Malenia, Balde of Miquella, is easily one of the most intriguing and equally as challenging boss FromSoftware has ever created. And that’s saying a lot about the quality of the fight, considering the developer is known for creating some of the best boss encounters in the gaming industry. In Elden Ring, Malenia alone has been the reason for many broken controllers, rage, and sadness among many players.
However, there’s another boss who holds a similar position among fans. And that boss is also one of FromSoftware’s crowning achievements in stellar boss design, Sister Friede, the Ash who was the usurper of the First Flame in Dark Souls.
But what if we stack these two bosses against one another? Who will reign supreme in an one-on-one battle?
Will it be Malenia, the Rot Goddess, who decimated the entirety of Caelid with her Scarlet Bloom or will it be the Friede, who usurped the First Flame, a feat, very few were able to accomplish, if at all, within the Dark Souls mythos?
In this article we will examine both these bosses, their strengths, weakness, and how a fictional battle against these two god-like beings will play out.
How Malenia, Blande of Miquella can gain the upper hand in the battle against Friede
It can’t be understated how truly challenging the battle against Malenia is in Elden Ring. Being an “Empyrian”and also one, who is blessed by the Outer God of Rot, Malenia is capable of decimating anyone stands in her way. She even bested the titanic General Radahn, who used to revered by his loyalists, and even Radagon himself as the most fiersome warrior in the Lands Between.
In terms of gameplay, the Rot Goddess has access to a few tricks that make her incredibly challenging, which include her health-stealing ability as well as the highly infamous weapon art, Waterfowl Dance. She also gains the ability to harness the Scarlet Rot and decimate anyone in her path using her Scarlet Bloom.
While she may not be the toughest boss fight in Elden Ring, she sure is among the most challenging ones. In a fight against Sister Friede, Malenia can easily get the upper-hand using her Waterfowl Dance, which can stagger Friede and leave her unable to retaliate. And given Malenia can also heal with each of her hits, she can leach away at Friede’s healthpool, while also dealing massive amounts of damage.
However, Malenia is also equally as prone to stagger herself, which makes her an easy target for Friede’s frostbite attacks as well as Blackflame.
How Sister Friede can get an upper hand in the battle against Malenia
For the sake of keeping the battle amongst both these bosses fair, I won’t include the Father Ariandel phase of the boss fight. Even after removing it, Sister Friede has almost the same amount of health as Malenia, with two phases, with full healthbars. Her first phase isn’t as tough, and apart from her ability to vanish and inflict frosbite, she’s quite similar to the Rot Goddess.
However, it is her second (final) phase that’s the real deal. Friede gains access to Blackflame, the most potent and powerful form of flame incantation in Souls games, alongside her Frost attacks. The phase also boosts her overall defense and poise, making her practically invulnerable to stagger from regular attacks.
However, she can still be staggered using weapon arts, especially ones like Waterfowl Dance, which can end up being a major disadvantage.
Who takes the crown of being the superior boss?
So the million-dollar question is who would end up winning in an one-on-one battle, Malenia or Sister Friede? Honestly speaking, I think it can go eitherway. Both of these bosses are a benchmark in difficulty and spectacle, and have some truly devastating attacks and abilities in their arsenal.
However, I think the Rot Goddess has a slight edge over Friede, in part due to her Waterfowl Dance weapon art, but also due to her ability to leech health from her opponents. Pair that with the Scarlet Bloom, and she becomes a formidable force that can overpower Friede’s Frost and Blackflame combo.
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