Once known as Alfred, one of three among the Boletarian round table, the Tower Knight now consumed by the demonic force of the fog guards 1-3 with his massive shield, lance, and surrounding fellow archers. The player can even find the late Alfred's body directly below where this behemoth stands, a constant reminder of his lost humanity in this new, far more treacherous castle.

There are two distinct ways of approaching this boss in Demon's Souls, from attacking head on to utilizing arrows or magic from a distance. His protective group of crossbow followers makes the overall battle a bit more interesting and, given the fact that he is one of the first few bosses encountered by the slayer of demons, it's a major learning curve for newer players.

While its 10-foot tall presence may be a terrifying aspect to behold upon your first encounter, not to mention the fact that it's among the most difficult bosses in the game, the Tower Knight becomes easy prey once these following few combat strats are realized.

The Cheese Approach

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The easiest way to tackle Tower Knight without worrying about imminent death is to first get a rough rundown of the arena layout. It's basically a giant box with a raised outer rim that circumvents the entire map. Upon first entering the fog, head straight for the stairs on either side of the boss and take out all those pesky archers on the parapets, dodging and using the environment to protect yourself from Tower Knight's lancing soul arrow whenever necessary.

Of course, if you want to get the One Shall Fall trophy, leave the archers be and simply head straight to the spot pictured above. This is your safe zone. Use it alongside a good bow and arrow tactic, or even better: soul arrow, which is what I used. You have to time your shots perfectly, firing right at the moment wherein Tower Knight drops its guard to likewise fire off its own Soul Arrow back at you. Any wrong timing and you'll be wasting valuable MP, with your attacks ineffectively bouncing off its shield.

For this very reason, bring along a ton of replenishing spices, which can be farmed in 3-1 off those Mind Flayers, as well as a good bow and some arrows in the case that you do run out of magic power. If you don't already have a catalyst for magic use, one can be found literally on the way to the Tower Knight, picked up at the top of the first tower on the Lord's Path. As for a bow, both the long and short versions can be purchased for 3,000 and 1,500 souls, respectively, from Graverobber Blige, among the best merchants in Demon's Souls.

The Achille's Heel Approach

Screenshot

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As the age-old cliche goes: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. This can very well be applied to the Tower Knight boss battle, wherein close-quarters combat is a terrifying route of action, but it's not impossible. Before charging headlong at the massive knight, take a moment to learn his attack strategies and how he moves. The Tower Knight has, when up close and personal, four main modes of engagement: Spear Stab, Shield Slam, Vertical Shield Slam, and Boot Slam, all of which are incredibly painful in their own right.

As with the aforementioned cliche, and given the fact that there's little else to target, go for the Tower Knight's back ankles. It doesn't matter which specific type of weapon you use, though I do recommend the Crescent Falchion found in 4-1. All that matters is that you see a light blue aura start to pour forth from the back of his legs. Hit him enough times in these two spots and he'll fall backward, also something to look out for and stay away from, or else you'll be pulverized. When on the ground, lay into its head to deliver some heavy blows to its health bar.

Herein is where you'll probably emulate one of the many mistakes made by all newer hollows, and that's being too reckless. Watch for any of its potential attack patterns, especially the vertical shield slam, because that will most likely put an immediate end to your fight. You'll be able to tell by way of its animation when it's about to perform a certain attack, such as lifting its foot for a boot slam and raising its shield for a shield slam. Like nearly every battle in the game, it's all about patience, timing, and landing those shots where they count, but don't be too overzealous and back away when necessary.

The Tower Knight's vanquishing grants a total of 8,570 souls, the Tower Knight trophy, and the Iron Demon's Soul, which can be used to purchase the Warding spell from Sage Freke, or simply consumed for 4,400 souls. Although the Tower Knight may now be out of the way, you still won't be able to proceed into 1-3 until you have completed the entirety of one archstone by defeating all three bosses in that particular region.

Next: Demon's Souls: The 5 Best Enemies To Farm For Souls (& 5 That Are More Trouble Than It's Worth)