Leechmonger is, arguably, the easiest and yet also the grossest boss in Demon's Souls. The adventure to it is what makes the experience all the more rewarding and, some might say, depressing, as the Valley of Defilement is a rancid place of immense pain, struggling, and lonesomeness.

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Despite the low challenge in the Leechmonger boss battle, though, it isn't without some required learning before taking on this mass of filthy, blood-sucking leeches.

Praise The Flame

leechmonger

The most important thing to know about Leechmonger (and, honestly, almost all enemies in Valley of Defilement) is its incredible weakness to fire. It is susceptible to almost everything, but fire is key here, which means you will want to bring with you a ton of Pine Resin and Fire Bombs, both of which can be purchased from the Dregling Merchant in 1-2 for 500 souls. In the same vein, you will want to have on you some weapons and magic that deal fire damage to make the Leechmonger fight an absolute cakewalk. Below are some of the best weapons and magical attacks that deal extra fire damage along with how to find them:

Dragon Long Sword: You can simply upgrade any weapon along the Dragonstone path utilizing Blacksmith Ed, but to make things a bit easier simply grab and boost this weapon, which can be found in a tight tunnel near the lava pit in 2-2.

Epee Rapier: This thrusting sword deals a total of 80 fire damage and can be found in either Upper Latria, where the giant heart used to be, or looted off the enigmatic Mephistopheles.

Lava Bow: This is one of my personal favorite weapons in the game and arguably an utter necessity to make an overpowered archer. You can use any bow you like, but you must upgrade it to +7 and fuse with the Hard Demon's Soul via Blacksmith Ed.

Firestorm: This is, quite possibly, one of the strongest attacks in the game, period. Use this on Leechmonger in the right way and he's dead immediately. It can be bought from Yuria for the Dragon Demon Soul, yet requires three magic slots to equip.

Fire Spray: Think of this as a magical flame machine gun. It can be used while moving and shoots continuous blasts of fireballs at the target for a mere two MP cost. It can be purchased for a Hard Demon Soul from Sage Freke.

Ignite: Second only to Firestorm, Ignite is the strongest magical fire attack in the game. It too can be purchased from Yuria in exchange for the Hard Demon's Soul, the soul of the Armored Spider, and requires two magic slots.

Other than any of these weapons, you may also want to bring with you Noble's Lotus and Sticky White Stuff. The latter will help to boost your weapon's attack output, while the former is really just to help you get to Lecchmonger in the first place. Two alternate considerations also include the Clever Rat's Ring and Morion Blade, both of which dramatically raise your attack when your health is low. Also, around 200 arrows are more than enough for the many archers out there.

Ending Leechmonger's Suffering

Leechmonger boss battle
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There are there specific ways of approaching this fight, or you could simply combine them all into one menacing engagement: Ranged with bow and arrows, magical with a flame-centric tilt, or up close and personal with a sword. All are extremely effective when used in the right way, but one thing to look out for is Leechmonger's healing ability. Above is a representation of the animation it makes when attempting to heal, raising its arms up and sucking in all the surrounding leeches to boost its health bar by 20%.

The best thing to do here is wail on him at all costs, whether you be up close or ranged. If you are low on MP or Stamina, alternate between magic and sword thrusts, or use a bow to ensure its health doesn't replenish too much. Its three other forms of attack include a Berserker attack, Sweep move, and Leechballs, the latter of which is an absolute pain for those utilizing the ranged strat. Leechmonger will toss six balls of leeches in a variety of directions and, if hit, they will not only damage you immensely but also slowly deplete your health over time.

This is where either the Clever Rat's Ring or Morion Blade both come in handy, as they will ensure — even if it is boosting health — you can attack him for increased effectiveness. A good spot to shoot arrows from and not have to worry about Leechballs is on the same level as it in two different gaps, one of which is by the archstone itself and the other is near the Shard of Suckerstone. Even so, in my opinion, you're better off attacking it head-on and depleting its health as fast as possible with fire magic combined with a bevy of pine resin-infused sword thrusts.

Leechmonger trophy
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Upon vanquishing, Leechmonger relinquishes not only its own PlayStation bronze trophy but also 8,249 souls and the Writhing Demon's Soul. This can be used to purchase either Poison Cloud from Sage Freke, Cure from Saint Urbain, or consumed for a total of 6,400 souls.

Next: 5 Ways Demon’s Souls Is More Brutal Then The Other Souls Games (& 5 Ways It’s Easier)