Dragon slaying is on the menu in Elden Ring. You get to fight small dragons as well as giant creatures that drop lots of Runes and many interesting items. Some dragons also drop Dragon Hearts that you can use to level up your character.
Some dragons may disappear all of a sudden while you’re fighting them. They simply teleport away from the fight. Let’s explore what’s causing this confusing behavior.
Why do Dragons disappear in Elden Ring?
Some early dragons are scripted to disappear in the middle of the fight because you need to fight them later. They fly off at 50% HP to replenish their health and get stronger for the next encounter. You have to progress Ranni’s quest to meet those dragons again.
Rest assured, this is intended behavior, the game is not glitched.
For example, the dragon at the Three Sisters and the ancient dragon from Altus Plateau will fly off after hitting half HP. They teleport to a very isolated area that you cannot access until much later in the game.
Keep in mind that the ancient dragon on Altus only shows up at night.
Additionally, if you get to far from the dragon’s spawn or home, it will disappear. You need to get closer to the area where it’s supposed to show up to force it to respawn and fight you.
There’s no need to look for the missing dragons. Simply follow the main story and you’ll meet them again after advancing Ranni’s questline and Fia’s quest.
⇒ Fun fact: After consuming Dragon Hearts, your character’s eyes will turn yellow.
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