Dryleaf Dane

Key takeaways

The important details are the activation condition, the fight's short-range rhythm, and the unique rewards.

• Use the correct gesture Stand near Dryleaf Dane at Moorth Ruins and use May the Best Win. The encounter is not started by speaking to him or striking him first.
• Expect a close-range duel Dane's attacks are fast and cover space through punches, kicks, and advancing martial-arts combinations. Keep enough distance to read his approach, then punish the end of a sequence rather than trading hits at point-blank range.
• The reward is a combat style The duel provides the Dryleaf Arts, giving the player access to a hand-to-hand weapon style, and also awards Dane's Hat.
• The fight is optional You can continue exploring Shadow of the Erdtree without completing this duel immediately. Returning to Moorth Ruins later is the safest choice if the gesture or encounter condition is not yet clear.

Dryleaf Dane overview

Dryleaf Dane is an optional NPC duel in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree that introduces one of the expansion's hand-to-hand combat options.

Dryleaf Dane is found at Moorth Ruins, near the Site of Grace and Miquella's Cross. He does not begin as a conventional hostile boss with a large arena, a fog gate, or a visible health bar waiting in the open world. Instead, the encounter is activated by using the May the Best Win gesture in front of him. If the gesture is not used, Dane remains a quiet, non-hostile figure and the duel does not start.

The fight is a close-range duel against a trained martial artist. Dane uses the Dryleaf Arts moveset, relying on rapid punches, kicks, advancing strikes, and short recovery windows rather than a conventional sword or great weapon. His speed makes panic rolling especially costly, while patient spacing and attacks during the end of his longer combinations give melee characters clearer openings.

Defeating Dane is important for players who want to use hand-to-hand combat during the expansion. The encounter awards the Dryleaf Arts and Dane's Hat, making it both a combat challenge and the point at which the Dryleaf martial-arts style becomes available to the player. The fight is optional, so a player focused only on reaching later areas can leave it unresolved and return to Moorth Ruins later.

The encounter is distinctive because its activation is tied to an emote rather than an ordinary conversation choice or attack prompt. The gesture is the practical prerequisite: approaching Dane, attacking him, or leaving the area does not substitute for using May the Best Win. Once the duel begins, treat it as a compact one-on-one fight and avoid assuming that the open surroundings make it safe; Dane's mobility allows him to stay on top of a player who retreats without a plan.

Encounter progression

Requirements

The encounter's defining requirement is the May the Best Win gesture used near Dryleaf Dane at Moorth Ruins.

• RequiredAccess to Shadow of the ErdtreeDryleaf Dane is part of the Shadow of the Erdtree content and cannot be encountered in the base game's ordinary progression.
• RequiredReach Moorth RuinsTravel to the Moorth Ruins area and locate Dane near the Site of Grace and Miquella's Cross.
• RequiredMay the Best Win gestureUse this gesture in front of Dane to trigger the duel. If the fight does not begin, check that the gesture was performed close enough to him and not merely selected in the menu.
• RecommendedA prepared combat setupThe duel is optional and has no stated weapon-class requirement. Bring the weapon, spell, spirit-free build, or consumables you are comfortable using in a fast close-range fight.

Encounter phases

1. 1

   Dryleaf Dane duel

   Starts: Use May the Best Win near Dryleaf Dane at Moorth Ruins.

   Not verified

   The encounter is a single-phase NPC duel with no reliably verified phase transition. Dane remains a highly mobile close-range opponent and uses the Dryleaf Arts moveset throughout the fight.

