Hardest Bosses in Dark Souls 3

Key Takeaways

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• Dark Souls 3
  features challenging boss fights that divide the community, with some arguing they are too easy and others finding them incredibly difficult.
• The Curse-Rotted Greatwood, High Lord Wolnir, Vordt of the Boreal Valley, Iudex Gundyr, Oceiros, and Dragonslayer Armour are just some of the toughest bosses players will face in the game.
• Players should study each boss’ attack patterns and use appropriate strategies and weapon choices to defeat them. Dodging, parrying, and utilizing elemental damage are effective techniques.

The Dark Souls series is renowned for its grueling boss fights, yet Dark Souls 3 is possibly the most divisive game in the series. The direction that developer FromSoftware took with its bosses tends to cause heated discussions in the Souls community. Some would argue that they are too easy, but the game’s optional bosses bring a new meaning to the word “difficult.”

In Dark Souls 3, players embark on a journey as the Ashen One. Their goal is to return the five Lords of Cinder to their rightful thrones so that they may link the flame at Firelink Shrine. To accomplish this goal, players must face a plethora of painstaking bosses. These monumental encounters can be pretty challenging in their own right, and players must be confident in their equipment and skills to beat some of the hardest DS3 bosses.

Updated on November 19, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Dark Souls 3 is a fitting sendoff to the series, with Miyazaki coming back to let players enjoy a satisfying end to an action RPG trilogy that took over the world by storm. Players will love the return of meaningful boss encounters without any cheap mobs and level design that feels connected and believable. Of course, it would be impossible to talk about the best aspects of any Dark Souls game without mentioning the amazing boss fights scattered across this experience, and the hardest DS3 bosses do a great job of making players think twice before jumping into the fray and initiating a hectic, nervous battle where a single mistake can be costly.

25 Ancient Wyvern

More Of A Puzzle Boss Than Anything Else

The Ancient Wyvern is a boss that seems rather intimidating at first glance, especially since fighting a dragon in any Dark Souls game is bound to be scary. It helps the initial atmosphere of this boss fight that the battle takes place in Archdragon Peak, a secret area that is a pain to find as is.

However, players will soon realize that this encounter isn’t all that challenging, since players will figure out how this puzzle boss fight works and land a plunging attack in no time. It may still be a memorable encounter, but the Ancient Wyvern becomes a rather underwhelming DS3 boss fight once players figure out the trick to defeat this foe.

Tips For Defeating The Ancient Wyvern

While it’s possible to take on this boss head-on and kill it with tactical dodges and blocks, there’s a far easier way to deal with the Ancient Wyvern. All players need to do is head left from the boss fight to find a path with ladders and enemies, after reaching the highest point, players need only wait for the Ancient Wyvern to stop breathing fire before unleashing a plunging attack from above and defeating this boss fight for good.

24 Yhorm The Giant

Can Be Easy Or Hard Depending On Whether Players Use The Stormbreaker

Yhorm the Giant is a powerful entity that serves as one of the Lords of Cinder that players must defeat to progress through the game. The funny part is that Yhorm can be both the easiest and hardest boss in Dark Souls 3 based on whether players figure out his secret.

If not, then they’ll have to spend a lot of time hacking his limbs, doing minuscule damage, and repairing their weapon to defeat this powerful foe, which is much easier said than done.

Tips For Defeating Yhorm The Giant

Unlike most other bosses, Yhorm is more of a puzzle boss, with players needing to use the special Weapon Art of the Stormbreaker to deal a ton of damage with each hit. Alternatively, if they’ve been following Siegfried’s questline, he’ll join the fray and use Stormbreaker to intensify the damage dealt.

23 Curse-Rotted Greatwood

Can Be Tricky To Defeat In The Early Game

The Curse-Rotted Greatwood is one of the earliest boss fights in Dark Souls 3, which significantly affects its difficulty as players are often under-leveled when they pass through the optional boss’ fog gate.

