Needle Knight Leda questline walkthrough for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (2024)

Needle Knight Leda is the first NPC you’ll meet in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

Her story and associated questline runs from the very first moments of the DLC all the way to just before its final battle, spanning more or less the entire story. The choices you make while dealing with her determine a couple of fights you may or may not have, and a couple of allies you may or may not be able to call on for help later in the game.

Our Elden Ring DLC guide will walk you through where to find Leda, and all the steps you’ll need to take to complete her questline, including the Hornsent or Leda choice and the Ansbach or Leda choice.

Needle Knight Leda locations

You’ll meet Needle Knight Leda for the first time back in the Lands Between after defeating Mohg — she’ll usher you into the Shadow Realm where the DLC takes place. It’ll be a bit before you speak with her again — after completing Belurat and Castle Ensis. Once you reach Shadow Keep, though, things change with Leda and you’ll have some tough choices to make.

Leda first meeting at Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Needle Knight Leda is the first NPC you’ll meet in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Technically, you’ll meet her before you even start the DLC. After you defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood, she will be standing next to the new Cocoon of the Empyrean Site of Grace. Speak with her there, and then start your journey into the Shadow Realm.

Find notes from Leda

The next two times you hear from Leda are technically just notes she’s left you. You’ll find the Tower Shadow Message after defeating the Divine Beast Dancing Lion in Belurat, Tower Settlement, and then the Message from Leda next to the Castle Ensis Checkpoint Site of Grace inside Castle Ensis.

Leda second meeting at Highroad Cross Site of Grace

You can summon Needle Knight Leda to fight with you to defeat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight in Castle Ensis, but this is optional for her questline. After the fight, you’ll head out onto the Scadu Altus where the first site of grace you find there is the Highroad Cross Site of Grace.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

At Highroad Cross, you can chat with both Leda and Hornsent. You won’t get much out of them yet, though.

Lift the charm and return to Leda

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Before anything else can happen with Leda, you need to approach Shadow Keep. Just before you reach the front door, you’ll get a pair of messages — “Somewhere, a great rune has broken…” and “And so too has a powerful charm.” These both relate to Miquella and the NPCs you’ve met so far.

You can continue up to the Shadow Keep Main Gate Site of Grace, but don’t start the Golden Hippopotamus boss fight yet — especially if you want to progress Hornsent’s questline. Instead, warp back to Main Gate Cross Site of Grace to talk with Moore, and then to Highroad Cross and check in with Leda.

Assist (or don’t) Leda against Hornsent — optional

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When you talk to Leda after the charm is broken, she’ll be a little more bloodthirsty than she had been previously. She’ll turn her attention to the other NPCs she’s decided she can’t trust. She’ll ask you to help decide between killing Thiollier or Hornsent. What you choose here doesn’t really matter — she doesn’t consider Thiollier a threat, and she’ll land on Hornsent even if you never make a suggestion.

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Back in Shadow Keep, on the rampart above the Main Gate Plaza Site of Grace, you’ll be able to choose to assist either Leda or Hornsent. Hornsent is the safer ally here — he’ll fight with you during the Messmer the Impaler boss fight, you’ll get a special drop from Leda (the Swift Slash Ash of War).

Assist (or don’t) Leda against Ansbach — optional

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While you’re in the Shadow Keep, make sure you talk to Sir Ansbach and Redmane Freyja. Ansbach is in a back room to the northeast of the Storehouse, First Floor Site of Grace. Freyja is up on next to the Storehouse, Seventh Floor Site of Grace.

To complete their steps:

• Talk to Ansbach.
• Talk to Freyja.
• Talk to Ansbach again.
• Find the Secret Rite Scroll and give it to Ansbach.
• Rest at a site of grace.
• Talk to Ansbach and get the Letter for Freyja.
• Deliver the letter to her (and receive the Golden Lion Shield).
• Deliver her message back to Ansbach.
• Rest at a site of grace so Ansbach leaves the Storehouse.

After all of that is done, finish Shadow Keep and defeat Messmer the Impaler (with or without the help of Hornsent).

After Messmer, return to the Highroad Cross Site of Grace and talk to Leda. She’ll have turned her attention to Ansbach now.

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Return to Ansbach’s room on the first floor of the Specimen Storehouse. He’ll be gone, but there will be a pair of summon signs there — a red one for Leda and a gold one for Ansbach. Your choice is the same as it was for Hornsent — assist one of them against the other. And again, the safe choice is to ally yourself with Ansbach against Leda.

Defeat her to pick up the Ansbach’s Longbow weapon.

Burn the Sealing Tree

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Before you can bring Leda’s questline to an end, you’ll need to cross the Rauh Ruins, defeat Romina, Saint of the Bud at the Church of the Bud, and then finally use Messmer’s Kindling to burn the Sealing Tree.

That will open the Tower of Shadow and teleport you to Enir-Ilim.

Defeat Needle Knight Leda and her allies

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After making in through Enir-Ilim, you’ll come to a large arena and have your final showdown with Needle Knight Leda and her allies. Depending on how your game went, you’ll have to face Redmane Freyja, Dryleaf Dane, possibly Sir Moore, and then Leda herself.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

After the fight, you’ll get Leda’s Sword. A little past the arena, you’ll find Leda’s body in the hallway where you can pick up Leda’s Armor.

Looking for more Shadow of the Erdtree guides? Check out our guides on the Count Ymir, Dryleaf Dane, Hornsent Grandam, Sir Ansbach, and Redmane Freyja NPC quests, or peruse our interactive Elden Ring DLC map.