As you travel the lands in the world of The Witcher 3, you'll be faced with countless powerful enemies. The challenge of the Witcher games comes in the form of besting increasingly difficult foes, from wolves to palace guards to the monsters of nightmares.

Despite the fact that you can always level up or bring different equipment to turn the tides in a difficult fight, some enemies just seem to be too hard no matter what you do. In addition to some particular boss battles, there are certain groups of enemies that will give you a tough fight, regardless of how prepared or over-leveled you are. Here they are, ranked.

Updated October 31, 2023 by Quinton O'Connor: The next-gen update for The Witcher 3 has been out for a while now. In certain regards, it has reinvigorated the games' popularity, bringing in new and old players alike. As such, there are many monsters being encountered for the first time, with some of them being quite the challenge.

20 Basilisks

Basilisks are large Draconids that look a little like chickens crossed with dragons. They like to leap and claw from above, as well as swing their wings out in attack.

Dancing star bombs and Igni are the best methods of attack against them. While rolling is best used to avoid their attacks.

19 Rotfiends

Rotfiends on their own are not all that challenging. They rarely appear on their own though, often attacking in packs, alongside Drowners.

They like to lunge, swinging their arms. More deadly is the explosion caused by defeating them. The explosion can be used to harm other enemies in the vicinity, but any fight with a Rotfiend means you have to be aware of your surroundings.

18 Elementals

Elementals come in three forms. Ice, Fire and Earth. Each form takes on a large, rocky appearance, and they can endure quite a beating too. Quen is the best way to combat them, evening the odds a little in terms of shielding.

Elementa oil and Dimeritium bombs are the only ways of reducing their health quickly. The fire elemental is a touch tougher though, but putting out its fire and using Northern Wind bombs can help.

17 Giant Centipedes

Giant Centipedes first show up in the Blood and Wine expansion. They are armor coated creatures that like to scurry around, burrow below ground and then strike.

The best way to combat them is to use Yrden to slow their movements, striking at their underside when they rise up. Most often, they attack in groups, making encounters with them somewhat frustrating.

16 Leshen / Leshy

Leshen are perhaps the most intimidating and creepy of monsters in The Witcher 3. They are imposing in stature and spooky in appearance. You can usually find them at night, wandering in forests.

On their own, they like to dig into the ground, sending roots out to strike from below. But they usually have reinforcements, using wolves and crows to distract you. On top of that, they can turn into fog, making it even harder for you to defeat them. A Moon Dust bomb can prevent this, and Igni can speed up your damage against them.

15 Cyclopes

Cyclopes (hey, it's the plural form of Cyclops) are a rare enemy in The Witcher 3. They are enormous and powerful beings that like to swing their arms, leap into the air and charge at you.

They can endure a lot, making fights with them arduous. The only way of speeding things up is to flank them, whether by rolling or using Axii, you can get behind them and strike them at their weakest points. Otherwise, it could be a long, punishing fight.

14 Werewolves

Werewolves are a staple of the fantasy genre, so it's no surprise that you tangle with a few in The Witcher 3. Their incredible speed and power make them formidable opponents. Yet, the thing that makes them so challenging is their health regeneration. They heal so quickly that it's hard to put one of these beasts down for good.

This is especially true for the one roaming outside the Ancient Oak. You come across this creature during The Whispering Hillock quest, and it's one of the hardest fights in Velen. A flurry of quick attacks is the only way to whittle its health down.

13 The Wild Hunt's Generals

The Wild Hunt is a group of elves that travels between worlds to take slaves. Despite the game being named after them, you don't actually see them for much of the game's arc. Sure, they're the driving force and main antagonistic entity of the main story, but you really only encounter them a few times.

However, when you do see them, they put up quite a fight. You'll have to battle a few of them, most notably Imlerith, Caranthir, and the Commander, Eredin.

12 The Crones

You'll encounter the Crones, or as they're sometimes called, the Ladies of the Wood, as part of the main story in Velen. These terrible witches have asserted sovereign control over much of the region. They are ancient creatures, older than the elves, even.

You won't battle them until later on in the game. And the full extent of their powers isn't on show during the fight. Yet, they're still formidable foes, and lore-wise they're even stronger.

11 Bears

While they may not pose that much of a threat later in the game, they're among the toughest beasts to fight for early players. For whatever reason, bears have a high amount of defense and health, posing issues for anyone who stumbles across them in the woods.

They also run quickly and knock you down easily, dealing a ton of damage. Add all of this to the fact that high-powered oils and stat boosts are not available until you level up further into the game, and bears become the bane of many players at the beginning of their playthroughs.

