From Software’s Dark Souls series is known for its monstrous bosses.
We rank them from worst to best!
You never forget your firstSoulsboss.
No, the bosses of these games are more like puzzle boxes you suddenly find yourself trapped in.
You know theres a way out, but how?
As great as the bosses from this franchise are, though, they are not created equally.
Call it the price of doing business when you traffic in so many epic encounters.
First off, it only includes full proper boss fights.
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With that out of the way, heres everyDemons SoulsandDark Soulsboss, ranked.
I mean at least it would be if Bed of Chaos wasnt such a blight on the series.
Royal Rat Vanguard (Dark Souls II)
You know whats a good idea for aDark Soulsboss?
Anything but a bunch of rats.
That may sound obvious, but apparently, it wasnt, as thats exactly what Royal Rat Vanguard is.
Among a series of regular rat enemies is the one rat you have to kill to beat this boss.
There is nothing special about these rats besides the fact that theres a lot of them.
Even then, theres not really a lot of them in the grand scheme of things.
Its all pretty sad, actually.
That being said, Leechmonger is essentially theSoulsseries Great Mighty Poo without the singing or humor.
This sorcerer looks like any regular enemy but puts up less of a fight than most them.
Most are happy to oblige him.
Fools Idol (Demons Souls)
You know, Fools Idol isnt really that much different from Pinwheel.
Both are fairly lazy magic wielders that really dont inspire manySoulsplayers to praise the brilliance of their fights.
Still, theres just nothing much more here than some magic missile dodging and quick beatdowns.
However, that just makes it all the more of a shame that the fight is such a disappointment.
In the case of Covetous Demon, it certainly could have done with one less.
Covetous Demon is a huge slug-like creature that bears more than a passing resemblance to Jabba the Hutt.
Beating him requires little more than circling around his attacks and hitting his tail when available.
Overall, the encounter contributes nothing substantial to the game or franchise.
In fact, youre going to see a few of them higher on this list.
Deacons of the Deep (Dark Souls III)
This boss fight earns some extra points for the theme.
The Dukes Dear Freja is just a great name that makes you go, What the hell is that?
when you hear it.
High Lord Wolnir is one of those times.
Wolnir is a giant skeleton.
Hes a pretty well-designed giant skeleton, but hes a giant skeleton nonetheless.
Whats worse is that hes beaten by employing the attack the glowing weak spot on the limbs strategy.
The set-up to this fight is okay, and Wolnir is visually interesting, but this isDark Soulson autopilot.
This is not that fight.
In that respect, Scorpioness Najka falls short.
They also go on to mention that his skin is on fire, which is indeed his trademark characteristic.
Crystal Sage (Dark Souls III)
Im a big fan of Crystal Sages character design.
He looks like a boss/enemy that you would have caught roaming the badlands in an old-school NES RPG.
What I dont like is just about everything else about this boss fight.
Crystal Sage relies on some of the worstDark Soulsboss fight tropes.
Summoning damage-dealing items from the ground?
Check, check, check.
Theres just nothing especially noteworthy about this fight.
The fight itself is a disappointment, though.
Given the scenario behind this boss, its hard to not view it as a letdown.
Ancient Wyvern
This is one of those boss fights that sounds pretty great on paper.
The gimmick here is that the Wyvern cant really be beaten just by attacking it.
Most will beat this boss on the first try which is kind of a shame.
Phalanx (Demons Souls)
In many ways, Phalanx is a precursor to Royal Rat Vanguard.
What hurts this fight in comparison to others is that its far too simple.
Flexile Sentry (Dark Souls II)
Theres actually a lot to love about Flexile Sentry.
The great thing about that, of course, is that pirates are cool.
Mechanically, though, this fight is a bore.
The challenge here has more to do with tedium than any mechanical mastery.
Thats a shame considering how impressive the Greatwoods entrance is.
Skeleton bros are a universally tough lot and climbing to the top of their hierarchy is a real accomplishment.
This fight isnt bad so much as it is frustrating.
This fight isnt awful by any means, but its little more than an appetizer to the final battle.
At least thats what holds this particular fight.
The fight itself is actually pretty good to boot.
Oceiros is a surprisingly aggressive boss whose odd design makes it somewhat difficult to read his fights.
Unfortunately, the technical execution is ruined by some pretty bad design choices.
Despite the familiar visual cues, this is actually an interesting fight given the area where its set.
