How to Unlock Every Elden Ring Achievement in One Playthrough

Obtaining the Platinum trophy or reaching 100% completion in Elden Ring requires unlocking 42 specific achievements. While the Lands Between is vast and full of hidden paths, achieving full completion is surprisingly streamlined compared to previous titles in the genre. There are no difficulty-related achievements, meaning players can level up, summon assistance, and use any build necessary to overcome challenges. The most efficient route involves a single, thorough playthrough combined with strategic save-file management before the final moments of the game.

The Strategic Roadmap for 100 Percent Completion

Reaching 100% completion in a single run hinges on understanding the "Point of No Return" and utilizing cloud or USB save backups. There are 42 achievements in total: 30 are tied to defeating specific bosses, 3 are for distinct endings, 4 cover "Legendary" collections (Armaments, Talismans, Spells, and Spirit Ashes), and 5 are miscellaneous tasks.

The most critical aspect of a single-playthrough strategy is the save backup performed after defeating the final boss, Elden Beast. Once the boss is down, players can rest at the nearby Site of Grace but must not interact with the Fractured Marika or the summon sign on the ground. By backing up the save at this specific moment, one can trigger the first ending, reload the save, trigger the second, and then the third.

However, certain world events can lock players out of specific achievements. The transformation of Leyndell, Royal Capital, into the Leyndell, Capital of Ash, is the most significant environmental shift. Any items not collected in the original version of the city become permanently inaccessible for that playthrough.

Critical Missable Items and Potential Roadblocks

Elden Ring is remarkably forgiving for a completionist, but it is not without its traps. Two legendary armaments are highly missable.

The Bolt of Gransax

This spear is the primary reason players fail a single-run 100% attempt. It is located in Leyndell, Royal Capital. To find it, players must navigate to the giant golden spear embedded in the city's architecture. After defeating Godfrey, First Elden Lord (Golden Shade), players take the elevator down and jump onto the spear’s shaft to find the weapon. If the player defeats Maliketh, the Black Blade in Crumbling Farum Azula, the capital transforms into ash, and the Bolt of Gransax disappears forever.

The Devourer’s Scepter

This scepter belongs to Knight Bernahl. There are two ways to obtain it. The easiest is killing Bernahl when first meeting him at the Warmaster's Shack in Limgrave. If he is spared, players must follow the Volcano Manor questline entirely. He eventually invades the player in Crumbling Farum Azula near the "Beside the Great Bridge" Site of Grace. If the player kills Maliketh before Bernahl invades, this invasion may not trigger, making the weapon inaccessible until New Game Plus.

Unlocking the Three Major Endings

Three achievements are tied to the game’s conclusion. While Elden Ring has six total ending variations, only three unique achievement categories exist.

Age of the Stars

This is tied to Ranni the Witch’s extensive questline. It involves defeating Starscourge Radahn, exploring Nokron, the Eternal City, defeating Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, and finally presenting the Dark Moon Ring to Ranni at the Cathedral of Manus Celes. Once the final boss is defeated, a blue summon sign appears on the floor. Interacting with this sign triggers the Age of the Stars.

Lord of Frenzied Flame

This requires the player to meet the Three Fingers deep beneath the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds in Leyndell. Be aware that inheriting the Frenzied Flame locks the player into this ending, overriding all others. To use the save-backup method, it is often recommended to complete this ending last or use Miquella’s Needle in Placidusax’s arena to reverse the flame if the backup was made after being branded.

Elden Lord

This is the default ending. It encompasses the "Age of Fracture," "Age of Order," "Age of the Duskborn," and "Blessing of Despair." Any of these variations will unlock the achievement. To trigger this, simply interact with the Fractured Marika at the end of the game without using Ranni’s sign or having the Frenzied Flame.

Legendary Armaments Location and Collection Strategy

To earn the "Legendary Armaments" achievement, players must hold all nine specific weapons in their inventory simultaneously.

Grafted Blade Greatsword: Found at Castle Morne in the Weeping Peninsula. Defeat the Leonine Misbegotten boss at the very back of the castle.
Sword of Night and Flame: Located in Caria Manor. From the Manor Lower Level Site of Grace, walk across the rooftops and look for a series of platforms on the left that lead to a trapdoor in a lower building.
Ruins Greatsword: Found in Redmane Castle, Caelid. After defeating Radahn, return to the castle and speak to Jerren. Reset the area, and a boss fight against a Misbegotten Warrior and Crucible Knight will appear in the plaza. The sword is the reward.
Marais Executioner's Sword: Dropped by Elemer of the Briar, the final boss of The Shaded Castle in the Altus Plateau.
Dark Moon Greatsword: The reward for completing Ranni’s questline. It is found under the Cathedral of Manus Celes.
Bolt of Gransax: (Missable) Located on the giant spear in Leyndell.
Eclipse Shotel: Found in Castle Sol, Mountaintops of the Giants. It is sitting on an altar inside the Church of the Eclipse.
Golden Order Greatsword: Located in the Cave of the Forlorn in the Consecrated Snowfield. Players must defeat the Misbegotten Crusader at the end of the cave.
Devourer's Scepter: (Missable) Dropped by Knight Bernahl.

