Consort Radahn Is The Worst Fromsoft Boss of all time | Boss Analysis

Storyline context (what this boss fight represents)

• The speaker frames the fight as a major, highly consequential plot moment tied to Radahn and the “terrible meeting” experienced across Elden Ring’s base game plus Shadow of the Erdtree.
• They call Radahn’s placement the most important battle in the entire game in both story and gameplay, arguing that because of that importance, the boss’s mechanical problems feel especially painful.
• They also reference controversy around DLC leaks: gameplay/footage of Radahn allegedly surfaced before release. Many initially assumed it was a fan mod because the fight looked “too weird” to believe.

Gameplay highlights & what the speaker uses to argue it’s mechanically problematic

The video includes discussion and examples intended to show the issues aren’t merely “skill issues.”

The speaker claims a no-hit run record against Radahn and highlights tactics/techniques such as:

• Juggling eight different spells during the fight.
• Using a dagger parry, described as harder than buckler/parry methods like Carian Retribution.
• Breaking stance early in phase two.
• Interrupting Light of Mikaela.
• Passing i-frames (timing-based invulnerability) via critical strike mechanics.
• Using Miriam’s Vanishing to evade meteor attacks and the final AoE timing (called “incredibly tricky”).
• Switching between dual wielding and two-handing to access certain parry/skills.
• Performing an advanced technique: parrying with clones (described as the hardest parry in the game).

They emphasize that even with extensive mastery, the fight still shows flaws they consider fundamental.

Core thesis: why the boss is “unsuccessful” mechanically

The speaker says Radahn is:

• “Fundamentally broken”
• “Hopeless garbage even after buffs”

They argue the main issues aren’t just subjective opinions.

1) Instability caused by terrain (major focus)

They argue the arena produces scenarios where the same defensive action doesn’t reliably lead to the same outcome.

Key claims:

• In phase two, attacks come with beams/rays of light meant to guide precise dodging.
• But the position of the light rays changes based on terrain, affecting:
  • Dodge timing
  • Whether an attack is dodgeable at all

They give examples where:

• One attempt dodges correctly but still gets hit because the beam placement changed.
• Another attempt dodges “the same way” but avoids damage because the beam appears differently.

Additional terrain-related problems they list:

• Hitbox inconsistencies, especially affecting parries
  • An attack that should miss sometimes passes “through” due to terrain/positioning, then the boss’s combo continues and hits during recovery.
• Clone trajectories
  • Terrain allegedly alters clone movement, producing hits that “shouldn’t happen.”
• Off-screen readability problems
  • Some clone attacks start high enough that signals are missed because much of the action happens off-screen.
• Lingering/leftover pillars of light
  • Pillars can remain in ways that force unavoidable hits because of complex arena conditions.
• Gravity/spin attack unpredictability
  • Landing spot/timing can shift due to arena interactions.
• Escape-distance failures
  • A gravity-rock + clone sequence supposedly demands absurd distance and perfect line running. They claim the wall blocks enough distance, making the damage effectively unavoidable.
• Parry/height interference
  • Near the end, Radahn is too high for a final parry/counterattack, ruining an otherwise no-hit run.

2) “Stability cheater” / stamina management complaints

The speaker uses a mod conceptually framed around showing boss stamina/resilience (“stability”) behavior and claims:

• Radahn combines properties they consider the worst from other bosses:
  • A high stamina pool (around 120).
  • Fast stamina recovery similar to faster bosses (compared to Malenia-style recovery).
• Some attacks guarantee stamina regain regardless of the player’s actions—meaning correct play can still lose progress.
• Phase two is especially punishing because you must dodge/run and cannot rely on projectile hits to maintain the break.

They cite examples where stamina recovery feels unavoidable:

• Gravitational meteor / meteor-related sequences in phase two.
• A meteor follow-up that lasts so long that stamina recovery begins before the impact damage can meaningfully matter.
• Star Worshiper’s Call follow-up:
  • They claim the continuation is too long to counterattack in phase two.
  • A follow-up occurs even when the player is close.

They contrast this with how similar issues were addressed in other fights:

• They argue FromSoftware previously solved similar stamina-recovery problems (e.g., pausing the recovery timer during takeoff/while an attack is “in the sky”).
• Their claim: Radahn’s similar attacks don’t copy that fix.

3) Animation/AI behavior feels “crude” and sometimes illogical

They describe Radahn as inhuman/bug-like, pointing to specific behavior problems:

• Recovery animation mismatch
  • A slow, “T-pose-like” recovery transitions abruptly into fast attacks with little natural delay.
• Skipping/choosing transitions
  • Radahn can supposedly skip initial/phase transition attacks about half the time, selecting alternatives without player input.
• Turn-in-place and tracking issues
  • When the player is behind/side, Radahn allegedly turns by “sliding on ice,” with unclear telegraphs.
  • The speaker argues this obscures parts of the attack preparation animation, made harder by visual clutter (notably Miquella’s hair).
• Comparison to other DLC bosses
  • They compare with bosses like Messmer, claiming telegraphs are clearer and positioning changes don’t obscure player intent as much.

Strategy notes & implied key tips

Based on what the speaker emphasizes, implied approach includes:

• Use projectiles during openings when it prevents stamina recovery.
• Plan for phase two being less forgiving of stamina-maintenance during long dodge/run sequences.
• Expect variations in light-ray beam behavior:
  • Don’t assume the “same dodge” always works across different terrain spots.
• Use advanced defensive and timing tools:
  • Parrying (including clone parry techniques)
  • Critical strike i-frame usage
  • Miriam’s Vanishing for meteor/AoE sections

Overall critique conclusion (their framing)

• Even if the arena/terrain issues were fixed, they still think Radahn would be “terrible.”
• They argue the fight trends toward monotony, where most solutions reduce to rolling/parrying, with fewer viable alternatives (like jumping/crouching/creative evasion) compared to other bosses.
• They dislike repeated/mimicked combat patterns they associate with earlier FromSoftware ideas, describing Radahn as feeling like a worse reuse rather than an original improvement.

Gamers / sources featured

• Joseph Anderson (referenced as an example type of commentator; no specific video cited in the subtitles)
• Miyazaki (referenced regarding evidence that bosses may be designed with no-hit/passless play in mind)