Top 10 Hardest Soulsborne Bosses
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VOICE OVER: Riccardo Tucci
WRITTEN BY: Nathan Sharp
The "Soulsborne" series is known for its hard bosses, but these are the toughest of the tough! For this list, we'll be looking at the most difficult bosses from all the “Souls” games, including “Bloodborne.” Our countdown includes The Bed of Chaos “Dark Souls” (2011), Darklurker “Dark Souls II” (2014), The Nameless King “Dark Souls III” (2016), Laurence, the First Vicar “Bloodborne” (2015), and more!
Script written by Nathan Sharp
Hardest Demon’s Souls/Dark Souls Bosses
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at the hardest “Soulsborne” bosses. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most difficult bosses from all the “Souls” games, including “Bloodborne.” These won’t necessarily be ranked based on difficulty. Who did you have the most difficulty with? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
The Bed of Chaos
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“Dark Souls” (2011)
Most “Dark Souls” bosses are difficult in a fun way. The Bed of Chaos is just stupidly frustrating. It’s just a poorly designed battle on nearly every front. The random and wide array of moves are hard to pin down, and some of its more powerful attacks, like the scythe arms and fire pillars, do insane amounts of damage. But worst of all are the pits - falling or being knocked into one of these means instant death. And when you die, you have to traverse a long distance filled with powerful enemies just to get back to the boss. There have been more than a few controllers broken over this thing.
Fume Knight
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“Dark Souls II” (2014)
It’s customary for “Dark Souls” DLC to include difficult boss battles, and “Dark Souls II” is no different. The Fume Knight serves as the final boss of the “Crown of the Old Iron King” DLC, and he is an incredible pain in the butt. He requires absolute precision, primarily owing to his smaller sword arm that allows him to attack from any direction. He also attacks with insane speed, so there’s never a moment to collect yourself, plan, or heal. And that’s not even mentioning the statues that allow him to heal, or the fact that many of his attacks, including those involving his elemental sword, do crazy amounts of damage. And then there’s the hitbox, which many players find a little...questionable.
Darklurker
“Dark Souls II” (2014)
As tough as it is, Darklurker is undeniably one of the coolest boss battles in “Dark Souls II.” It has an amazing and threatening design ripped straight out of Hellish imagery, and finding it is quite the journey indeed. Darklurker puts up quite the fight, often unleashing powerful projectiles from a distance and bombarding you with melee attacks that diminish your health in no time at all. Things get even more serious in the second half of the fight, as Darklurker splits in two, forcing you to fight both it and its equally-as-difficult clone. Darklurker gets a pass in the “frustrating” department though - it’s just too cool to hate.
Knight Artorias
“Dark Souls” (2011)
Artorias is another example of borderline-impossible DLC bosses, and he embodies basically everything that makes up a difficult “Dark Souls” boss. For one thing, he is unbelievably fast. He attacks with such ferocity and speed that it’s hard to react or predict which attack he’s going with, and he can close the physical distance between you and him in an instant, allowing you very little time to heal. He also has multiple phases, each of which is more difficult and frustrating than the last. And finally, he’s incredibly resilient against...well, basically every single form of attack. There’s no “trick” to this fight. Just your reflexes, patience, and yes, a little bit of luck.
The Nameless King
“Dark Souls III” (2016)
The Nameless King rides in on a dragon, and this part would be awesome if it wasn’t for the abysmal camera. The camera is your true enemy in the first phase of this fight, as it wibbles and wobbles around and never really provides you a clear sense of direction, making dodging nearly impossible. And that’s the easy part. When the Nameless King fights you mano-a-mano, he unleashes a barrage of attacks that hit incredibly hard, including his AOE lightning strikes. Perhaps the toughest part of this phase is his delayed attack pattern. Like a baseball pitcher trying to throw off the batter’s timing, the King will often delay his attacks, tricking you into dodging way too early and getting pummeled by his near-insta kill sword.
Great Grey Wolf Sif
“Dark Souls” (2011)
Sif may look a little goofy, but they will wipe the smirk off your face within seconds. Like many of the hardest “Dark Souls” bosses, the problem with Sif is its speed and variety of attacks. Sif is very quick and agile, and it will strike at you from every single direction. Its attacks also vary in speed, which can certainly trip you up the first couple go rounds. But the wolf isn’t just fast - it’s also incredibly powerful, and its sword has crazy range. Just a few smacks is enough to put you down for good, so there’s very little margin for error here. Getting used to its attack pattern and speed is paramount to success.
Slave Knight Gael
“Dark Souls III” (2016)
Slave Knight Gael is technically the final boss of the “Dark Souls” series, so FromSoft pulled out all the stops. Gael is epic but he’s also so tough that we’re pretty sure they’re trolling us. He is amazingly fast, attacks from all directions, and his combos are enough to insta kill you (and make you cry). He also borrowed that annoying “delayed attack” thing from the Nameless King, making his moves near impossible to dodge. Then there’s the fire and range he later gains, the magic and crossbow attacks, and the arena being covered in lightning strikes. All that wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for Gael’s crazy resilient health pool, which makes this an endurance test for the ages.
Ornstein & Smough
“Dark Souls” (2011)
We’re pretty sure “Dark Souls” earned its reputation thanks to Ornstein and Smough. These two undoubtedly ended many a playthrough. As if fighting one boss wasn’t tough enough, this one forces you to battle the equally-difficult Ornstein and Smough at once. Both would be tough on their own, but together they’re nigh impossible. They attack at once, and like all great duos, they work together - with Ornstein pecking you from afar with his spear and projectiles and Smough waddling in close to smack you around with his massive hammer. And just when you celebrate defeating one, you’re forced to watch in terror as the other absorbs his life force, making the rest of the fight even harder.
Laurence, the First Vicar
“Bloodborne” (2015)
If FromSoft weren’t trolling with Gael or Ornstein and Smough, then they certainly were with Laurence. This fight is extremely harsh, and frankly, borderline unfair. Laurence is frustratingly fast and his attacks have unbelievable range. Getting just a second to heal and compose yourself is a gift. Each of his attacks hit like a freight train as well, and it’s not rare for him to insta kill you with a simple swipe of his claw, no matter how massive your health pool. And speaking of health pools, Laurence’s is massive, with each of your attacks knocking off an infinitesimal amount of health. And then the second phase starts and covers the ground in lava, just as an extra blow.
Orphan of Kos
“Bloodborne” (2015)
Widely considered the hardest boss in all of “Soulsborne,” the Orphan of Kos is a terrifying nightmare. Quite literally. The first phase is certainly difficult enough, as the Orphan is unrelenting and unimaginably fast in his attacks, leaving you without a moment to breathe or recuperate. God help you if you get caught in one of his infamous combos. And then the second phase starts, complete with projectiles, AOE lightning attacks and deadly shock waves that will insta kill you in a second. Defeating the Orphan of Kos requires all the skills you accumulated throughout your time with “Bloodborne,” including speed, parrying, visceral, and returned aggression.
