Summary
Dark Soulsis one of the greatest gaming trilogies of all time, catapultingFromSoftwareand Miyazaki’s names to new heights of popularity. The first game opened the floodgates for the Soulslike genre to take over gaming, and the company has yet to look back since.
A huge part of what makes eachDark Soulsgame such a blast to play through isthe intense boss fightspresent in each title. While most bring the epic spectacle that fans have come to expect from the trilogy, some of themore unusual bosses inDark Soulsdon’t even feel like bosses after a point.
Bosses will be ranked based on how unusual and weird they are compared to other bosses in theDark Soulstrilogy.
4,099
13,000
Cathedral of the Deep
Drops
Soul of the Deacons of the Deep, Small Doll, Archdeacon Set
Deacons of the Deep is one of the weirdest boss fights inDark Souls 3, where players need to pursue the spirit of the Archdeacon and cut it down to size. While other foes in the arena can be irritating, they don’t hit for a lot of damage and can be ignored for the most part.
The Archdeacon reveals himself during the second phaseand is guarded by a mob of undead that must be either avoided or cut through with AoE attacks. It’s far from a challenging boss fight, although it still feels like a unique encounter. It’s unlike the epic battles that players will be used to after crossing a fog gate.
The idea of fighting a giant tree with weird bulbous weak points isn’t what most fans expect from a series likeDark Souls, which usually has well-designed boss battles. This is what makes the Curse-Rotted Greatwood so weird; the fight will likely surprise players with how unsubtle it feels.
Even with the ground caving in and players fighting this boss in a completely new area, there’s nothing all that notable about the fight against theslow, lumbering Curse-Rotted Greatwood. It’s a weird and forgettable boss fight that players will move on from ridiculously quickly.
2,300
30,000
Painted World of Ariamis
Soul of Priscilla, Twin Humanities, Priscilla’s Dagger (when tail is cut off)
A surprisingly poignant boss fight that may leave gamers with mixed feelings, the battle against Crossbreed Priscilla seems rather straightforward early on. However, it’s when she disappears that players must rack their brains in order to locate this boss.
Thankfully,the snow in the boss areamakes her footsteps clear as day, rewarding keen-eyed players who manage to avoid being ambushed by this foe. It’s a simple yet unique way to make a boss fight stand out, with the Painted World of Ariamis turning into a memorable optional area that countless players will love to tackle.
1,506
10,000
Darkroot Garden
Soul of the Moonlight Butterfly, Humanity, Blue Titanite Chunk, Blue Titanite Slab
The Moonlight Butterfly looks like an imposing villain who’s usually out of a melee attacker’s range. This can make the boss fight seem menacing as players avoid its magical attacks and try to figure out how to deal damage.
However, the Moonlight Butterfly makes this easier for players by conveniently landing on the narrow platform to charge up an attack. Given how low this foe’s HP is, it’s plain to see why players will find it easy to wail on this boss and take it out after it lands twice, markingan underwhelming ending to this weird boss.
15,041
22,000
Soul of High Lord Wolnir
Players know they’re in for a wild ride when they get transported to a unique boss arena for their fight against High Lord Wolnir. This massive skeleton will likely shock players with its surprise appearance, but the tactic of defeating this boss isn’t all that complicated.
Players must destroy his bangles and stay in the light; they will take damage when surrounded by darkness. While the act of defeating this boss isn’t all that complicated, the unusual nature of the fight is sure to take many players off guard.
1,410
11,000
Rat Vanguard Soul, Rat Tail
A major reason why gamers dislikeDark Souls 2is due to the way itfloods the game with boss fightsand doesn’t put a lot of effort into helping most of these epic encounters stand out. The Royal Rat Vanguard is a great example of the same, treating players to what is easily the most underwhelming boss fight in the trilogy.
It goes against the very notion that boss fights inDark Soulsare well-designed, with players fighting a mob of regular enemies and then locating a similar-looking rat who’s meant to be special. The fact thatBloodbornemanaged to roll with this concept in a unique boss encounter shows how unusual the lack of effort is for the fight against Royal Rat Vanguard.
5,525
60,000
Bequeathed Lord Soul Shard, Moonlight Greatsword (if tail is cut)
The second half ofDark Soulsis considered by many to be the game’s weaker portion, with the title’s ambition clearly being cut down to meet deadlines. This is why the game makes several unusual design choices in certain boss fights, with the first “battle” against Seath the Scaleless being a great example of the same.
For some reason,players must die during their first encounter against Seath, and this can be frustrating for those who end up losing all their hard-earned Souls because of reasons out of their control. It goes against the sentiment of every death in this game being the player’s fault, even if the rematch allows one to get revenge on this irritating foe.
11,450
90,000
Nothing
For all ofDark Souls 2’s missteps, the buildup before meeting Vendrick showcases how brilliant the game can be when it makes an effort. The threatening aura of Vendrick is hammered home numerous times throughout the game, only for players to enter the Undead Crypt and see a lumbering, pathetic king walking around mindlessly. This is supposed to be the great Vendrick.
It’s a shocking moment that has an even greater impact when players attack this mindless foe, only to initiatea tough-as-nails boss fightthat can one-shot them with a single swing of their sword. Vendrick’s unusual encounter design does a great job of elevatingDark Souls 2’s storytelling, making it clear why this game has its fair share of devout fans.