The old spirit tree’s attacks are slow and heavily telegraphed, but they pack an almighty punch that can one-shot some players if they’re not careful. When it comes to ranking the Dark Souls 3 bosses, the Curse-Rotted Greatwood is more accessible than most but harder than some.

Tips For Defeating The Curse-Rotted Greatwood

Aim for the pustules on its legs, body, and arms, as these deal massive damage upon being destroyed. When the Curse-Rotted Gravewood is above ground, attack its belly to progress to the second phase. At a certain point, it will drop through the floor to a lower level. Here, the Greatwood moves a little faster and gains new attacks but still has pustules that can be burst.

The Curse Rotted Greatwood is weak to slashing damage on its arms and pustules, so players should prioritize that area for easy hits. Its arms are also weak to thrust damage but not the pustules. The boss is weak to fire damage and the Pestilent Mist sorcery. At this point in the game, pretty much any weapon will work on this boss. Charcoal pine resin and bundles will apply fire damage to players’ weapons for extra damage.

22 Deacons Of The Deep

Players Can Get Overwhelmed If The Deacons Surround Them

Players may be intimidated by the Deacons of the Deep when they encounter this boss, especially since there are so many enemies in the arena that seem rather hard to deal with.

Thankfully, this encounter is balanced by making each deacon react slowly, meaning that players should have enough time to dodge attacks and position themselves to ensure that they can take out the followers of Aldrich, Devourer of Gods.

Tips For Defeating Deacons Of The Deep

Deacons of the Deep may not be the hardest DS3 boss players encounter, but this doesn’t mean that the Ashen One should take them lightly. Positioning is key in this fight, and players must ensure that they don’t put themselves in a vulnerable position when they try to whittle down the numbers. Instead of getting greedy, players should measure their hits and back off if they’re in danger of being stun-locked to death with successive attacks.

21 Crystal Sage

Players Must Manage Their Stamina If They Don’t Want To Be Destroyed By Magic Attacks

Magical enemies can either be a joke or a nightmare to deal with. The Crystal Sage is somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, and players who take this encounter too lightly may just turn what would normally be a simple fight into one of the hardest DS3 bosses with their carelessness.

Players who want to proceed to the Cathedral of the Deep must make it a point to defeat this boss before attempting to do so.

Tips For Defeating The Crystal Sage

The Crystal Sage teleports a lot, forcing players to sprint and close the distance so that they’re not overwhelmed by the projectiles he summons. Stamina management is key to ensuring that players can maintain a steady offense instead of only unleashing a hit or two before the sage teleports. When he starts summoning clones, players should focus their attention on the main body and take out the clones only if they become too unmanageable.

20 High Lord Wolnir

Dying To This Boss Is Pretty Easy If Players Don’t Know The Trick

High Lord Wolnir is a manageable boss fight if players know what they’re doing, but most people who encounter this enemy for the first time will be clueless about what to do.

It doesn’t help that he looks imposing, summons skeletons, randomly brings a sword into battle, and is surrounded by a thick fog that saps the player’s health if they’re not being careful.

Tips For Defeating High Lord Wolnir

Players should aim for his bangles as soon as possible, moving quickly in front of him whenever one of them is shattered. His movements are erratic, and players can become stranded in a vitality-draining fog that will sap all of their HP in no time at all. This fight should also be done quickly since Wolnir can summon skeletons and bring out a sword to make things more complicated for the player.

19 Vordt Of The Boreal Valley

An Early-Game Boss And The First Test Of A Player’s Mettle

Players who descend the High Wall of Lothric will be greeted by a massive boss at the end of the area, making for a pretty intimidating boss fight. Vordt of the Boreal Valley is quite intimidating, but players who maintain a cool head will be able to take out this boss without too many problems.

Tips For Defeating Vordt Of The Boreal Valley

Players should be wary of the Frostbite status while fighting this boss since it will spell their doom if they take too many hits from Vordt without a plan. Staying behind him during the first phase is the best way to land attacks without worrying too much about his attacks. In the second phase, players should dodge his charged rush and hit him for some serious damage whenever a window presents itself.

