Top Ten Soulsborne Bosses

I love the Soulsborne series; it's one of my favorite video game series and has been highly influential on me creatively; in fact, there might be a story I am working on that might be inspired by the Soulsborne series. But I want to share some of my favorite bosses I have encountered in the series. Please note that I haven’t played Demon’s Souls or Elden Ring (yet), so I cannot comment on if those bosses are good, even if I am pretty sure there are great ones there.

Slave Knight Gael

The last boss fights in the Dark Souls series. The epitome of the game's themes and tone is the last struggling man trying to save the world, fighting another insect trying and failing to save the world. An epic fight that will test you to the limit for the last time. A fantastic send-off to a beloved series.

Pontiff Sulyvahn

A terrible person in the lore, but a truly epic fight that stays with me even now. Punishing but fair with an excellent score that inspires me creatively. The Pontiff is a personal favorite boss of mine.

Ornstein and Smough

A classic in the Soulsborne series, brutal but endlessly enjoyable and memorable. Who can’t forget that opening cut scene the first time they enter the cathedral?

Deacons of the Deep

Not exactly challenging, but it has an intense, unsettling, and creepy visual style and atmosphere. Nothing much to say here, just a fun, laid-back boss fight before the real challenge of Adlrich: Saint of the Deep.

The Dancer of the Boreal Valley

Another boss with a fantastic presentation, a beautifully haunting soundtrack, with a satisfying challenge. How The Dancer moves and attacks are mesmerizing in how alien and strange it is. I love the boss fight.

Lady Maria of the Astral Clock Tower

Much like the Dancer, this fight feels like a dance, but with Maria, it is like a dance between equals, a desperate dance that keeps you on the edge of your seat; keep pushing, trying for one more time before you finally get through it. Lady Maria is one of many boss fights you don’t forget.

Father Gascione

The boss that separates the Souls players from the Bloodborne players. Fromsoftware forces players to adapt to the playstyle expected from there. I also love the plot around Gascione, the tragic family man driven to insanity by the blood is heartbreaking, the fallout even more so.

Gwyn Lord of Cinder

Once, one of the most powerful gods in the world was reduced to a hollow shell of a man, trying to hold onto his already faltering power. Gwyn, much like Slave Knight Gael, centers around the themes of Dark Souls, the end of an age, and the last vestiges of power trying to remain alive. It’s very poetic.

Vicar Amelia

Vicar Amelia is a relatively basic boss fight, but she is deeply unsettling regarding her soundscape and context. Despite being newly turned into a cleric beast, her behavior suggests that there is more humanity than possible. From the voice lines that almost sound like she is screaming no to the use of her amulet, From draws upon a more quiet, subtle horror afflicting the attentive player. You might be killing something that is still human underneath the horror. You are killing a woman forced to defend herself.

The Bed of Chaos

What can I say? It's a short, unchallenging, cheesy (who doesn’t love cheese) boss fight that originated from an unfinished concept. A boss remembered for all the wrong reasons. The Bed of Chaos is an example of failed ambition drawn from time constraints and loss of control over production.

This list has so many choices, from the Gaping Dragon to Aldrich: Saint of the Deep. That is one of the reasons I love Soulsborne titles as much as I do.

Cheers for reading!

Please consider reading Black Masquerade: The third entry in the Eight Nightmares Collection, now available at selected retailers.

Acknowledgments

Any Patreon supporters, go here!