Maliketh, the Black Blade is a mandatory late-game boss in Crumbling Farum Azula. The fight starts against the Beast Clergyman and turns into a lightning-fast duel with Maliketh and his Destined Death blade. Here is how to survive both phases.
Quick facts
| Location | Crumbling Farum Azula |
| Nearest Site of Grace | Beside the Great Bridge |
| Required? | Required |
| HP (NG) | 10,620 (one health bar shared by both phases) |
| Phase 2 starts | At 50% HP (cutscene, Beast Clergyman becomes Maliketh) |
| Runes (NG) | 220,000 |
| Drops | Remembrance of the Black Blade |
| Weak to | Physical damage (Standard, Slash, Strike, Pierce: 35% negation, his lowest) |
| Resists | Holy (80% negation); Magic, Fire and Lightning 40% |
| Damage he deals | Standard, Slash, Pierce (Beast Clergyman); Standard, Pierce, Holy (Maliketh) |
| Immune to | Madness |
| Spirit Ashes / Co-op | Allowed (Spirit Ashes and co-op) |
| Recommended level | 120–140 (community estimate) |
| Difficulty | ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 9/10 |
Overview
Maliketh guards the Destined Death at the top of Crumbling Farum Azula. You must beat him to continue the story, and defeating him turns Leyndell into the Ashen Capital.
Phase 1 is the Beast Clergyman: slow, heavy, and full of rock projectiles. Phase 2 is Maliketh himself, one of the fastest bosses in the game. His Black Blade attacks leave a lingering effect that reduces your maximum HP for a short time.
What is Maliketh weak to?
Maliketh has no true elemental weakness. His physical negation (35%) is the lowest of all damage types, so plain physical weapons hit hardest. Magic, Fire and Lightning are all reduced by 40%, and Holy by 80%. The same table applies to the Beast Clergyman phase.
| Damage type | Negation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Standard / Slash / Strike / Pierce | 35% | Best choice |
| Magic | 40% | Fine |
| Fire | 40% | Fine |
| Lightning | 40% | Fine |
| Holy | 80% | Avoid |
| Status effect | Buildup needed (first proc) |
|---|---|
| Poison | 351 |
| Scarlet Rot | 351 |
| Hemorrhage (bleed) | 574 |
| Frostbite | 574 |
| Sleep | 2277 |
| Madness | Immune |
Each proc raises the next threshold, so bleed and frostbite work best early in the fight.
What damage type does Maliketh do?
- Beast Clergyman (phase 1): Standard, Slash and Pierce physical damage.
- Maliketh (phase 2): Standard and Pierce physical damage plus Holy damage.
- In phase 2 his attacks also cause health loss over time and temporarily lower your maximum HP, so raising both physical and Holy negation pays off.
Preparation
- Pick up the Blasphemous Claw in Farum Azula before the fight. It lets you deflect some of Maliketh’s Black Blade attacks.
- The Crimsonburst Crystal Tear helps outheal the Destined Death effect.
- Avoid holy damage: he negates 80% of it.
- A tanky Spirit Ash (Mimic Tear, Black Knife Tiche) buys you healing time.
Phase 1 strategy
Beast Clergyman is slow, so this is your chance to deal damage and build stance damage. Phase 2 begins when the shared health bar drops to 50%, so every hit here shortens the dangerous half of the fight.
Bestial Sling
He flings rocks at you. Roll just before impact.
Beast Claw
A ground-rending claw that sends shockwaves forward. Roll forward into his blind spot.
Piledriver
He leaps and slams the ground. Dodge the slam and roll away from the area of effect.
Phase 2 – Maliketh, the Black Blade
Maliketh draws the Black Blade and becomes extremely aggressive. Stay close: most of his dangerous ranged attacks are worse at a distance.
Black Blade projectiles
He throws spinning blades. Count them: for the three-blade variant, roll toward him.
Destined Death
A wide swipe and a heavy slam that inflict Destined Death. Roll right for the swipe and roll behind him for the slam.
Blasphemous Claw deflect
When he lunges with the white-aura Black Blade attack, use the Blasphemous Claw at the moment of impact to stagger him and open a punish window.
Best builds and tools
- Any strong physical build: colossal weapons, bleed katanas and greatswords all work.
- Bleed and frostbite both build up reasonably well.
- Avoid holy damage and Sacred-infused weapons.
- Talismans: Dragoncrest Greatshield, Crimson Amber Medallion +2, Shard of Alexander.
Rewards
- 220,000 Runes
- Remembrance of the Black Blade (trade for Maliketh’s Black Blade or Black Blade incantation)
- Leyndell becomes the Ashen Capital
Difficulty rating
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 9/10 – Very hard. Phase 2 is fast and relentless, but the Blasphemous Claw and staying close make it manageable once you learn his rhythm.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Blasphemous Claw do?
It lets you deflect Maliketh’s Black Blade attacks when used at the right moment, staggering him.
Is Maliketh mandatory?
Yes. You must beat him to reach Leyndell, Ashen Capital and the end of the game.
What is Maliketh weak to?
Physical damage, which he negates by only 35%. He strongly resists Holy (80%).
Is Maliketh weak to Lightning or Frost?
No. Lightning is reduced by 40%, the same as Magic and Fire, so it is slightly worse than physical damage. Frostbite needs 574 buildup for the first proc, the same as bleed, so it works but is not a weakness.
How much HP does Maliketh have?
10,620 HP in NG. Both phases share this bar: the Beast Clergyman turns into Maliketh at 50%.
Beaten Maliketh?
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Further reading: Maliketh, the Black Blade on the Fextralife Elden Ring wiki.