The 10 HARDEST Souls Mini Bosses
Undead Giant
Bloodborne (2015)
Bloodborne to this day is still host to not only Nightmares but also some of the hardest boss fights in gaming history, and that extends to the mini-bosses as well. Some of the hardest encounters are found in optional areas though. Enter chalice dungeons. Bloodbornes secondary optional dungeons. In the very first one, youll encounter the Undead Giant. Its the same type of giant as the church ones, but with a little twist! It just deals insane damage especially for the level youll likely be tackling it at so good luck!
Stray Demon
Dark Souls III (2016)
The Stray Demon is the first boss ever fought in Dark Souls, with it being the tutorial fight under the name Asylum Demon. We encounter it again however, in Dark Souls III! And in a pretty cool manner, too. The third game in the series has plenty of nostalgia to go around, and Stray Demon hits just the spot. While its first rendition had a boss health bar, this one doesnt. Youll find it on the top of Farron Keep. In contrast to its first counterpart, this one is the upgrade and is a bit more difficult and damaging, so youll have to stay light on your feet.
Chained Ogre
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)
When Bloodborne came out, it answered the question of what would happen if you ramped up the speed of a Souls game. So what would happen if you ramped up the speed even FURTHER? The answer to that is Sekiro and one of its earliest mini-bosses is the linebacker himself, the Chained Ogre. This guy stopped SO many playthroughs dead in their tracks while tossing players around and dunking them out of bounds. Seriously, this guy had no reason to be this challenging right out of the gate!
Iron Dragonslayer
Dark Souls III (2016)
As it turns out, one of the most difficult mini-bosses ever designed would be none other than Ornsteins long lost cousin, The Dragonslayer Armour. Except WE want to talk about the DLC version, the Iron Dragonslayer! Its the exact same as its Lothric counterpart, except that its permanently in phase 2 and thus much more dangerous! Not only that, but you dont get the luxury of a proper boss arena with a fog wall separating you from the outside world. Instead, you might have to deal with the surrounding pedestrians who also want in on the action
ORin of the Water
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)
If you thought Chained Ogre was bad, that was just a tutorial enemy for you to get your bearings with as the game eases you into the idea of dying over and over. ORin of the Water however, comes at a point where the game expects you to be adept at parrying with lightning speed. Unfortunately, even the fastest man alive fails to parry ORin now and then! Shes completely relentless, super fast, and barely telegraphed, making her an extremely dangerous optional foe.
Draconic Tree Sentinel
Elden Ring (2022)
Early in Elden Ring, were taught that its okay to return to a battle later. Thats because the first open world boss is the Tree Sentinel, who is an absolute menace. But it turns out the game has way worse things to offer us, considering theres more of them, and theyre stronger! Meet the Draconic Tree Sentinel, one guarding Leyndell and one guarding Maliketh. These two are hardcore! They took an already super difficult mini-boss, and made it way harder! Its tanky, hits like a truck, and might one-shot you too if youre not too careful.
Mad Warrior
Dark Souls II (2014)
Dark Spirits in Souls games have been relatively troublesome, but none of them come even close to The Mad Warrior! Hes a dual-wielding bleed menace. For him to even appear in your game, you have to be in the Bell Keepers covenant, where youll find near the bell lever. Dishonorable as he is, he will shamelessly chug estus as he gets low on health. For the prepared player with enough poise damage, he wont be so bad. But for everyone else, get ready to face hell.
Bloody Crow of Cainhurst
Bloodborne (2015)
Now that we finally have more eyes on the inside as Master Willem would say, we return to Bloodborne. Throughout the game, we may optionally meet and follow Eileen the Crows quest line as we aid her in hunting other hunters. It doesnt take long however, before we find her beat up outside Amelias boss room thanks to the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst. This is without a doubt, the hardest pvp-esque mini-boss in the Soulsborne franchise. He uses a Chikage, and will perfectly parry you for attacking more than twice, which results in a one-shot. Kudos to you if you succeeded in besting him.
Black Knight
Dark Souls (2011)
Speedrunners will be extra familiar with this guy and the pain he brings. Theres a few of them in the first Dark Souls, and the most ideal speedrun involves defeating one early to get your hands on their halberd. But these things are actually extraordinarily difficult to fight! Their Silver Knight counterpart was already pretty tanky, but the Black Knight is on a totally different level, dishing out and taking punishment like few can. Theyve broken the spirits of many a Chosen Undead along the way
Crucible Knight
Elden Ring (2022)
Elden Ring gave us hundreds of field bosses, And yet most of them cannot compare to the monster that is the Crucible Knight. How come one of the most difficult fights in the game comes from this guy? Of course, they arent Malenia, but theyre really close! While we do get the occasional Crucible Knight with a boss health bar, the majority of them are just messing around in random places. The ones in Farum Azula are nearly impossible to kill. They just dont let you breathe! When you see those golden wings appear - duck and cover!
Which Mini-Boss was the hardest one for you? Let us know your top picks down below in the comments section!