Veteran Tip: If the achievement does not trigger despite having all weapons, move them to the "Sort Chest" at a Site of Grace and pull them back out. This often forces the game to re-check the inventory state.

Legendary Talismans for the Ultimate Build

Eight talismans are required for the "Legendary Talismans" achievement. These provide massive stat boosts or unique utility.

Radagon Icon: Found in Raya Lucaria Academy. From the Debate Parlor Site of Grace, head outside, turn right, and jump over the railing to find a ladder leading to the upper floor.
Radagon's Soreseal: Located in Fort Faroth, Caelid. Players must drop through the holes in the roof and navigate the wooden walkways to find this behind a wall.
Godfrey Icon: Awarded for defeating Godefroy the Grafted in the Golden Lineage Evergaol, located near the Grand Lift of Dectus.
Moon of Nokstella: Located in a chest at the highest point of Nokstella, Eternal City, guarded by several Silver Tears and a Nox monk.
Marika's Soreseal: Found in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree. It is behind a Stonesword Key door at the very bottom level of the city, near the "Elphael Inner Wall" Site of Grace.
Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman: Also in Elphael. From the Drainage Channel Site of Grace, navigate the branches and rooftops to enter the upper level of the large chapel filled with Pests.
Old Lord's Talisman: Found in Crumbling Farum Azula. From the "Beside the Great Bridge" Site of Grace, head away from the boss room, down the ladder, and through the building to a chest guarded by Beastmen.
Erdtree's Favor +2: This is only available after Leyndell turns to Ash. From the Forbidden Lands Site of Grace, take the elevator back up into the city. The talisman is in a large courtyard filled with ash and guarded by three Lesser Ulcerated Tree Spirits.

Legendary Sorceries and Incantations to Master

Seven spells are required. These are scattered across the most hidden corners of the Lands Between.

Flame of the Fell God: Dropped by Adan, Thief of Fire in the Malefactor's Evergaol in Liurnia.
Greyoll's Roar: Purchased at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid after slaying the giant sleeping dragon, Greyoll, outside Fort Faroth.
Eldest Stars: Found in Deeproot Depths. From the "Great Waterfall Crest" Site of Grace, follow the roots into a cave filled with ants; the incantation is on a corpse.
Founding Rain of Stars: Located in the Heretical Rise in the Mountaintops of the Giants. Players must cross an invisible bridge starting from the opposite side of the ravine.
Comet Azur: Obtained from Primeval Sorcerer Azur in Mt. Gelmir. He is sitting near the "Hermit Village" after the Demi-Human Queen Maggie boss fight.
Stars of Ruin: Given by Master Lusat in the Sellia Hideaway in Caelid. Players need the Sellian Sealbreaker, which is given by Sorceress Sellen during her questline.
Ranni's Dark Moon: Found in Chelona's Rise on the Moonlight Altar plateau (accessible only via Ranni's quest). Players must find and hit three "phantom turtles" to open the tower.

Legendary Ashen Remains for Spirit Summoning

Six powerful summons are required. These often require significant combat challenges to obtain.

Lhutel the Headless: Awarded for defeating the Cemetery Shade in the Tombsward Catacombs in the Weeping Peninsula.
Ancient Dragon Knight Kristoff: Awarded for defeating the Ancient Hero of Zamor in the Sainted Hero's Grave, Altus Plateau.
Redmane Knight Ogha: Found in the War-Dead Catacombs in Caelid. The catacombs only become accessible after defeating Starscourge Radahn.
Mimic Tear: Found in a chest behind a Stonesword Key door in Night's Sacred Ground, Nokron. This is widely considered the strongest summon in the game.
Cleanrot Knight Finlay: Located in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree. From the Prayer Room Site of Grace, head out and look for a balcony with a gazebo. Finlay’s ashes are in a chest guarded by a Cleanrot Knight.
Black Knife Tiche: Dropped by Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader in the Ringleader's Evergaol on the Moonlight Altar (Ranni's quest area). This is one of the most difficult NPC fights in Elden Ring.

