The Dark Souls franchise has always had a unique way with enemy design. Between the Dark Souls trilogy and Bloodborne, these titles have brought us some of the grimmest, most ghastly, and utterly terrifying enemies and bosses in recent gaming memory.

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The bosses, as you'd expect, are on another level. Bizarre creatures like Rom, the Vacuous Spider lurk at the end of almost every area, leaving players wondering what hideous nightmares await them next. Here are some of the Soulsborne games' creepiest bosses, including Bloodborne's infamous Orphan of Kos, ranked by creep-factor, as well as difficulty and other important considerations.

Updated March 26, 2022 by Jerrad Wyche: With FromSoftware's latest release Elden Ring taking the gaming world by storm, tons of new people are jumping into their catalog of critically-acclaimed and beloved games including the Dark Souls Trilogy and Bloodborne. Like its previous releases, Elden Ring is filled with dozens of challenging bosses, each with its own distinct design and backstory. Surprising no one, there are plenty of enemies that will creep you out the moment you discover them.

15 Maneater (Demon's Souls)

FromSoftware Creepiest Bosses Maneater Demons Souls

In addition to being considered one of the hardest boss fights in all of Demon's Souls, this nasty chimera-like being is also tough to look at. It has the ability to summon a doppelganger, so you never know which is the 'primary' Maneater and which is the copy.

Based on in-game lore it's supposedly the result of a failed experiment the Old Monk did on one of the prisoners of Latria. It has ear-piercing shrieks and seeps magic out of its back as a protective measure.

14 Margit, The Fell Omen (Elden Ring)

FromSoftware Creepiest Bosses Margit Fell Omen Elden Ring

Margit, the Fell Omen is a man equipped with a menagerie of hands at his disposal who stands between you and Stormveil Castle. His voice is both creepy and off-putting and his words sound like the ramblings of a man whose mind has been lost to time.

In addition to his boss's fight being rather difficult, upon defeat, he speaks to you as though this isn't the last time he'll see you. It seems he's privy to information about the world around you that you're slowly starting to uncover but do not understand fully quite yet.

13 Pinwheel (Dark Souls)

Dark Souls' Pinwheel boss

Now, it's not often that Dark Souls bosses are derided for being too easy, but Pinwheel certainly fits into that category. The Catacombs can be a heck of a pain, but the grotesque creature you face at the end really isn't likely to cause the player many problems. The trick is to be aggressive, as Pinwheel's only troublesome if it has the time to bring its doppelgangers into play.

While it's only worthy of the first place on the list as a result, there's no denying that this thing is still darn creepy. Its arena is one great big nope decorated by hanging skeletons, the cold, empty masks that festoon its body are just awful to look at, and it moves in such an eerie way.

12 Curse-Rotted Greatwood (Dark Souls 3)

Dark Souls 3's Curse-Rotted Greatwood boss

When it comes to a classic, macabre image, there are few as effective as a good ol' fashioned cursed tree. Dark Souls 3 embraced this concept with the Curse-Rotted Greatwood, encountered in the depths of the Undead Settlement.

This thing is the deity that all the horrifying denizens of the Undead Settlement pray to. Seemingly brought to life by the raw power of the malevolent curses upon it, it's a huge, deeply unsettling customer. If there's one thing that lets it down, though, it's that it's almost comical in the awkward way it rolls around and attacks, while having debilitating weaknesses. Nonetheless, it's one heck of a disgusting foe.

11 Adjudicator (Demon's Souls)

FromSoftware Creepiest Bosses Demons Souls Adjudicator

FromSoftware has a history of creating bosses that are both gluttonous and rotund when looking at their overall design and personality. The Adjudicator from Demon's Souls is such a boss, and the drastic improvement in visual quality in its design when looking at the remake for PS5 makes it much more grotesque and creepy in every way.

Its large tongue and gaping mouth are disgustingly moist and the many folds of its body sway with every movement it makes during its boss fight. The Adjudicator should have been renamed to something more reminiscent of a toad, frog, or some other amphibious beast.

10 Scorpioness Najka (Dark Souls 2)

Dark Souls 2's Scorpioness Najka boss

Scorpioness Najka of Dark Souls 2 is very reminiscent of Pinwheel. It's a tragic creature that you can't help but pity and be repulsed by in equal measure, while also being surprisingly easy to deal with if players know how to approach the battle.

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The key here is to mitigate the effectiveness of Najka's magic. Her rather feeble flailing attacks aren't much of a threat at melee range, as they're pretty slow and don't deal much damage. Nevertheless, this creature's dark and grim lair and the revelation of its true body rising from the ground was shocking stuff.

9 Prowling Magus And Congregation (Dark Souls 2)

Dark Souls 2's Prowling Magus and Congregation boss

This eerie boss battle can be either a real pain or an absolute breeze depending on your approach to it. The Prowling Magus and Congration battle takes place in Brightstone Cover Tseldora, presenting the player with a zombified horde to contend with in a confined space.

It's a frightening and potentially overwhelming concept, and the mages, in particular, can cause some tremendous damage if they're allowed to fire freely. The trick is to target them first, leaving the Congregation by themselves. From there, things become infinitely more manageable. A super creepy setup and a battle that can catch the player off guard.

