The Golden Hippopotamus is the third major boss battle in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. If you’ve beaten it and are confused about where to go next, we’ll help you out in this guide.
Where to go after defeating Golden Hippopotamus in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC
After defeating Golden Hippopotamus at Shadow Keep, your next stop should be the Specimen Storehouse IF you intend to fight the next major story boss. You can explore other areas before going to this place as you will find many items as well as side bosses to take on. But, if you strictly want to progress the story and face the main bosses, then Specimen Storehouse is the place.
The Specimen Storehouse is inside Shadow Keep so you won’t have to venture to a new area, but Shadow Keep is very complex to navigate and you can easily get lost.
After defeating the Golden Hippo, you should see a path, to the left of the Place of Grace there. Go there and keep moving forward. You will encounter some Messmer soldiers nearby, avoid or kill them if you have to. You should come across a dining room with two knights, one shooting arrows at you and one to the right. To the right you should see a door that leads to another area. Go to that door.
After exiting the door, go to the area on the right with the Golden Order boats. You will find some small Vulgar militiamen who will try to surprise you with attacks. Take them out or avoid them.
After passing the Golden Order boats, you should see a staircase leading to another building on the left, with staffs on either side of the path. That’s where you should go next You’ll notice a Fire Knight wandering around there. It is advised that you take them out as they can damage you massively.
At the end of the road is an elevator that will take you up from the building. Enter it and you should be on your way up. The elevator will take you to the Sample Warehouse, First Floor. There will be a Place of Grace there, so be sure to touch it.
Now, from the Specimen Storage, you must venture up to the top to find the next major boss, Messmer the Empalist. This boss is one of the hardest in Elden Ring including the base game, so make sure you are prepared.
Should you go to Specimen Storage right after defeating Golden Hippo?
While you can go to Messmer directly from the Specimen Storehouse, it will basically take you to the endgame part of Shadow of the Erdtree, which is very difficult. You are highly encouraged to level up your Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ash Blessings before facing Messmer and the other story bosses.
Some places you can visit before facing Messmer are the Ellac River and Cerulean Coast to the east. You can also go ahead and explore Gravesite Plain and Scadu Altus if you haven’t already, as they are filled with various dungeons and bosses to take on.
For more on Elden Ring, check out Where to get Carian Thrusting Shield in Shadow of the Erdtree, here on Pro Game Guides.
