We all know that much of Soulsborne games' popularity lies in their difficulty. Between their demanding bosses, convoluted level design, and obtuse systems,FromSoftware’s releases always carry a challenging aura.
10 Hardest Soulsborne Bosses
You’re going to need a relaxing vacation after facing these difficult bosses in the Soulsborne universe.
However, this is not always the case. There have been multiple occasions when the developer, out of condescension or restraint,has tasked us with challenges far from its usual standards.
Their latest creations are a different case, withSekiro: Shadows Die TwiceandElden Ringhaving much greater difficulty. Yet, you can’t erase a connoisseur’s memory, so I’m more than perfectly capable of presenting you the teneasiest Soulsborne bosses of all time.
10Curse-rotted Greatwood
Pus-filled Abomination
Dark Souls 3
Undead Settlement
I’ve always consideredDark Souls 3to be FromSoftware’s title with thehighest average difficulty regarding bosses. Nevertheless, I make this statement despite the existence of theCurse-rotted Greatwood.
Every Soulsborne Game Ranked By Lore
FromSoftware’s ability to worldbuilding is immaculate, but even perfection has its scales.
Itsimposing arenaand design are undeniable, but the battle itself is one of the weakest in the entire game. Aside from the hollows scattered around the area,fighting various egg sacs isn’t particularly fun or challenging.
Although it’s optional, defeating it is necessary to get theTransposing Kilnand turn boss souls into special weapons, so perhaps it’s better if it’s an easy fight where there are few genuine threats.
9Asylum Demon
The Tutorial Blueprint
Dark Souls
Northern Undead Asylum
Clarifying beforehand that I’m a big fan of the Asylum Demon, as I think it’s a great tutorial boss,I recognize it’s an incredibly simple fight.
After getting over the nerves of your first encounter, which is where much of its challenge lies,identifying its patterns and weaknesses is a piece of cake.
He has few attacks, he’s slow, and you can take away much of his health bar by doing a plunging attack. There are no arguments in favor of its difficulty, but the psychological pressure it generates can make it dangerous if you’re new to theDark Soulsexperience.
8Ancient Wyvern
One-hit Boss
Archdragon Peak
Ancient Wyvernfrom Dark Souls 3 is an unusual case where the boss is not the entity itself, but the area in which it’s located. The dragon in question dies in one hit and only has a couple of movements, so the crux of this encounter is to identify how to deal with its titanic amount of health.
Once you realize the arena is larger than usual,the fight is over, since you just have to follow the linear design of the level to reach the high point from which you will execute the coup de grâce.
Still, I give it some credit because the enemies guarding the place can be quite annoying. There are a lot of them; they do noticeable damage and can attack from great distances, butthey’re the sole thing keeping this fight from being an absolute breeze.
A Firebombs Dumpster
Demon’s Souls
1-1 Boletarian Palace
Being the first real boss inDemon’s Souls, it’s understandable thatPhalanxis as easy as it is, since its purpose is to teach players how to survive the world of Boletaria.
Enemies in front of the boss’s arena dropFirebombsandPine Resins, which Phalanx is weak against, urging you to take advantage of the tools the game gives you.
The boss doesn’t attack and relies on the minions covering him for protection and damage, but they are remarkably passive and easy to defeat, even without fire.
It’s a forgettable figure, butPhalanx does his job of guiding Demon’s Souls players on the right pathbefore facing the increasing challenge they’ll be about to experience.
6Dragonrider
Seven Steps To Heaven
Dark Souls 2
Heide’s Tower of Flame
Every Soulsborne Co-op Experience, Ranked
FromSoftware’s games have provided some of the most memorable cooperative experiences in gaming.
Unlike Phalanx, the only thing theDragonriderinDark Souls 2shows is all the wasted potential of the game and the power of gravity.
While you can raise its arena to avoid falling, the most common tactic is to enter the fog gate, wait for the boss to take seven steps, and run behind him to watch it sink.
