Elden Ring Black Knife Assassin: Location, Fight & Tips

Black Knife assassins are numerous bosses in Elden Ring. They are highly agile and combat experts, which makes them challenging for slow players. These bosses are relentless to shed blood on the tarnished and defeating them is not going to be an easy feat.

Above all, there are numerous locations where you can find Black Knife Assassins. This means you do not have to worry about missing them out if you are in a completionist playthrough. 

Plus, Black Knife Assassins are completely optional bosses that do not affect the Legacy Dungeon progress. You can either avoid them or take them on the battle to claim the rewards of loot and drops. With that said, let’s discuss different locations where you can find Black Knife Assassins and defeat them to claim all the rewards. 

Where to Find Black Knife Assassin?

First things first, you will need to find the Black Knife Assassins to defeat them. There are numerous locations where you can encounter Black Knife Assassin as an optional boss in Elden Ring. You can trigger the encounter with the boss at Sainted Hero’s Grave at the Altus Plateau or the Deathtouched Catacombs in the Limgrave.

1. Prepare Adequately: Before facing the Black Knife Assassins, make sure your character is well-equipped and at an appropriate level. Ensure you have a reliable weapon and armor, as well as healing items, to help you during the battle.
2. Use Holy Weapons: Black Knife Assassins are weak to holy damage, so consider using a holy weapon or applying holy resin to your weapon before the fight. This will increase your damage output against them.
3. Sentry Torch: To reveal the boss when they use Concealing Veil to hide during the crouching sequence, use a Sentry Torch. You can purchase a Sentry Torch for 7,000 Runes from the Hermit Merchant in his shack. Having this item will allow you to track the boss’s movements and make it easier to attack.
4. Clear the Area: Clear out any enemies or obstacles in the area before engaging the Black Knife Assassin. This will give you more space to maneuver during the battle and prevent additional threats from interfering.

Location	Death touched Catacombs	Black knife Catacombs	Sage’s Cave	Sainted Hero’s Cave
Drop	1600
Assassin's Crimson Dagger	1600
Assassin's Cerulean Dagger
Black Knifeprint	9000
Concealing Veil	11,339
Black Knife
Strong VS	Holy
Pierce
Immune to	Poison
Scarlet Rot
Hemorrhage
Weaker to	Standard
Slash
Strike
Frostbite
Standard	10
Slash	10
Strike	10
Pierce	35
Magic	20
Lightning	20
Fire	20
Holy	40

How to Defeat Black Knife Assassin?

Black Knife Assassin is the fastest enemy you can encounter in the Elden Ring. On top of that, the boss is highly agile, dodging the attacks and also moving with invisibility. For that instance, you may want to incorporate a series of strategies and tricks to easily register the damage with your weapon and also avoid the potential strikes from the boss. 

1. Prepare with Medium-weight Armor: Obtain a suitable medium-weight armor set to enhance your character’s defenses before the battle.
2. Wait for Opening: At the start of the battle, the boss unleashes a flurry of strikes. Wait for this initial combo to end before approaching.
3. Learn Boss Moves: Black Knife Assassin has five moves: Retreat, Knife Stab, Double Slash, Low Sweeping Slash, and Dashing Stab. Each move has its own risks and strategies. Be cautious, especially of the Low Sweeping Slash, which has a wide range.
4. Watch for Knife Stab: Beware of the boss’s Knife Stab, where it pretends to retreat before quickly lunging forward with a stabbing attack.
5. Maintain Distance: Although lacking range, the boss compensates with speed. Learn its attack patterns and keep your distance to avoid its dagger strikes.
6. Use Sword and Shield: Equip a sword and shield to deal damage while enhancing your character’s defenses. Blocking with a shield is effective against the boss’s dagger attacks and allows for parrying for maximum damage.
7. Choose Light Weapons: Opt for lighter swords instead of heavy weapons due to the boss’s speed.

Tips and Tricks to Defeat Black Knife Assassin

Now that you are aware of the Black Knife Assassin’s moves and attack patterns, you can easily defeat the boss with the equipment of your choice. However, with the different locations to find the boss, there are indeed some tricks that may add more benefits to your gameplay. 

Here is what I recommend:

1. Spirit Ashes Summon: Utilize Spirit Ashes Summons as AI companions to aid you in battles. Note that you can’t summon them in Black Knife Catacombs, but they can be a significant help elsewhere.
2. Multiplayer Co-op: Team up with friends in multiplayer co-op to take on the Black Knife Assassin for a more coordinated and successful fight.
3. Farming Runes: Farm Runes by repeatedly defeating the Black Knife Assassin in different locations. Deathtouched Catacombs and Black Knife Catacombs yield 1,600 Runes each, while Sage’s Cave provides 9,000 Runes and Sainted Hero’s Grave offers 11,339 Runes.
4. Location-Specific Drops: Each location for the Black Knife Assassin has its own unique loot drops. Deathtouched Catacombs drops Assassin’s Crimson Dagger, Black Knife Catacombs offers Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger and Black Knifeprint, Sage’s Cave rewards Concealing Veil, and Sainted Hero’s Grave provides Black Knife.
5. Black Knife Armor Set: Unfortunately, the boss doesn’t drop the Black Knife armor set. You’ll need to follow a location hunting approach to obtain the complete set, which can be a bit tedious but enhances your defenses and invisibility.

That is about it for the Black Knife Assassin Elden Ring. Do you find this Black Knife Assassin guide helpful to defeat the ancient boss? What is your strategy to go after the Black Knife Assassin? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.