How Many of These Bosses Have You Beaten?
When From Software released Demon’s Souls in 2009, gamers were introduced to a despondent world full of evil creatures, with innovative combat, a non-linear storyline, challenging difficulty, and multiple endings. After only being released in Japan due to the conception that Western gamers wouldn’t appreciate the immense difficulty, the title was eventually released in the U.S. and took the gaming world by storm.
Four spiritual sequels have been released since; the latest of which, Dark Souls 3, upholds the legacy of its predecessors of being a great challenge. In this article, we’ll discuss the ten toughest bosses that you will encounter in Dark Souls 3, as determined by a composite rankings system derived from various YouTube videos, forums, and our own list. There may be spoilers ahead, so tread carefully…
10. Oceiros, the Consumed King
Oceiros, the Consumed King blatantly telegraphs his attacks, but woe to the adventurer who mistimes their dodge or parry.
Oceiros is a very polarizing boss among Dark Souls 3 gamers. Some say he is one of the most difficult bosses in the game, while others will assert that he is a pushover. This lack of consensus stems from the nature of Oceiros’ attacks; although Oceiros hits harder than Terry Tate, Office Linebacker (look it up if you are not familiar and thank me later), he gives you plenty of time to take defensive measures by disclosing his attack well in advance.
If you are keen about dodging or parrying, this fight will probably be trivial. If not… just make sure you pick up your souls before getting pancaked again. Also note that Oceiros is an optional boss and not necessary to defeat in order to finish the game.
9. Old Demon King
Like Oceiros, The Old Demon King’s attacks are not well-disguised. However, many of them have a splash damage component that can make avoiding them a little trickier.
The Old Demon King (ODK) is immediately fightable upon entering the Smouldering Lake optional area. Reminiscent of the various demon bosses from the two previous Dark Souls games, ODK’s body is alight with fire, as is the giant club he wields.
Many of his attacks do area-of-effect damage, and he is adept at using various pyromancies. Again, a defensive minded player with ample fire resistance should be able to make quick work of ODK, as he leaves giant openings for counterattacks after each of his offensive abilities.
8. Aldrich, Devourer of Gods
Surely, you cannot hope to defeat the one who has earned the title, ‘Devourer of Gods’, can you?
Aldrich is one of the four Lords of Cinder, and can be found in Anor Londo; the very same Anor Londo from the first Dark Souls. In fact, the battle takes place in the very room that Ornstein and Smough were fought, although Aldrich has overseen the redecoration of it. Having just devoured Dark Sun Gwyndolin, Aldrich assimilates the deity’s powers upon his own, and showers the player with magic attacks and arrows, much like Gwyndolin did in the first game.
Ranged fighters and magic users will have trouble getting attacks off, but melee fighters can mostly hack away haphazardly at Aldrich until his second phase, when he spawns fire beneath him. Still, his health can be depleted rapidly once in close range. The real challenge in this fight is successfully reaching that distance without taking too much damage.
7. Abyss Watchers
This was probably not what you had in mind when you envisioned having a foursome…
If this fight only consisted of the first phase, it would rival that of the Ancient Wyvern fight for biggest joke of a boss in Dark Souls 3. Shortly after engaging the Abyss Watcher, two more of them join the fight, yet the red-eyed one acts hostile toward each of the other three combatants. Theoretically, he can win the battle for you, as he can gain the attention of and kill the boss in the first phase.
Once felled though, the Abyss Watcher absorbs the souls of his fallen friends, and becomes much more aggressive with his now flaming sword. This fight is only difficult because of the number of attacks the Watcher can unleash in a short time, leaving the player unable to block all of them, or have their guard broken. The fire damage isn’t completely blockable either, so those who aren’t skilled at timing their dodges or with low health could have difficulty triumphing over this Lord of Cinder.
6. Dancer of the Boreal Valley
The hypnotic rhythm of the Dancer’s blades is a sight to behold. Unfortunately, beholding them for even a split second could spell your doom.
The Dancer of the Boreal Valley is another boss who can overwhelm your guard if you are too block-happy. In the first phase, she attacks with one sword imbued with magic, and her attacks are fairly well disguised with differing timings for dodging. She also utilizes a grab attack that will take off around 50% percent of your health; more, if you are not properly leveled to that point.
In phase two, the Dancer whips out a second sword emblazoned with fire, and her chains become even more devastating. She does have an obvious jump attack that is easily avoided with a well-timed roll and leaves her wide open for a few attacks, however. This fight is won by slipping your attacks in between her combos and resisting the urge to get greedy and go for that one extra hit before her chains begin again.
5. Lothric and Lorian, the Twin Princes
“My brother, unyielding sword of Lothric's Prince, rise if you would. For that, is our curse.”
The battle begins by Lorian charging the player in defense of his younger brother, Lothric. Lorian’s attacks are swift and he can also teleport to melee range of the player, so dodging and blocking are necessary. He also has an attack where he teleports away from the player and charges a beam attack that hits about as hard as any boss attack in the game. Phase two begins once Lorian’s health is fully depleted.
