Highlights

  • Dark Souls 3 is a punishing open-world RPG with challenging enemies and boss battles.
  • Defeating bosses unlocks new areas and rewards in the game.
  • Each boss in Dark Souls 3 has unique abilities and strategies for defeating them.

Dark Souls 3 is the third entry in FromSoftware's punishing trilogy of open-world RPGs. It's littered with grueling enemies, frustrating traps, and merciless boss battles. We're talking about bosses that make Cuphead's cast look even sillier than they already do.

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Naturally, the fans adore it. After all, what Souls experience is complete without a sudden, unexpected, carnivorous behemoth frothing at the mouth while it tries to murder you? That's why we offer you this: a comprehensive list of Dark Souls 3's bosses, with a few pointers to keep your head attached to your shoulders.

Updated January 8, 2023 by Alfredo Robelo: While we will never get another Dark Souls game, the genre it inspired will keep us company for many years still, and clearly, FromSoftware aren't done with that gameplay style just yet. As we wait for whatever else they might be cooking, we've gone back to all the Dark Souls 3 bosses to freshen up this list, and added an entry for each mighty foe from the DLCs.

25 Iudex Gundyr

This is the first boss in the game, and he’s kind of unavoidable. Defeating him means you get the opportunity to unlock Firelink Shrine, where you can level up and chat with NPCs in a safe zone. You actually start the fight by pulling the Coiled Sword from Iudex's chest, which is later needed to activate the bonfire that opens Firelink Shrine.

Iudex broke the tradition of every other FromSoft soulslike by making the first fight mandatory, instead of a nearly forced defeat. The only other game to break this tradition was Dark Souls 2, where there was no tutorial boss.

There are two phases to this fight. In the first, Iudex uses a weapon similar to a halberd that he can sweep or slice with. In the second, which triggers after he hits half-health, a lizard-like creature explodes out of his body, dangerously extending his range.

24 Vordt Of The Boreal Valley

This hulking beast carries a mace, and we're not talking about the repellant spray. Vordt can charge in a straight line over three or four times in quick succession, so keep an eye on your stamina bar. If you drain your stamina before he finishes his sprints, you're in for a quick demise.

At half-health, Vordt buffs himself, making it tricky to land damaging hits. He also starts to use an ice breath attack that arcs out in a huge area in front of him, so make sure to stay behind him!

23 Curse-Rotted Greatwood

Found in the Undead Settlement and worshiped by its inhabitants, the Curse-Rotted Greatwood is a giant tree that packs a huge punch. It has a series of slam attacks where it can release a corrosive liquid, so be sure to avoid those puddles throughout the battle. After dealing a certain amount of damage to its weak spots, you and Greatwood will fall into a pit, and the second phase will commence.

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At this point, the boss can deal even more deadly damage by falling onto the ground or by spinning and rolling its limbs toward you. If melee isn’t your thing, both Pestilent Mist and Pyromancy are good magics to take into this fight, since the area attack can take multiple weak spots at once.

22 ​​​​​Crystal Sage

Crystal Sage sports a wide-brimmed hat and the ability to teleport, as well as multiple spell-based attacks that can do a wide range of damage. The best way to approach this fight is with the intent of staggering the boss, as that will allow you to land multiple hits in a short period of time.

Watch out, though! During Crystal Sage’s second phase, it can summon copies of itself that do considerable damage. Any form of ranged attacks will help you deal with this copies, since melee only builds will struggle with this boss.

21 Deacons Of The Deep

After unlocking the Cathedral of the Deep, you can battle it out with this gathering of clerics, who defend the wandering soul of the Archdeacon. During the fight, a red glow (a soul) will possess one of the many Deacons. Make sure to target the enemies that have that soul in order to progress to phase two, during which only one of the Deacons will have it for the rest of the fight.

The rest of the Deacons will do their best to shield him from the player, so moving around them or hitting lots of them at once will be your best bet.