   • Rapid hand-to-hand combinationsTell Dane closes distance and chains several punches or kicks before briefly recovering.Answer Avoid rolling repeatedly in one direction. Wait for the combination to finish, then land a short attack during his recovery.
   • Advancing strikesTell Dane moves toward the player while attacking, reducing the safety of simple backward movement.Answer Use lateral movement or create a larger gap before healing. Punish only after the advancing sequence has ended.
   • Kicks and close-range countersTell At short range, Dane can continue pressure with kicks that make standing directly in front of him dangerous.Answer Do not trade at point-blank range unless your build can absorb the exchange. Step out, bait the kick, and answer after the animation.
   • Keep the camera centered on Dane and avoid backing into the surrounding ruins.
   • Short punish windows are safer than long attack strings because Dane can resume pressure quickly.
   • The encounter has no verified second phase; treat every opening as a recovery window rather than waiting for a dramatic transition.

Boss encounter strategy

• Location
  Moorth Ruins
• Health
  Not verified

Begin by creating enough space to observe Dane's approach rather than immediately committing to a long attack. His hand-to-hand style is strongest when the player remains directly in front of him and trades blows, so use lateral movement, a controlled retreat, or a brief disengagement to make his combination finish away from you. After a completed string, use a short punish and reset; repeated greedy attacks are more likely to be interrupted by his next advance. Players using ranged attacks should avoid firing while he is already closing, because the distance disappears quickly. Players using a shield or heavy weapon should still respect his speed and attack from recovery windows instead of assuming that poise or guard alone will end the duel.

Strategy

1. 01

   Find Dryleaf Dane

   Travel to Moorth Ruins

   Reach Moorth Ruins in Shadow of the Erdtree and locate Dryleaf Dane near the local Site of Grace and Miquella's Cross. Approach carefully and confirm that you are interacting with Dane rather than beginning combat through an accidental attack.

   Location: Moorth Ruins

   TipRest at the Site of Grace before attempting the duel so the area is familiar and your healing is replenished.

   Watch outDo not attack Dane as a substitute for the activation gesture; the intended trigger is May the Best Win.

   Checkpoint
2. 02

   Prepare the encounter trigger

   Equip May the Best Win

   Open the gesture menu and place May the Best Win somewhere you can select it reliably. The gesture must be performed close to Dane, so select it while facing him rather than activating it while moving through the ruins.

   Location: Near Dryleaf Dane at Moorth Ruins

   TipIf the duel does not start, move closer to Dane and perform the gesture again while facing him directly.

   Watch outSelecting the gesture without actually performing it does not begin the encounter.

   Missable
3. 03

   Challenge Dryleaf Dane

   Start the duel

   Perform May the Best Win in front of Dane. The peaceful interaction changes into the optional one-on-one fight, so make sure your desired equipment and healing setup are ready before activating the gesture.

   Location: Moorth Ruins

   TipStart with enough room around you to maneuver; the open ruins are more useful for spacing than for hiding.

   Watch outOnce the duel begins, Dane immediately becomes an active opponent. Do not activate it while sorting equipment or while low on healing.

   Checkpoint
4. 04

   Survive Dane's pressure

   Bait out Dane's combinations

   Keep Dane in view and avoid standing directly in front of him for extended exchanges. Let him approach, evade the main sequence, and wait for the end of his punches or kicks before committing to an attack.

   Location: Moorth Ruins duel area

   TipA single hit after a completed combination is usually safer than trying to interrupt the first strike.

   Watch outRepeated panic rolls and backward movement can leave you cornered against the ruins, where Dane's advancing attacks are harder to avoid.

5. 05

   Deal damage safely

   Punish the recovery window

   After Dane finishes a longer hand-to-hand sequence, land a brief attack or spell and immediately return to spacing. Heavy weapons and slow casts should be started only when the recovery is clearly complete, while fast weapons can take smaller openings.

   Location: Moorth Ruins duel area

   TipPrioritize consistency over burst damage: Dane's speed makes a missed heavy attack more dangerous than a slower series of small, confirmed hits.

6. 06

   Win the duel

   Defeat Dryleaf Dane

   Continue the spacing-and-punish rhythm until Dane is defeated. There is no verified phase change to prepare for, so maintain the same discipline throughout rather than expecting a new moveset at a particular health threshold.

   Location: Moorth Ruins duel area

   TipCreate distance before healing instead of healing immediately after a successful hit, because Dane can close the gap quickly.