Its a battle that makes you feel like youre participating in a true duel of skills.
Unfortunately, this fight lacks flair.
Sanctuary Guardian (Dark Souls)
Generally speaking, the bosses inDark Souls Prepare to Die expansion were excellent.
Moonlight Butterfly (Dark Souls)
I really want to like Moonlight Butterfly more than I do.
The problem is the fight itself.
If youre using magic or projectiles, this fight is simply laughable.
There was potential here for a really interesting fight, but the presentation of the battle is excellent regardless.
Avoid the power attacks, roll between the legs, and repeat.
See, the battle against Yhorm can actually be fought with the Onion Knight at your side.
Its a welcome use of the tactic.
While thats certainly a little disappointing, the staging of this battle is simply excellent.
Dragonrider (Dark Souls II)
Dragonrider is a classic example of a BGBSBW boss.
Its an abbreviation I just now established for Big guy, big shield, big weapon.
By making that process more difficult, this boss fight is made more memorable.
I will say that The Rotten is the most mobile of the immobile mass enemies mentioned to this point.
What is great about The Rotten, though, is his design.
Aldrich, Devourer Of Gods (Dark Souls III)
This is a tough fight to rank.
However, the Aldrich fight benefits greatly from the lore behind the battle.
Armor Spider (Demons Souls)
The Armor Spider fight is an interesting one from a combat standpoint.
Its a fascinating study of the effect of claustrophobia in aSoulsfight.
Generally speaking, this is a fairly simple boss design-wise.
Still, its certainly a memorable encounter.
Sadly, the fight itself is a fairly standard affair.
Ancient Dragon represents the value of character in aDark Soulsfight.
But damn is this a cool fight.
The Blue Dragon itself does an excellent job of fighting like youd want a dragon to fight.
A cool-looking boss can overcome a lot of weaknesses in the fight.
Gaping Dragon will stick to your memories long after youve beaten it.
This monstrosity uses its many arms and deadly fires to make quick work of even the bestDark Soulsplayers.
Its still a great design, though.
Iudex Gundyr (Dark Souls III)
Its not easy being the first boss in a Souls game.
At the same time, they cant overshadow what is to come.
Gundyr isnt the best first boss in series history, but hes not far off.
This is certainly a case of a multiple boss fight done right.
This bosss range of attack is frightening and the speed at which he arrives there is even worse.
A great boss fight tests your skills without feeling cheap.
This isnt the greatest of theSoulsdragon fights, but its a fairly good standard for them.
The Dancer of the Boreal Valley fight is odd in that the boss itself doesnt move particularly fast.
Regardless, its a clever boss battle.
The one possible knock against this boss is that it skirts that line between cheap and tough.
His attacks are insanely fast and perhaps a touch too powerful.
Fortunately, Demon Prince clears that bar.
What makes this boss fight work is how fair it is.
Abyss Watchers (Dark Souls III)
Its tempting to rank this boss fight much higher than this.
My god, the man even utilizes flaming sword attacks.
The really, really cool thing about this fight, though, is the lore behind it.
The Abyss Watchers are bound by some kind of curse that forces them to battle forever.
In lieu of an actual opponent, they will just fight each other.
Thats kind of a backhanded compliment, but it should take nothing away from the quality of this encounter.
Its also kind of awesome to see Soul of Cinder adopt Gwyns moveset and music during the final phase.
You know, just like you expect a tiger to fight…inDark Souls.
Darkeater Midir (Dark Souls III)
Dragons inDark SoulsDLC release have traditionally been humorously difficult.
Darkeater Midir is arguably the most absurdly difficult of all theDark SoulsDLC dragons.
Its a memorable showdown.
Like many bosses thatDark Soulshides deep within its adventure, hes quite the challenge.
Each of these bosses perfectly encapsulates the three kinds of deadly inDark Souls.
Its a fantastic example of how to take full advantage of a multi-character fight setup.
The threat is real during this fight, which keeps you on your toes until the very end.
Maneater (Demons Souls)
Uh oh, here they come.
Many players resort to fairly cheap measures to defeat them to this day.
True joy comes from beating these painful reminders of just how much Demons Souls hates you.
In reality, hes a real hard ass thats fighting to kill you as soon as possible.
Old King Allants attack pattern is a fairly simple one, but every move he uses is simply devastating.
The range he is able to cover with his blade strikes and area attacks is simply absurd.
Regardless, the set-up to this fight makes it feel so very suitable for a final encounter.
