Should You Fight the Tree Sentinel Early in Elden Ring?

Elden Ring offers a massive amount of fights to partake in, and depending on your skill and confidence, you may be able to take some of them on earlier than you would expect. However, certain bosses, even if you’re a skilled FromSoftware veteran, may take you for a ride that you don’t want to be on.

Enter the Tree Sentinel, an early game boss that can stomp your soul out of this plane of existence if you don’t know what to do. Is it even possible to fight him this early on, or should you come back for him later? Find out with our handy guide if you should fight the Tree Sentinel early, and what you may earn from this battle!

Tree Sentinel – Is It Worth The Risk?

The Tree Sentinel is thankfully an optional boss, so if you are not feeling comfortable at the time being, you can always wait until you’re a bit stronger and a bit more confident to take him on, as he is a very daunting foe.

As you’re heading towards The First Step, you’ll see this Horse-Bound foe roaming the road leading towards the Church of Elleh and the Gatefront Ruins, and he’s hard to miss, as he is massive and is wearing some very large, golden armor. This will be the first one that you come across, as there are a few more that come along later in the game that you’ll be a bit better equipped to handle.

As you approach the Tree Sentinel, you have a few different options: if you’re new to the game, and this is your first FromSoftware game, try to avoid him if you possibly can. He is a very strong opponent and can cause massive damage if you are not prepared properly.

However, if you are a Souls-Vet, you’ll be able to make this fight happen, and approach him on horseback if you have a bow or magic to chip away at his health. His attacks have a variety of timing, so you’ll be able to block and learn his patterns, rather than dodging if your shield is up to the task.

After defeating this boss, you’ll get access to some great weaponry, the Golden Halberd, and the Erdtree Greatshield, alongside the Hero’s Rune. All great items, offering great Holy Damage, and you can chalk another boss off of your growing list of accomplishments.

Elden Ring is out now for the PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and PC.