Ah, the end of an era. Dark Souls was remarkably innovative for its time, and it more than left its mark on the gaming industry at large — 'Soulsborne' and 'Soulslike' became their very own RPG subgenres and have enjoyed immense popularity since.
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There are several Soulslike games that recapture the same magic while also introducing some innovative gameplay elements.Dark Souls 3 was the finale of the trilogy, and it truly sent the series off into the Dark Sun. Many of the enemies were terrifying encounters, but the bosses were brutal challenges that only the Ashen One with the ability to come back from the dead could face. Today, we're ranking the hardest of them.
Updated by Jeff Brooks on Oct 20, 2023: This list has been updated to bring it in line with our newer formatting and image standards, as well as adding additional context and information throughout to showcase what truly makes these bosses stand out in the most impressive boss roster in a FromSoftware game.
10 Champion Gundyr
Champion Gundyr is a repeat of the introductory boss to Dark Souls 3, except much harder. Usually, rehash bosses are seen as lazy design. But this is no rehash. Champion Gundyr is a new challenge with scarier attacks and a newly found aggression and skill set that will keep the Ashen One on their toes.
Once his eyes turn red, the hardest part has arrived. His rage unlocks new moves not seen in the previous fight, with a terrifying force behind each thrust of the spear. Champion Gundyr poses a serious threat, but his lack of health and comparatively weak first phase place him last.
9 Twin Princes
The twins are a meddling duo. Lorian the sword wielder attacks first while Lothric stays back and observes. Lorian can dole out a long-range flame attack that can easily be a one-shot kill if you didn't increase your Vigor enough. He can also use teleportation, making for a confusing fight at times and causing immediate panic when he cannot be found.
Once he's dealt with, one would assume the brother is next. That's only partially correct. Lothric revives his brother, climbs upon his back, and they continue the fight together. Lothric uses spells that have quite a range. It's possible to kill both at one time, but if you kill Lorian first, Lothric will revive him again, and he will continue to heal Lorian throughout the encounter.
8 Demon Prince
This is the first boss of the incredible Ringed City DLC. You plunge down an abyss and land in the habitat of the Demon Prince. It starts with the two demons attacking — the Demon in Pain and the Demon From Below. One generally hangs back while the other tends to be very aggressive. Separating the two is essential to make the encounter easier. If they come close together on top of the Ashen One, the bonfire will be the next thing you see.
Once the two demons are defeated, the boss fight enters the next phase — the Demon Prince. The Demon Prince has quite a bit more health, but it recycles the same attacks. This might be the only fight where the second form is somewhat easier because now there is only one giant to keep track of, but make no mistake; Demon Prince can very quickly end your run if you aren't careful.
7 Dancer Of The Boreal Valley
In a vacuum, The Dancer isn't necessarily a difficult boss. She has a fair amount of health and does a decent amount of damage, although her combos are fearsome. The difference is the arena. You battle the Dancer in a fairly small room, where her spinning move is incredibly hard to get away from. This attack will cause a staggering number of deaths — as soon as it looks like her spinning move is done, another spin attack will come.
The pace she comes at is extremely slow and unlike any other boss. It can be hard to tell when she attacks, as each move flows so naturally into the next. Her arena puts her at a massive advantage and earns her place on this list. If you end up triggering her fight early to gain access to late game upgrade materials, this can be one of the hardest challenges in the game.
6 Pontiff Sulyvahn
Pontiff is the first major roadblock in Dark Souls 3. He packs a punch, wielding two blades and giving the Ashen One no room to breathe. The true nightmare begins in Pontiff Sulyvahn's second phase, where he creates a clone of himself that shows you the next move the real Pontiff will perform.
This clone is a lot of trouble because it disrupts the natural flow of the fight. The clone can be taken out, yet it's extremely hard to do so when Pontiff's real attack is incoming — plus he'll just create a new clone before too long. Parrying can be a huge help here as Pontiff is extremely vulnerable to it, and he can be taken out quickly if it's done efficiently.
5 Soul Of Cinder
Soul of Cinder has all the utilities the Ashen One has. He has sorcery, miracles, swords, and spears, and he shifts through all of these combat styles seamlessly, truly living up to the amalgamation of all who came before. Getting a final boss right isn't easy, especially in a series known for its incredible boss fights, but Soul of Cinder is fantastic. He poses a real threat and is incredibly hard to read as he can just shift his move set on a whim.
