How to Use Spirit Ashes - Elden Ring Guide - IGN (2024)

Spirit Ashes are a mechanic in Elden Ring that allows you to summon various creatures to aid you in battle. This wiki page will give you a brief overview of what these are, how they work, and the conditions you must meet to use them.

What are Spirit Ashes?

Similar to other From Software games such as Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Elden Ring allows you to summon other players and NPC's for cooperation in both boss battles and overworld exploration. However, the new Spirit Ashes mechanic also allows you to call upon the spirits of the dead who, for whatever reason, were unable to make their way back into the roots of the Erdtree. These allies range from packs of once-hostile enemies to legendary warriors to the spirit form of notable NPC's. However, to be able to deploy these helpful allies from the ether, you need to collect both their ashes (found scattered throughout the world or via specific questlines) as well as the tool with which to use them (the Spirit Calling Bell).

If you're looking for more detailed information concerning Spirit Ashes, check out the following wiki pages:

1. All summonable Spirit Ashes
2. How to level up Spirit Summons
3. Where to get Grave and Ghost Glovewort
4. The best Spirit Ashes and where to get them

How to Get the Spirit Calling Bell

After receiving Torrent from Melina in West Limgrave (more information on that here), return to the Site of Grace at the Chuch of Elleh. Upon resting there, you will see a new NPC, who will identify herself as Renna the Witch, perched on a crumbling wall to the east of the Site of Grace.

Speak to Renna and exhaust her dialogue to receive the Spirit Calling Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes. After you have secured these items, Renna will disappear. From here, you will now be able to summon your first Spirits.

Note: If you continue to explore the world of The Lands Between without returning to the Church of Elleh, you will no longer be able to receive the Spirit Calling Bell from Renna. However, returning to the Roundtable Hold and speaking with the Twin Maiden Husks will reveal that you can purchase the Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes from them.

How to use Spirit Ashes in Combat

Spirit Ashes can only be summoned in certain locations, and will disappear under two conditions

1. If you move out of the Spirit Calling range (more information on how to identify that below).
2. If you vanquish the boss of the area.

To know whether or not you're in a location that allows for Spirit Summons, you will see a white gravestone icon in the bottom left corner of your HUD.

If you are fighting a field boss and move out of Spirit Summons range, the icon in the corner will begin to flash. The further you move out of these boundaries, the quicker it will flash; when it disappears, your Spirit will also have dissipated. It's worth keeping an eye on this, as you will need to rest at a Site of Grace to re-summon if you move too out of range.

To summon these Spirits, you will need to select them from your inventory to activate. Your character will automatically ring the Spirit Calling Bell (no need to equip it) and your Spirit will come to your aid. Note that many require a certain amount of FP, with more powerful/legendary Spirits requiring greater resources to cast. We recommend equipping your preferred Spirit Ashes in your quick bar for ease of access; many dungeon boss battles offer a limited amount of time to summon before combat engages, having quick access to call your allies for help is wise.

NOTE: Only one type of Spirit Ashes may be summoned at a time, and these cannot be used during multiplayer. Think strategically about when you want to co-op versus use Spirit Ashes; playing multiplayer increases the HP and damage output of bosses while Spirit Ashes do not.

Knowing which Spirit you want to summon for an upcoming battle can depend heavily on what you need most for the fight. Sometimes they serve best as distractions for a boss, while other times you'll want a powerful Spirit to support you with ranged fire or to simply tank enemy hits. We recommend trying out several different types to figure out which fit your playstyle best. If you're still not sure, we recommend checking out our page outlining the best spirit ashes.