Elden Ring: How To Upgrade Spirit Ashes

Unlike previous FromSoft games where you could summon real players to fight enemies, Elden Ring introduces Spirit Ashes which are summonable NPCs who fight alongside you during combat. When you find these Ashes, you can also upgrade them later to make them more reliable and tanky. However, upgrading Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring first requires the progression of certain NPC questlines and finding the resources needed to upgrade the Spirit Ash itself.

How To Start Upgrading Spirit Ashes

To upgrade Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring, you first need to meet Roderika who’s found relatively early into the game. You can find her near the Gatefront Site of Grace in Stormhill towards Limgrave’s northeast. This will likely be your third Site of Grace so you can meet Melina first to get the Spirit Steed Whistle. This whistle allows you to summon your mount, Torrent, with whom you can get to Roderika in a much shorter time.

Where To Find Roderika

Head inside the massive gate leading to Stormveil Castle. Keep your guard up as there are going to be several archers trying to shoot you off your house as well as a giant chasing you down. Ignore all these hostiles and run along the trail laid out in front.

At one point, you’ll notice the environment suddenly become windy, indicating that you’ve reached Stormhill. Stay on the trail and to your right, you’ll see the Stormhill Shack Site of Grace where you’ll also find Roderika sitting inside the shack.

How To Get Roderika To The Roundtable Hold

When you first meet Roderika, she will act weakened and depressed, hence giving her the temporary title of The Heartbroken Maiden. Exhausting her dialogue will award you with the Sitting Sideways gesture, and your first Ashes, the Spirit Jellyfish.

She will move to the Roundtable Hold after you offer her Chrystalid’s Memento found inside Stormveil Castle. The memento will be lying atop the pile of corpses inside surrounded by a few dogs. This item has no other use in the game so you can give it to Roderika carefree.

Another way to get her to the Roundtable Hold is by resting at any Site of Grace in Liurnia of the Lakes. If you defeat Godrick the Grafted in Stormveil Castle and get to the Lake-Facing Cliffs Site of Grace early, Roderika will automatically move to the Roundtable Hold.

Making Roderika A Spirit Tuner

Once you’re at the Roundtable Hold and have completed the above steps, you’ll see Roderika standing by the fireplace in the table room. Talking to her reveals that she wishes to work with Blacksmith Hewg due to his personality.

Once you talk to Roderika and exhaust her dialogue, go to Hewg and talk to him about Roderika’s partnership. Keep going back and forth between both of their dialogues and eventually, after returning to the Roundtable, you’ll find Roderika sitting opposite of Hewg as a Spirit Tuner. This means she can now enhance all of your Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring.

Items Needed To Upgrade Spirit Ashes

You require 4 types of items to upgrade your Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring. These include:

1. Grave Glovewort to upgrade Common Ashes
2. Ghost Glovewort to upgrade Legendary Spirit Ashes
3. Great Grave Glovewort to upgrade Common Ashes to + 10
4. Great Ghost Glovewort to upgrade Legendary Spirit Ashes to + 10

Grave and Ghost Gloveworts can be either found naturally in specific environments or bought after giving the Glovewort Picker’s Bell-Bearings to the Twin Maiden Husks in the Roundtable Hold. On the other hand, their Great Glovewort counterparts are extremely rare with a limited supply, and can only be found in specific areas.

For both Grave and Ghost Gloveworts, you cannot farm them from enemies. Instead, you find them lying around certain areas of the game, and sometimes in a huge bulk around very specific areas. The most consistent and common areas for finding Gloveworts, though, are Catacombs and the Hero’s Graves. Any of these mini-dungeons found during your journey through the Lands Between will most certainly contain the materials necessary for upgrading Spirit Ashes.

If you instead want to purchase these Gloveworts, then you first need to find 3 Bell-Bearings for each of them. Both Grave Gloveworts and Ghost Gloveworts are separated into 9 rarities each and one Bell-Bearing unlocks the ability to purchase 3 new rarities of a Glovewort.

