Elden Ring is full of brutal bosses, but few have gotten as much attention as Malenia, Blade of Miquella. She’s difficult to defeat, even without the healing glitch that was mercifully fixed in a patch. For as tough as she is, she’s also considered a well-built boss — that may or may not be in the wrong game.
That’s how ResetEra forum user SofNascimento feels, at least. “Malenia would be the best boss From ever designed…if she was in the right game,” reads the title of the thread. The idea of transposing bosses isn’t new in FromSoftware fandom, but there is an argument to be made here. SofNascimento gives four reasons why Malenia would be better served in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
First is the flow or “cadence of her attacks.” SofNascimento points out that Malenia has a real rhythm to her attacks, much like the many sword-wielding bosses in Sekiro. The exception to this is the Waterfowl Dance, the anime-inspired flurry of slashes she executes while hopping around the arena. SofNascimento points out how similar this is to an existing attack from the Isshin Ashina duel in Sekiro. Deflecting that looks super satisfying, and it would surely feel good to do the same against the Waterfowl Dance. Replies in the thread agree with this point in particular.
Along that same vein, SofNascimento’s third point is that Sekiro’s deflections and parries would mean more against Malenia. They imagine how a perfect parry could deflect her attack and negate any life-stealing. As it stands, she can sap your HP even if you’re blocking. Finally, SofNascimento believes that Malenia’s second phase would be an even better mix-up in Sekiro. Her Scarlet Rot attack would add an extra layer to how Sekiro’s counterattacks normally work, forcing you to avoid the rotten area before dealing damage of your own.
SofNascimento’s post is well-thought-out, and it’s entirely possible to make something like this happen with mods. YouTuber Garden of Eyes already pitted Malenia against every major boss in Elden Ring, so finding a way to bring her into Sekiro seems doable.
