How to Defeat Night Idol (to Unlock Revenant) – Elden Ring: Nightreign

Alright, you purchased the Besmirched Frame, interacted with a little ghost girl and now… well, turns out, she is a proper boss fight, “Night Idol”, with 3 adds. But, good news: this is actually a Nightfarer — the Revenant, and once you defeat her, you get to play as her. If you thought her adds are pretty cool, you get to keep them after this, along with her nifty mass-resurrection ability.

Bad news is, the lady’s entire vibe is about staying alive, and you will get to experience that first-hand very soon.

(If you need the initial steps to unlock Revenant, check out our How to Unlock Revenant guide).

Which Nightfarer to Choose Against Her?

This boss is a bit tricky, offering both mobile and heavy-hitting enemies, as well as a couple of very deadly ranged and melee attacks. It is probably designed to give most of the Nightfarers a fair degree of challenge. Since you aren’t in control of your equipment, the battle is pure skill and will make Elden Ring players feel right at home.

One thing you don’t have to worry about are Relics — no matter what progress you made on your character, you start the battle on level 6 with a starting weapon. So, you can pick any class you would like.

The guide below is optimized for the Ironeye Nightfarer, since that’s the character used by the author of the guide, but the moveset and a lot of the maneuvers will carry between the classes.

Strategy

Quick Summary:

• Stay within the side wings to begin. Eliminate the Page first, then go after the Pumpkin Head. While fighting adds, keep some distance from the circling Night Idol.
• Go after the Giant Skeleton, dodging its projectiles in the outer circle of its melee range.
• Finally, use the partial cover of the side columns to confront the Night Idol in closer range.

“Phase 1”: Page & Pumpkin Head

1. Approach the Revenant to begin the battle. Then, quickly dodge back out of her projectile attack.
2. Target Page. Walk back towards one of the side wings, keep to the wall. Use Page’s faster speed to create distance between him and Pumpkin Head. Kill first.
   • If Ironeye, quick arrow shots briefly interrupt him, helping you keep that distance and dispatch quickly.
3. Target Pumpkin Head. Let him get close, then dodge sideways, around him, or through him (with Marking skill) to avoid the slam. Deal heavy damage in the window created.
   • If Ironeye, quick arrow shots while Pumpkin Head closes in. Then Weapon Skill + Attack for a slow, heavier shot during those windows. If the timing is awkward, just keep to quick arrow shots.
4. At all times, be vaguely aware of Night Idol’s distance. If she approaches, immediately disengage and retreat to the nearest corner of the opposite wing. Night Idol will keep her distance and the two mobile adds will catch up quickly. Try not to enter the range of the Giant Skeleton.

“Phase 2”: Giant Skeleton Spirit

1. Target Giant Skeleton. Move out of the Skeleton’s melee range, then pay attention to the Night Idol circling on the opposite side of the Giant Skeleton. Use your Ultimate or other AoE attacks to damage both the Giant Skeleton and the Night Idol as much as possible.
   • If Ironeye, keep far distance and use quick single shots. Wait until the Night Idol is behind the Giant Skeleton facing you in a position that allows you to use your Ultimate in a straight line that hurts both.
2. When Giant Skeleton roars, be ready for melee attacks. When it hides under the ground and climbs out, or tilts its head up and pauses, be ready for deadly beams — dodge-roll sideways.
   • If Ironeye, keep far distance and always use Weapon Skill + Attack combo for heavier hits, and use quick arrow shots at all other times. It’s okay to just use quick shots also.
3. Do your best to keep the Night Idol at some distance at all times. She will come up close more often now that the other two adds are gone.

“Phase 3”: Night Idol

1. As soon as the Giant Skeleton is gone, Night Idol will close in. Immediately seek partial cover of one of the column sets (even if they got partially destroyed by the Giant Skeleton). Circle back and forth around them, keeping Night Idol at close distance until you are ready to land your attack.
2. If Night Idol signals the projectile attack by projecting a rune, quickly roll to the other side of the columns to have her projectiles get caught.
   • Note that you will have to narrow in the path — partial contact with a projectile will not make it get caught in a column. Make sure to dodge in such a way that a column blocks her sight of you completely and walk away from it.
   • The best cover is provided when getting the Night Idol at enough distance to have all of the columns in a line between you and her.

As Melee

• Let the Night Idol get close, then dodge back as she activates her burst attack (or behind the columns if she sends out projectiles). Roll back towards her and hit.
• If possible, use your best interrupting attack set to interrupt her engaging claws or disk projectiles.
• If she disengages, seek cover of the columns again, and repeat.

As Range (Ironeye)

• Expect to keep just out of the range of her melee attacks — trying to roll back further will give her the opportunity to catch up and strike.
• Hug the columns within 1-2 rolls away from her and force her to keep distance by shooting quick arrows even when most of them miss. Do not try any slower attacks, but if an opportunity presents itself, use Marking.
• When she signals projectiles, the best cover is provided with the full line of columns between you and her.
• Just keep 1-2 rolls away from her, avoid her projectiles, and keep shooting quick arrows until they land (or boost your chances with Marking).

Moveset

If you wanted to develop a different strategy, we described the full moveset of the adds and the Night Idol below.

Revenant’s Adds

• Add 1: Page with a Rapier — Quickest of the adds, with some dodging, but mostly straightforward quick swings with low damage.
• Add 2: Hooded Pumpkin Head with a Sledgehammer — Slowly closes up distance. When close, hits the ground with his hammer. At slight distance, swings the hammer out.
• Add 3: Giant Skeleton Spirit — Roars when you approach. Pummels down with his arm when you are in close range. When you leave after engaging him (or periodically once two other adds are gone), blasts deadly rays at long range.

Night Idol

• 3 Ranged Disk Projectiles: Revenant signals the attack with a golden rune, followed by three outward projectiles of golden disks which deal high damage on contact — they come outwards, stay for a couple of seconds and move back in, viable to deal damage at any of those points.
• Close-Range Burst: Revenant pauses in place, bursting out some energy in immediate range that deals moderately high damage.
• Melee Claw Attack: a sequence of slicing attacks with high damage performed after quickly closing the distance.

Behavior:

• Moves around the battlefield slower when adds are present, but aims to close the distance. Throws out ranged disks without too much regard for distance.
• If you get close, uses the burst to damage you, then lunges out with melee claws.
• When down to 1 add, approaches more aggressively with Melee Claws.
• When last standing, dodges with rolls actively, attacking with Ranged Disks occasionally, and with other two melee attacks when quickly closing up the distance.