18 Iudex Gundyr

The First Boss Of The Game And A Taste Of What Is To Come

The first boss that players encounter in Dark Souls 3 takes no prisoners, hitting like a truck and having a moveset that is easy to figure out early on but becomes quite chaotic once the second phase starts. For a first boss, Gundyr is pretty challenging and will likely give many players a run for their money.

Tips For Defeating Iudex Gundyr

Dodging will be the player’s saving grace in this fight during both phases. The moment players pull out the Coiled Sword from his body, the Ashen One can wail at the boss, dwindling his health bar quite a bit before he can even act. When the Pus of Man erupts from his body, players should be wary about dodging and try to stay behind him at all times to not get caught in one of his hard-hitting attacks.

17 Oceiros, The Consumed King

A Horrifying-Looking Boss With A Devilish Second Phase

The unusually chatty boss Oceiros may initially look like a cakewalk due to his lack of eyes; however, his sharp sense of smell and hearing more than makes up for it.

Oceiros, the Consumed King has two phases. The first isn’t too tricky, as he seems more concerned about protecting an invisible or imaginary child cradled in his arms. The second phase, however, is brutally difficult. Here, Oceiros drops the child and begins charging at the player like an enraged beast protecting his young.

Tips For Defeating Oceiros, The Consumed King

In the first phase, stick very close to Oceiros, getting underneath whenever possible. In later phases, try to stay behind the boss but pay attention to its backward attacks. The boss room is a little smaller than most, so be sure to keep the camera in a good position to see Oceiros’ movement and attack patterns. He’s a fast boss, so players need to be nimble and only attack when necessary.

Oceiros is weak to Lightning and Frost damage, and as such, players may use weapons that deal such damage to give them an advantage. For frost damage, the Irithyll Straight Sword is an excellent weapon that can build up Frostbite with each hit and deal humongous amounts of damage when it procs. For lightning damage, there are several weapons that players can use here depending on how far along they are in the game.

The Lothric Knight Greatsword, Dragonslayer Swordspear, Dragonslayer Spear, etc. are good options that deal lightning damage. However, if players do not have the weapons yet, they can apply Gold Pine Bundles and Resins on their weapons to temporarily give them Lightning Damage when they attack.

16 Champion’s Gravetender & Gravetender Greatwolf

A Boss Fight That Starts Against Three Small Wolves Before A Larger One Joins The Fray

The DLC bosses of most Dark Souls games are as tough as they come, but Champion’s Gravetender and Gravetender Greatwolf is fairly by the numbers as long as players know how to tackle both regular-sized enemies and massive behemoths.

It’s a decent boss fight if a somewhat unremarkable one that won’t impress players who’ve found the Ashes of Ariandel DLC to be pretty underwhelming.

Tips For Defeating Champion’s Gravetender & Gravetender Greatwolf

At the start of the fight, players will have to deal with Champion’s Gravetender and his lackeys. Taking out his wolves isn’t too hard, but it’s the second phase of the fight that’s slightly trickier when the massive Gravetender Greatwolf joins the fray. It’s important to dodge his high-damage charges and attacks, and players should target one enemy each and take them down for the count before focusing on the second one. In this case, the Champion’s Gravetender should ideally be the player’s first target before the Greatwolf becomes a major priority.

15 Halflight, Spear Of The Church

The Online Variant Of This Boss Can Be Ridiculously Hard

One of the more unique battles in Dark Souls 3, the duel against Halflight, Spear of the Church can vary quite a bit depending on whether players encounter the NPC AI or a human-controlled opponent.

The former is quite easy, but a player who isn’t adept in PvP will find the online variant of this battle to be a nightmare to complete in The Ringed City.

Tips For Defeating Halflight, Spear Of The Church

The NPC AI of Halflight is relatively easy to deal with, with players having to dodge and attack accordingly after memorizing his patterns. In online mode, this fight turns into a PvP battle that is made even harder by the two helpers that are summoned during the battle. Players must take out the summons first before focusing on the main body since trying to take on the human-controlled opponent and the people summoned to help him can be an absolute pain and can turn this fight into one of the hardest DS3 bosses.