Grave Glovewort Bell-Bearings

The first Grave Glovewort Bell-Bearing is in The Altus Plateau. Start from the Seethewater River Site of Grace in western Altus. From there, follow the mountain wall which will lead to a tiny creek that is the Wyndham Catacombs. The boss at the end, the Erdtree Burial Watchdog, will drop the Glovewort Picker’s Bell-Bearing [1].

The second Grave Glovewort Bell-Bearing is near the start of the Mountaintops of the Giants. From the large chain that you see at the beginning of the area, take a natural right rather than traversing the chain. On the side of the cliff are the Giants Mountaintops Catacombs.

Once you end up completing the dungeon and defeating the Ulcerated Tree Spirit boss at the end, it will drop the Glovewort Picker’s Bell-Bearing [2]. This will allow purchasing the Grave Gloveworts [4], [5], and [6] once offered to the Twin Maiden Husks.

The final Grave Glovewort Bell-Bearing is in Crumbling Farum Azula. Once you reach the Crumbling Beast Grave Depths Site of Grace, head to the church northwest from here. Now go through the church and take the elevator outside.

You’ll now find yourself surrounded by several wormfaces. Keep avoiding them and run along the stretching southeast. Eventually, you’ll see a small shrine on the edge of the pond surrounded by 3 wormfaces. Sprint across to the shrine to get the Glovewort Picker’s Bell-Bearing [3]. This will allow you to purchase the Grave Gloveworts [7], [8], and [9] once offered to the Twin Maiden Husks.

Ghost Glovewort Bell-Bearings

To get the first Ghost Glovewort Bell-Bearing, you must travel to the first Site of Grace in Nokron, The Eternal City. From there, head slightly north and you’ll find a corpse that has the Ghost Glovewort Picker’s Bell-Bearing [1]. This will let you purchase the Ghost Gloveworts [1], [2], and [3] once offered to the Twin Maiden Husks.

The next Ghost Glovewort Bell-Bearing requires you to go to Elden Ring’s other underground city, Nokstella. From the area’s starting Site of Grace, move straight ahead and climb the first set of stairs in front of you. Now take a sharp left and enter a room and you’ll come across a black chest at the corner inside which contains the Ghost Glovewort Picker’s Bell-Bearing [2].

The Ghost Glovewort Picker’s Bell-Bearing [3] can be found in the Haligtree. Start from the Haligtree Roots Site of Grace outside Malenia‘s arena and take the elevator behind you. After that, climb the staircase in front and head outside the building into the open.

Now turn left and go straight down the path, sticking close to the leftmost edge of it. Eventually, you’ll see a few gravestones close to each other at the bottom where the final Ghost Glovewort Bell-Bearing resides which lets you purchase the Ghost Gloveworts [7], [8], and [9].

Great Grave Glovewort Locations

As mentioned, Great Grave Gloveworts are needed to upgrade your common Ashes to +10. There are 6 of these Gloveworts scattered throughout Elden Ring’s world and mainly found in the game’s later half including the Haligree, Farum Azula, and the Mountaintops of the Giants.

Consecrated Snowfield Catacombs – Mountaintops Of The Giants

The Consecrated Snowfields is the only location in Elden Ring that has 2 Great Grave Gloveworts instead of 1, so this is the first place you should. The major part here is getting through the catacombs to the boss room where the Gloveworts are stored.

From the starting Site of Grace, head straight up the stairs and then take the first left to the Stake of Marika. From here, follow the train to your right until you end up in a room with a large ice-breathing Stone Golem Pillar. You’ll notice the pillar breathing ice on its left and right side. Go to the right side but hit the pillar first to push it up so that it stops breathing in that direction.

Now as you enter the next room, continue running straight and take the secret path to your left at the end of the room. Kill the Cleanrot Knight in this room and follow the stairs to the second floor.

Here, you’ll again see the pillar you previously hit shooting an ice beam directly in your path. Wait for the pillar to stop its attack and once it does, quickly run up to it and attack it to send it down. Finally, jump onto the pillar itself and hit it once again to take you to the third floor where you will find the lever to open the boss room.

The Great Grave Gloveworts are dropped by the boss in these catacombs, the Putrid Grave Warden Duelist. You’ll likely be very overpowered for this boss already and its simple moveset means it’ll be an easy encounter.

