How to Beat Maliketh,
the Black Blade
Phase-by-phase strategy, attack reads and punish windows. The instant answer is above the fold — no video, no filler, no 20-minute walkthrough.
Phase 2 transition: Open your menu during the cutscene and summon Black Knife Tiche. She will be active and pulling aggro the moment you regain control. Do not waste your Spirit Ash in Phase 1 — save it for this exact moment.
Phase 2 (Maliketh): Stay aggressive and directly under him — distance is death. Dodge the Piledriver inward, not away. Attack during the long wind-up of the Overhead Swing. Bring Preserving Boluses — the Black Flame status buildup will kill you from residual damage if you ignore it.
01 — How to Reach Maliketh
Maliketh is a mandatory boss in Crumbling Farum Azula. You cannot progress to Leyndell, Ashen Capital and finish the game without defeating him. You will reach this area after beating the Godskin Duo.
From the Beside the Great Bridge Site of Grace, head west and then south up the stairs, past the ramp, and through the door on the right. The road is guarded by a Draconic Tree Sentinel — you can skip it by running past, but clearing it removes it from your respawn run. At the boss level, that matters.
02 — Weaknesses and Best Damage Types
| Phase | Weak To | Strong Against | Best Approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 — Beast Clergyman | Fire, Lightning, Magic | Haemorrhage (resists it) | Elemental damage or raw strength. Rivers of Blood still procs despite resistance. |
| Phase 2 — Maliketh | Slash, Strike, Pierce | Magic | Physical builds, bleed builds, Rivers of Blood, Blasphemous Blade. |
Best weapons overall: Rivers of Blood (bleed procs despite Phase 1 resistance and shreds Phase 2), Blasphemous Blade (Taker's Flame ASH works exceptionally well), Comet Azur for sorcerers if your summon maintains aggro. If you have none of these, any well-upgraded weapon with physical damage works — the fight is more about reading attacks than about weapon choice.
03 — Phase 1: Beast Clergyman — Full Breakdown
As soon as you enter the boss room the Beast Clergyman charges. Run immediately to the centre of the arena — the entrance is a narrow bridge with pitfalls on both sides. Fighting there kills you and your summon through falls, not through damage.
The key rule of Phase 1 is simple: stay close. Distance triggers his most dangerous moves — rapid rock throws that track, and a fast ground-skid lunge that is nearly impossible to react to at range. Everything he does up close is slower and more readable.
| Attack | How to Read It | What to Do | Danger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-Handed Ground Slam | Raises both fists and slams them into the ground | Attack twice while both hands are in the earth. Do not go for three — he swings wide on recovery. | LOW |
| Lunge Stab | Charges directly at you and stabs the ground | Dodge sideways — never backwards. Punish once as he recovers. | MED |
| Three-Hit Claw Combo | Quick horizontal swings left-right-left | Roll into each swing, not away. Punish after the third hit. | MED |
| Rock Throw | Collects rocks and throws them — triggered by distance | Close the gap immediately. The rocks track but he stops throwing when you are in melee range. | MED |
| Boulder Slam | Rears back and slams a large boulder | Dodge sideways with good timing. Large telegraphed windup — easier than it looks. | HIGH |
Breaking his stance is your priority. Heavy attacks from Strength weapons and Glintblade Phalanx both build stance damage quickly. A stance break staggers him into a critical hit animation — get this in Phase 1 ideally close to the 50% threshold so the stance break carries momentum into the Phase 2 transition.
04 — Phase 2 Transition — The Most Important Moment
When the Beast Clergyman's health reaches approximately 50%, a cutscene plays. He transforms into Maliketh the Black Blade. This cutscene is your best window in the entire fight.
Open your inventory or menu immediately as the cutscene begins and summon Black Knife Tiche. The summon triggers during the cutscene, meaning Tiche will be active, positioned in the arena, and pulling aggro the exact moment you regain control. You enter Phase 2 with the summon already working.
05 — Phase 2: Maliketh — Full Attack Guide
Phase 2 Maliketh is one of the most aggressive bosses in the game. The single most important rule: do not back away. Distance triggers his leaping slash — an aerial move that covers the entire arena and is nearly unreactable at range. Your safe position is directly under him, matching his movements.
He also applies Destined Death through his blade attacks — a debuff that gradually reduces your maximum HP. This is not like scarlet rot or bleed; it is a direct HP drain that will kill you even after you stop taking hits if the stack gets high enough. This is why Preserving Boluses are mandatory — they clear the debuff.
| Attack | Read It By | Counter | Danger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piledriver | Leaps straight up and slams directly down | Run away from the landing zone, then dodge BACK IN toward him as he hits the ground. Attack twice on landing. Do not panic roll away — you will be in the follow-up range. | EXTREME |
| Overhead Swing | Long single-armed wind-up, delayed strike | The delay is the key — attack DURING the wind-up, not after you see the swing. The timing feels wrong until you learn it. Two hit window. | MED |
| Black Blade Slash — 2 Projectiles | Backflip then sends 2 golden arcing projectiles | Roll through both arcs, then follow up for the Piledriver variation. Do not panic roll — it repositions you into the damage zone. | HIGH |
| Black Blade Slash — 3 Projectiles | Backflip then sends 3 projectiles, then charges | Dodge through all three projectiles, then roll INTO his Double Spin charge. Stay close on recovery. | HIGH |
| Skitter Combo | Fast 3-4 hit horizontal flurry while moving sideways | Two full dodge rolls away, wait for the complete combo to finish before approaching. Punish on the recovery step. | MED |
| Destined Death AOE | Slow charge, golden glow from weapon, then massive blast | Sprint away — do not roll. You need actual distance, not dodge frames. This move has enormous range and will clip you through a standard dodge. | EXTREME |
| Ground Swipe | Single low horizontal swipe along the ground | Jump over it cleanly and punish with a jumping attack. Safe and rewarding if you read it. | LOW |
| Roar Knockback | Rears back and roars, knocking you back | Shield it or take the hit — this move does no damage. It is a repositioning tool. Close the gap immediately after. | NONE |
06 — Recommended Setup and Items
Spirit Ash: Black Knife Tiche (+10 if possible). Fast, survives Phase 2, dodges his AOE attacks. No other summon performs comparably in this fight.
Weapon: Rivers of Blood — bleed procs despite Phase 1 resistance and destroys Phase 2. Blasphemous Blade with Taker's Flame is almost as effective. Any well-upgraded +25 physical weapon is viable if you know the attack patterns.
Items to bring:
Preserving Boluses — mandatory. Craft them (Dewkissed Herba x2, Crystal Cave Moss, Sacramental Bud) or buy from the Nomadic Merchant in Caelid. Bring at least 3. The Black Flame HP drain will kill you from residual damage if you do not clear it.
Crimson Flask allocation: Favour Crimson (HP) over Cerulean (FP) for this fight. Phase 2 damage is so high that FP conservation matters less than having enough heals to survive burst damage windows.