14 Champion Gundyr

A Harder Version Of The First Boss With An Amazing Moveset

Not to be confused with Iudex Gundyr, Champion Gundyr is the second time the player encounters a Gundyr in Dark Souls 3. Champion Gundyr is a version of Iudex Gundyr with new attacks and a more aggressive combat style.

It could also be stated that Iudex Gundyr is more difficult because players will either be new to the game or just rusty since the last Dark Souls. As the ultimate version of Iudex Gundyr, Champion Gundyr provides an even greater challenge.

Tips For Defeating Champion Gundyr

This is one boss where parrying is an excellent strategy. Champion Gundyr seems to never stop attacking, leaving little room for any retaliation. Champion Gundyr can be taken down in little time with excellently timed parries, but it’s not an easy skill to master. If parrying is out of the question, pay attention to Gundyr’s halberd over anything else and carefully dodge while poking when able.

To give themselves an advantage, players can use a variety of weapons against Gundyr, as he has multiple weaknesses. He is weak to Strike, Bleed, Frostbite, and Lightning Damage. Valorheart, Fume Ultra Greatsword, Lorian’s Greatsword, and Executioner’s Greatsword are good sources of Strike Damage. Bandit’s Knife, Barbed Straight Sword, Morion Blade, Uchigatana, and Washing Pole are good sources of Bleed damage. Players can also use the Gold Pine Resins and Bundles to buff their weapons with Lightning Damage. For Frostbite, the Irityhll Straight Sword and Rapier are good options with substantial proc damage.

13 Demon In Pain & Demon From Below/Demon Prince

Two Fiery Demons Who Serve As Precursors To The Demon Prince

The Ringed City was a marked improvement over the first Dark Souls 3 DLC in every way. Featuring a varied, interesting area full to the brim with tough enemies, unique weapons, and a wealth of challenging boss fights, it’s easy to see why fans love this DLC with a passion. One of the first boss fights in this DLC is against the twin Demons, culminating in a fight with the Demon Prince.

Tips For Defeating Demon In Pain & Demon From Below/Demon Prince

Unlike most Dark Souls 3 boss fights, the first phase is what players should fear the most here. The two massive demons take up most of the screen and can easily overwhelm the player if they don’t fight smart. Focusing on one demon at a time and splitting them up is the best way to tackle this battle. Once the Demon Prince arrives, players may have to contend with an aggressive moveset but will generally consider this fight to be more manageable as long as they pick and choose their attack windows wisely.

12 Dragonslayer Armour

A Late-Game Boss That Can Be Pretty Challenging

Assisted by Pilgrim Butterflies that animate his suit, Dragonslayer Armour is an arduous boss fight in Dark Souls 3. With resistances such as Dark, Lightning, and Slash, this fight proves to be tough for players who don’t assess his weaknesses. Using weapons like the Wolf Knight’s Greatsword or Farron Greatsword will give gamers bonus damage against this opponent. Players can also use Frost and Strike moves to inflict some additional pain.

Dragonslayer Armour is not an optional boss in Dark Souls 3‘s main story. He can also be found as an optional mini-boss in the Ringed City DLC. In the main story, Dragonslayer Armour is found guarding the Grand Archives.

Tips For Defeating The Dragonslayer Armor

The Dragonslayer Armour hits hard, but its attacks are pretty well-telegraphed. Dodging underneath or to the left of most attacks will nearly guarantee not being hit by these strong attacks and spells. Projectiles come raining down during the fight, but they are pretty easy to dodge and do little damage compared to the boss, though they can disrupt the flow of battle.

To get an edge over the Dragonslayer Armour boss, players can equip weapons that deal Strike and Frostbite damage with each hit. The Fume Ultra Greatsword, Cathedral Knight Greatsword, Hammers, and Greathammers in the game are excellent choices for Strike damage. Players will get great use out of the Irityhll Straight Sword and Irithyll Rapier for Frostbite damage, especially because of their proc damage. Since the Dragonslayer Armour is an abyssal creature, the Wolf Knight’s Greatsword and Farron Greatsword also deal increased damage to it.

