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To read our Bloodborne rankings, click here.
The Souls games have always been known for their imposing bosses. It’s hard to relate how you handled a particular area in these games because of the number of character builds and approaches you can take, but anyone can talk about how they fought a boss, since these fights force you into a particular arena and corral you towards a certain strategy. They act as fun talking points, and you can learn a lot about a player by how they handled a particular boss.
Dark Souls III doesn’t have the series’ hardest bosses, but it has some of its most memorable ones. Every boss here feels like something to stop and take notice of, and even when they’re not particularly difficult, you get something out of the experience, whether it’s a cool item or a moment that tells you more about the world of Lothric.
Just as we’ve done with the other Souls games and Bloodborne, we’ve ranked all the Dark Souls 3 bosses from the easiest to the hardest. We vent some, but we also offer some good tips about how to beat each of these jerks, as well as whether or not you should use up an Ember to summon a friend.
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1. Oceiros, the Consumed King
Optional bosses in Souls games should be among the hardest, but Oceiros is a pushover. His difficulty varies depending on whether you choose to barrel toward the endgame or take a bit of a detour, though. Regardless, the camera is a bigger threat during this fight than Oceiros himself, as he flies back and forth in the tiny cave you fight him in. Once you learn not to target him, the rest of the fight is a cakewalk. His attacks are clearly telegraphed and his largest area-of-effect attack, where he spews some acid on the ground, leaves him vulnerable for a long time. The only difference levels make is how quickly this fight goes.
Use Ember to Summon?: No.
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2. Yhorm the Giant
You can do one impressive feat during your fight against Yhorm the Giant: find the Storm Ruler sword, figure how to properly use its Weapon Skill, and use it to kill Yhorm the Giant in one try. Failing that extra challenge, Yhorm isn't at all difficult. You can wail away at him and do pathetic damage if you'd like, but the amount of damage you deal to Yhorm without the Storm Ruler is a clear sign something's amiss. Then it's just a matter of putting together the puzzle of how to use the Storm Ruler, which you can solve at your leisure should Yhorm kill you. It takes five hits of the Storm Ruler's ability to fell Yhorm, and while you might get hit, you should be able to kill him once you've figured this simple puzzle out.
Use Ember to Summon?: No. It's pointless do so.
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3. Ancient Wyvern
Like Yhorm, the Ancient Wyvern has an easy kill method you have to figure out. It's easier to figure out but harder to execute, since you have to run a gauntlet to the area where you can kill the Wyvern from above. That said, the amount of damage you can do with regular weapons might make you more inclined to tough it out and kill him the old-fashioned way. This gives him a slight edge over Yhorm, who might be harder to kill normally but tips his hand about his secret method more freely.
Use Ember to Summon?: No.
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4. High Lord Wolnir: High Lord Wolnir has an impressive visual design, but the gaudy gold bracelets on his wrists are a blatant tell about what you're supposed to do: hit him in the weakpoints. One of his bracelets is a little hard to hit, but some of Wolnir's attacks have him flattening his arms, making it easier to hit. You might have trouble with his wide-reaching fog attacks, but they're easy to evade by simply running away. He deals high damage and his swipes might catch you a few times, but you shouldn't have much difficulty putting down this big ol' skeleton.
Use Ember to Summon?: No.
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5. Iudex Gundyr
Dark Souls III goes from zero to boss fight faster than most other games in the series, and Iudex Gundyr is a fine lesson on how to dodge, exploit and keep away from bosses. His second corrupted form also keys you into a new trick bosses will pull more often: transforming or gaining new skills after you get them down to half health. In his first form, just roll to the left and you'll be fine. In his second form he's weak to fire (a boon for Pyromancers), but I wouldn't recommend using spells; you'll have a hard time timing a fireball and dodging at the same time. He's a good introduction to the game, but he doesn't put up much of a fight.
Use Ember to Summon?: You probably won't be able to.
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6. Deacons of the Deep
If you don't have the right weapon when fighting the Deacons of the Deep, you'll have a hard time cutting through the crowd of priests to get to the target you're looking for. If you do, you won't have a problem. A weapon or ring that can syphon health off each enemy you cut makes the fight even easier, since hitting six priests at once means you don't even have to retreat to use your Estus Flask. Either way, when the leader of the priests finally reveals himself and all his friends start protecting him, you have a good chance of getting cursed to death before you can deal the final blow, but with some good crowd control skills you shouldn't have too much trouble finding and killing the right Deacon.
Use Ember to Summon a Phantom?: If you don't have a weapon that can hit multiple targets, maybe. Otherwise, no.
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7. Aldrich, Devourer of Gods
Considering how late in the game you fight him, Aldrich doesn't present the challenge he should. He has some rough spots, to be sure: his spells can deal a lot of damage and his attacks have a wide reach. He's also bound to give newer players a tough time, since fighting him "as intended" can be a hassle. But if this isn't your first time in the room you're fighting him in (I'll leave the spoilers at that), you'll probably intuit that you can use the pillars surrounding him to block most of this spells, and that rather than staying back and waiting for an opening, you're better off rushing him down and getting in hits whenever you can. That, on top of some fire and dark resistance gear, should make this fight go smoothly.
Use Ember to Summon?: No.
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8. Old Demon King
The Old Demon King might remind you of the Smelter Demon from Dark Souls II, but don't worry—he's not nearly as difficult. His attacks deal lots of damage, but their tells are so obvious you can get in a few blows with your weapon of choice before you even feel threatened. One attack has him channeling before releasing a salvo of meteors, and this is a perfect time to just wail on the bastard. He's scary and you might be intimidated by the fact that he's on fire, but honestly the run you have to make to enter his lair can often prove a bigger challenge (especially if you haven't killed the giant worm there).
Use Ember to Summon?: No. Considering his high damage and large swings, he could just as easily kill your glowing friend, making the fight harder for you. You're better off not summoning.
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9. Champion Gundyr
Your second fight against Mr. Gundyr has both of you playing it relatively honest. He isn't infested anymore, but he'll deal a lot more damage and moves a little more quickly, making it harder to exploit his more obvious attacks. Like his first fight, this is just a solid test of your dodging skills (shields don't work as well against him). Halfway through the fight he'll start using a lance rush move that you'll have to dodge sideways. He might take a few more tries than you expect considering you've already fought him, but be patient and the fight should be yours.
Use Ember to Summon?: No.
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10. Curse-Rotted Greatwood
The Curse-Rotted Greatwood might not be the hardest boss, but he's definitely among the most annoying. Additional enemies swarm around him, and although you can mostly ignore them, getting hit even once by them can put you on tilt for the rest of the fight. He's more similar to a Resident Evil boss than a Dark Souls one in that you just have to hit his weakpoints, but hitting them can be difficult, especially after the floor gives way and the Greatwood spawns a third hand that will keep you away from one of the batches of eggs you need to swing at. In hindsight you might think "that wasn't that bad," but in the moment, having to weave in and out of his attacks while keeping his friends away will give you a hard time.
Use Ember to Summon a Phantom?: If he's frustrating the hell out of you, sure.