After resurrecting Lorian, Prince Lothric climbs upon his brother’s back, and you now have to deal with Lothric’s magic attacks in addition to Lorian’s melee strikes. Both Princes can be attacked in this phase, although you must get behind Lorian in order to hit Lothric. As a magic user, he is very susceptible to physical attacks.
If Lorian’s health is depleted again, Lothric will spend a few moments resurrecting his brother, and you will get an opportunity for uninterrupted offense. The battle ends when Lothric is defeated, which can occur while he on Lorian’s back, if you are able to flank the elder Prince. But as a Lord of Cinder, you can count on Lothric not being defeated easily.
4. Champion Gundyr
Champion Gundyr’s relentless strikes leave a very small window for attack, and his mobility and variety of strikes make him a formidable foe.
Having earned the moniker “Champion Stundyr” due to his propensity for guard breaking, Champion Gundyr is an optional boss that I wouldn’t blame players for wanting to skip. He has arguably the most unpredictable attack patterns and can remove large chunks of hit points from players very rapidly.
From flying kicks to backhanded fists, Champion Gundyr attacks so quickly between combos that there sometimes isn’t time to sneak even one strike in. He will also interrupt his attacks to quickly strike the player if they attempt to heal.
Impatience in this battle will inevitably lead to defeat, although parries are effective, if difficult to time properly due to the short time between when an attack is started and when it is landed. Wait for the few small openings after a couple of his moves and settle for one or two attacks only, in order to be in good position to mitigate his imminent counterattack.
3. Nameless King
The Nameless King utilizes a lightning-enchanted spear while riding a dragon that breathes fire… and he isn’t the most difficult?!
In each Dark Souls game, the optional bosses combined difficulties are higher than the non-optional bosses, and The Nameless King is the high difficulty flag bearer for the optional bunch. Presiding over Archdragon Peak, he is deeply embroiled in Dark Souls lore, with close connections to Lord Gwyn, the final boss of the first game in the trilogy.
In the first phase of the fight, The Nameless King rides atop his dragon, preferring to attack from afar. He will land occasionally, and the dragon will breathe a swath of fire across the battlefield. The true danger in this phase is the breath attack the dragon will unleash upon the player if they wander directly beneath it, as it is difficult to dodge and hits very hard, even with a high fire resistance.
Once the dragon is defeated, the second phase begins with The Nameless King plunging his spear into his fallen companion and absorbing its power. He becomes hyper-aggressive in this phase, able to close large distances as quickly as any boss.
The Nameless King is also able to attack with both single-target and area-of-effect spells, but is susceptible to stagger if hit with enough attacks quickly enough. This can be achieved only by carefully skirting the line between too little and too much aggression, however.
2. Soul of Cinder
The final boss of Dark Souls 3 is more like five bosses combined into one, as he frequently switches between weapons and abilities.
Before the player can link the First Flame (or not…) and end their Dark Souls 3 adventure, they must first vanquish the Soul of Cinder, who is an amalgamation of all previous Lords of Cinder.
In phase one of the fight, he switches between four classes, each with its own weapon and abilities: a straight sword form that uses no magic, a scimitar form that uses various pyromancies, a pike form that uses various miracles, and a staff form that uses various sorceries. Although his attacks seem relentless, this phase is a cake walk compared to the second phase.
After reducing the Soul of Cinder’s health to zero in the first phase, he switches his weapon to an ultra-greatsword, lights it on fire, and makes The Nameless King’s aggression look passive. The range of the Soul of Cinder’s attacks is insanely large, and he can close distances extremely quickly, giving the player little time to heal or cast spells. He also uses a chain of attacks that, if unblocked, will be fatal, especially if the massive area-of-effect he ends with lands a hit.
1. Pontiff Sulyvahn
Pontiff Sulyvahn is one of the more evil beings in Dark Souls 3, and that is before all the attempts you’ll have to make to defeat him.
Congratulations to Pontiff Sulyvahn for achieving the top spot on our list! And now a massive raised middle finger for all the players who have had trouble with him…
Sulyvahn’s aggressiveness in the first phase of the fight will leave you wondering if you’ll ever see the second phase. His chains are long and each attack has staggered timing, yet your stamina will disappear if you block them in their entirety. His swords are imbued with magic and fire, so they will damage you through blocks anyway.
Upon reaching 50% health, Pontiff Sulyvahn will begin summoning phantoms of himself, and mimic their attacks. While this can be overwhelming, each attack has a blatant announcement before it is executed and broadcasts his moves before he does them. The phantoms can be defeated, but this will cause Sulyvahn to regain his previous aggressiveness, which actually makes the fight tougher. Not to mention that he will re-summon the phantoms after a brief period anyway.
Sulyvahn is not shy about using magic attacks if you attempt to cheese him with ranged attacks, and can leap through the air toward you in order to interrupt healing. Well-timed attacks and defense combined with stamina management are the keys to handling Sulyvahn. For veterans of the franchise, he won’t be too much of a challenge, but for first-timers like me, the fight can evoke multiple controller throwing fits enhanced by a steady flow of curse words.
That completes our list of the 10 toughest bosses in Dark Souls 3. Let us know if you agree with our picks in the comments, and don't forget to share the list with your friends!
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