Ranking All 20 Demon’s Souls Bosses

Demon’s Souls Bosses, Ranked

FromSoftware’s Soulsborne games are well known for their devious and devastating boss design. Of course the original souls-like experiment, Demon’s Souls, is no exception. With fights that ebb between wildly challenging mind-benders and pure adrenaline punch-ups, the boss battles of Demon’s Souls contain some truly memorable and exceptional scraps.

Below, for your benefit, we have ranked each and every boss and mini-boss fight from the entire Demon’s Souls remake. So read on and Umbasa!

20) Red Dragon

By far the most tedious fight in the game, the yawn-inducing “battle” with the Red Dragon is basically just standing in a prime spot and firing arrows, spells or kunai for about 10 minutes or so. Though the Red Dragon’s fiery entrance remains one of the most iconic moments in the Souls series, this battle is just an exercise in repeatedly tapping a button while scrolling through something more entertaining on your phone.

19) Dirty Colossus

Though the Dirty Colossus can be genuinely challenging to melee players, his low spot is based on how similar this fight is to that of the Leechmonger. Making matters worse, these are back to back boss fights in the same area. Both bosses use insect-based attacks that drain your health and wide-swinging melee strikes as well. Even if there’s nothing really wrong with this fight, it just feels too similar to the previous one to make an effective mark.

18) King Allant

The real version of Demon’s Souls‘ fallen king and villain, King Allant, is decidedly less epic than the demon form that stands guard over the kingdom of Boletaria. Even if the point is to show how far King Allant has fallen in his quest for power, it just doesn’t make for a compelling fight. Basically the equivalent of putting down a rabid dog, the reveal of King Allant is actually really great, it just doesn’t make for much of a boss fight.

17) Blue Dragon

While similarly tedious to the Red Dragon fight, this one at least has two stages. While the Red Dragon can easily be pummeled to death with just a bow and arrow and some persistence, the Blue Dragon requires a second strategy. After taking 50% damage the Blue Dragon will fly away from its initial roost and lodge itself right before the epic final battle with King Allant’s demon.

This forces players to run through a dangerous flurry of flames in order to even have a chance at killing it. You will also have to get more creative to make effective hits from the small safe spot where you can still take pot shots at it. Making players use their noggins a bit more makes this dragon fight much more compelling than the previous one.

16) Vanguard

Though this boss is a pretty basic melee brute type, his higher placement is based on him almost certainly cleaning your clock the first time you meet him. In fact, this is by design. Vanguard is meant to be your first lesson in what Demon’s Souls is and what it’s trying to accomplish as a game. Though you can later pepper him with arrows from the safety of a castle parapet, the crushing first encounter is just too iconic to be any lower than this.

15) Dragon God

Puzzle-type bosses appear in almost ever Soulsborne game, with Bloodborne being the sole exception. While these staples of the series are well-known to most fans, the Dragon God in Demon’s Souls only really works because of the sheer scale of the fight. This guy is massive! One punch from his fist or blast of his fiery breath and most players will be toast. As such, stealth is the name of the game. Players must sneak to the ballistas that will render him obsolete, all the while staying out of his 12-eyed gaze.

Though the sheer audacity of the fight provides a visceral thrill, the actual process of fighting the Dragon God will grow tedious to most players long before they figure out how to accomplish victory.

14) Leechmonger

This dude is gross! Demon’s Souls’ most disgusting and disturbing boss is a man absolutely covered head to toe in leeches. The Leechmonger is a fitting boss for the Valley of Defilement, as his sad fate and horrible appearance are very indicative of the downright destitute area that players have just made their way through. Whether smashing players with its brutal melee strikes, healing itself from consumed blood or hurling bloodsucking leeches at you, the Leechmonger is a boss that can snap you in two the second you become overconfident.

13) Armored Spider

This shooting gallery style boss is truly one of a kind. Setting players up on one end of the tunnel while a subterranean creature fires volleys of webs and flames at them, the Armored Spider may be the first boss to make players think twice about a typical melee approach. Though spells can be more effective, this early in the game most will opt for firing arrows while dodging the incoming attacks with a well-timed roll. This strategy makes the fight intense and effective, even if it is a little on the easy side.

12) The Adjudicator

Of all the bosses in Demon’s Souls, this one is no doubt the strangest. Though your initial impression will be that The Adjudicator is the big tub of lard with the 30 foot tongue and a spear stuck in its guts, the actual boss is the golden bird on the creature’s head. With this in mind, there are several strategies you can use to overcome The Adjudicator. While some will opt for the safer approach of shooting arrows at the bird while dodging the creature’s massive tongue, it’s far more satisfying to beat the weak spot in its stomach until the brute tumbles over, leaving the bird that controls it vulnerable to attack.

11) The Old Monk

The Old Monk is one of Demon’s Souls’ coolest tricks. As he utilizes the last of his power to summon a demon to battle the player in his stead, you’re robbed of the chance to finally punish this cruel despot. However, the unique nature of the fight comes from the fact that this “boss” will actually be a fight with another player, one summoned at random to fight for The Old Monk. Though this makes the actual quality of the fight very unpredictable, it also means that no two fights with The Old Monk will ever be the same.

