Dark Souls 2, despite being a critically acclaimed video game, is not often regarded in the same breath as Dark Souls or Dark Souls III. When looking at FromSoftware's entire modern catalog of releases, it's considered to be the worst of the bunch by most fans and critics alike.

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However, it is still home to some incredible Dark Souls lore and introduces new ideas and characters in addition to building on a lot of what was revealed in the first game. Players often miss things on their first playthrough of a game, and boss lore in Dark Souls II is likely one of those things.

10 Scorpioness Najka

Dark Souls 2 Boss Scorpioness

The brilliant thing about Dark Souls and its lore is that many of the problems the world and its inhabitants have are a result of greed, desire, ambition, or some combination of those things. Seathe the Scaleless turned on his kind, which resulted in the downfall of dragons. As a mad entity consumed by a thirst for knowledge he ran experiments that resulted in the creation of horrific beasts. One of these beasts was likely Scorpioness Najka, a half-scorpion half-human who is capable of speaking human languages.

9 Sinh, The Slumbering Dragon

Dark Souls 2 Boss sLumbering Dragon

Dragons as a much a part of Dark Souls lore as anything else and have persisted in some form or fashion despite men and gods looking to eradicate them at every turn. Sinh, the Slumbering Dragon is another case of a dragon minding its own business and the desires of man forcing it to defend itself. A man known as Sir Yorgh sought to kill the dragon and take its blood which he and his men believed granted an authentic understanding of life. Sinh released the poison that had built up in his body, killing everything it touched, wiping out the entirety of Sanctum City.

8 The Pursuer

Dark Souls 2 Boss The Pursuer

As his name would suggest The Pursuer is a relentless boss that Dark Souls 2 players will encounter on more than one occasion. He bears an undead curse which seems to be a burden he carries in an attempt to atone for the sins of his past.

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Despite looking like a knight of great stature, it's unclear if he ever served under King Vendrick. The fact that he's atoning for his sins has people considering the idea that he is a banished knight who lost his title due to the terrible things he did and committed.

7 Old Dragonslayer

Dark Souls 2 Boss

The Old Dragonslayer has way too many connections and similarities to Dragonslayer Ornstein for it to be purely coincidence. It's never made clear if this black-armored figure is the same knight from Anor Londo or if he's simply an imposter. Some lore experts suggest it might be an admirer or devout follower of the once-great knight, while others suggest the idea that Ornstein's armor has been blackened in some way and players are encountering him during his journey to find the Nameless King, first-born child of Lord Gwyn.

6 Velstadt, The Royal Aegis

Dark Souls 2 Boss

In the world of Dark Souls loyalty is often portrayed as a weakness, and the example of that in Dark Souls II is Velstadt, the Royal Aegis. Not only was he the right-hand man of King Vendrick, but he believed in his leader, and was the commander of the King's forces. He even followed him into the Undead Crypts. Despite his once-powerful master succumbing to the darkness and becoming Hollow, Velstadt never faltered and continued to protect his king at all costs, remaining on guard duty.

5 Dragonrider

Dark Souls 2 Boss

The Dragonrider, like The Pursuer, is an enemy the player will run into multiple times in Dark Souls 2. It may initially seem like just another large guy with thick armor and heavy swings, but the Dragonriders were rather prestigious beings. They served King Vendrick as part of his royal guard as they mounted wyverns into battle. They were almost unbeatable due to their strength, likely as a result of the rigorous and dangerous training they had to endure to obtain the title of Dragonrider.

4 The Duke's Dear Freja

Dark Souls 2 Boss

Spiders are a rather common fear, so it's no wonder that players who run into The Duke's Dear Freja are taken back by the sight of a giant spider with two heads. Its name alone signifies it was owned by someone prominent, and that person is assumed to be Duke Tseldora considering he had a fascination with spiders.

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Keen-eyed players can find her old cage in the Lord's Private Chamber, with it having a hole torn in it. It is believed that the entity known as the Withing ruin is what caused the spider to grow and twist into its final form.

3 Aldia, Scholar Of The First Sin

Dark Souls 2 Boss

Men are often victims of their ambitions and Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin is a great example of this. He was the older brother of King Vendrick and was obsessed with discovering the secrets of life. This unrelenting focus towards a single goal not only drove a wedge between him and his brother, but it resulted in Aldia turning into a disgusting monster which made him completely unidentifiable. He was a cruel man obsessed with awful experimentation and as a result, succumb to his ambitious thirst for the unknown.

2 King Vendrick

Dark Souls 2 Boss

It would seem as though Vendrick, or rather King Vendrick, would have been the main boss of Dark Souls II, but that's not the case. His downfall directly points to who is the real threat and that happens to be his queen named Nashandra. After realizing that her real motive for meeting him was to obtain his power he fled to the Undead Crypt to live in exile. This led to the once-great leader to become Hollow and as a result, he would wander the halls without purpose or desire until impeded.

1 Nashandra

Dark Souls 2 Boss

As previously mentioned, Nashandra was the primary cause for the downfall of King Vendrick. He tried to protect everything he had by fleeing and avoiding Nashandra's true self and motives. It's no surprise she becomes what she ends up as since she's one of the fragments of Manus, Father of the Abyss. He was one of the final bosses of Dark Souls, so this connection ties the two games together in a tangible way. She happened to be the smallest fragment of them all, which is why she was the first to desire power and develop into a conscious being.

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