20 Abyss Watchers

Located at the very end of Farron Keep, the Abyss Watchers contain the soul of a Lord of Cinder. Though at first you only fight one sword-wielding boss, soon enough, two more will join the fight. Welcome to Dark Souls, where bosses often come in twos and threes.

One of those corpses will resurrect after being defeated, but the other, sporting glowing red eyes, will actually attack the central boss and the other corpse. Once the central boss is down, it will rise again for Phase two, where the fight is a proper one on one, but the Watcher's sword is now on fire.

19 High Lord Wolnir

Located at the end of the Catacombs of Carthus, this giant skeleton has an array of attacks that can quickly take you out if you aren’t careful enough. He can summon skeletons at will, for a start, as well as a giant sword that can be swept into your path.

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High Lord Wolnir is best defeated by breaking his shackles, as each broken shackle takes out one-third of his health. He can actually be defeated without breaking those shackles, but not breaking them isn't recommended due to his huge health capacity. Take every aid you can, friends.

18 Old Demon King

Found at the bottom of Smouldering Lake and surrounded on all sides by demon corpses, the Old Demon King is a fiery enemy. He can summon fire rings, spit lava, and even shower fireballs on the player by swinging his hammer or slamming it into the ground.

Phase one is a bit more tricky than phase two, as the boss has a more-defined attack pattern in the second phase with a couple of melee attacks followed by a ranged one. You heard that right: there’s a Dark Souls battle that actually gets easier with time.

17 Pontiff Sulyvahn

Pontiff Sulyvahn is a boss that must be defeated to access the last portion of Irithyll of the Boreal Valley. He dual-wields a Fire Sword and a Magic Sword, making him an especially dangerous boss. Just make sure your stamina is up, and you should be good to survive for as long as possible.

During his second phase, Pontiff is joined by his phantom clone, whose entire purpose is to brutally distract you. Make sure to keep your focus on Pontiff and avoid the clone’s attacks as best you can.

16 Yhorm, The Giant

His name quite literally says it all. Yhorm is a Lord of Cinder and a massive boss that will storm and stomp the ground as much as possible. He can also perform a swipe backward if you’re behind him, so be careful when trying to sneak up on him!

What’s especially helpful against Yhorm is the Storm Ruler, a weapon that can be found near Yhorm’s throne that can do massive damage to the Lord of Cinder. The best window for damage is right after any of his attacks. Don't forget to aim for his head.

15 Aldritch, Devourer Of Gods

With a name like that, Aldritch has to be intimidating, and as one of the Lords of Cinder, he definitely is one of the more frightening bosses to go head-to-head with. His attacks vary from long-range arrows and soul spears to spin attacks that can steal your health for himself. Aldritch can easily do tons of damage that’ll take the player out before they can say, “Help!”

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Attacks on Aldritch’s tail deal a lot of damage, and multiple attacks can stagger him. Focusing on that area will be your route to victory, just make sure to stay on the move throughout the whole fight.

14 Dancer Of The Boreal Valley

Dancer of the Boreal Valley is accessible through two means: defeating three Lords of Cinder and being teleported to the boss afterward, or killing Emma, the High Priestess of Lothric Castle. Either way, this boss is a tricky foe to handle, especially considering her flame sword and attacks that feel reminiscent of graceful dance moves.

The second phase only gets more complex with the addition of an ash sword, turning the Dancer into a dual-wielder with deadly effect. If you’re skilled enough, the Dancer can be poise broken, which halts any attack in its tracks.

13 Dragonslayer Armour

Animated by the Pilgrim Butterflies, this empty suit of armor isn’t void of fatal attacks or bone-crushing blows. However, this enemy is often more bark than bite. While Dragonslayer Armour is an intimidating foe, and its greataxe does look rather frightening, its greatshield can actually deal a lot more damage, and you can easily receive two or three-hit combos if you don't guard yourself properly.