11 Old Demon King

Boasts A Wealth Of Fiery Attacks That Hit Like A Truck

Perhaps the most intimidating boss based on his appearance and flaming attacks, the Old Demon King is an optional boss in Dark Souls 3. It’s hard to miss this boss since he is hiding in plain sight in Smouldering Lake. Players can’t miss the archway that leads to this opponent.

Black Knight weapons and Dark attacks are most effective against the Old Demon King. Lots of people find difficulty in this boss fight because of his sweeping flame attacks, but ranged classes will likely breeze through it.

Tips For Defeating The Old Demon King

Ranged characters can stay out of his range, dodge past long-range swings, and cast spells to take down the Old Demon King easily. Melee characters will have a harder time, thanks to the boss’ variety of cleave attacks. Dodging through these attacks tends to be effective, and using weapons that deal Dark damage tends to help take down the Old Demon King faster.

At this stage, there won’t be many options for players to deal Dark damage, as many weapons that deal that type of damage are found later in the game. But players can use items that apply buffs and effects instead. The Human Pine Resin and the Dark Blade Miracle will buff the players’ current weapon with Dark damage, giving them the necessary edge in the battle against the Old Demon King. Alternatively, the Black Knight Weapons can also be used against the boss.

10 Abyss Watchers

A Tough Multi-Phase Boss That Is Ridiculously Fast And Hits Like A Truck

Something more complicated than fighting one hard DS3 boss is fighting two at the same time. In phase one of the Abyss Watchers clash, there are two Abyss Watchers to fight, with one spawning every twenty seconds. Thankfully, only a maximum of two Abyss Watchers can spawn, making this fight beatable.

The Abyss Watchers are weak against Lightning attacks. This boss also staggers easily and can be backstabbed and parried. The Abyss Watchers are human-like, lest gamers forget their demonic glowing red eyes.

Tips For Defeating The Abyss Watchers

While they attack very fast (and players have to face two at once), the Abyss Watchers don’t have much health. Interestingly enough, sometimes the Abyss Watchers will kill each other, making the fight a little more manageable, but this doesn’t happen every time. Watch out for their long-range flame attacks and random attacks while getting in damage. These bosses are relatively easy to parry, too, especially if only one is up.

There won’t be many weapons, spells, or miracles that deal Lightning damage available at this point in the game; the best players can do is stock up on Gold Pine Resins and apply them to their weapons to buff them with Lightning damage.

9 Lorian, Elder Prince And Lothric, Younger Prince

A Dual Boss Fight That Is Quite Tricky

The Ashen One faces a plethora of obstacles in their journey throughout a transitory place. One boss fight that seems to cause players the most trouble is against Lorian, Elder Prince, and Lothric, Younger Prince. Also known as “The Twin Princes,” one is a sword-wielder, and the other is a magic-caster.

Lorian is a knight who wields a flaming greatsword. Lothric wears a black robe and strikes with holy light energy. Although Lorian cannot stand for more than a few seconds without his legs collapsing, his swing span and his brothers’s projectile magic make them a great challenge.

Tips For Defeating Lorian And Lothric

Lothric will continuously resurrect Lorian over and over again in the fight with less HP each time until Lothric is defeated. He can only be attacked once Lorian is downed, though, so players should be sure to stay close to the corpse of the Twin Prince to maximize damage on Lorian when he appears. Once Lothric is dead, Lorian will not be brought back upon defeat.

Both princes are weak to Lightning and Frostbite damage. However, players will find that using Lightning damage will provide them the most utility, as Lorian has a significant weakness to it. As such, the Dragonslayer Weapons are an excellent choice against the twin princes. Players can also use the Great Lightning Spear miracle against them, depending on their build. Alternatively, the Gold Pine Resins and Bundles will buff the players’ weapons with Lightning damage, which will get the job done.