8 Capra Demon (Dark Souls)

Dark Souls' Capra Demon boss

It's tough to know what to make of Dark Souls' Capra Demon. Visually, this creature is pure nightmare fuel, with its intimidating appearance and wicked blades. Top marks to FromSoftware for the creepy vibes of the whole bout, but this one's another mixed bag when it comes to difficulty.

One of the most infuriating things about the series' infamous difficulty is that deaths often occur through "cheap" means—being staggered to your doom by repeated attacks. The Capra Demon ups its creepiness factor and its danger level by being accompanied by hounds, which will easily open you up to a finishing blow from the boss with their own attacks. Separating these mobs from their master and dealing with them first is the way to prevail here. With all of this in mind, the Capra Demon takes the middle spot.

7 The One Reborn (Bloodborne)

Bloodborne's The One Reborn boss

The bosses of Bloodborne are, perhaps, even more hideous and malformed than those of the main series. After all, the game's gothic/Lovecraftian leanings offered greater freedom to create some truly revolting fiends.

The One Reborn, a creature the Hunter faces just before entering Micolash's realm, has the interesting distinction of being more revolting than it was probably supposed to be. This beast was the result of an attempt to allow humanity to ascend to the level of the Great Ones, which… sort of half-worked. It's something new and powerful; there's no denying that, though this presumably isn't what the end result was supposed to look like.

6 Gaping Dragon (Dark Souls)

Dark Souls' Gaping Dragon boss

With Blighttown being one of the most difficult areas in Dark Souls history, it's probably only right that one of the series' most hideous bosses guards the key to its entrance. The Gaping Dragon is, perhaps, the pinnacle of iconic, horrific Dark Souls boss design.

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It's a powerful boss, not to be underestimated, but its predictability holds it back from a spot in the top three. Experienced players used to its bipedal/quadrupedal positions, and the way it moves in both can soon recognize their safe windows to attack while avoiding its slams and charges, the latter of which is very predictable and punishable.

5 Rykard, Lord Of Blasphemy (Elden Ring)

FromSoftware Creepiest Bosses Rykard Elden Ring

Most people find simple snakes to be the creepiest of all existing animals, so facing a boss that's equal parts snake and man is the perfect recipe for night terrors. Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, also known as the God-Devouring Serpent, is a boss you'll encounter at Mt. Gelmir.

He is optional, so if the idea of fighting a large snake with the face of an old man seems like something you'd rather skip, you have that option at your disposal. The closer you look at Rykard's design the harder it is to take in without becoming nauseous.

4 Aldrich, Devourer Of Gods (Dark Souls 3)

Dark Souls 3's Aldrich, Devourer of Gods boss

Where better to start a top three creepiest rundown than with a ghastly, mutated Lord of Cinder who uses the partially-devoured body of a deity, the unfortunate Dark Sun Gwyndolin, as a weapon?

Aldrich, Devourer of Gods is found in Dark Souls 3, in Anor Londo. It attacks with a combination of bows, blades, other melee moves, and another trick or two besides, making for a tense and often unpredictable battle. Aldrich doesn't have much health, but it boasts high damage output. Many of this boss's attacks are quite telegraphed, so that's a blessing, so you'll take him down if you approach with caution and take your opportunities.

3 Astel, Naturalborn of the Void (Elden Ring)

FromSoftware Creepiest Bosses Elden Ring Astel

When looking at the real world it's safe to say that bugs and insects are commonly considered the creepiest creatures among the general consensus of human beings. So when FromSoftware has you fighting a giant dragonfly-like creature in Elden Ring, it'll likely make you feel a bit itchy and uncomfortable.

Astel, Naturalborn of the Void is an optional boss located in the Lake of Rot, and it fits that mold rather well. A dragonfly on its own is gross to look at, but add in that this giant dragonfly sports the skull of a dead human and things get exponentially worse. At least the arena you fight it in is cosmically beautiful in a myriad of ways. You should always look at the silver lining.

2 Ludwig The Accursed/Ludwig The Holy Blade (Bloodborne)

Bloodborne's Ludwig the Accursed boss

Bloodborne's main game isn't for the faint-hearted in and of itself. For the expansion The Old Hunters, though, things were cranked up to eleven in terms of both difficulty and macabre ick factor.

The first boss of the DLC is Ludwig, the one-time leader of the Church Hunters. Now transformed and resembling a great, hideous horse-man, he charges at the player with an awful series of shrieks and howls, from his blood-soaked lair called the Underground Corpse Pile. This battle is as tragic as it is difficult and disgusting, with Ludwig seemingly regaining some of his sanity for the second phase and dying as Ludwig, the Holy Blade.

1 The Orphan Of Kos (Bloodborne)

Bloodborne's Orphan of Kos boss

If the horrors of Ludwig weren't enough for you, The Old Hunters expansion hints at a dark and hideous secret hidden away in the Hunter's Nightmare. After defeating Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower and finding your way through the Fishing Hamlet, the player finally discovers what it is: Kos, the Great One, lies dead on the shore.

As the player approaches, the infamous Orphan of Kos emerges from its body, instigating what some consider to be among the most difficult Soulsborne bosses of all. With its high damage, surprising reach, and great agility, it's one heck of a tough foe to pin down. Couple that with the ghastly nature of its birth, its hideous howls, and the horrors that caused the curse of the Hunter's Nightmare, and this boss is a harrowing experience all around.

NEXT: The Worst Bosses In Bloodborne (& Easy Ways They Could've Been Fixed)