How to complete Dryleaf Dane’s quest in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree introduces a nice cast of NPCs for you to meet in the Realm of Shadow.

Leda, the Hornsent, and Thiollier are just a few new faces you’ll run into as you charge through Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree with your trusty steed. Most of them have side quests for you, but they aren’t always super straightforward with what they require you to accomplish. If you can’t refuse the chance to earn some solid loot, or if you simply enjoy getting to know every character in the game, then you might want to look into how to start and complete Dryleaf Dane’s quest in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.

How to start Dryleaf Dane’s quest in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Dryleaf Dane is an enigmatic NPC you first encounter while exploring Scadu Altus in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.

Your true first encounter with Dane happens just outside the Rellana, Twin Moon Knight boss fight. Here, you can summon both Dryleaf Dane and Needle Knight Leda to aid you in this challenging battle. Look for Dane’s summon sign outside the fog door to get acquainted with this formidable ally.

But to start his questline, you must head to the Moorth Ruins Site of Grace in Scadu Altus. This is where you find Dane standing silently, ready to set you on your quest.

How to get the May the Best Win Gesture in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Your next destination is the Highroad Cross Site of Grace, located just north of Castle Ensis. Here, you can find two crucial items related to Dane’s questline: the Monk’s Missive and the May the Best Win Gesture in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.

• Monk’s Missive: The Monk’s Missive is a brief note hinting at a monk (Dane) who wishes to challenge you to a bout without words. This missive is your clue to approach Dane non-verbally.
• May the Best Win Gesture: You also acquire the May the Best Win Gesture at the Highroad Cross Site of Grace. This gesture is essential for challenging Dane.

How to challenge and defeat Dryleaf Dane in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Return to the Moorth Ruins Site of Grace and find Dane. He won’t speak; instead, you need to perform the May the Best Win Gesture in front of him to start a fight in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. Follow these steps:

1. Open the player menu.
2. Navigate to the Gesture tab on the upper right.
3. Hover over the May the Best Win Gesture and press X.

The fight begins as soon as you perform the gesture, so be ready. The battle against Dane is straightforward but requires some strategy. He deals significant damage, but his low poise and lack of heavy armor (he fights in monk robes and uses fists) make him vulnerable.

Equip weapons with longer reach to stay out of his striking range and use heavy attacks that can stagger him easily. This lets you land multiple hits. As for defense, dodge frequently to avoid getting caught in his rapid strikes.

Rewards for completing Dryleaf Dane’s questline in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Once defeated, Dane disappears and leaves behind valuable loot: the Dryleaf Arts weapon and Dane’s Hat helmet as a reward for completing the Dryleaf Dane questline in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. Here’s what you can expect:

• The Dryleaf Arts is a cool-looking hand-to-hand art you can acquire in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. They deal 80 physical damage and 100 critical damage and come with the Palm Blast skill. They’re extremely light, weighing 1.0.
• Dane’s Hat is another unsurprisingly light piece of armor. It’s particularly good against Magic and Holy attacks and considerably raises your Focus and Vitality.

Dane’s involvement in your journey isn’t over after the one-on-one combat. He reappears during the Needle Knight Leda fight at Enir-Ilim. Dane proves to be a valuable ally with his high health pool, able to tank multiple grapples and sustain heavy aggro, giving you more opportunities to attack the boss. Here, he drops more unique items: the Dryleaf Robe, the Dryleaf Arm Wraps, the Dryleaf Cuissardes, and Dane’s Footwork. With these, you can complete Dryleaf Dane’s set.