on in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is the Bloodfiend Hexer. This spirit shows off a spear and enchants it with bloodflame hexes, doling out a massive amount of damage to the enemy. But do note that, instead of FP, you will need HP to summon the Spirit. It consumes 500 HP to summon it, which is not a bad trade-off in light of what he brings to the battle.
To pin down this feisty fiend, you will need to take on the Chief Bloodfiend Boss. He can be found inside Rivermouth Cave. To reach the cave in the first place, you will need to head south from the Temple Town Ruins. You can also arrive there by heading southwest from the Northern Nameless Mausoleum.
1) Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh
And coming in first place is none other than the Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh. A little background: Yosh is an agile swordsman who will allow you to cheese through a lot of the early game in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. This is because he is extremely hard to pin down by the enemy. The Demi-Human also comes with a serious amount of damage, so be prepared to see chunks flying out of the enemy's HP bar. He consumes 95 FP to summon and can solo an entire encampment if you have upgraded him to +10 with total ease. Not too shabby.
To find Yosh, you will need to defeat the Demi-Human Swordmaster Onze in Belurat Gaol. This boss is hiding at the very bottom of the dungeon. To find it, you will need to get to the entrance to the Belurat Gaol by heading west from Belurat Tower Settlement. Just note that Onze is very fast and therefore can be a challenging fight. I advise you to keep your distance and learn his moves before you make your strike.
Wondering where to go after defeating Rellana in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree? Then be sure to check out Where to go after defeating Rellana, Twin Moon Knight (Map) in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree on Pro Game Guides.
Ivan Krasnov has been a writer for over 7 years. His areas of interest include shooters like Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and The Finals, but also RPGs like Cyberpunk: 2077 and the Dishonored franchise and single-player experiences like God of War and The Last of Us. Ivan has a double major in History and Russian from Oberlin College and when he isn't gaming – he is playing music and touring Europe with his band.