10) Storm King

Another epic set piece style boss, this one begins with the player facing down two dozen of the flying manta rays that have been tormenting them throughout the Shrine of Storms. After taking out these deadly foes you’ll have to contend with the big daddy. The Storm King can either be pelted to death with arrows or blasted from the sky with the Stormruler, a special sword that exists for this boss fight alone. Either way, this is a very cool and frantic fight with a lot of effort put into making it work.

9) Phalanx

The first proper boss players will meet in Demon’s Souls, Phalanx can be handled any number of ways. Whether using the firebombs dropped by enemies in the level, some pine resin to set your sword ablaze or just good old fashioned steel, Phalanx is a lot of fun to fight. Essentially just a bunch of spear wielding blobs protecting a much bigger blob, the coolness of this fight comes from the fact that what appears to be a single enemy is actually a legion of them working together. Simply put, it’s an incredible boss design and it still stands out today.

8) Old Hero

Another boss who requires a bit of strategy to overcome, The Old Hero is a blind warrior who stalks the halls of the Shrine of Storms. Massive, quick, and devastating, even a single mistake with The Old Hero can cost you your life here. As such this tense, invigorating fight requires the player to patiently sneak up behind him, taking the few strikes at him they can before scurrying off to hide while The Old Hero smashes everything around him in a rage. This is truly one of the most intimidating and dangerous foes in Demon’s Souls.

7) Fool’s Idol

Another early fight for most players, the Fool’s Idol is a sinister and devious demon who is being worshipped amid the desecrated church in the Tower of Latria. While she doesn’t initially seem to be too dangerous, as the fight goes on she spawns up to 5 doppelgangers each time she appears. This forces the player to not only parse out which one is the real Fool’s Idol but also avoid the incoming magic blasts from the fake Idols. Multitasking your way through this one can be really tough, especially for melee builds. However, that makes the victory you will eventually attain all the more sweet.

Making matters worse, if players forgo exploration in favor of fighting this boss, it is actually impossible to kill her. This is because there’s a necromancer worshipping her from a nearby balcony who must be killed before the fight. Unfortunately for many players, this last bit of information was found out the hard way, long after a chance at victory had been snuffed out for good.

6) Tower Knight 

The Tower Knight is infamous in the history of this series for being one of the most biggest, most deadly bosses in Souls franchise history. As if his towering stature weren’t enough, he’s accompanied by 10 archers that will pelt players from nearby sniping points if they’re not taken out first. This forces you to run across the stone parapets, killing the archers as you go, while also dodging the Tower Knight’s overpowered magic attack.

After this, you have to literally strike at his heels like a mouse. After he’s taken enough damage from this, the Tower Knight will finally fall over, allowing the player to do some real damage by striking at his head. Just be careful of where you’re standing when he falls or knocking him over might be the last thing you ever do. Maybe the most iconic foe in Demon’s Souls, The Tower Knight is a dangerous and memorable foe.

5) Flamelurker

The Flamelurker is maybe the most intimidating boss in all of Demon’s Souls. From his fiery, stone-crushing entrance to literally being on fire for most of the fight, the Flamelurker is an intense boss to challenge. He’s quick, he’s deadly and he’s got some crushing moves that will end you in a hurry. Players will have to tackle this challenge very carefully as there are also cracks in the ground exposing magma in the arena, which can also put you down should you misstep.

4) The Penetrator 

The challenge level of The Penetrator varies wildly depending on whether the player has freed Biorr yet. If Biorr joins you, The Penetrator is a snap. If not, though, hunker down and settle in–this guy is tough! Like the Flamelurker, the Penetrator can end you with one single stab or plunge. What you really have to watch for is the move that gives him his name though, a deadly impaling stab that will see you lifted above his head and thrown clear across the arena. This guy is no joke so tread lightly.

3) Maneaters

This is one fight where the arena is the most dangerous part. Set on a narrow walkway above the prison of Latria, this fight sees you set against a devious gargoyle foe that can knock you to your death at any time. As if one Maneater wasn’t enough, Demon’s Souls unleashes a second of these winged monstrosities on you after 1 minute has passed, leaving you with two brutes to contend with while you try to keep yourself safely on the bridge. It’s a tense, unpredictable bout, and one that can end badly even when you’ve got the bosses on the ropes.

2) False King Allant 

What all of Demon’s Souls has been building to is this bout with False King Allant. The epic battle is set amid the shattered throne room of Boletaria Castle and features easily the most deadly boss in the game. False King Allant doesn’t just have powerful sword strikes and blasts of energy to kill you with, he can also send your progress backward with his Soul Steal. Soul Steal won’t just take a bite out of your health either, it levels you down, stealing much of your hard work along the way.

Finally, False King Allant has a huge health bar, one that players will have to carefully whittle down while dodging his devastating attacks. It’s a fitting finale for Demon’s Souls and best left for last amid the bosses of the game.

1) Maiden Astraea

The Soulsborne series has a long history of heart-breaking boss battles but it began right here with Maiden Astraea. Essentially the only purely good person in Boletaria, Astraea set out to help the poor and diseased people of a forgotten valley for the damned. Unfortunately, as they brought her more and more souls in veneration, she ascended to the role of Arch Demon.

Sadly the player must end her life if they want to finish the game, but doing so genuinely feels awful. Whether you opt to assassinate her from afar or contend with her bodyguard, Garl Vinland, and a legion of dead babies, this boss is the one that’s really gonna hit you in the gut. For that reason alone, it sits head and shoulders above the rest.