10 Higher Vampires

Geralt will deal with a few different vampires throughout Velen, Skellige, and Novigard on his quest to find and save Ciri. The normal variety are tough, quick, intelligent, and hard to take down. But, in rare cases, he'll encounter Higher Vampires. These beasts are so overpowered that they blend in seamlessly as humans and can kill you very, very quickly.

Their power increases at night, so battling them in the daytime is advised. Yrden, which slows down enemies, is vital to combating their ridiculous speed. Also, a player can equip the Black Blood potion to deal some extra damage.

9 Fiends

These abominations are not just horrifying and frightening, they're also deadly. They're quicker than they look, and their large horns and claws can rip a Witcher apart with ease. Getting far away from them doesn't always help, either, as they will charge at you with breakneck speed and be on top of you before you know it.

Tossing a Samum bomb toward a fiend will temporarily stun it, allowing you to deal some damage without it thrashing around or charging toward you with its antlers. Some Relict Oil is a good idea, too.

8 The Caretaker

You'll encounter this terrifying foe in the Hearts of Stone DLC. If you do have the DLC, you'll come across this faceless monster in what is one of the scariest moments ever seen in a non-horror game. It'll be encountered during the Scenes From a Marriage quest.

When fighting this relict, it'll heal every time it attacks you, meaning it'll be hard to combat it if you get hit. Rely on dodging to prevent it from healing, and make use of your Quen sign. This monster will also stop what it's doing to cancel your Yrden casts, so keep casting it to keep it distracted.

7 Djinn

If a mage captures one, they can use it to cast spells with its energy instead of traditional sources. Djinns are exceptionally powerful with magic and can cast very complicated and deadly spells with little effort.

Djinns are able to control the weather to attack their foes, sending hurricanes and lighting your way. When you battle one atop a mountain in Skellige, it'll be a tough fight. Use your Dimeritium bombs to cancel some of its abilities.

6 Hym

Hyms might not just be one of the tougher Witcher monsters to fight, they might also rank as one of the creepiest. These shadowy demons feast on their victim's guilt, driving them to eventual suicide. Geralt encounters one in Skellige when trying to help Cerys an Craite, and again in the Hearts of Stone DLC.

These specters operate in the shadows and are difficult to kill. They cannot be exorcised by traditional means, so you'll have to use some quick wits to take it down. Alternately, you can choose to trick it and avoid fighting it altogether.

5 Dettlaff Van Der Eretein

While higher vampires, in general, are tough foes, Dettlaff is on an even higher level than any of the others you fight. You can face him in a boss battle during the Blood and Wine DLC, and it's one of the hardest in the game.

There are several parts to it, and Dettlaff keeps getting more monstrous as the fight continues. It comes down to a battle of endurance where you need to avoid his attacks while doing some damage of your own. Geralt probably wouldn't even be able to stop him if not for Regis' help.

4 The Toad Prince

As the first boss in the Hearts of Stone DLC, this giant amphibian is here to welcome you to the expansion with a tough fight. From poison gas to ranged attacks and a gigantic health bar, the Toad Prince is a tough fight that will give you a real challenge.

You can use Golden Oriole to counteract the poison and some Northern Wind bombs to freeze this boss, but you're in for a long grind no matter what you do. This thing has a ton of health and doesn't go down easily.

3 Archgriffins

There are regular Griffins scattered around the wilds of the Witcher world, but these pale in comparison to their superior counterparts — Archgriffins. These large winged hybrid creatures are like the kings of the Griffin world, packing a powerful punch and deadly attacks.

One particular Archgriffin, located in Skellige, is considered to be one of the highest-level enemies in the entire game. Watch out for their acid-spitting and claws, get out your crossbows, and you should be able to best these enemies with some dedication and luck.

2 Gargoyles

Geralt's travels will take him into the lairs of many stone elementals, but the toughest among them for players are probably the Gargoyles. These large winged creatures are rock-solid and love to throw giant rocks at you as you frantically try to dodge them.

They're too heavy to be affected by Aard, and they'll smash through even the best armor in the game. Keep your distance and make use of your Quen sign to stand a chance against these difficult foes. Be very patient, as well, as you will be fighting them for a while.

1 Gaunter O'Dimm

Much mystery surrounds this strange character, whose name is also an acronym for GOD. Using trickery and wordplay to deceive, Gaunter O'Dimm could be seen as being similar to the devil in folklore. He controls a shadowy realm full of monsters and illusions, and is capable of teleporting, granting wishes, and controlling time.

Throughout the Hearts of Stone DLC, you'll deal with him quite a bit, specifically in a few quests. You don't outright fight him in combat, but you can engage in a battle of wits. It's good there's no true battle against him as Gaunter O'Dimm is probably the most powerful being in the world of The Witcher 3.

NEXT: The Witcher 3: The Best Enemies To Use Each Sign Against