Early in Elden Ring, players are handed (or can purchase) the Spirit Calling Bell, which lets them summon computer-controlled Spirit Ash allies. This mechanic opens up entirely new strategies, as it allows players to eventually collect and upgrade an army of minions to fulfill different roles in battles.
Initially, players can only summon a pack of Lone Wolves (and a duo of imps if they picked the Fanged Imp Keepsake), but as you progress, you will find plenty more ashes that allow you to summon far more powerful ghostly minions. Most Spirit Ash allies are actually based on enemies and bosses scattered throughout Elden Ring and thus adopt those characters’ stats and tactics. Because there are so many Spirit Ashes to choose from (and relatively few chances to see them in action and test them out), it can be hard to know which ones are your best options.
That being the case, here is a look at some of the best Spirit Ashes you can find in Elden Ring.
Elden Ring’s Best Spirit Ashes: Where to Find Latenna the Albinauric
Archers are extremely annoying in Soulsborne games. While you’re busy dealing with monsters up close, these ranged opponents can snipe you from a distance. Naturally, that’s also what makes Spirit Ash archers so valuable.
Latenna the Albinauric is one of Elden Ring’s better archer spirits since she can fire a quick volley of magical arrows. Her arcane bolts curve slightly (so they’re not easy to dodge), and Latenna notches three at once. That means triple the damage when these arrows hit. Granted, Latenna has all the mobility of a turret, so she can’t really dodge incoming attacks, but a second source of reliable damage is worth the cost (a reasonable 74 FP) and can often mean the difference between victory and death.
Most Spirit Ashes hide in chests and enemy corpses, but finding Latenna the Albinauric is a little more complicated and involves a mini-quest. First, you need to find Albus in the Village of the Albinaurics. He is disguised as a pot. Just hit the pot to dispel the illusion, talk to Albus, and he will hand over the Haligtree Secret Medallion (Right). Then, go find Latenna in the Slumbering Wolf’s Shack. This area is only accessible through the Lakeside Crystal Cave, which is south of the Scenic Isle Site of Grace in Liurnia of the Lakes. Talk to Latenna, show her the medallion, and accept her request. Then talk to Latenna one final time, and she will turn into a Spirit Ash.
Elden Ring’s Best Spirit Ashes: Where to Find the Ancestral Follower
The only thing worse than an archer in a Soulsborne is a tanky archer. Plenty of enemies fill that frustrating niche in Elden Ring, and, if you know where to look, you can use their Spirit Ashes to your advantage.
Like Latenna the Albinauric, the Ancestral Follower Spirit Ash is an immobile turret of an ally. This NPC’s attacks are significantly slower than Latenna’s but pack a lot more punch and can even stagger their targets. Better yet, the Ancestral Follower can tank way more hits than most other ranged spirits, and, if enemies get too close, this ally can smack them with a flint ax. For a mere investment of 63 FP, the Ancestral Follower will lay down potentially life-saving cover fire.
In order to acquire the Ancestral Follower’s Spirit Ashes, you need to defeat the Ancestor Spirit boss in the Siofra River region. Before you can even challenge this undead stag, though, you need to light eight pillars scattered through the area. Once you have done that, head to the Hallowhorn Grounds and interact with the giant glowing elk corpse. The game will teleport you to a boss arena to fight the Ancestor Spirit. If you win, it will drop the Ancestral Follower Spirit Ashes.
Elden Ring’s Best Spirit Ashes: Where to Find the Mad Pumpkin Head
If you visit the Waypoint Ruins in Limgrave or the Caelem Ruins in Caelid, you will encounter hulking bosses with unique pumpkin-shaped helmets fittingly called the Mad Pumpkin Heads. These ogre-sized enemies are deceptively fast, and their helmets block almost all incoming damage. While not difficult bosses, you probably would rather fight alongside a Mad Pumpkin Head than against one. Thankfully, Elden Ring lets you do that.
When summoned, the Mad Pumpkin Head proves to be a lumbering tank of an ally. While you will need to invest a hefty 110 FP to summon this creature, it’s worth the investment since its signature helmet negates almost all incoming damage (assuming the attack hits the helmet, that is). Regardless of where an attack lands, the Mad Pumpkin Head spirit has health to spare, and he also quickly swings a flail that builds up an impressive amount of Bleed damage. When paired with players who specialize in Bleed damage weapons, the Mad Pumpkin Head Spirit Ash can quickly tear through opponents.
Somewhat ironically, the Mad Pumpkin Head Spirit Ashes don’t drop from either Mad Pumpkin Head encounters. Instead, players need to delve into the Minor Erdtree Catacombs in Caelid and defeat the dungeon’s end boss, the Erdtree Burial Watchdog duo.
Elden Ring’s Best Spirit Ashes: Where to Find Omenkiller Rollo
In Elden Ring, players have to constantly maintain and monitor their Health, FP, and Stamina bars, but the game also features a fourth, hidden Poise meter. This bar functions much like Posture in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, as an enemy (or player) who loses their Poise is momentarily stunned and vulnerable to a devastating critical attack. Some enemies have annoyingly high Poise, but one Spirit Ash summon can cleave through those opponents and their defenses.
