Slaying the forces of Hell is never easy. With Doom Eternal's introduction of new demon types, both new and returning, the series has never had a more diverse cast of enemies to slay.
Flying enemies, melee units, and even minibosses can appear in various encounters and make the game incredibly difficult. Even on the easiest difficulty, Doom Eternal can challenge decent FPS players, and most of that comes from the game's great yet brutal enemy design. Whether they are a returning fan-favorite or a new entry for the series, here are the 10 hardest enemies you will face in Doom Eternal. This article spoils certain encounters in Doom Eternal.
10 Pain Elemental
Acting as the Cacodemon's older brother, the Pain Elemental is a floating demon that summons Lost Souls to attack the Doomslayer.
Unlike the Cacodemon, simply shooting grenades into its mouth won't open it to a Glory Kill. You will need to focus these enemies down with raw firepower to take them down. If left unattended, their barrage of projectiles can easily overwhelm you. Weapons like the Ballista make short work of these enemies.
9 Arachnotron
If you don't have a reliable way of destroying their tail cannon, prepare for a tough fight. The Arachnotron is a fan favorite demon from Doom 2 and Doom 64 that made its return in Doom Eternal.
Dealing substantial damage at range, the Arachnotron acts as a heavy artillery unit that encourages players to move. High mobility makes them a tough enemy to pin down. By destroying their cannon, the Arachnotron turns into a melee enemy that will rush you, giving you time to shut it down with a shotgun.
8 Whiplash
Most demons in Doom Eternal are much more mobile than their 2016 counterpart. The Whiplash is a new demon that can slither on the ground at a rapid pace.
The Whiplash will try to flank the player to cast energy fissures out of the ground, dealing large damage to the player if they hit. For such a frail-looking demon, they can take a surprising amount of punishment as well. Get too close and the Whiplash will slash at you with its energy chains. They can be hard to hit, and they punish players for not focusing them down quickly.
7 Baron Of Hell
Originally the last enemy type introduced in Doom 2016, the Baron of Hell has received a complete overhaul in Doom Eternal. Now, this enemy thrives at close range engagements and can close the gap quickly.
Flaming energy blades are his preferred weapons, dealing substantial damage to the Doomslayer if he gets close. Area slams, charge attacks, and leap slams allow the Baron of Hell to close any gap and apply copious amounts of pressure to any fight. The best way to take them down is to falter them and unload your heavy weapons into them.
6 Prowler
Prowlers act as a heavier variant of Imps, taking substantially more damage before dying. Their enhanced mobility makes them a true force to be reckoned with.
Encountered in the first few levels of the game, Prowlers initially start as heavy enemies that you fight once or twice an encounter. Towards the end of the game, though, these enemies practically replace Imps and are everywhere. These enemies teleport, deal massive amounts of melee damage and can take a beating. If you get swarmed by Prowlers, all you can do is use the strongest weapons in your arsenal to take them down.
5 Dread Knight
Barons of Hell are stronger than Dread Knights, but these enemies can be found much earlier in the game. Dread Knights take the strength of Barons and infuse them with the Hell Knight's moveset.
Dread Knights use flaming swords strapped to their arms to slash at the player. Their movement is unmatched, leaping around the battlefield and dashing out of harm's way. When left unattended, Dread Knights can quickly stun you and deal substantial damage. On Nightmare, these enemies are relentless and make Hell Knights seem easy in comparison. Thankfully, these enemies are rather rare and stop appearing later in the game.
4 Doom Hunter
Doom Hunters are very tanky demons that act as the game's first boss fight. Fighting one Doom Hunter can be a challenge early on, but the boss fight quickly adds more to the fray.
You have to fight two of these enemies at once to beat one of the game's earlier levels, only for Doom Hunters to become uncommon heavy enemies later in the game. Energy weapons are their weakness in their floating form, shredding their energy shields with ease. From there, the likes of the Super Shotgun can destroy their floating platform. They still aren't dead, though, and require a few more shots to the face to finish off. Doom Hunters act as Doom Eternal's tank enemies, dealing large damage through rockets if left to their own devices.
3 Cyber Mancubus
Mancubus enemies aren't that tough in Doom Eternal thanks to the game's destructible demons system. With the right guns, you can blow off their cannons and leave them open for a Glory Kill.
Not with the Cyber Mancubus. These enemies have thick armor and cannons that can't be destroyed. The best way to destroy these enemies is to Blood Punch them to destroy their armor, then unload everything you have into their flesh. This is risky to do since the Cyber Mancubus can deal massive damage around itself and at long range with its plasma cannons.
2 Marauder
Ask any Doom Eternal player what their least favorite enemy is and you will hear Marauder most frequently. These enemies have the same upbringing as the Doomslayer, capable of dashing and using a Super Shotgun just as you can.
These enemies are only vulnerable when faltered, which can usually be done by firing at them when the Marauder attacks with its axe. Get too close, and they'll fire a powerful Super Shotgun at you. Get too far, and they will summon flaming wolves that slow your movement. Chaining Super Shotgun and Ballista shots is the best strategy to kill them. If you can't stun them, these enemies are practically unstoppable with their impervious shield and superhuman reflexes.
1 Arch-vile
No other enemy in Doom Eternal can change the tide of battle as quickly as Arch-viles. These enemies can erupt walls of flame, summon demons, and buff every enemy in the encounter.
These enemies can teleport across the arena and summon walls of fire to cut off entire pathways. It Arch-viles are left to their own devices, they will buff every single demon on the arena while spawning more. If you do not take out Arch-viles as they spawn, the swarm of hasted demons will surely kill you. These enemies are worth using a BFG shot on with how powerful and dangerous they are. The Arch-vile is easily the hardest enemy in Doom Eternal.