Top 10 Souls Series Bosses

The Flamelurker may not be the biggest in the souls series, but his speed and fiery presence make him one of the most intimidating bosses in the entire series. Coming at the player with pounce attacks, and huge area of effect fire blasts keep the player moving and necessitates quick reflexes. Magic is the Flamelurker’s biggest weakness, so keep those soul arrows handy and make sure to keep your distance.

One of the three possible final bosses in Bloodborne, don’t let Gehrman’s wheelchair fool you, this guy is an absolute menace. Arising from his chair in an almost picturesque field, Gehrman is fast and vicious. Giving you nary a chance to catch your breath, Gehrman can close distances quickly, and fights more like a skilled human player than a video game boss. He is one of the most memorable NPCs in the game, and one of the most intense boss battles in the Souls series; you’ll need a lot of patience to take this guy down.

Also known as The Abysswalker, Artorias is one of Lord Gwyn famous four knights. Corrupted by the Abyss, Artorias sacrificed himself to save his beloved wolf companion Sif, but more on that later, hint hint nudge nudge wink wink. Thanks to the miracle of time travel, the player fights Artorias years before the events of the game. The fight to release Artorias from his curse is definitely a tough one; as Artorias’ massive sword and leap attacks are hard to predict and doge.

The Pursuer was once a knight tasked with hunting down and destroying rogue hollows. Now a hollow himself, the Pursuer ambushes the player at various stages throughout the game, and is a formidable and frustrating foe, especially for players new to the Souls experience. Watch out for the Pursuer’s curse attack; because when his sword glows blue, the lunge cannot be blocked, and will instantly turn the player hollow. Gliding around the battlefield, the Pursuer uses his ultra-greatsword so smash the player apart with various combos and abilities.

Most of the boss battles in the Souls series are reminiscent of David and Goliath, but this fight embodies that fable almost literally. The Tower Knight lives up to his name, as he is a gigantic armoured knight, whose weapons are his spear, shield and bringing his boots down on your face. Crossbowmen line the walls of the battlefield as well, and they must be dealt with before you have any chance of taking down the boss himself. The bigger they are, the harder they fall however, and after doing enough damage to his ankles, the Tower Knight will come crashing to the ground, giving the player a chance to take out his head.

The final boss of Dark Souls, Gwyn, Lord of Cinder was once a great warrior who rose to godhood, defeated the dragons and linked the First Flame to the world of man. And now you have to fight him. He's located in the Kiln of the First Flame, which is probably the most depressing area in the game, accented with sad piano music and stark imagery. Gwyn is armed with a flaming sword and fights with lightning speed, always doing his best to stay on top of the player. Furthermore, his pattern is almost random and he reacts to the player’s actions faster than any other enemy in the game.

Father Gascoigne was once is a hunter, husband and father, who succumbed to the plague and became a monster. A foreigner to the land of Yharnam, Gascoigne fights much like a typical hunter, except much faster and has a strong aversion to fire. If you find one of his surviving children before the battle, she will give you a music box that his family used to remind him to come home during his hunts. Using the music box during the boss battle will cause him to temporarily stop attacking and give the player a chance to get in and do some serious damage.

The Burnt Ivory King was once the ruler of northern kingdom Eleum Loyce, and was once a noble and just ruler. When the Ancient Chaos was discovered deep below the earth, threatening his kingdom, the King and his knights went into the Chaos, never to return. The transition the player makes between the frozen kingdom of Loyce to the fiery depths of the Chaos is breathtaking. The fight itself is a battle as the player is aided by the remaining Loyce Knights against the corrupted King and his bodyguards. The fight eventually comes down to just the player against the Burnt Ivory King who uses magic attacks as well as brute force and speed.

Probably one of the most tragic bosses in the game, the Great Grey Wolf Sif guards the grave of his former master, Artorias, who sacrificed himself to save Sif from the corruption. Sif now wields his master’s greatsword, using his jaws, and has huge sweeping attacks as well as charges and other combos. Unlike most video games bosses who get stronger as the fight goes on, Sif will begin limping pitifully at low health, and is much less effective in his attacks. The fight is a painful reminder that the Souls series is as depressing as it is difficult, and will leave any animal lover emotionally drained.


Before we unveil our top picks, here are a few honorable mentions.

Manus, Father of the Abyss
“Dark Souls” (2011)

Dark Lurker
“Dark Souls 2” (2014)

Gravelord Nito
“Dark Souls” (2011)

The Rotten
“Dark Souls 2” (2014)

Sin the Slumbering Dragon
“Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Sunken King” (2014)

The battle against both Ornstein and Smoug is arguably the most difficult and thus most rewarding fight in the series. The Dragon Slayer and Executioner must be fought at the same time and upon defeating one, the other is fully healed and absorbs some of the power of their fallen comrade. Ornstein is fast and fights with a lightning spear while Smough is slow and uses a huge screw you hammer. The two have a lot of health and resistances, making the fight impossible to rush, teaching the player the value of patience, and punishing anyone who lets their guard down even for a second. Ornstein and Smoug are not only the best boss of the entire Souls series, but one of the best video game boss battles of all time.


Do you agree with our list? What is your favorite Souls Series boss battle? For more Entertaining Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.