Whenever Bloodborne or Dark Souls is brought up, everyone immediately talks about the challenge. Yes, From Software’s flagship titles are known for their brutal difficulty. In actuality, these games are just pure fun once you’ve figured out their “tough but fair” approach. The term "Git Gud" may just be a meme, but it's honestly a true statement. These games don't want to hold your hand. If they did, then did you truly learn anything? When you overcome a challenge, it was you and you alone.
The bosses are a staple of the series. In Bloodborne, there’s no shortage of unforgettable boss encounters. Some of these fights can be cathartic and fun. Maybe it has just the right amount of challenge and intensity. Then there are the merciless bosses. The ones that make you tear your hair out and throw your controller at your screen. Here are 5 of Bloodborne’s boss fights that we loved and 5 that drove us insane.
10 10. Martyr Logarius (Loved)
Cainhurst Castle is a beautifully grim area in Bloodborne. The sense of dread looming through the whole map is unbearable, but yet we can’t look away. The best part, though, is that this is a completely optional area. As you slowly make your way through, you will eventually find yourself on the top of the castle, where Martyr Logarius is awaiting you in all his glory. What follows is an exhilarating fight. He isn’t necessarily difficult, but he does hold his own. We also love that he can be parried, which makes this boss fight easier than most. Still, it’s the area in which we fight him that makes him so memorable and enjoyable.
9 9. Rom, the Vacuous Spider (Drove Us Insane)
If you had to describe Rom in one word, it would simply be, “Nope!” No one wants to fight spiders in a video game, let alone a giant one. Rom doesn’t have that much health, but his defense mechanisms are what make him so aggravating. Not only does he constantly teleport to different spots if he takes too much damage, but he also has an army of spiders around him. Now giant spiders are one thing, but an army of rock-faced, dive-bombing spiders is something else entirely. They’re relentless, terrifying, and gross. Please get them away.
8 8. Cleric Beast (Loved)
Cleric Beast is generally the first boss fight in Bloodborne for most players. What makes this boss fight so memorable is how it makes us feel. One thing that the game does exceptionally well is how it plays with your confidence. The Cleric Beast is a standard Souls-like boss fight where you dodge then go in to hit their butt. Going into Bloodborne, we that it’s going to be a tough game with that From Software logo on it. Therefore, the first time we fight the Cleric Beast, we think we’ve got this down to a tee. No one can defeat us. That is until we get to Father Gascoigne.
7 7. Father Gascoigne (Drove Us Insane)
What makes Father Gascoigne so frustrating is that he is either the first or second boss fight of the game. At this point, we’ve only just started learning the basics of combat. Then you make your way to Gascoigne and the true challenge begins. Gascoigne is another hunter like you, which makes him quick and agile. He’s constantly dodging and trying to parry you. Then he turns into a werewolf in his second phase, which makes him larger, but just as quick. Gascoigne is From Software saying at the beginning of the game, “If you can’t defeat this boss, then maybe Bloodborne isn’t the game for you.”
6 6. Lady Maria (Loved)
Lady Maria’s backstory in the Old Hunters DLC is actually heartbreaking and it reminds players of past Souls bosses such as Artorias and Sif. Bleakness aside, the fight with Lady Maria is such a memorable experience. Seeing Maria in the distance as you enter the top of the clock tower is awe-inspiring. Then the boss itself is punishing but in a good way. The plethora of blood magic attacks she uses makes for a visually stunning confrontation. Maria’s attacks are so elegant yet ferocious. Fighting her almost feels like a pre-choreographed dance, except in this case, missing one step is a fatal mistake.
5 5. Amygdala (Drove Us Insane)
To Bloodborne’s credit, the Amygdala creature design looks exceptional. It’s so bizarre and it’s a perfect example of the Lovecraftian inspiration the game has. That being said, the fight is tedious and infuriating. Avoiding Amygdala’s attacks isn’t the problem. In fact, most of the attacks are easily telegraphed. The issue here is that Amygdala only has specific weak spots that change over the course of the fight. If you hit any other spot on the boss, it does a pathetic amount of damage. In a shooter, this would work, but Bloodborne is a hack and slash game. Thus, trying to accurately hit its weak spots is exhausting.
4 4. Vicar Amelia (Loved)
The cutscene that precedes this boss fight is absolutely bonkers. We first see an old woman praying. Then a few seconds later, she starts turning into a giant wolf-like creature with shrieks of pain and anger. This boss fight is fun due to how aggressive it forces you to be. It may be somewhat annoying that she can regenerate health. Still, having to make sure your attacks are relentless is really entertaining gameplay-wise. The boss’s design is also very unique and it showcases the excellent gothic-horror atmosphere From Software was able to capture.
3 3. Shadow of Yharnam (Drove Us Insane)
One main tip in a From Software game is to never get swarmed. You generally only want to face one enemy at a time, maybe two. Three basic enemies are tough enough, but now try facing three bosses at once! That’s how the Shadow of Yharnam boss fight is set up. You face three hooded figures. One has a long Katana, another has a flame-shooting lantern, and the last throws fireballs from a distance. Trying to take one enemy down is irritating since you’re constantly being attacked by the other two. Even after you’re down to one of them, they start summoning serpents from the ground. It is a test of skill, but more specifically, its an annoying test of patience.
2 2. Gehrman, The First Hunter (Loved)
A great final boss should apply all of the skills you’ve picked up throughout the game and give you one final test. That’s exactly what Gehrman does. The experience fighting Gehrman perfectly contrasts the one you get from fighting Father Gascoigne. In the beginning, you were inexperienced and got your butt handed to you. 40 hours later, you’ve mastered your skills as a hunter and you are ready to take on the final boss. The fight is a quick, vicious, and intense. It encapsulates everything that makes Bloodborne such a masterpiece of gaming.
1 1. Orphan of Kos (Drove Us Insane)
Orphan of Kos is, without a doubt, one of the hardest bosses From Software has ever created. This boss comes at the end of the Old Hunters DLC. Everything about this boss is pure terror. It’s loud screams of agony, the disgusting design, and constant long-range attacks. What sets Orphan of Kos apart from the other bosses is how unpredictable it is. Almost every other boss in Bloodborne eventually has its own pattern. All of the Orphan of Kos’s attacks are tough to time, dodge, and predict. It may be an excellent boss fight, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t break a few controllers in the process.