Summary
The presence of dragons have been a long-running tradition among FromSoftware’s boss roster, withElden Ringbeing no exception thanks to the inclusion of enemies like Flying Dragon Agheel. However, while this enemy type is a common trope for the developer, the most recent outing of them outshines many of the previous attempts to makecompelling dragon boss designs by FromSoftwareright from the beginning.
This new class of dragon introduced inElden Ringstarts out strong with Agheel, who makes a stellar entrance into the shallow marshes around the Dragon Burned Ruins in Limgrave. The improved dragon design also doesn’t stop at Agheel, as other variations of the boss add new layers to the already incredible base model.
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Agheel Earns the Flying Moniker by Dropping in From Above
Many of thebosses inElden Ringhave somewhat impressive entrances, either being preempted with a cutscene, or magically appearing in an area for one reason or another. In the case of Agheel, however, the first Flying Dragon earns the added nametag by flying into the arena and crushing a group of wandering nobles that had been making a flaming effigy in the marshes. It is every bit as bombastic of an entrance as Godrick or Horah Loux, without the cinematography that sets up both of those more lore important fights.
The nearby area also does a lot of work to prepare the player for what is coming, even though the exact nature of the entrance will still likely catch those exploring freely by surprise on their first playthrough. However, the inclusion of a location in the marsh that is called the Dragon Burned Ruins should be a quick hint that there is at least a dragon somewhere nearby. Granted, given that this is also where players will findElden Ring’s first teleporting trap chest, there’s a good chance that some might have forgotten what this place was called by the time they circle back here to actually fight Agheel.
Agheel as the Template for Dragons in Elden Ring
Dragons have historically made up some of the most impressive fights in theDark Soulsseries, fromMidir inDark Souls 3to Kalameet in theArtorias of the AbyssDLC. However, not every dragon fight has been all the enemy type has been cracked up to be, like the red and blue dragons inDemon’s Soulsor the Hellkite Dragon inDark Souls. While these aren’t bosses in the traditional sense with health bars at the bottom of the screen, they are insurmountable foes that stand in the way of easy progress. Of course, it doesn’t help that they are usually killed with a hundred arrows shot from a safe location.
In the early entries of the series, the main problem with dragons was that they weren’t built to be treated as a real boss fight, but an obstacle. This is where Agheel and the otherdragons ofElden Ringstand above the crowd for FromSoftware’s boss design, with a moveset that feels like it was built for players to actually fight against. With Agheel still being a dragon, this still means that the boss will often take to the sky and rain fire down on the player. The major change being that this attack is at least somewhat avoidable, especially when fighting while on Torrent.
Additionally, Agheel’s stomps and bites punish players for trying to get behind the boss where it might otherwise be safe, or trying to focus the head for a quick kill. However, these attacks don’t send the same types of shockwave thatDark Souls 3’s Ancient Wyverndoes, meaning that players can actually fight up close and personal, without relying on a hundred arrows to land the kill. Then, after fighting Agheel, players can also find other dragons that have many of the same attacks, but these others also add new elements and magic to their movesets to keep each of these fights fresh all the way through the Lands Between.
Elden Ringis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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