The SoulsBorne legacy is marvelous worlds full of rich lore, pain, excellent combat with tight controls, pain, memorable characters and a thriving community, and more pain. A large chunk of that pain will come from being mashed into a paste by the games' various bosses, and despite bosses being iconic to the genre, it would be fun if more of the NPCs got to share that spotlight.
For this list, we're looking at NPCs from any of the 'SoulsBorne' games from Hidetaka Miyazaki's catalog; including the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring. Theoretical points are awarded to bosses for having significant narrative presence, and for their combat potential.
10 Undead Prince Ricard
This little jerk may as well already be a boss. All he's missing is the health bar and a fog door. Prince Ricard guards the top of a tower in Sens Fortress in Dark Souls, and darn it if he doesn't do a good job. You will likely die to him more than you'll die to the real boss, the Iron Golem, so let's just make this one official.
He may or may not make a return in Dark Souls 3, though with far less clothing, as a strikingly naked man in a crown attacks you with Ricard's Rapier. This was a chance to immortalize Ricard as a boss for his efforts. Instead, they robbed him of his clothes.
9 Smithing Master Hewg
Hewg is your trusted smith for all of Elden Ring. He's chained to the Round Table Hold - tasked to forge until he creates a weapon capable of killing a god. It would be our pleasure to free him from these bonds. However, in Elden Ring there is no helping someone without them potentially attacking you.
Hewg would have muscles on muscles as a smith, and he never stops hammering. This would make him deal heavy amounts of damage. He would also have a plethora of weapons at his disposal, as he shifts from sword swipes, to spear thrusts, to long range attacks, forcing you to play on your toes.
8 Ciaran and Gough
Ciaran and Gough are the only two of Gwyn's Four Knights that don't get a boss fight. Ornstein and Artorias are two of the most iconic bosses in the entire series, and the tragedy that followed them would follow Ciaran and Gough as well.
Mechanically, these bosses could fight together, with Gough's long range attacks covering Cairan's leaps in and out of the fray. Defeating these two would mark the end of Gwyn's army, his final soldiers all having fallen to the Chosen Undead.
7 Formless Oedon
How would one fight something without form? Who knows, that's up for FromSoft to figure out. Oedon is one of Bloodborne's Great Ones, and all the Great Ones with influence over the story are eventually met by the Hunter. All except Oedon, who appears to have a great deal of influence and power.
The entire story may only happen because Oedon's formless child is born, and Oedon is used as a juxtaposition to the Moon Presence, raising him to the same narrative significance. He's so important to Bloodborne that him not being a boss is like if Gwyn weren't a boss in Dark Souls.
6 Rani the Witch
Technically, Rani the Witch is fought in Raya Lucaria Academy. The second half of the Rennala fight is Rani using her magic to summon a clone of her mother at full power. That's right, a fraction of Rani's power is enough to conjure a whole other boss fight that mimics the power of another godly being.
Fighting Rani may be a contentious topic for some, as she's the key figure in one of the games endings, and it is a fun ending. However, we're here to hunt gods, and Rani qualifies.
5 A Primordial Serpent
A fight against the Primordial Serpents of Dark Souls would be cathartic. They spend the entire game lying through omission and manipulating the player. The extent of their lies wouldn't even be revealed until Dark Souls 3; they're generally just bad dudes.
Fighting one of them might be a task, though. They are long. Very long. They could end your career like a boa constrictor, but this is Dark Souls, so they'd probably thrash their heads around like flails instead. Either way, besting one of these lying snakes would be endlessly satisfying.
4 Eileen The Crow
The Hunter of Hunters is a bleak role to play. It's one Eileen plays with grace and dignity; something she also gave to all who fell to her blade. Hunters go mad with beast blood in service of protecting others, and the least she can do is lay them to rest.
You can fight Eileen in the game, but fighting her in her prime would be a treat. Her split-blades make her obnoxiously fast, and who knows what tools she used to use. She's versatile, she's tragic, and she deserves more than dying on those steps. She deserves a Hunter to lay her to rest, just as she had done for so many.
3 The Sculpter: Sekijo
This is another NPC who's fought in an altered state from how we typically know them. The Demon of Hatred is far from the man you knew. He was once a renowned ninja, who'd develop many of the tools and techniques you will use on your journey. He was truly a master of his time.
There are few other fights with ninja in Sekiro; Owl stands out, and he's remembered well for using the players tools against them. The Sculpter could be this, but broken. Owl counters everything he taught Wolf, but the Sculpter would know how to counter everything. Every tool you have, he would have. Beating this legend would take skill, and a lot of patience.
2 The Witch Of Izalith
Not the Bed of Chaos. The Bed of Chaos is as much a boss fight as opening an envelope is a puzzle. We want to fight the actual, no-nonsense Witch of Izalith: Mother of all Fire Magics. Conquering the Lord Souls is to conquer the very gods, and she's the only one you don't get the pleasure of toppling.
As the progenator of fire magic, she should have all the games Pyromancies at her disposal. This would include a host of AOEs, poison, armor degradation, and buffs. Defeating a Lord shouldn't be easy, and her magic needs to speak for itself.
1 Velka
Show your face for once! Velka is one of the most mysterious characters in the Dark Souls series, while also having her name plastered everywhere in the first game. She's the Goddess of Sin, and led a rebellion to try and kill the Gods. Where she went, and what she's done since, is entirely unknown.
Meeting Velka would be the ultimate catharsis for any Souls fan. Fighting her would be justice. You don't get to be that important, then just disappear on us, we want our lore! The location you fight Velka in would, by association be one of the most important places in the entire series. Just give us this, and let us meet her.