What makes Elden Ring’s Margit such a hard boss?

Ol’ Margit. Dear sweet Maggie. Elden Ring’sPremier gatekeeper girlboss gives people trouble. I’m talking newbies, and Souls old heads. This old and grueling goat is hardy. It’s a tornado of magical blades and big sticks. He’s the kind of boss who makes you wonder if you stumbled into the wrong area of the map altogether. So what’s the deal? Margit? Actually harder than FromSoftware’s other early game skill check bosses?

The video above shows me trying to understand it. His attack patterns, branching combination strings, arena layout and other bizarre rhythms were all examined by me. And the short answer is “yes.” Margit is the hardest, weirdest, coolest beginner boss I’ve ever seen in a Souls-like.

This isn’t a guide to beating him — you can find that here — but maybe my hands-on research will help you understand what makes Margit special, and why he’s so good at putting your foolish ambitions to rest.