I still remember the first time I watched JPNBusinessman's upload on the Elden Ring subreddit. There was no giant production, just a Tarnished stepping through the fog gate near the Haligtree roots to face Malenia, Blade of Miquella. I had spent days stuck on that fight myself, so seeing someone treat it like a daily ritual felt equal parts inspiring and insane.

The promise was simple: beat Malenia every other day with a different character build until DLC was announced. At the time, FromSoftware had not confirmed anything beyond patch updates. Rumors were everywhere—datamined colosseum doors, unused multiplayer PVP arenas, whispers about Miquella. Nothing official. JPNBusinessman filled that silence the best way possible, by turning Malenia into a research subject.

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This was not a casual challenge. Malenia remains one of FromSoftware's most demanding optional bosses. She heals on every hit she lands, even if you block. Her Waterfowl Dance can delete a fully leveled character in seconds. Her second phase adds Scarlet Rot, wings, and a dramatic dive that punishes panic rolling. Learning her rhythm once is hard. Learning her with dozens of builds is a completely different level of obsession.

A few builds stood out in the clips I watched. One setup leaned into bleed and Rivers of Blood, melting through phase one but leaving very little room for mistakes in phase two. Another used frost sorceries, keeping distance and exploiting her low poise windows. The lesson was always the same: Malenia does not care about your level if your timing is sloppy. A character with 60 Vigor can still die before a flask animation ends.

  • Bleed and Rivers of Blood: high burst damage, extreme risk

  • Frost sorcery: ranged control, struggles with Waterfowl Dance

  • Strength and heavy guard counters: slower but safer if you understand aggro

  • Parry-focused builds: satisfying, but one missed input can end the run

I tried a few of those approaches myself. My first victory came with a Greatshield and a spear, poking safely while she punished my greed. My second came with a Moonveil build, leaning on transient moonlight whenever she recovered from a lunge. Neither felt easy. Both felt like I had survived something rather than mastered it.

The original inspiration came from Atijohn, who defeated Sekiro's final boss daily for 368 days until Elden Ring released. That kind of endurance creates a strange bond between player and boss. By the end, Malenia stops being a wall and becomes a conversation partner. You learn the exact distance of her dash, the subtle shift before her grab, and the pause after a kick. The fight is no longer about winning; it is about understanding.

By 2026, the waiting that defined JPNBusinessman's old runs feels distant. Shadow of the Erdtree has already expanded the Lands Between with new regions, weapons, and bosses. Elden Ring Nightreign has taken the formula into a faster co-op direction. Yet I still go back to those old Malenia videos. They capture something raw: a community pouring its obsession into the unknown.

I do not know if the original campaign ever officially ended or simply faded when the announcement finally came. What I do know is that every Tarnished who entered that scarlet bloom in the Haligtree learned the same truth. Malenia is not just a boss. She is a mirror that shows you exactly how patient, stubborn, and careful you have become. And for a while, she was the only DLC announcement we needed.