Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring: How to Get, Summon and Upgrade

Spirit Ashes let you summon computer-controlled spirits to fight beside you, usually in boss arenas. To use them you need the Spirit Calling Bell, which Renna gives you at the Church of Elleh in Limgrave once you have Torrent, plus at least one set of ashes. You can then upgrade your spirits with Roderika in Roundtable Hold.

This guide covers how to unlock summoning, the rules for using it, how upgrades work and a few spirits worth finding early.

How to get the Spirit Calling Bell

Rest at a few Sites of Grace in Limgrave until Melina appears and gives you the Spectral Steed Whistle, which summons Torrent.
Return to the Church of Elleh, the ruined church with a merchant just north of the starting area.
Talk to Renna, the witch sitting on the broken wall. When she asks, tell her you can call the Spectral Steed.
She gives you the Spirit Calling Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes.

PowerPyx notes that Renna only appears at night, so rest at the church's grace and pass time if she isn't there. If you skipped her entirely, the official Bandai Namco tips say the bell can also be bought from a merchant in Roundtable Hold later.

The bell does not need to be equipped. Keeping it in your inventory is enough. What you do equip are the ashes themselves, either in a quick item slot or through your inventory.

Rules for summoning Spirit Ashes

Spirits can't be called everywhere. The official starter guide sets out the rules:

You must be near a Rebirth Monument. A small monument icon appears on the left side of the screen when summoning is possible. Almost every boss arena has one, and some open areas do too.
Only one spirit type at a time. Using a second set of ashes is not possible while the first spirits are active.
No spirits in online multiplayer. If you summon another player, or join someone else's world, Spirit Ashes are off.
Spirits leave when their HP reaches zero, when the boss is defeated, when they move too far from the monument, or when you use the same ashes again.

Most ashes cost FP to summon, and stronger spirits cost more. The Mimic Tear is the main exception, since it costs HP instead of FP. If you want to rely on expensive summons, put some levels into Mind.

How to upgrade Spirit Ashes

Upgrading raises a spirit's health, damage and defense, and for some ashes the number of spirits too.

Unlocking Roderika

Roderika starts at the Stormhill Shack, on the road up to Stormveil Castle, and gives you the Jellyfish Ashes when you talk to her. After you get through Stormveil, she moves to Roundtable Hold. Talk to her and to Smithing Master Hewg in turn, passing messages between them. Once she has made up her mind, she sets up shop across from Hewg and can upgrade your ashes.

Upgrade materials

Upgrades cost runes plus glovewort flowers, which grow in catacombs, tunnels and other places tied to death and burial.

Material	Used for	Where to get more
Grave Glovewort	Regular Spirit Ashes	Catacombs and other burial sites; unlimited supply after giving Glovewort Picker's Bell Bearings to the Twin Maiden Husks
Ghost Glovewort	Renowned (unique) Spirit Ashes such as the Mimic Tear	The Siofra River and some catacombs; also sold after giving Ghost Glovewort Picker's Bell Bearings

Higher upgrade levels need higher grades of glovewort. Regular and renowned spirits go up to +10, and the bell bearings that unlock unlimited purchases drop from catacomb bosses later in the game. PowerPyx lists the first Glovewort Picker's Bell Bearing as a reward for beating the Erdtree Burial Watchdog in the Wyndham Catacombs on the Altus Plateau.

Why +8 matters after patch 1.13

Patch 1.13 raised the attack power and damage negation of summoned spirits, except the Mimic Tear, once they are upgraded to +8 or higher. If you have been carrying a favorite spirit at +6 or +7, two more upgrades give it an extra boost. The current Community Quest, which runs from November 2 to November 28, 2026, includes a goal to upgrade 100,000 standard Spirit Ashes to +8, so it is a good month to do it.

Good Spirit Ashes to look for

These are well-known options, with locations taken from PowerPyx, GamesRadar and Windows Central. Upgrades matter more than which spirit you pick, so a fully upgraded early spirit often beats a new one at +0.

Spirit	Where to get it	Why it's useful
Lone Wolf Ashes	Renna, Church of Elleh	Three wolves that distract bosses from the very start
Jellyfish Ashes	Roderika, Stormhill Shack	A ranged spirit that pokes enemies from a distance
Mimic Tear	Chest in Night's Sacred Ground, Nokron, Eternal City	Copies your own gear and spells; costs HP, not FP
Black Knife Tiche	Ringleader's Evergaol, Liurnia of the Lakes (per Windows Central)	Fast and hard to hit, popular for tough bosses

How to get the Mimic Tear

Nokron, Eternal City only opens after you defeat Starscourge Radahn in Caelid. A hole then opens northwest of Fort Haight in Limgrave, with rocks floating above it. Drop down, work through Nokron to the Ancestral Woods grace, then cross the rooftops into Night's Sacred Ground. The Mimic Tear Ashes are in a chest behind a fog wall that needs a Stonesword Key.

The Mimic Tear works best if you give yourself a simple loadout before summoning it. It copies what you have equipped, so a heavy armor set and a strong weapon carry over to the copy.

Spirit Ashes in Shadow of the Erdtree

The DLC adds a second way to strengthen spirits. Revered Spirit Ashes, found across the Realm of Shadow, raise a separate blessing that boosts the attack and defense of your summons and of Torrent while you are in the expansion. Our Scadutree Fragments guide explains how that blessing works and where the first ones are.

Spirit Ashes vs NPC summons

Spirit Ashes are not the only computer-controlled help. Some boss fights have NPC summon signs, which appear once you activate the nearby Martyr Effigy (the summoning pool statue). NPC summons cost no FP, but they are tied to specific places and quests. Other players are a third option, covered in the official multiplayer rules: summoning a player turns Spirit Ashes off.

If you are still choosing a build, the best starting class guide notes which classes start with high Mind for expensive summons.

Frequently asked questions

How do you unlock Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring?

Get Torrent from Melina, then go to the Church of Elleh at night and talk to Renna. She gives you the Spirit Calling Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes, which lets you summon spirits near Rebirth Monuments.

Why can't I summon Spirit Ashes?

You are probably not near a Rebirth Monument, already have a spirit out, or are in online multiplayer. Spirits can only be summoned when the monument icon shows on the left of the screen, and never while other players are in your world.

Where do you upgrade Spirit Ashes?

Roderika upgrades them in Roundtable Hold after you help her settle in by talking to her and Smithing Master Hewg. Upgrades cost runes plus Grave Glovewort for regular spirits or Ghost Glovewort for renowned ones.

What is the max level for Spirit Ashes?

Spirit Ashes can be upgraded to +10. Since patch 1.13, spirits other than the Mimic Tear get an extra boost to attack and defense at +8 and above.

Is the Mimic Tear still good?

It is still one of the most popular summons because it copies your build. It costs HP instead of FP, and patch 1.13's +8 bonus does not apply to it, so other spirits gained more from that update.

Can you use Spirit Ashes in co-op?

No. Spirit Ashes are disabled whenever another player is in your world, whether you are the host or a guest. Use them when playing solo, or rely on your co-op partners instead.