When you weigh up all the different genres of game that exist in the gaming sphere today and stack them on top of each other to join forces, I would still wager that theSoulsgenre on its own would have a wider selection of truly difficult bosses by comparison. It’s a genre that doesn’t pull any punches, and even the most puny of bosses, like Patches, have plenty of tricks up their sleeve to make sure you’re sitting by a Bonfire thinking about what you could have done differently.
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In short, there isn’t a boss in aSoulsgame that I would call easy, but it’s fair to say that they aren’t built equal. SomeSoulsbosses have garnered legendary status for offering some of the sternest tests in gaming history, but the question remains. Which of these all-time greats of the Souls genre rank as the toughest bosses of all time? Well, I aim to answer that question as best I can. So join me as I reminisce about the many,manytimes I died to these titans of the Souls genre.
Okay, so in the spirit of making things fair, we will only be including one boss from every Souls game listed, meaning that each title will be gunning for the top spot with their hardest boss, and that boss alone. Plus, we will only be including base game bosses to keep things fair to all those without DLC content.
10Ornstein and Smough
Double Trouble
Game Featured
Dark Souls
Why They’re Hard
There’s Two Of Them!
There have been plenty of fights within the Souls genre that have tried to capture the brutality and hardship of the Ornstein and Smough fight, like the Black Rabbit Brotherhood inLies of P, orGodskin Noble (Solo)andGodskin Apostle (Divine Tower of Caelid)inElden Ring, but none come close to matching this one for difficulty in my opinion. The Gimmick of this fight is the little and large duo that you need to face off against and the fact that they both come at you at once, but it’s also a tall order because of the limited space you have to work within, and the diverse range of attack that both enemies have in their locker.
Plus, you also have to consider that this boss appears relatively early in the game, when you won’t have access to end-game gear and won’t be at a particularly high level. It’s a fight that often spells the end of the road for less dedicated Souls players, and for that reason alone, I feel it’s only right to have this duo serve asDS1’sentry.
9Old King Allant
An Old Dog That Knows Some New Tricks
Demon’s Souls
Soul-Sucker Ability
It was a toss-up between Allant and Flamelurker, but for me, Old King Allant just edges it, as this boss putsDemon’s Soulsplayers through their paces to prove they have mastered everything the game has taught them to this point. He’s a varied boss with charging attacks, melee combos that will break your guard and strong tornado AOE attacks. The thing that makes this guy a massive pain in the backside, however, is his Soul-Sucker Ability.
This attack will see him grab you and drain your Soul, which effectively de-levels the player, rendering your particular build ineffective in a lot of cases, meaning you’ll need to adapt on the fly and work with shoddy tools to endure his onslaught and take him down. If you can avoid this Soul Sucker attack, it’s not all that tough, but it’s pretty much inevitable, so you’ll need to be on top of your game to win this one, and finishDemon’s Soulsonce and for all.
8Rom, The Vacuous Spider
“Why spiders? Why couldn’t it be ‘follow the butterflies?"
Bloodborne
Her Little Spider Minions
Ever wanted to fight aSoulsversion of Aragog from theHarry Potterseries? If you answered yes, firstly, you need to be sectioned, but more importantly, it’s your lucky day, asBloodborneprovides just that in the form of Rom The Vacuous Spider. Many may roll their eyes at their inclusion, as when you learn how this boss works, it’s a lot easier to deal with. But my argument for Rom is that due to the relatively early stage of the game where you take them on, and the fact that the strategy to achieve victory isn’t clear and obvious, this one is a sterner test than many give Rom credit for. Plus, all the really hardBloodbornebosses are in the DLC, so I was limited by that, too. Honestly, Orphan of Kos probably tops this list if not for the Non-DLC rule!
The key here is to bait and kill her little spider minions one by one, freeing you up to deal damage to the big woman herself, but this is often easier said than done, as they can swarm the player very easily, and Rom can also cast ranged meteor attacks which may stun lock you, leading to cheap deaths. Basically, this is a hard fight mainly due to the RNG that plays a role in this fight, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how you keep dying. If you constantly fall to a boss, due to artificial difficulty or not, it’s still a hard boss, hence why Rom takes a spot on this list.
Is That Horse Running At 2X Speed, Or Is It Just Me?
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Forces Player To Block/Parry With Precision
Wo Long: Fallen Dynastyhas a different feel than most Souls games, mainly because the action is much more fast-paced, and that could not be more true of the Lu Bu fight, a fight that is rather reminiscent of theTree Sentinelin Elden Ring, only much tougher. This fight is one that forces the player to time their blocks to precision, as Lu Bu will constantly gallop around the arena before rushing in for a devastating critical strike, and if you mess up that timing, you’re as good as dead.
Not to mention, the horse moves at such a pace that you could stick Benny Hill on in the background, and it wouldn’t feel at all out of place, so in short, he’s ridiculously fast. You have very few openings in this fight and it will force you to play in a much more cautious and defensive manner, something that you won’t do all that often inWo Long: Fallen Dynasty. So, the insane difficulty, combined with this change of pace, makes Lu Bu a formidable foe.
6Date Masamune
Dangerous Through History, Dangerous in Nioh
Insane Projectiles
A boss can be hard for a number of reasons, but usually, the reason that will make a boss feel near impossible to take down is when it feels like they never stop attacking you, and that’s exactly how it feels to fight Date Masamune inNioh. Like most humanoid bosses, the key to success is to let them come at you, sense an opening and counter, but in this case, the window for a parry is so small that only confident players will be able to pull these inputs off.