Defeating the Shardbearers and Optional Bosses

The majority of achievements (30 out of 42) come from boss encounters. While some are mandatory story bosses, many are hidden in optional zones.

Mandatory Story Bosses

To reach the end, players must defeat:

Margit, the Fell Omen (Stormveil gate)
Godrick the Grafted (Stormveil end)
Red Wolf of Radagon (Raya Lucaria)
Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon (Raya Lucaria end)
Godfrey, First Elden Lord (Golden Shade version in Leyndell)
Morgott, the Omen King (Leyndell end)
Fire Giant (Mountaintops of the Giants)
Godskin Duo (Crumbling Farum Azula)
Maliketh, the Black Blade (Crumbling Farum Azula end)
Hoarah Loux, the Warrior (Leyndell, Capital of Ash)
Elden Beast (The final challenge)

Required Shardbearers (Choose Two)

Players must defeat two Shardbearers to enter Leyndell. Usually, this is Godrick and Rennala, but Starscourge Radahn (Caelid) or Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy (Volcano Manor) also count. Each of these four has a dedicated achievement.

Optional Bosses for Achievements

Several achievements are tied to deep exploration:

Shardbearer Malenia: Located at the bottom of the Haligtree. She is the most difficult boss in the game and requires a specific secret medallion to reach.
Shardbearer Mohg: Found in Mohgwyn Palace. Accessible via White Mask Varre’s quest or a portal in the Consecrated Snowfield.
Dragonlord Placidusax: Hidden in Crumbling Farum Azula. Players must lie down in a specific grave spot near the "Beside the Great Bridge" Site of Grace.
Lichdragon Fortissax: Part of Fia’s questline in Deeproot Depths. Players must enter Fia’s dream.
Astel, Naturalborn of the Void: Encountered at the end of the Lake of Rot as part of Ranni’s quest.
Regal Ancestor Spirit: Located in Nokron. Players must light six braziers to challenge it.

Final Cleanup and Miscellaneous Achievements

Five achievements cover the basic mechanics of the game.

Roundtable Hold: Unlocked the first time the player visits the central hub.
Great Rune: Awarded after restoring the power of any Great Rune at a Divine Tower. The easiest is Godrick’s Great Rune at the Divine Tower of Limgrave.
Erdtree Aflame: A story-related event that occurs after defeating the Fire Giant and interacting with the Forge of the Giants.
God-Slaying Armament: Requires upgrading any weapon to its maximum level. Standard weapons require an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone (+25), and Somber weapons require a Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone (+10).
Elden Ring: The ultimate achievement, unlocked once all other 41 achievements are collected.

Summary of the Completionist Path

To achieve 100% in Elden Ring efficiently, follow this checklist:

Complete Limgrave, Liurnia, and Caelid, ensuring all optional bosses like Leonine Misbegotten and Ancestor Spirit are defeated.
Progress Ranni’s questline to its penultimate step (reaching the Moonlight Altar).
Crucial: In Leyndell, Royal Capital, collect the Bolt of Gransax and Radagon Icon.
Proceed to Mountaintops of the Giants and Castle Sol for the Eclipse Shotel.
Clear Crumbling Farum Azula but be careful to trigger Knight Bernahl’s invasion before defeating Maliketh.
Complete the Haligtree and Mohgwyn Palace for the final legendary items and Shardbearers.
Defeat the final boss, back up your save, and cycle through the three endings.

FAQ

Can I get all achievements in one playthrough if I already burned the Erdtree? Yes, as long as you have not yet defeated Maliketh. Once Maliketh is defeated, Leyndell becomes the Capital of Ash, and the Bolt of Gransax is lost. Most other items remain available.

Do I need to collect every single spell in the game? No. You only need the seven "Legendary" Sorceries and Incantations listed in the achievement requirements. Hundreds of other spells are unnecessary for 100% completion.

What happens if I miss the Bolt of Gransax? If you have already transformed Leyndell into the Capital of Ash, you must enter New Game Plus (NG+) to get the weapon. In NG+, you can rush to Leyndell quite quickly by defeating any two Shardbearers.

Is there a difficulty achievement for Elden Ring? No. You can play on any "difficulty" (though Elden Ring has no settings, you can use Spirit Summons and Overleveling) and still receive all achievements.

Does the DLC (Shadow of the Erdtree) add new achievements? Traditionally, FromSoftware DLCs for games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne did not add new trophies to the base game's Platinum requirement. For Elden Ring, the DLC content is separate and not required for the base "Elden Ring" achievement.