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How do you beat the Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree? This massive, gold-haired monster is one of the DLC's most intimidating early bosses. Found within the Shadow Keep, the fight feels like tackling a Runebear on steroids-except this time, the beast has a devastating "Super Saiyan" transformation that makes it deadlier than most optional encounters. If you're struggling with this fight, our guide breaks down melee, ranged, and even cheese strategies to help you overcome it and claim valuable rewards, including Scadutree Fragments and other crucial Elden Ring Items that will boost your journey.

Where to Find the Golden Hippopotamus

You'll encounter the Golden Hippopotamus after riding the grand lift into the Shadow Keep, north of the Highroad Cross Site of Grace. The beast lurks just behind the Furnace Golem you'll spot in the distance. If you'd rather postpone the fight, you can take an alternate path: head east through Bonny Village and enter the Shadow Keep from the eastern entrance. This lets you bypass the Golden Hippopotamus entirely-or return later when you're better prepared.

For players determined to take on the challenge early, aim for Scadutree level 8 or higher. At this stage, you'll have enough survivability to endure its hardest hits while still dishing out damage. Equip medium to light armor for faster dodge rolls, since blocking is nearly useless against its guard-breaking strikes.

Summon Help: Freyja or Hornsent

Outside the fog wall, you'll find summon signs for Redmane Freyja and Hornsent if you've advanced their questlines.

·Redmane Freyja: Ideal for tanking. She can absorb multiple hits, giving you windows of opportunity.

·Hornsent: Applies bleed, letting you chunk away the boss's massive health bar much faster.

If you're struggling solo, bringing a summon drastically reduces the difficulty of this fight.

Key Attacks and How to Dodge Them

The Golden Hippopotamus doesn't have a large move pool, but each strike hits like a truck. Learning its patterns is the key to victory.

1. Open-Mouth Charge - The most common move. The hippo lowers its head, opens wide, and rushes forward. Dodge at the very last second, ideally sideways. Dodging too early will almost always result in a one-shot bite.

2. Ground Slam with Golden Spikes - Triggered during its transformation at 60% HP. The beast sprouts glowing golden hairs and slams the ground, releasing spikes from both sides. Stay behind the boss or roll backward to avoid.

3. Rolling Ball Attack - It curls up and rolls across the arena, firing golden quills. Keep your distance and dodge diagonally when it closes in.

Patience and proper dodge timing are your best tools-greed will almost always get you killed.

Golden Hippopotamus Melee Strategy

Melee builds thrive against this boss if they focus on status effects or stance breaking:

·Fast Weapons: Twinblades, katanas, or Backhand Blades can proc bleed quickly, but you'll need to limit combos to two or three strikes before rolling away.

·Heavy Weapons: Greatswords or colossal weapons excel at staggering. Use the Stonebarb Cracked Tear in your Wondrous Physick to boost stance-breaking power.

The best punish window is immediately after dodging its open-mouth charge. This gives about three seconds to land multiple hits before it recovers. Once you've mastered the timing, you can stagger-lock it repeatedly for critical hits.

Golden Hippopotamus Ranged Strategy

Ranged combat offers safety, but the boss closes distance quickly, punishing players who overcommit to long-cast spells. Recommended options:

·Sorceries: Use Rock Sling to stagger the beast or Glintstone Shards for quick chip damage. Avoid long-channel spells like Comet Azur unless the boss is distracted.

·Incantations: Lightning Spear is reliable from mid-range, while Dragon Communion Breaths like Ekzykes's Decay can melt HP if timed correctly.

·Bows: Greatbows or Radahn's Lionbow are excellent for punishing during their rolling attack phase.

If you're going ranged, summon Redmane Freyja to keep aggro off you, buying time to cast uninterrupted. This becomes even easier if you buy Elden Ring Items like powerful Spirit Ashes or upgraded catalysts to boost your ranged output.

Golden Hippopotamus Cheese Strategy

If patience isn't your strong suit, there are ways to cheese this encounter:

1. Summon Redmane Freyja to tank.

2. Wait until the Hippopotamus locks onto her.

3. Cast devastating spells like Comet Azur, Death Lightning, or Bloodmoon Ritual from Moghwyn's Sacred Spear.

Alternatively, if you're running Arcane, use Smarag's Glintstone Breath or Ekzykes's Decay while the boss is focused on your summon. This can shred its HP in seconds, though you'll need multiple casts to finish the job.

Rewards and Next Steps

Defeating the Golden Hippopotamus rewards you with Scadutree Fragments, crucial for boosting survivability in the Land of Shadow. Don't forget to upgrade your Scadutree level at the nearest Site of Grace-these buffs make future encounters far more manageable.

While this boss is optional, it's well worth the effort. Not only do you gain valuable upgrades, but you'll also sharpen your dodge and timing skills for the far deadlier foes lurking deeper in Shadow of the Erdtree.

Final Thoughts

The Golden Hippopotamus might feel unfair at first, but like every boss in Elden Ring, mastery comes from observation and patience. Whether you choose to go toe-to-toe with a bleed katana, cast Rock Sling from afar, or cheese the fight with summons, there's no single right way to win. What matters is staying calm, learning its patterns, and exploiting its punishment windows.

With the beast slain, you'll be one step closer to conquering the Shadow Keep-and one Scadutree level stronger for the even tougher battles ahead.