Elden Ring: 15 Hardest Bosses In The Game, Ranked
Elden Ring is full of fantastic and challenging bosses, but which ones give players the most trouble? Check out this list of the hardest bosses in the game.Once you take him down, he resorts to a familiar boss form in a desperate attempt to defeat the Ashen One. He becomes Gwyn, Lord of Cinder once more and integrates some of his move set from the original Dark Souls. This time, he isn't as easy to parry as the original Dark Souls final boss, making his second form harder than what old-school Dark Souls players might recall. He is a good send off for the inspiring trilogy.
4 Nameless King
Nameless King is the hardest boss in the base game, bar none, and his battle is epic incarnate. He will first arrive stoically on a dragon. This phase is extremely tricky due to the camera. Since the camera looks at both him and the dragon, it causes some frustrating points-of-view that can easily lead to death, but once you get a feel for the dragon's move set, this phase can be strangely satisfying; taking out huge chunks of damage from head-strikes on the Dragon feels great.
Phase two, however, is where he earns himself the title of "King." His powerful attacks and his quick side step are a deadly combo. Still, the Nameless King is a balanced fight — his mighty strikes are telegraphed beautifully, but he brutally punishes greedy attacks. Mixing in some aerial strikes and lightning-infused attacks, this battle quickly becomes a dance of unblinking dodges and quick strikes.
3 Darkeater Midir
You'll encounter Midir a few times during your perilous journey through the Ringed City DLC, but you don't truly fight him until you venture deep into his hidden lair. This fight is the definition of an endurance match. Midir, by far, has the largest health pool in Dark Souls 3, and due to his wild move set, you'll spend more time dodging and chasing than actually attacking. Midir's head is his weak point, but actually hitting his head poses a huge risk as it gives him an easy opportunity to attack.
Midir also hits like a sledgehammer. This dragon does tremendous damage and can often one-shot with some of his more ridiculous attacks and combos. Usually for dragon bosses, the ideal place to be is under them. However, Midir has moves that can utterly destroy you should you be caught in such a dangerous place — like breathing fire directly at the ground beneath him. Still, his legs don't take near as much damage as his head, meaning the fight will take far longer, thus more chances of making a fatal misstep.
2 Sister Friede
This stunning three-phase fight arrives as the climax of the Ashes of Ariandel DLC. Phase one of Friede isn't too bad. She deals a good bit of damage, but it is quite easy to overcome as her movements are quite slow and easy to read. The most important thing about this phase is to not waste estus on it. Of course, Dark Souls won't let us feel triumphant that quickly. Father Ariandel steps in afterward to revive Friede. Now, the duo becomes the next phase. It works brilliantly as Freide will typically step back and throw frost damage from afar while Father Ariandel wades in at close range with his massive stone bowl. Having two bosses to take out at a time can be a bit awkward, especially when they complement each other so perfectly.
Once you've taken down the two of them, the hardest part is yet to come. Enter Blackflame Friede. She is faster, stronger, and has more attacks than before. As she spins with both of her scythes, she deals devastating blows as her frost or fire keeps you at range. However, Blackflame Friede has one crippling weakness: backstabs. She has a move where she will leap up into the air and strike down at the Ashen One. If this attack can be dodged, it leaves her open to a devastating backstab.
1 Slave Knight Gael
The hardest and possibly best boss from the genre has to be Gael. He has an enormous amount of health, and the Ashen One will have to resign themselves to chipping away tiny chunks from his health bar when on the offensive. Naturally, it isn't just his tankiness forming the equation — Gael has a vast array of deadly attack moves. He has two phases; in the first, he is crazed and animalistic, leaping around the arena and flailing wildly. He attacks quickly and erratically, giving little time to recover from his move set.
The second phase, after he goes hollow, is where Gael becomes the toughest boss in Dark Souls 3. Not only does he get a dramatic damage buff, but he begins to use curse magic. Along with that, his cape can now be used to attack as an add-on to his already dangerous attack patterns. Perhaps going at range would be a good tactic? Well, Gael will answer that will a holy damage-infused crossbow. Oh, and he can teleport, too. With all that said, Gael is an extremely fair boss, requiring patience and determination to learn his move set and conquer an unforgettable finale to the entire Dark Souls trilogy.