The 15 Hardest Boss Fights In Dark Souls History, Ranked
The Dark Souls trilogy, developed by From Software, harbors some of the most dangerous and aggressive boss fights in history. To be quite frank, the dozens of bosses that line the series easily number more than ten. However, that would take too long to cover in a single article.
Rather, this list will cover at least ten of the most domineering, powerful bosses across the Dark Souls trilogy. Let alone the selection of bosses from the developer's history with Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro, this list of the Dark Souls trilogy will be more than enough to test any hardened gamer's patience. While it's worth noting that every boss has its exploit and pattern, some were clearly more difficult than others.
Updated on December 8th, 2020 by Jack Pursey: As was mentioned at the top of this article, limiting this list to just ten entries doesn't do justice to the sheer number of punishingly difficult boss fights in the Dark Souls trilogy. It only seems right, therefore, to expand this list by another five entries to add another handful of bosses who have proven to be painfully difficult roadblocks. Here are some more bone-crushingly difficult bosses that are sprinkled throughout the series.
15 Capra Demon - Dark Souls
Capra Demon's difficulty predominantly comes from the fact that he appears so early in the first game. Inexperience isn't the only challenge that players will have to face though, as the fight takes place in one of the smallest boss rooms in the entire Soulsborne franchise.
The lack of space makes the demon's leaping attacks far more deadly, especially as they have a frustratingly accurate lock-on. Furthermore, two speedy dogs are waiting behind the fog gate, making it difficult for the player to get any room to breathe.
14 Elana, Squalid Queen - Dark Souls II
Dark Souls II is undoubtedly the most divisive entry in the Souls series, with many fans agreeing that it's the weakest entry in the trilogy, despite it having the highest Metacritic score.
One of the main complaints was that FromSoftware seemed to have a quantity over quality approach to the bosses, something that the DLC's did a good job of improving. The DLC bosses were among the best in the game, and among the toughest, particularly Elana. The Squalid Queen fights similar to the base game's final boss, Nashandra, but has the ability to summon help, significantly ramping up the difficulty.
13 Soul of Cinder - Dark Souls III
The final boss fight of the Dark Souls trilogy certainly didn't disappoint.
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Soul of Cinder has two phases; the first is very RNG heavy, with the boss' attacks quickly shifting between Mage, Faith, and multiple melee builds. The second phase takes players on a trip down memory lane as Soul of Cinder channels the first game's final boss, Gwyn, and uses his powerful move set.
12 Artorias - Dark Souls
One of the many things that Dark Souls set a standard for was the quality of its DLC.
Artorias the Abysswalker, the knight that the DLC is named after, soon became one of the most beloved fights in the game, predominantly due to his touching connection with Sif. Artorias certainly isn't held in high regard for giving players an easy ride though, as the boss has numerous powerful attacks that are very difficult to predict.
11 Manus - Dark Souls
From Artorias to the boss that defeated him, anyone following the game's lore will have known they were in for a brutally difficult fight when entering Manus' fog gate.
Whereas most Dark Souls bosses favor either speed or strength, Manus, Father of the Abyss combines the two, meaning he can drain a player's health bar in a matter of moments while offering them little time to heal. Thankfully, the player can summon Sif for the fight; the wolf doesn't do much damage but can draw the attention of the boss.
10 Bed of Chaos - Dark Souls
The Bed of Chaos barely counts as a legitimate boss fight. While it has a name and a health bar, the truth is it only takes three hits to fell it. Two of those hits involve chucking away at obstacles to clear the path while a single hit kills the root. Unfortunately, it comes with two major caveats.
This boss will one-shot by swiping the player into the pitfall if you're not careful. It also has no problem two-shotting the player with its long limbs. Dying to the Bed of Chaos means another 5-minute walk through Lost Izalith to reach the boss room. Not only is it difficult to deal with but the penalty of returning is perhaps the most frustrating of them all.
9 Four Kings - Dark Souls
Four bosses, four health bars. The Four Kings of New Londo Ruins will attack individually using long-ranged and close-ranged attacks. These include quick swipes to your legs and homing shots that players can barely avoid and not block without a great deal of damage.
To make matters worse, the Four Kings will in fact begin ganging up if they're not dealt with quickly enough. Now the player will deal with both the King they're fighting as well as the long-ranged homing projectile.
