Elden Ring features a Spirit summoning mechanics that Tarnished can utilize in most battles, but some are far more effective in combat than others. Once Ranni gifts players a Spirit Calling Bell in Liurnia, players can begin collecting Spirit Ashes throughout the Lands Between and amass an arsenal of helpful beings. Summons occasionally feature a horde of enemies, such as a pack of wolves or zombies, but FromSoftware restricts players to a single summon per encounter. Some spirits can also inflict elemental damage or utilize special abilities to distract or defeat powerful enemies and bosses. Players can obtain Spirit Ashes as loot throughout the world or by defeating bosses that drop them as rewards, and some Spirits are also available for purchase at unique vendors.
Elden Ring's open world features many powerful abilities and beings, though the logic and lore behind spirit summons are never fully explained. Players must brave certain bosses independently, like optional bosses or repeated bosses throughout the regions. Additionally, players cannot summon Spirits with the Spirit Calling Bell if co-op is initiated, as too much assistance can make Elden Ring extremely easy. While Elden Ring's Spirit Ashes mechanic vastly helps solo players playing offline, there aren't many methods to tell which Ashes are more valuable than others. Character builds equip players with unique strengths and weaknesses, making some Ashes more effective than others.
Elden Ring's Spirit Summons have many uses in battle, including distracting a boss during a fight and dealing additional damage while players back off to heal themselves or gain distance. However, with players limited to a single summon per battle, choosing which companion to summon is essential to victory. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to gauge which Spirit provides the most effective assistance, as bosses with different patterns and hitboxes may hit some creatures easier than others. With thousands of collective hours in Elden Ring, the community has developed strong opinions on which Spirits are the most effective in combat.
#5 Elden Ring's Omenkiller Rollo Summon Is Powerful, But Limited
Like most Elden Ring ing characters, Spirit Ashes have unique stories that tell the story of their life before death. Before becoming the Omenkiller, Rollo was a famed perfumer who designed a physik to eliminate all emotions from his body and soul. His hardened nature allowed him to hunt Mohg, the Omen, an optional boss hidden in the Lands Between. When players obtain his Ashes, Omenkiller Rollo spawns with two massive blades that deal devastating damage with flurry smash attacks. Capable of staggering most common enemies and even some bosses, Rollo also features a fire-breath attack that devastates most close-quarters combat. Unfortunately, his close-quarters build may result in a swift death against more difficult bosses or AOE attacks. Omenkiller Rollo is one of the best Elden Ring Spirit Ashes, but fails to keep up with faster heavy-hitters. His Ashes can be found at the Fell Twins Boss Fight at the Capital Outskirts.
#4 Black Knife Tiche Is A Quick But Weak Spirit Summon In Elden Ring
Elden Ring's Black Knife warriors are infamous assassins responsible for murdering Godwyn the Golden, Marika's most beloved demigod child. Black Knife assassins also appear as optional bosses and can easily overwhelm players with low stamina and health. Thankfully, players have the opportunity to recruit Black Knife Tiche to their side and turn one of Elden Ring's most feared assassins against the lords. Tiche, like most Black Knife Assassins, is lithe and features many dodges in her animations. While her weapons don't deal much standard damage, her bleed build is extremely effective against many difficult bosses.
Tiche's biggest weakness is dying to AOE attacks, as her dodging animations don't take her far from her target. Black Knife Tiche's speed and staggering attack combos can assist players in many situations, but she still fails to measure up to more diverse builds. She may also be useless against bosses with Hemorrhage resistance. Elden Ring's Black Knife Tiche Ashes are dropped after the Tarnished defeats Tiche's Mother, Alecto, in the Ringleader's Evergaol.
#3 Banished Knight Oleg Spirit Ashes Decimates Elden Ring Opponents
According to Elden Ring's lore entries, the character Banished Knight Oleg once claimed the title 'Wings of the Storm' alongside another unknown warrior. For unknown reasons, Oleg suffered banishment and received a chance at redemption from an unnamed Tarnished Lord. He received a burial at an Erdtree, guarded by an Ulcerated Tree Spirit within a dungeon. Wielding duel-lances, Oleg can deal enough damage to draw aggro from bosses, pulling attention away from the player and giving them plenty of time to deal immense damage. Despite his unimpressive dodge mechanics and animations, his extensive health ensures that even the most powerful bosses won't defeat this Knight. The biggest downside to acquiring Oleg is the sheer amount of time and resources required to unlock his dungeon. Players must use Stone keys on Imp Statues to open the dungeon and defeat an Ulcerated Tree Spirit that drops Oleg's Ashes, which is one of the main reasons this powerful character ranks low.
#2 Spirit Summon Latenna The Albinauric Is Elden Ring's Magical Turret
Ranged magical builds in Elden Ring are extremely overpowered and will likely remain so until they're nerfed, or other bosses are buffed. Latenna the Albinauric uses a magical bow to deal massive damage against all opponents, but her Ashes come with a unique mechanic: once Latenna is summoned, she cannot move. In essence, players that acquire Latenna's Spirit Ashes obtain a magical turret that can be placed anywhere throughout the immediate area. While she won't draw aggro from the boss, her damage paired with the player character's is sure to speed up many difficult boss fights. All players must do is keep the boss (or other enemies) in range of her shots and prevent too many dodges. Latenna the Albinauric's Spirit Ashes spawn after players defeat the boss in Lakeside Crystal Cave and have the Haligtree Secret Medallion.
#1 The Mimic Tear Is Elden Ring's Most Powerful Spirit Summon
Elden Ring's Mimic Tear boss is one of the most interesting (and potentially challenging) battles. When players first enter the boss arena to claim the Spirit Ashes, Mimic Tear doesn't have a form, and instead adapts the abilities, armor, weapons, and stats of the player character. When players defeat the Mimic Tear, they gain the ability to summon a perfect copy of their current build into any fight that allows Spirit summons. While this NPC won't be as clever as a human player, it can be extremely helpful to optimize builds against powerful and difficult bosses. Thanks to its diverse character builds and impressive AI, Mimic Tear is the greatest Spirit Ashes players can obtain in Elden Ring.
Elden Ring's summoning mechanics work differently from Dark Souls and Bloodborne, with many players being offered more opportunities to summon NPCs, Spirit Ashes, or companions in different battles. Fighting bosses is always easier with friends, but online multiplayer (especially for PC) is filled with hackers and trolls. Additionally, many players may not have companions online at the same time. Nevertheless, spirit Ashes can tilt the tides of battle for Tarnished struggling in their quests throughout Elden Ring, and improve gameplay.
