Lone Wolf Spirit Ashes from Elden Ring are the best doggos

elden ring has a Pile of Ghost Ashes, an ethereal summoning you can summon to aid you in battle. some like Exiled Knight Oleg, are highly effective damage dealers that can wipe out even the toughest bosses. Others, hm, not so much – they look at you, soul jellyfish ash. While each has their own strengths and weaknesses and I’ve found plenty to experiment with, for my money none is nearly as loyal or as awesome as Ashes of the Lone Wolf. This spooky pack of wolves has become my favorite summoning and a solid example of a Tainted’s best friend that even exists in the Lands Between.

Lone Wolf Summoning is probably the first thing you’ll come across when exploring FromSoft’s latest game. Found in the Church of Elleh, a derelict building and one of the first churches you will encounter the Limgrafenlandbecomes the blue-skinned Renna teach you to summon spirits after getting the ethereal steed current. Talk to her and she will give you both the Spirit Calling Bell, an important item for summoning spooky spirits, and the Ashes of the Lone Wolf. Seriously, you can’t miss it unless you are one of many people Game speed running. But if you do sugarcoat it, you can also buy the Spirit Ashes from the Twin Maiden Husks in the Roundtable Hold.

However, this spirit ash is not particularly strong. the wolf trio deals moderate damage even after leveling up and cannot serve as a tank in any way due to its relatively low health pool. But what they lack in overall damage, they make up for by serving as a solid distraction during fights. Call them up and watch as the spectral wolves leap, crunch and circle their prey, picking them apart limb by limb while you just hang in the background. It’s satisfying while also giving you room to breathe and plan your next move.

However, what I like most about Ashes of the Lone Wolf is their loyalty. Sure, all summonses follow you after they’ve been called. But there’s something particularly endearing about watching those fat phantom wolves stalk behind you, looking for the next target to sink their fangs into. They also appear to attack as a team, coordinating attacks to keep enemies at bay. These wolves are almost always helpful and always by your side, even when they eventually get killed one by one.

I’m so dressed, I’ve even unofficially named them after really good doggos in Tim Burton movies: Persephone and Sparky from Frankenweenieand zero from The nightmare before Christmas. It’s just too bad you can’t pet them or teach them tricks. On the other hand, they are ghosts. I guess it would be impossible to interact with them, but maybe there’s an in-game item for that.