8 Ornstein and Smough - Dark Souls
The infamous duo from Anor Londo consists of the Dragonslayer and a giant. One is faster, using lightning and quick dashes, while the other is heavy and uses massive AoE strikes with a huge hammer. No matter which one the player kills first, the other will absorb the strength and health of their dead companion.
This double-team is best met with fellow Phantoms as well as proper preparation. However, this also causes the bosses' own health to boost in the process. Meanwhile, flying solo means being beset by one of the most infuriating boss fights in the series.
7 Gwyn - Dark Souls
The final boss of the original Dark Souls lives up to his reputation. Attacking with a fire sword, the character is incredibly quick and able to break guard. Worse yet, he mixes up his 2-3 hit attack pattern with a grab attack.
For players who can't stagger him between openings, their best bet is to parry. Miss that parry timing by a frame and expect to eat a combo. Gwyn also loves to hunt down players who heal. Players who die get to take another long walk back through the Kiln of the First Flame.
6 Kalameet - Dark Souls
Another unforgiving boss, this dragon from the DLC realm, Oolacile, must first be felled using Hawkeye Gough's bow in order to disable its flight. Without doing so, expect a likely impossible boss battle. Even after sinking it, Kalameet will properly clobber the player in large part thanks to its high HP.
Fighting Midir in a massive arena gives this agile dragon free range to attack regardless of your distance. Plus, the ability to paralyze the player and debuff them adds an extra layer of difficulty.
5 Ancient Dragon - Dark Souls II
Ancient Dragon may very well represent among the hardest of the non-DLC bosses in Dark Souls II. There's a good reason why it's optional. While Ancient Dragon appears as an imposing figure, it's entirely possible to obtain its item without engaging it in battle. Otherwise, players might last 15 seconds on their first try.
Foolishly challenging the Ancient Dragon earns the player the wrath of one of the largest, most indomitable dragons in the series. Massive AoE fire that can one-shot a player alone makes it imposing. When he's not breathing fire directly at the player, he's flying skyward and breathing fire around the whole arena. Getting too close means getting stomped on once he falls.
4 Dancer of the Boreal Valley - Dark Souls III
The Dancer defines an absolute nightmare for the player. As a gatekeeper to the last world of the game, this otherwise beautiful fiend will slice and dice at players with immense speed. Using a heavy weapon to fight such a fast opponent is suicide.
Her various patterned attacks overwhelm the player with an onslaught of strikes. The Dancer is also quick enough to swat an Estus Flask right out of the player's hands even at longer ranges. It is highly recommended to summon before this fight. Otherwise, make sure to stay properly equipped with the best weapons available.
3 Nameless King - Dark Souls III
This fight comes in two parts. The first part involves fighting the Nameless King on his steed. The second part loses his steed while he just becomes stronger.
Nameless King defines misery. An extremely powerful foe with lightning attacks, he's not afraid to crush guard for free. Let's include that stabbing spear attack on the list of things never to get hit by.
2 Slave Knight Gael - Dark Souls III
Similar to the Gwyn fights, and those related, the final boss of the Ringed City DLC is a lone-warrior with a giant sword. At first, he charges like a vicious animal with Greatsword in hand. Unfortunately, the fight takes a deadly turn once it hits Phase 2. Use your best weapons or magic available.
Gael will not only summon lightning to attack you, but his pattern becomes much harder to read. Even his first form's 3-4 hit mixups are quite difficult to react to. By the last form, you're already tired of dodging lightning, sword swings, and yes, literal Dark Souls.
1 Darkeater Midir - Dark Souls III
Words cannot properly express the level of hatred players have for Darkeater Midir. This massive dragon is not afraid to one-shot players and hit them with unblockable, nigh-undodgeable wave attacks. Its massive HP bar guarantees no less than a 10-minute battle and likely more on New Game Plus modes.
Darkeater Midir's heavy attacks make any attack on his openings a massive risk. Much like Ancient Dragon, he relies heavily on AoE fire breath, stomps, and tail swipes. Darkeater Midir completes the series' trilogy of "most frustrating dragon boss fights in history." This dragon is not only one of the hardest bosses in the Souls series but among the hardest bosses in all of gaming history.
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