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To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail
Then, just when you start to understand his attack patterns, he’ll use a Guardian Spirit to up his attack prowess and he’ll become much more aggressive and use more AOE attacks, forcing you on the defensive. Not to mention, he’ll begin using his glowing blue projectile attacks, which come thick and fast, demanding players perform near-perfect dodges in quick succession or suffer the consequences. It’s a fight where you need to take every opportunity presented or you’ll be smoked by this relentless assassin, which makes themNioh’stoughest boss.
5Fume Knight
Dark Souls 2
Insane Range and Fireball Attack
Dark Souls 2may be the Trey Smith of the Souls genre, but even if this game doesn’t hold as big of a place in our hearts as others, it did have its moments. There are plenty we could pluck from the air here, but the one I want to draw attention to is Fume Knight. This boss fight is an epic one that demands precision dodges and has a series of attacks that have insane range, and this only gets worse when they begin their second phase and douse their greatsword in flames.
The first phase is relatively manageable, but as soon as they gain access to their sweeping attack, their fireball explosion attack, and their more powerful stab and slam attacks, you’ll have your work cut out for you. Not to mention, if they do get you, if you don’t have high stamina or HP, you’ll probably be decimated in one hit. He’s easily the toughest test withDS2and well worthy of a place on this list.
4Nameless Puppet
Seems Like Everyone Wants To Be A Real Boy!
Incredibly Fast and Rangy in Second Phase
Lies of Pis probably the only game in my eyes that really gives Miyazaki’s Souls games a run for their money in terms of tough bosses, and fights like King Flame Fuoco, The King of Puppets and the Black Rabbit Brotherhood are a prime example of that. None compare to the challenge of the game’s true final boss, however, The Nameless Puppet. This boss in their first phase provides a humanoid battle that is right up there in terms of difficulty with the King of Puppet’s second phase, Romeo. But it’s nothing compared to this guy’s second phase.
Because of their staggering range of rapid-fire attacks, you have no choice but to stand firm against them and time parries and blocks with precision. Then, in terms of windows to actually land attacks yourself, you won’t have very many of them, so it’s about playing conservatively and not being too greedy because you will be punished every single time. The Aegis Arm is pretty much a must in this fight, and even then, you’re going to have a bad time. So, if you are yet to face the Nameless Puppet, I wish you luck because you’re going to need it!
3Sword Saint Isshin
Oh, We’re Allowed Guns Now? No Fair!
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
A Devastating Second Phase
Sekirois a game that forces weathered Souls fans to engage with fights in a completely different way, and generally speaking, every fight requires you to observe, learn and master the choreography of every challenge. This is usually a hard but fair endeavor, but Sword Saint Isshin is arguably a boss that tips the scale a little bit, offering a fight that puts you on the backfoot more than any other. The first phase is a breeze by all accounts, but from there, the fight really picks up speed.
In the second phase, Isshin has access to a deep pool of devastating moves, which they tend to string together in a rapid and unpredictable manner, making them tough to evade and parry. Oh, and if you choose to run away and take a breather, they pull out a gun, so no rest time for you. The third phase is more of the game, but with the aid of Lightning Reversal, it does make it a lot more manageable. But because of the sheer chaos and attack variety on show throughout this fight, this easily serves asSekiro’stoughest test and one of the Souls Genre’s hardest fights of all time.
2Nameless King
A Final Boss That Lives Up To The Hype
Dark Souls 3
Hits Ridiculously Hard
There have been some final Souls bosses that haven’t lived up to the billing, but you can’t level that claim at The Nameless King, as they are a boss worthy of closing off the Dark Souls Trilogy. You’ll begin fighting The King of the Storm, and it can be quite tough to land a hit, as you’ll need to get close to his steeds head to deal effective damage, and in between, he’ll fly around dealing devastating lighting and physical attacks.
This is only an amuse-bouche compared to what is to come, though. Their attacks are labored and heavy ones, but even still, they come thick and fast, forcing you to time your dodges carefully, and it’s one of those fights where, if you make one single mistake, you probably won’t have any further room for error. Their attacks are varied and it can seem near-impossible at first to avoid his ranged Lightning attacks. Those who have a big ol’ sword and a shield to cower behind will fare better in this fight, but no one is immune to the power of the Nameless King, who is a certified Souls Hall of Famer.
1Malenia, Blade of Miquella
Nice Health You Got There. Mind If I Borrow Some?
Elden Ring
Waterfowl and Health Regeneration
Elden Ringmay be a much more accessible Souls game compared to most others due to its open-world format, but that doesn’t mean that its hardest fights are any less stressful than its predecessors. A fact thatMalenia, Blade of Miquellaproves and then some. This boss found atMiquella’s Haligtreehas a powerful, fast-paced moveset for players to deal with, and she deals Scarlet Rot build-up with every successful hit. This would all be fine and dandy, however, if she didn’t have theWaterfowl Dance Skill.
This is a relentless flurry of attacks that feels like it lasts for an eternity, and players will need to study this attack intently to find a consistent method to avoid her signature move. This is paramount to success, as she also has the ability to steal health from the player to heal herself with each successful hit, which essentially means you need to be inch-perfect in this fight or she’s going to keep the fight going indefinitely and wear you down. It’s a boss that is trivialized with summons, but regardless, Malenia is still well worth their top spot on this list.
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