Elden Ring Nightreign Just Got Dark Souls 3’s Toughest Boss, Thanks to Balancers Everdark
Elden Ring Nightreign cranks the pain: Everdark Sovereign’s gauntlet now pits players against souped-up Balancers that revive brutal tricks last seen with Dark Souls 3’s Aldrich, while a deceptively familiar first phase sets the trap.
If you thought Everdark Sovereign was already a pain in Elden Ring Nightreign, buckle up. The Balancers are back, they brought new toys, and they are very openly channeling Dark Souls 3’s Aldrich, Devourer of Gods. Yes, that Aldrich. The one with the obnoxious arrow rain you still see in your sleep.
What changed, and why it feels familiar (in a slightly evil way)
The first phase of the Everdark Balancers fight is largely what you remember, just with a few twists to keep you honest. The big turn happens in phase two: the bodies of Weapon Bequeathed Harmonia merge into one massive, blood-themed form that looks and moves a lot like Aldrich. If you played DS3, the creepy tail swipes and nonstop arrow barrages are going to feel like a reunion you did not ask for.
To be clear, this is not literally Aldrich, but the inspiration is not subtle. FromSoftware basically took the parts of that fight everyone hated and cranked them to about 3x. The result is a familiar moveset in a bigger, nastier package with wider ranges and a health pool that feels like it is measured in miles.
Moves that will give DS3 veterans deja vu
- Underground dive and erupting slam
- Relentless arrow rain that pins you down
- Body slam punishers
- Tail swipes that catch greedy rolls
The overlap is so close that a lot of it reads one-to-one with Aldrich. But do not lean on pure muscle memory. There are unique patterns mixed in, the ranges are wider in Nightreign, and the timing is just off enough to bait old habits into bad decisions.
Why this version hits harder
This second phase is where runs go to die. The boss is bigger, tankier, and stitched together with long combo strings that leave almost no safe openings. In practice, you spend a lot of phase two dodging for your life, then squeezing in tiny chip windows when you can. That tiny damage window is the real check here. Between the expanded reach and those extended strings, Everdark Balancers make a strong case for hardest boss in Nightreign’s roster.
Does DS3 experience help?
Yes and no. If you learned Aldrich back in DS3, you will recognize the rhythm and understand how to survive the arrow barrages and punishing slams. But Nightreign’s tweaks mean you still have to relearn spacing and timing. Think of it like fighting Aldrich’s taller, meaner cousin who learned a few new tricks and refuses to give you a clean punish.
Bottom line: Everdark Sovereign’s Balancers are not Aldrich, but they might as well be wearing his coat. If you wanted a rematch, Nightreign just handed you one — scaled up, blood-soaked, and miserable in all the ways you remember.