Giant Conquering Hero’s Grave – Mountaintops Of The Giants

Unlike the previous area, you don’t need to fight any boss to get the Great Grave Glovewort hidden here. Upon entering the Hero’s Grave, make your way down the staircases until you see an Erdtree Burial Watchdog covered in shadow. It’s important to note that this shadow figure cannot be killed so easily. You’ll need to force the Watchdog into the light circle behind it to remove the shadow barrier first and then strike it down.

After that, move upwards and take the first left into the narrow hallway. At the end of the hallway, you’ll see a room with a rotating, fire-breathing pillar. Take a left after entering this room and maneuver your way through the pillar to avoid getting burnt.

Now it’s a straight run to the elevator that takes you down to the second last floor of the grave. Once you’ve completely descended, step on the pressure plate again to send it back up but get off immediately once you trigger it. This is because you’ll find another secret elevator just below the original one that takes you further down.

Next, pull the lever to your right and immediately get on the secret elevator to descend to the lowest floor of the grave. From there, run through the pathway, take the ladder to reach a small room, and you’ll find the Glovewort illuminated at the corner of the room behind the Fire Prelate guarding it.

Drainage Channel – Haligree

This is perhaps the most challenging route to get a Great Grave Glovewort since it’s guarded by an Ulcerated Tree Spirit. From the Drainage Channel Site of Grace, head back and climb the ladder up at the end of the hallway. Now go outside and continue to move upwards until you see a long tree branch on your left.

You can climb onto this branch and proceed straight ahead to the Rot swamp that has the Great Grave Glovewort. The best approach here is to rush to the Glovewort and run back as soon as you pick it up because fighting an Ulcerated Tree Spirit while being inflicted with Scarlet Rot is going to be extremely tough.

Crumbling Beast Grave Depths – Farum Azula

Out of the 2 locations in Crumbling Farum Azula to get the Great Grave Glovewort, this is the easier route. From this Site of Grace, Make your way outside the room by running left to the windows and then jump onto the roof to your right. 

Now move to the roof’s peak and from there, jump to the room slightly above you. Finally, sprint to the extreme back end of the room and you’ll get the Great Grave Glovewort.

Dragon Temple – Farum Azula

For the last Great Grave Glovewort, you’ll start from the Dragon Temple Site of Grace and jump down from the edge of the platform onto the ascending staircase. After that, head straight and take the second right. Now follow the hallway to the end and from there, jump to the floating debris on your left.

Continue following the debris and climb the ladder at the end. At the top, it’s just a straight sprint to the Glovewort which will be at the end of the room you see in front of you.

Great Ghost Glovewort Locations

There are a total of 4 Great Ghost Gloveworts in Elden Ring which are only found in underground locations. And since these Gloveworts needed to upgrade your rarer Spirit Ashes to their maximum level, they’re also primarily unlocked in the late-game phase.

Nokstella, The Eternal City – Ainsel River

The first Great Ghost Glovewort is found relatively close to the Ghost Glovewort Picker’s Bell-Bearing [2]. From Nokstella’s starting Site of Grace, head straight and the castle at the top by climbing all the stairs. You will encounter a few enemies as you go up but you can simply run past them.

Once you’re in the castle, continue running straight to the outside and then take the first right. Now keep sprinting and take a sharp right again so you can avoid the giant Mimic ball approaching from the front. Finally, you can open the door on your left and loot the chest inside to get your first Great Ghost Glovewort.

Night’s Sacred Grounds – Nokron, The Eternal City

You can find the next Great Ghost Glovewort in Nokron’s lowest plane, the Night’s Sacred Grounds. After taking this Site of Grace, all you have to do is head straight down the road and climb the stairs at the end. From there, enter the small room in front and the black chest inside will have the Glovewort. In addition to this Glovewort, you’ll also get the Fingerslayer Blade, a crucial item needed to progress through Ranni The Witch’s questline.

