How to Remove the Red Square Debuff in Elden Ring

There are few things as irritating in an RPG as an inexplicable, enduring debuff. You don’t know how it got there or are even 100% sure what it’s doing to you, but it’s definitely something bad, and even if it weren’t, seeing the little icon on your HUD can be irritating. The mysterious “Red Square” debuff in Elden Ring is one of these annoying kinds of debuffs, though thankfully, there is a fairly simple way to get rid of it. Here’s how to remove the Red Square debuff in Elden Ring.

When you first visit Roundtable Hold, you’ll be introduced to Fia, the Deathbed Companion. Fia is a (presumably) kindhearted individual who offers to soothe your weary soul with comforting hug. Taking this hug won’t kill you, and she’ll even give you some lore details if you accept. Plus, hey, who doesn’t like free hugs? After she lets you go, she’ll give you a consumable item known as Baldachin’s Blessing. Using that item will temporarily buff your Poise stat, which is what determines how well you can stay standing after taking a powerful attack. It all sounds like a great deal, right?

How to Remove the Red Square Debuff in Elden Ring

Well, unfortunately, nothing in life is free, especially not in spooky high fantasy land. After Fia lets you go, you may notice a red square with a down-pointing arrow underneath your health, FP, and stamina bars on your HUD. This debuff has no name and doesn’t show up on your stat sheet, so it’s not even immediately apparent what it’s doing.

What the red square debuff does is chop off 5% of your max HP, and it doesn’t go away even after you rest or die. In a dicey encounter, even a measly 5% of your HP can make all the difference, so you definitely want to get rid of that.

As it so happens, you already have the means of curing yourself: Baldachin’s Blessing. After the Poise buff that comes from using Baldachin’s Blessing expires, it’ll take the red square debuff with it, allowing you to heal to your proper max HP again.

If you go hug Fia again, you’ll get another Baldachin’s Blessing and another red square, so if you’re feeling gutsy, you can go get a quick hug from her before a big fight to get the Poise buff while banking on the debuff to expire before you get your teeth kicked in.