Elden Ring DLC Best Side Quest Tier List 2025
Elden Ring's DLC side quests are as intriguing and frustrating as you’d expect from FromSoftware. This tier list ranks every major side quest in the DLC, focusing on how rewarding the quests are, how easy (or difficult) they are to follow, and the overall design of their progression. Rather than judging the NPCs themselves, the ranking emphasizes the questlines, their rewards, and how well they fit into the game’s design philosophy.
Elden Ring DLC Side Quest Tier List 2025
Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring brings a wealth of captivating side quests that can dramatically shape your journey through the Lands Between. As Tarnished venture into this new realm, the choice of which quests to prioritize becomes crucial for both survival and story enrichment. From Sir Ansbach's enigmatic mission to Count Ymir's arcane pursuits, each questline offers unique rewards, strategic advantages, and deep narrative threads that interweave with the DLC's mysteries. This tier list examines the most rewarding and impactful side quests, helping you make informed decisions about your adventure's path while avoiding critical points of no return that could lock you out of meaningful content. Without further ado, let's start ranking!
#1 – Thiollier
Thiollier’s quest strikes the perfect balance between accessibility and depth. It progresses logically, with clear connections between events and rewards that feel meaningful. The quest also avoids the "lose something no matter what" design that plagues other quests, offering a satisfying conclusion regardless of your choices.
While the rewards aren’t the best, Thiollier’s quest is an example of FromSoft getting it right—providing enough challenge and intrigue without overcomplicating things.
#2 – Dryleaf Dane
Dane’s quest is so simple it’s almost refreshing. You fight him, you win, and you get his weapon and hat. That’s it. There’s no convoluted progression or lockout conditions—just a straightforward quest that lets you enjoy the fight.
Sometimes, simplicity is the best approach, and Dane’s quest proves that.
#3 – Egon
Egon is hands-down one of the best NPCs in the DLC. His questline is simple, straightforward, and logical. He tells you exactly what to do, and you do it—no unnecessary complications or obscure conditions.
While his quest rewards are underwhelming (an armor set, a bow, and dragon harpoons), Egon’s sheer efficiency and likability make his quest one of the best experiences in the DLC.
#4 – Dragon Communion Priestess
The Dragon Communion Priestess offers one of the simplest and most rewarding quests in the DLC. The progression is linear and easy to follow, leading to powerful rewards like the Flowerstone Gavel and the Priestess Heart, which is perfect for Faith builds.
The alternate quest ending adds variety, allowing you to choose between different rewards. Overall, the Priestess quest strikes a great balance between accessibility and payoff.
#5 – Moore
Moore’s backstory is unexpectedly unsettling, adding depth to his character. His questline involves unique mechanics, such as passive Kindred pests, which hint at his connection to the DLC’s lore. However, the quest suffers from a lack of clarity, making it easy to mess up.
The rewards include the best shield in the game and plenty of opportunities to salvage the quest, even if you make mistakes. Moore’s quest isn’t perfect, but it’s intriguing enough to stand out.
#6 – Count Ymir
Count Ymir’s quest is refreshingly straightforward, though not without its annoyances. The location of the second Finger Ruin involves one of the most ridiculous gesture-based puzzles in the series, and completing the quest means fighting a frustratingly designed boss.
However, Ymir’s quest rewards make up for the hassle. His shop expands as you progress, offering excellent spells and items, while his gear and staff are great additions to any build. Despite its bumps, Ymir’s quest is one of the more rewarding ones in the DLC.
#7 – Needle Knight Leda
Leda’s quest is the most confusing in the DLC, with strong overlaps with other questlines such as Ansbach’s and Freyja’s. Completing her quest properly often requires multiple playthroughs or extensive use of a guide.
The rewards are solid, but the complexity of her questline makes it hard to enjoy. While FromSoft’s cryptic quest design is part of its charm, Leda’s quest takes things too far, making it more of a chore than an adventure.
#8 – Redmane Freyja
Redmane Freyja is a cool character, giving us a glimpse of what Redmane Knights looked like during their peak. However, her questline is riddled with obscure conditions and lockouts. Missing a single step, like moving her to Shadowkeep at the right time, can permanently end her quest.
The rewards are decent, including her armor set and shield, but the process is so convoluted that it’s easy to mess up. Freyja’s potential is undermined by the sheer number of hoops you have to jump through.
#9 – Swordhand of Night Jolan
Jolan’s quest mirrors Queelign’s in terms of frustration. One of his rewards is a mid-tier weapon, but his Spirit Ash is so powerful it can trivialize most of the DLC’s toughest fights. Unfortunately, obtaining both items requires two full playthroughs, which is a tall order for most players.
While Jolan’s quest is straightforward, the need for multiple playthroughs makes it tedious. Console players without access to modding tools will likely find his quest more frustrating than rewarding.
#10 – Hornsent Grandam
This NPC is a sweet little old lady who gives you soup and then disappears. Her quest is refreshingly simple and easy to follow, with no major lockout conditions or complications. However, her rewards are practically nonexistent, offering no real incentive to engage with her quest beyond casual curiosity.
Grandam’s likability as a character is her saving grace, but her lack of impactful rewards makes her questline feel like a missed opportunity. A more involved storyline might have elevated her to greater heights.
#11 – Fire Knight Queelign
Queelign’s questline begins with him invading you twice. This alone makes it frustrating—you might not even realize it’s a quest because invasions feel more like harassment than progression. Worse, if you miss one of his invasion spots, you’ll be forced to backtrack to trigger his appearance.
The rewards? A mediocre sword with flame-scaling and a Spirit Ash that’s one of the worst in the game. Completing his quest requires multiple playthroughs to get all the rewards, adding to the frustration. Queelign’s design might be fun, but his questline is anything but.
#12 – Sir Ansbach
The cooler the NPC looks, the worse their quest tends to be—and Sir Ansbach is no exception. His questline is tied to Leda's, making it easy to accidentally lock yourself out of both quests. Triggering Mesmer’s boss cutscene, for instance, cancels everything.
The reward? Lackluster. His weapon boosts blood-based abilities, which already didn’t need any extra help. As a summon, he’s forgettable. Ultimately, Sir Ansbach’s quest is such a logistical nightmare that it’s more frustration than it’s worth.
#13 – Hornsent
Hornsent is a "Pans Labyrinth-looking" mess who definitely needs therapy. No matter how you play his questline—help him, ignore him, or even spare him—he always ends up snapping and coming for you. His intrusive thoughts always win, and he’s determined to make your life miserable. You can’t even save him because the DLC’s scripting ensures he must die before the end.
The reward? A weapon you can get no matter what, completely undermining any sense of accomplishment. His character is inherently unlikable, making it hard to sympathize with him or care about his motivations. Hornsent’s quest is a chaotic mess, and his inclusion here is purely out of obligation.
Elden Ring DLC side quests are a mixed bag of brilliance and frustration. While some quests suffer from overly cryptic design, others shine with straightforward progression and rewarding payoffs. Whether you’re here for the lore, the loot, or just the chaos, these side quests represent the beautifully messy experience we’ve come to expect from FromSoftware.