Dynasty Mausoleum Midpoint – Mohgwyn

The quickest way to get the third Great Ghost Glovewort is from the Mausoleum Midpoint Site of Grace at Mohgwyn‘s west. From here, head inside the dark tomb and fall to the lower platform on your left. The Glovewort will stand out due to its bright illumination so grab it as quickly as you can and head back outside.

Dragonkin Soldier – Ainsel River

As the only Great Ghost Glovewort guarded by a boss, this one can be found in the arena of the Dragonkin Soldier near Ainsel’s upper half to the west. From the boss’s Site of Grace, all you have to do is go to the tomb underneath the giant corpse in the arena and you’ll find the final Great Ghost Glavewort inside.

Best Ashes To Upgrade

Once you have all the items you need to fully upgrade your Spirit Ashes, it’s time to choose which ones you should prioritize enhancing first in Elden Ring. Ashes are generally weak and can be killed in a few hits due to their low HP. Therefore, when looking for the best Spirit Ashes, we need to consider their damage output, durability, and any other useful abilities or gimmicks they might have.

Mimic Tear

The Mimic Tear is a mid-game or late-game Spirit Ash you can obtain and later upgrade in Elden Ring depending on how early you defeat Radahn and visit Nokron. Unlike other Ashes that copy an in-game enemy, the Mimic Tear mimics your gear instead. This includes your armor, weapons, spells and incantations, and even your Ash of War.

What makes this summon stand out is the damage output. Upgrading the Mimic Tear Ashes in Elden Ring brings it extremely close to your scaling. Therefore, the damage it does will be equal to yours, so it feels like there’s another you on the battlefield. This is why most players mainly choose the Mimic Tear Spirit Ash to fight Elden Ring’s toughest bosses and thus, upgrade it first.

To get this summon, you will have to fight the Mimic Tear as a boss first. You can find it by first reaching Nokron via the Radahn Festival route, and following the trail from there will lead you to the arena.

Black Knife Tiche

Another powerful Spirit Ash you should upgrade in Elden Ring is Black Knife Tiche. Tiche is a Black Knife Assassin summon that is primarily focused to target bosses and arenas with a single enemy. This is because she can only lock onto one opponent at a time and attack them both at a close range and from afar. Apart from that, her movements are very erratic and limbless so enemies will often find it difficult to hit her.

One of the most powerful abilities in her arsenal is spewing Destined Death, a ranged debuff that does damage over time and temporarily lowers the enemy’s maximum health. This ability is particularly useful against healing enemies like NPCs and even Malenia. You can acquire this summon by defeating the Black Knife Ringleader, Alecto, in the Ringleader Evergaol found in Liurnia’s southwest.

Banished Knight Oleg

Oleg is one of the dual blade-wielding Knights you’ll mainly find in legacy dungeons like Redmane Castle and Stormveil. This summon can be obtained fairly early in the game as soon as you have 2 Stonesword Keys to spare.

Once you have those, head back to the Fringefolk Hero’s Grave in Limgrave where you started the game. You’ll see a fog wall here with an Imp Statue which can be unlocked by inserting the 2 Stonesword Keys in it. From there, it’s a quick sprint to the end until you beat the Ulcerated Tree Spirit and get the summon.

Banished Knight Oleg is a close-range beast that does a ton of damage and has modest durability. His moveset also has some aerial attacks so he can easily close the gap between himself and his enemies. Furthermore, his aggression and ability to consistently stagger opponents make him one of the best close-range summons in Elden Ring.

Conclusion

That wraps up our complete guide on Spirit Ashes and how to upgrade/enhance them in Elden Ring. It’s important to bear in mind that each Spirit Ash in the game has unique strengths and weaknesses. Some Spirit Ashes focus on large groups to outnumber the enemy. On the other hand, some Ashes are enhanced to be specifically used against Elden Ring’s bosses. Therefore, be sure to try out as many Spirit Ashes as you can so you can find out which one suits you the most!

To find more of the best Spirit Ashes to upgrade, here’s a guide on the Best Ashen Remains in Elden Ring with their locations. If you want to focus on your own stats and potential instead, consider reading this extensive guide on the best builds in the game. Apart from that, check out some of the game’s meta-defining weapons like the Rivers of Blood or Moonveil Katana, and make them a part of your build!