During the second phase, the Pilgrim Butterflies will start sending projectiles down on either side of the bridge. Fortunately, they can easily be avoided by rolling out of the way.

12 Oceiros, The Consumed King

One of the most talkative bosses, Oceiros is hidden in the garden beneath Lothric Castle and will frequently talk about an imaginary baby in his arms. That doesn’t prevent him from lashing out with his staff or from sweeping his tail toward you, though. As long as you stay underneath him with your shield up, you should be able to avoid his attacks pretty easily during both phases.

However, in the second phase, Oceiros starts to attack with his claws and fangs in an erratic manner, as well as blasting crystal breaths every chance he can get. Stay sharp!

11 Champion Gundyr

Remember Iudex Gundyr, the first boss? Now he’s back and ready for more action as Champion Gundyr, with a much more aggressive version of that initial fight. After defeating Oceiros, you can move into Untended Graves, where Champion Gundyr can be found lurking.

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Champion Gundyr's almost-endless stream of quick slashes and smashes can feel overwhelming at first, and even as you get into his second phase, his rapid combos can feel relentless, but you’ll eventually get the pattern into your head. Parrying is most likely your best way to counter Champion Gundyr, as it can stun him and leave room for an opening.

10 Lothric, Younger Prince

The last Lord of Cinder before the big boss, Lothric, Younger Prince is a magical force of nature, chiefly because he’s accompanied by his brother, Lorian, Elder Prince. While Lothric only has three attacks, all three are powerful magic projectiles, and next to Lorian’s sword slashes, they can be hard to handle.

It does help, though, that the fight starts easier and ramps up slowly. Lothric leaves big windows for attacks in phase one. During phase two, he’s often found calming down from a bout of magic. He’s also much more vulnerable when Lorian is further away, and the elder brother can be dealt with by attacking in the spaces between his combos.

9 Ancient Wyvern

One of the optional bosses, the Ancient Wyvern is surprisingly simple to defeat. It can be defeated through the ol’ bow and arrow method or by sneaking around it to the left. There’s a path there that will lead to a ledge right above the Wyvern’s head. Once it puts its head down, jump on down and a win will soon be in your clutches.

Despite the supposed ease of victory, the Wyvern’s attacks are still deadly. It has a fiery breath that can easily burn you to a crisp, as well as a tail swipe that could take you out if you’re not careful.

8 Nameless King

Nameless King is another optional boss, but if you’d like an additional challenge, this wyvern rider is definitely a difficult one to beat. In the first phase, he circles in the air on his wyvern, sending down blasts of fire, air, and lightning. He can also perform melee attacks with his spear.

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Once the wyvern is killed, though, the once-named “King of the Storm” becomes the Nameless King and begins to attack with even more lightning barrages. Though he is fast, he can be staggered, so lighter equipment is the way to go to keep up with his quick jabs.

7 Soul Of Cinder

The final boss in Dark Souls 3, Soul of Cinder, is an amalgamation of all the Lords of Cinder. It’s a truly difficult final battle, but one that isn’t impossible to win.

Like many of the other bosses, Soul of Cinder has two phases. In the first one, it has a passive heal, as well as the ability to recover up to one-third of its health. Hitting hard is the way to go in order to get Soul of Cinder’s health down and reach its second phase, in which it channels Gwyn, the first Lord of Cinder and the final boss from the original Dark Souls.

6 Champion's Gravetender And Gravetender Greatwolf

As you enter the painting in the first DLC for Dark Souls 3, Ashes of Ariendel, you'll be constantly harassed by a Greatwolf that howls and summons other wolves to attack you. If you want to make it stop, you'll have to venture into the snowy depths of the DLC and slay the creature yourself.

At first, you'll seemingly have to contend with only the Gravetender, and the fight goes much like that of an NPC invader. But soon the Greatwolf and its icy breath will join in, and while the fight can be difficult, you'll likely have the resources to contend with this duo battle.