   Watch outIf you die, return to the encounter area and repeat the gesture if the duel is not active; do not assume the failed attempt permanently completes or cancels the event.

   Checkpoint
7. 07

   Obtain Dryleaf Arts and Dane's Hat

   Collect the rewards

   After the duel, collect the rewards associated with Dryleaf Dane. The important combat reward is Dryleaf Arts, while Dane's Hat is the associated headgear reward for players who want to complete the outfit or keep a memento of the encounter.

   Location: Moorth Ruins

   TipCheck your equipment and inventory after the fight so you can confirm that both rewards were collected before leaving the ruins.

   Watch outThe exact post-fight pickup behavior should be checked in-game if either reward is not immediately visible; the source material does not verify a separate pickup location.

   Missable

Pre-fight checklist

• Reach Moorth Ruins and identify Dryleaf Dane near the Site of Grace and Miquella's Cross.The duel cannot be started from another location.
• Place May the Best Win in an accessible gesture slot.This is the encounter trigger, not a decorative emote for the area.
• Restore health and healing before performing the gesture.The gesture starts a hostile duel immediately.
• Choose a setup that can handle a fast close-range opponent.Fast weapons, ranged tools, shields, and heavy weapons each require different timing; use the option you can execute consistently.
• Leave room to circle and retreat around the ruins.Avoid beginning the fight with your back against walls or broken structures.Optional
• Make space before healing.Dane's mobility makes healing at close range unsafe.Optional

Weaknesses and damage

Failure conditions

• The gesture does not activate the encounterMay the Best Win must be performed near Dryleaf Dane at Moorth Ruins. Selecting it without using it, or performing it too far away, will not begin the duel.
• The player dies during the duelDeath ends the attempt and requires another run back to the encounter area. The source material does not verify whether any unusual reset condition applies, so confirm the gesture state in-game before retrying.
• The player is caught in a cornerBacking into the ruins can remove the lateral space needed to evade Dane's advancing combinations. Move around the open area instead of retreating in a straight line.
• The player heals at close rangeDane can close distance quickly, making an immediate heal after a hit unsafe. Disengage first, then heal once his attack sequence has ended.
• The player leaves without collecting the rewardsCheck the encounter area and inventory after victory for Dryleaf Arts and Dane's Hat. A separate verified pickup location is not available in the source material.

Rewards

• Dryleaf Arts
  A hand-to-hand weapon style associated with Dryleaf Dane. It matters because it lets the player build around unarmed martial-arts attacks rather than a conventional equipped weapon.
• Dane's Hat
  Headgear associated with Dryleaf Dane. It is the encounter's equipment reward and can be used by players who want Dane's distinctive appearance.

Lore

Dryleaf Dane represents the Dryleaf tradition through movement rather than through a conventional weapon. His quiet presence at Moorth Ruins and his preference for a formal gesture before combat frame the duel as a deliberate test of martial skill rather than a random ambush. The encounter's reward reinforces that identity: the player does not merely receive a trophy, but gains access to the same hand-to-hand style used by the opponent.

The May the Best Win gesture is central to the encounter's presentation. It turns a silent meeting into a formal challenge and makes the player's choice to begin the fight part of the event itself. Because the duel is optional, players can read Dane's encounter as a compact side test within the wider journey through Shadow of the Erdtree rather than as a mandatory obstacle on the critical path.

Related entries

• Dryleaf ArtsHand-to-hand reward obtained from the encounter.

Trivia

• Dryleaf Dane's encounter is activated through the May the Best Win gesture rather than through a standard boss-door interaction.
• The duel is one of the expansion's clearest introductions to hand-to-hand combat as a dedicated weapon style.
• Dryleaf Arts and Dane's Hat connect the encounter's mechanical reward to Dane's identity as a martial artist.
• Because the fight is optional and takes place in an open ruin area, it can be easy to pass by without realizing that a gesture is required to reveal the duel.

Relationships