Fia is an NPC in Elden Ring. She can be found in the Roundtable Hold. Talking to Fia about her questline will reveal that in exchange for a hug, she will bestow a blessing on you.
This doesn’t seem like a bad deal but it has an unadvertised side effect. This guide is here to help players who want to get rid of Fia’s hug debuff in Elden Ring.
What’s Fia’s Hug debuff in Elden Ring?
Fia’s hug debuff also known as the red square hug debuff appears as a red arrow pointing downwards right along your character bars on the top left corner of the screen, under your stamina bar.
You receive this debuff after hugging Fia at the Roundtable, along with a consumable item called the Radiant Baldachin’s Blessing.
What it implies, is that you have 5% reduced health now. This is more annoying than it is an actual game changer, which can’t be said about Baldachin’s Blessing.
You may not know about it at first, because this hug debuff does not show under the status or the menu. It can only be seen under your stamina bar. Although the 5% reduction with this debuff may not be that significant, the problem that it poses is that it cannot be removed through the normal ways of removing the debuff.
This means that you cannot remove the Fia hug debuff either by dying or by resting at any Site of Grace. There is only one way to remove the red square debuff.
How to remove Fia’s Hug debuff / red square debuff
The method to remove Fia’s Hug debuff is pretty simple. All you need to do is use the blessing she provides you (Baldachin’s Blessing) when she embraces you in a hug.
This item costs 20 FP to use and can be used only for a single time. Consuming the Radiant Baldachin’s Blessing will increase your poise for a short while. When the effect of the blessing from the embrace ends, so will the debuff applied to you.
Although you can only use this item for a single time, you can get more of them from her back at the Roundtable Hold. If you hug her for the second time though, you can unlock a secret conversation with her, along with a new quest.
What’s Baldachin’s Blessing in Elden Ring?
Baldachin’s Blessing is an excellent item you receive from the Fia Hug Debuff. When activated it increases your Poise.
Poise determines the degree to which you can resist collapsing under enemy attacks. This means resisting staggers and knockdowns by heavy attackers like bosses or very fast attacks.
This is very useful, especially for big boss fights. So we actually recommend that you get the blessing every time there is a big upcoming fight, plus it nets you new dialogues and lore about the world. The debuff of -5% health is a small loss for the poise gained.
Should You Hug Fia?
Fia, the Deathbed Champion in Elden Ring is a lonely lady who seeks help from you. In the early stages when you reach the Roundtable Hold, you can choose to embrace the lady.
If you decide to hug Fia, know that it comes with a few pros and cons. The hug comes with a secret debuff, as mentioned above, a small reduction of 5% in your HP.
On the other hand, it grants you a unique item, which is only obtainable through her hugs, the Baldachin’s Blessing. The debuff isn’t permanent, you can get your health back by using the blessing.