8 Aldrich, Devourer Of Gods

The Magical Attacks Hit Like A Truck And Can Potentially One-Shot The Player

Aldrich, Devourer Of Gods, is, as his name implies, a fierce Dark Souls 3 boss. This boss fight gives flashbacks of Ornstein and Smough, who are considered the most difficult Dark Souls boss duo in Souls history.

Players fight Aldrich in the same cathedral hall in Anor Londo as they did Ornstein and Smough, a callback to one of the most famous fights of the Dark Souls series. While Aldrich isn’t the hardest boss in Dark Souls 3, it’s certainly one of the most terrifying.

Tips For Defeating Aldrich, Devourer Of Gods

Gwyndolin’s half-devoured body will cast soul spears and soul masses that follow the player, which deals massive rapid damage if not dodged or avoided. Hiding behind pillars helps players to avoid most of these homing attacks. Getting into melee range and avoiding the boss’ slow attacks while watching for spells being cast tends to be effective. Aldrich will become more powerful at 70 percent health, too.

Being an Abyssal enemy, Aldritch is weak to the Farron Greatsword and Wolf Knight’s Greatsword, which can be acquired early on in the game. He also is vulnerable to Lightning, Fire, and Thrust damage, and players can find a variety of weapons that deal such damage. The Lothric Knight Greatsword is a good choice for Lightning Damage, while the Demon’s Greataxe and the Old King’s Great Hammer can be used to deal Fire damage. Several weapons deal thrust attacks, which can be spammed on Aldritch to deal extra damage.

7 Dancer Of The Boreal Valley

A Tricky Boss Fight With Lengthy Combos And Damaging Flurries

The name of Dancer of the Boreal Valley accurately describes her behavior. Try fighting this colossal Dark Souls 3 boss, but know that she dances while she strikes with dual swords.

Dodging the Dancer’s attacks is possible, but most would agree that doing so takes a significant amount of luck. As such, enduring this graceful (and deadly) foe can be a real challenge.

Tips For Defeating the Dancer of the Boreal Valley

The Dancer’s boss room is noticeably small, considering the wide cleaving range of the Dancer’s dual-sword attacks. It’s hard to tell when the Dancer is attacking versus just moving around the room, but her attacks must be avoided however possible. A 100% block shield can help a lot for this boss fight, but players should be careful not to rely too often on blocking because the Dancer can stagger them easily.

The Dancer is most vulnerable to Dark damage, and as such, players will want to use weapons that deal this type of damage. At this stage, there won’t be many options available for doing so, in which case, it is best to use Human Pine Resins. These items buff the current weapon equipped with Dark damage, albeit for a short while. The Dancer can be staggered if players hit her head, after which they can provide a critical strike, dealing enormous amounts of damage. Combining this strike with dark damage will chop a significant portion off of the Dancer’s health bar.

6 Pontiff Sulyvahn

An Incredibly Challenging Boss Who Can Spawn A Clone To Make Things Even Harder

Pontiff Sulyvahn still haunts players to this day because of his unforgiving dual-sword attacks. This is not an optional boss, as players will have to defeat him to progress through Irithyll. His sweeping fire sword attacks are particularly unpleasant, which, paired with his other attacks, makes the Pontiff among the hardest Dark Souls 3 bosses. Luckily, the bonfire isn’t far away, so players can die several times without having to travel far.

Sulyvahn is vulnerable to Thrust, Lightning, and Fire damage, and players may want to combine them for extra effect. He is a challenging boss, and even with the buffs and advantages, it may take players a few tries to defeat him. As such, players should bring a summonable NPC with them against the Pontiff. Seeing that he brings his clone to this battle, doing so can even the odds.

Tips For Defeating Pontiff Sulyvahn

Pontiff Sulyvahn’s attacks mirror each other, so if the player can dodge the first strike, they will know exactly how to dodge the incoming second. However, Pontiff Sulyvahn will do rapid leaping strikes, sweeping attacks, and cast spells, which can be incredibly hard to dodge back to back. Keep an eye on stamina to more effectively time dodges and retaliatory attacks.