Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Ansbach quest walkthrough

A kindly soul with a dark past

FromSoftware/GLHF

Finishing Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree’s Ansbach quest gives you some insight into the DLC’s story and what led everyone to that point – plus a bit about what to expect in the end. Ansbach is a gentle, mild soul, but he wasn’t always that way. He used to be a Pureblood Knight in the service of Mohg, though lucky for you, he doesn’t know that you’re the reason his lord no longer draws breath.

Our Elden Ring Ansbach quest guide walks you through each part of this Shadow of the Erdtree NPC's quest, including where he moves to and when the point of no return is.

For more Elden Ring help, check out our Shadow of the Erdtree guides hub for tips on where to find Scadutree Fragment locations and where to look for Revered Spirit Ash locations.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: How to start Ansbach's quest

Ansbach's quest technically begins when you first meet him. Travel to the Gate Entrance Miquella's Cross, and you'll find him standing near the cross, with Moore nearby. The two have no connection other than being Miquella's followers, and there's not really anything for you to do here with Ansbach. Exhaust his dialogue, buy some stuff from Moore if you want, and move on.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: Ansbach location 2

Stuffed in a corner in the weirdest place on earth, nothing unusual here / FromSoftware/GLHF

Ansbach does nothing else until you reach Shadow Keep. Miquella's Great Rune breaks as you enter the fortress, which shatters the hold he has on all his erstwhile pilgrims and prompts them to change location. Ansbach is inside, at the back of the Specimen Storehouse.

You have to visit the Specimen Storehouse to clear Shadow Keep and progress the story, so there's no chance of missing the broader location.

You can miss Ansbach, though. Make your way through the Storehouse's first floor, dealing with the shades and Vulgar Militiamen as you go. Once you climb the stairs, turn left. There's another left turn you can make, but don't. Go straight ahead instead. You'll step into a room with a big specimen on a pedestal, and Ansbach is behind it. Exhaust his dialogue.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: Secret Rite Scroll

Easy to miss / FromSoftware/GLHF

The next step involves getting a scroll. Keep climbing up the Storehouse until you reach the fourth floor Site of Grace and Cross. Exit onto the balcony, and turn left to find the next path. Fight your way up two flights of stairs, past bats and a Fire Knight, and take a left down a short staircase. You'll emerge on a small landing with an entrance back into the keep on your right, which drops you in a single room with several bookshelves. Walk forward to the floor's edge, and turn right to find the scroll.

You can continue climbing until you reach the next Site of Grace on the seventh floor or go back to Ansbach, but I recommend waiting to give him the scroll until you reach the seventh floor. It makes life easier and avoids any chance of locking yourself out of Freyja's quest.

Grab the book, but don't visit Ansbach again yet /

You'll find Redmane Freyja behind the Site of Grace there. Speak with her, then go back to Ansbach.

Exhaust his dialogue about Freyja, then if the choice to give him the scroll doesn't present itself, speak with him again until it does.

He'll tell you what happened to Mohg after the Blood Lord's death and decide on a course of action. Exhaust his dialogue, then rest at a Site of Grace again. Come back to the room where Ansbach is, and speak with him again. He'll give you a letter for Frejya.

Back to the Storehouse's seventh floor you go, letter in hand. Give it to Freyja. That's all there is to do for now.

Shadow of the Erdtree: Should you help Leda kill Ansbach?

The price of saving a life / FromSoftware/GLHF

If you speak to Leda any time after Miquella's Rune breaks, you'll see she's swung to the opposite extreme. The kind, devoted attitude is gone, and in its place is a violent knight intent on culling the unworthy. She'll ask you if you think she should kill Ansbach. You can just ignore her, but whatever your choice, you'll find two summon signs in the Storehouse room where Ansbach was.

The red one invites Leda to invade Ansbach, and the gold invites you to protect Ansbach against Leda. Invading Ansbach results in his permanent death, though you'll get his armor set and bow. Protecting him gives you his bow, Leda's Rune, worth 40,000 Runes, and the chance to summon Ansbach later in the game during a key encounter.

This encounter disappears after you burn the sealing tree, so don't leave it too late. This effectively ends Ansbach's quest until a late-game encounter where he'll join the arena in a big fight with multiple characters.

If you're not quite ready for that yet, take a detour to Charo's Hidden Grave for some more secrets, and don't forget to duplicate your Remembrances and get some of the game's best gear.