Still, if you decide to fight fair and square, there’s not much to worry about, asthe formula of sticking to his back and attacking mercilessly works with him, as well as with many other bosses in the sequel.
I’m a stubborn advocate ofDark Souls 2 being a misunderstood masterpiece, but I can’t defend the indefensible either, and the Dragonrider is among theeasiest bosses of the serieswithout a doubt.
5The Last Giant
Barely Alive
Forest of Fallen Giants
Entering a cave and seeinga desolate giant with a hole in his faceis one of the most memorable experiences in Dark Souls 2, which is filled with fascinating moments within its world’s uniqueness.
But sadly, that same colossal figure with a magnificent design holds an inconsequential combat.The Last Giantends up being yet another example of a huge boss reduced to its feet, as it’s the only thing you see in the whole fight.
Going from hitting one foot to the other until the life bar reaches zero is not satisfying, difficult, or even entertaining. It’s partially forgiven because it’s the first boss in the game, thoughit doesn’t teach or convey anything.
4The Witch Of Hemwick
A Lukewarm Gimmick
Bloodborne
Hemwick Charnel Lane
Since I haveBloodbornetattooed on me and finished it dozens of times, I feel I have enough authority to sayThe Witch of Hemwickis its only genuinely bad boss.
You chase the witch across the entire room while avoiding summonings that are as slow as harmless, and then you have to do it twice when the second one shows up.
If you evade the minions and dodge the witches' grabs, which are slow and telegraphed,the only hard part is dying during the encounter.
In terms of design and execution,it’s Bloodborne’s lowest point. Interestingly, you may avoid the Mad Ones from appearing if you enter the boss arena with zero Insight points, so the whole confrontation can become anecdotal to the extreme.
3Covetous Demon
Easy No-hit
Earthen Peak
Even though I have tried to get myself to like it,Covetous Demonis one of those occasions where I painfully agree with Dark Souls 2’s detractors.
I can argue for the unconsolidated level design, the enemy-filled zones, and even the Adaptability attribute, but the Covetous Demon is a punching bag that offers no resistance whatsoever, andnot even I can defend it.
With zero turning ability, a hitbox that doesn’t seem to work, and a low health bar for a mid-game boss, it has everything it needs to make the top of this list.
As someone who justifies the logic of a Lava Castle on top of a Windmill,admitting the Covetous Demon’s simplicity says a lot about how easy and bland it is.
A Superb Backstory For A Poor Fight
The Catacombs
I lovePinwheel. I consider him to be one of the most intriguing and in-depth bosses FromSoftware has ever made, as his backstory and design are phenomenal.
Unfortunately, it’s a fight that doesn’t last a minute. Even if you make the unheard-of mistake of going into The Catacombs early in the game (which no one in their right mind would do),his damage,health,and attacks are all insignificant.
I wish things were different, because it pains me that Pinwheel’s magnificent concept is so mechanically trivial, but the reality isyou could beat him with your eyes closed.
1Prowling Magus And Congregation
The Most Undeserved Boss Health Bar
Brightstone Cove Tseldora
Marking the only time I think FromSoftware has glaringly screwed up with Dark Souls 2,Prowling Magus and Congregationhas the most undeserved boss health bar of all Soulsborne games.
Not merely is it theeasiest boss in the entire series, but it shouldn’t be one, since it has no plot relevance, no unique enemies, and doesn’t drop a boss' soul as loot.
Instead,all it has is a bunch of common foes thrown into a small room for no real reason. If Pinwheel doesn’t last a minute, Prowling Magus and Congregation can’t even make it halfway.
Not challenging in any sense, I’ll just highlight theTitanite Slabit gives you to upgrade a weapon to the max. Given it’s the first one you get in every playthrough, at least the boss has some utility, though not enough to make me like it.
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Sometimes, the boss battle isn’t the thing we dread most
