I've been grinding through Elden Ring Nightreign since its release, and I can confidently say that Revenant is one of the most powerful Nightfarers you can add to your roster. The necromancy abilities and immortality skills have completely changed my gameplay experience, but unlocking this character requires some specific steps that many players find confusing.

unlocking-revenant-in-elden-ring-nightreign-my-complete-2025-guide-image-0

Prerequisites for Unlocking Revenant

Before you can even begin the quest to unlock Revenant, you must first unlock Duchess. This is a critical prerequisite that many guides don't emphasize enough. To unlock Duchess, you'll need to:

  1. Defeat the first Nightlord (Gladius, Beast of Night)

  2. Find the white-robed woman in the eastern section of the map

  3. Give her the Old Pocketwatch

  4. Return to the Roundtable Hold to confirm Duchess is available

With the May 2025 update, FromSoftware has made this process slightly more intuitive by adding directional markers, but the core requirements remain unchanged.

The Besmirched Frame Quest

Once Duchess is unlocked, your next step is to purchase the Besmirched Frame Relic from the Small Jar Bazaar. This will cost you 1,500 Murk, which might seem steep for newer players, but I found several efficient ways to farm this currency:

  • Complete the daily Shifting Earth events (yields ~400 Murk)

  • Defeat the respawning elite enemies in Noklateo

  • Trade in excess Memory Fragments at the Collector Signboard

After purchasing the Besmirched Frame, head to the Roundtable Hold's east wing. Look for a spectral figure in the corner near the Journal - this is the Phantom you need to interact with.

People Also Ask: Can I Unlock Revenant Without Duchess?

No, unlocking Duchess is a mandatory prerequisite for accessing the Revenant questline. There are currently no known workarounds or sequence breaks for this requirement, even with the latest 2025 patches.

Facing the Night Idol Boss

When you touch the Phantom, you'll be transported to a small, isolated area of the Lands Between. This rain-soaked arena in the southeast corner is where you'll face the Night Idol boss - a challenge you must overcome solo.

My strategy for defeating Night Idol:

  1. Focus on eliminating her summons first

  2. Watch for her golden disc attack (jump to avoid)

  3. Use a character with high burst damage (I recommend Raider)

  4. Save your healing potions for the second phase

  5. Utilize the pillars for cover when needed

The boss has approximately 15,000 HP in the standard difficulty, which is manageable with proper gear. Since the May 2025 balance patch, her summons have slightly less health, making this encounter more approachable for solo players.

Revenant's Unique Abilities

After defeating Night Idol, Revenant will be available in your character selection. What makes this Nightfarer special are three distinct abilities:

1. Necromancy (Passive)

This allows you to raise fallen enemies as ghostly allies. I've found this particularly effective in crowd-control situations and against elite mobs. The ghosts scale with your level and can be surprisingly tanky in the late game.

2. Summon Spirit (Character Skill)

You can choose between three unique summons:

  • Helen: Fast, agile page with quick attacks

  • Frederick: Burly cook with high HP and stagger potential

  • Sebastian: Butler with ranged support abilities

Each summon has different strengths, and I've found myself switching between them based on the encounter. Frederick excels against single targets, while Helen is better for groups.

3. Immortal March (Ultimate Art)

This game-changing ultimate makes your entire party temporarily immortal and revives near-death allies. It also transforms your summons into powered-up versions. Since the February 2025 balance update, this ability has a 90-second cooldown (reduced from 120).

Optimizing Your Revenant Build

Revenant comes with two Blue slots and one Yellow slot for Relic Rites by default. For optimal performance, I recommend:

  • Blue Slot 1: Spectral Resonance (increases summon duration)

  • Blue Slot 2: Soul Harvester (generates Murk when summons deal damage)

  • Yellow Slot: Undying Resolve (reduces cooldowns when below 30% health)

unlocking-revenant-in-elden-ring-nightreign-my-complete-2025-guide-image-1

People Also Ask: Which Character is Best for Defeating Night Idol?

While Raider is generally recommended due to high burst damage, I've successfully used Guardian and Ironeye as well. The key is having upgraded weapons and understanding the boss's attack patterns. Wylder can be effective but requires more skill to manage the stamina constraints.

Revenant in Team Compositions

Since I unlocked Revenant, she's become a staple in my party compositions. She pairs exceptionally well with:

  • Guardian: The tank's aggro generation keeps enemies focused while your summons attack from behind

  • Duchess: Her buff abilities enhance your summons' damage output

  • Executor: The crowd control abilities complement your necromancy skills

For challenging content like the Everdark Sovereign raids introduced in the April 2025 update, having a Revenant in your party can be the difference between success and failure.

Final Thoughts

Unlocking Revenant requires patience and skill, but the payoff is tremendous. The versatility this character brings to your expeditions is unmatched, especially with the recent balance changes that buffed necromancy damage by 15%.

If you're struggling with the Night Idol fight, don't hesitate to level up your gear first or practice the encounter a few times. Remember that unlike most content in Elden Ring Nightreign, this is a solo challenge by design.

Ready to Master the Darkness?

Have you unlocked Revenant yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Grab that Besmirched Frame, face the Night Idol, and add this powerful necromancer to your roster today! Share your Revenant builds and strategies in the comments, and let's conquer the darkness together. The night is long, but with Revenant by your side, you'll never face it alone! 🌙⚔️

This content draws upon Rock Paper Shotgun, a leading source for PC gaming news and reviews. Their coverage of Elden Ring expansions and character unlock mechanics often emphasizes the importance of understanding quest prerequisites and optimal build strategies, which aligns with the detailed steps and recommendations provided for unlocking Revenant in Nightreign.