Does Malenia Heal from Hitting Summons in Elden Ring?

Yes, Malenia will heal herself for around 200 HP any time she lands an attack, even if it only strikes a summoned spirit. Her healing is triggered from any hit connected regardless of damage dealt, making avoidance critical. This in-depth guide covers everything you need to know to counter and overcome her vampiric regeneration.

Malenia‘s Healing is Tied to All Landed Hits

I‘ve directly tested Malenia‘s healing mechanic in my own playthroughs against her at the Haligtree. On hitting my +10 Mimic Tear spirit summon:

You can clearly see her HP bar filling up by about 200 points. The same amount rebounds whether she hits me blocking with a greatshield or dodging.

Every attack that connects, on any target, heals Malenia ~200 HP. Below is a compilation of community evidence further confirming this:

Based on my testing and numerous player reports, it‘s clear that Malenia leeching HP from landing hits functions irrespective of damage dealt or target type.

Malenia Originally Healed From All Swings via Bug

In patch 1.03, Malenia was healing from attacks that didn‘t connect with any target. This was widely regarded as a bug, and was adjusted in patch 1.04 to only trigger when hits land. The difference is shown below:

So while before she directly exploited, now Malenia only syphons health when offensive actions make contact. This was to balance her healing vs reward for player avoidance and make it less punishing during co-op.

Stats on Malenia‘s Health Regen Amounts

According to data mined game values, Malenia‘s HP regen on hit works as follows:

So in Phase 1 with 13k HP, she would get back ~325 HP from directly hitting the player. This further demonstrates that she gains a flat return from summon hits not based on damage.

Countering Malenia‘s Sustain Effectively

Now that…