Beating this boss makes you feel like you should feel after beating a legendary dragon.
You start this battle by having to take down a legion of knights devoted to the king.
This slight twist to the formula results in a memorable battle with one of the games very best.
Pontiff Sulyvahns elegant dual-sword attacks are a quick as they are deadly.
His combos follow no easy-to-learn pattern and theres almost no way to cheese him.
In other words, hes everything aSoulsboss should be.
Executioners Chariot is a great creative boss fight, however.
Regardless of your decision, Old Hero manages to impress through his character.
Brimming with personality and backstory, Nito is an incredible addition to theSoulsuniverse.
Crossbreed Priscilla (Dark Souls)
Residing over the secret painted world inDark Soulsis Crossbreed Priscilla.
Luckily, Chaos Witch Quelaagisspecial.
The fact that losing to her makes you trek through a portion of Blighttown again makes her especially cruel.
Gwyn, Lord of Cinder (Dark Souls)
Oh, Gwyn.
Opinions will always be divided as it concerns Gwyn.
Seath the Scaleless (Dark Souls)
Few bosses inDark Soulshave as interesting a story as Seath does.
The first time you meet Seath, he cannot be killed.
Seath was the facilitator of a great many events inDark Soulslore and toppling him feels significant because of that.
Hes everything you want a dragon boss to be.
Asylum Demon asks a lot out ofDark Soulsplayers early on.
Youve barely had time to discover how the game works by the time you face him.
He is the perfect introduction to one of the greatest games ever.
A single mistake can cost you everything.
Perfection is the only way past this optional monster.
Everything about this fight just feels so right from a presentation perspective.
Of course, it should be noted that Sir Alonne is incredibly difficult.
Slave Knight is a relentless foe whose multiple phases somehow only expand the bosss already imposing power level.
This multi-boss fight also offers some of the best visual storytelling in the game.
Its an emotional experience that is bolstered by some excellent music.
Much likeResident Evil 3s resident stalker, The Pursuer can be encountered several times duringDark Souls II.
The fear of when you might encounter The Pursuer next elevates him above more prominent foes.
Maiden Astraea isnt a boss in the traditional sense.
She doesnt attack you and in fact admonishes you for trying to kill her.
The only real challenge in this fight is a fairly tough, lone guardian knight.
The maiden herself can be killed in a few hits.
Such is the case with Looking Glass Knight.
Defeating Friedes final form is a true badge of honor.
Heres what I will say about Nameless King.
You havent, but beating this boss does make you feel as great as any victory in anySoulsgame.
Storm King (Demons Souls)
Storm King is not a difficult fight.
The thing about the Storm King, though, is that it is anything but forgettable.
The Storm King itself is a giant flying manta ray surrounded by a small army of manta rays.
The mechanics of this fight are interesting.
What really makes this fight special, though, is how it scales.
But again, the Lost Sinners mechanic does certainly elevate it.
This not only makes tracking the boss difficult, but it also makes locking on impossible.
This is a fascinating twist on the on the Metroidvania style of gameplay.
The Old Monk is a modern take on that concept.
See, Old Monk is just a vessel.
Your fight against him, then, is actually a PvP fight.
Depending on the player that inhabits the vessel, this fight can be quite challenging.
Its impossible to forget.
This is one of the greatest characters in the entirety of franchise mythology.
This is Knight Artorias the Abysswalker.
Knight Artorias was either an incredible hero or a tremendous villain depending on your time and perspective.
It exceeds them triumphantly.
He was the boss that invoked the greatest feeling a boss in these games can invoke.
The feeling of helplessness.
The feeling of What now?
This incredible giant wields a spear and shield that is nearly as large as he is.
Beating him is a multi-step process, but there is no real gimmick or trick to this fight.
Yet, the really special aspect of this fight is the daunting scale of the Knight itself.
Doing so is tired, a little boring, and even a cliche.
Its like saying that Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all-time.
But do you know why people say that?
Ornstein and Smough are two bosses designed to perfectly complement each other while being individually intimidating.
At the start of this list, I said that ultimately these decisions come down to a feeling.
The feeling of finally toppling Ornstein & Smough is unmatched in the entirety of the franchise.
Their greatness is a universal acknowledgment that may never be topped or equaled.
Matthew Byrd is a staff writer forDen of Geek.
You canread more of his work hereor find him on Twitter at@SilverTuna014.