Omenkiller Rollo looks identical to the Omen Killer boss in the Village of the Albinaurics and attacks just as savagely. While he doesn’t have all the moves of his living counterpart, Rollo can shred through enemy Poise meters with devastating strikes, and, when outnumbered, he can belch crowd-controlling flame. Omenkiller Rollow isn’t the most durable of Spirit Ashes, but for 113 FP, he really knows how to open enemies up for critical hits.
If you want the Omenkiller Rollo Spirit Ashes, you first need to defeat the Fell Twins. These dual bosses will ambush you on the bridge that heads to the Divine Tower of East Altus, near the elevator to the Forbidden Lands. Just walk out onto the path, and the game will turn pitch black to start the fight.
Elden Ring’s Best Spirit Ashes: Where to Find Banished Knight Oleg
Most fantasy games treat damage and defense as opposite sides of a spectrum. A player (or enemy) with rock-solid armor can’t attack quickly or with much force, and anyone who favors heavy or blindingly-fast weapons can’t wear heavy armor. However, one of Elden Ring’s best Spirit Ashes defies that basic dynamic.
Banished Knight Oleg is yet another summoned spirit that comes equipped with dual swords, but unlike Omenkiller Rollo, Oleg is much more durable and only costs 100 FP. Thanks to his weapons, Oleg can keep the pressure up with swift attacks, and his heavy armor protects him from crushing blows. While Oleg isn’t quite as tanky as some other Spirit Ash allies, he still excels at diverting enemies away from you and towards him. In Elden Ring, the longer you can attack enemies without fear of retaliation, the better.
While you can acquire the Banished Knight Oleg Spirit Ashes early, doing so will be a difficult challenge. First, you need to unlock the Fringefolk Hero’s Grave dungeon, located next to the Stranded Graveyard Site of Grace. This requires two Stonesword Keys, but getting them is the easy part.
The Fringefolk Hero’s Grave is full of traps and enemies that can devastate new players. Its end boss, the Ulcerated Tree Spirit, is deceptively powerful (and hard to fight in such a small environment), but it drops the Banished Knight Oleg Spirit Ashes and a Golden Seed upon defeat.
Elden Ring’s Best Spirit Ashes: Where to Find Lhutel the Headless
Most Spirit Ash allies specialize in either close or long-range damage and, if summoned against the wrong enemy, can ultimately waste a summon attempt. The keyword there was “most.”
When you need a durable Spirit Ash minion, you can’t ask for a better ally than Lhutel the Headless. She can negate an insane amount of damage with her shield, turtle behind it while poking enemies with her spear, and even hurl her weapon like a javelin. If that’s not enough, Lhutel can warp in and out of reality, which lets her quickly advance on enemies or make a hasty retreat. And yes, Lhutel is invulnerable while teleporting. No other summoned ally can control the battlefield quite like Lhutel, especially for the mere 104 FP it costs to summon her.
Lhutel the Headless’ Spirit Ashes are available fairly early in Elden Ring. Just visit the Tombsward Catacombs in the Weeping Peninsula, directly south of the Church of Pilgrimage.
At the end of this dungeon, you will face the Cemetery Shade boss, who drops the ashes when defeated.
Elden Ring’s Best Spirit Ashes: Where to Find the Mimic Tear
Even though you can enhance Spirit Ashes to make them more powerful, they will ultimately act the same and wield the same weapons and skills. That built-in limitation prevents most Spirit Ashes from becoming more than what they are, but one Spirit Ash is designed to be as broken as the player.
The Mimic Tear Spirit Ash is unique among allies because it transforms into a doppelganger of its summoner (that means you). The creature copies every stat, skill, spell, and piece of equipment you have on you, right down to consumables, so every time you summon it, enemies have to contend with another you. The Mimic Tear is the closest thing offline players can get to teaming up with another player, but it has one fatal flaw. To summon a Mimic Tear, you need to sacrifice 660 HP. That’s bad news for magic-oriented builds, but good news for players who put a lot of points into health. Seriously, this thing is capable of making even the toughest boss fights feel like basic encounters.
Since the Mimic Tear is so powerful, it is locked behind numerous progression gates. You first have to access Nokron, Eternal City, which is a mid-to-late-game area. From that area’s Ancestral Woods Site of Grace, jump across rooftops into the Night’s Sacred Path section. You will eventually find a fog wall you can unlock with a Stonesword Key. The Mimic Tear Spirit Ash rests beyond that wall.
Finally, since Elden Ring is full of Spirit Ashes, even if players don’t find the cream of the crop, they still have plenty of other ghostly allies to choose from. Here are a few honorable mentions that should prove more than helpful:
Spirit Jellyfish – An extremely tanky and slow jellyfish that debuffs enemies with each attack.
Stormhawk Deenh – A fast hawk that buffs its summoner and can easily dodge enemies.
Nightmaiden and Swordstress Puppets – A duo of puppets who overwhelm opponents with relentless attacks.
Greatshield Soldiers – A troupe of five warriors who swarm enemies and keep them busy with damage-reducing shields.
Kaiden Sellsword – A mobile spirit who acts like most human NPCs and can fill the role of a summoned player.
Azula Beastman – Two beastmen warriors who combine great damage output with decent survivability.
Crystalian – An agile creature that can attack at close and long-range and is resistant to all physical damage types (except strike).
Perfumer Tricia – A support-oriented spirit who attacks with weak fire spells but makes up for it with damage-reducing shield spells.