On this day in 2014, Dark Souls 2 tormented thousands of players as one of the hardest RPGs ever made.
The game also offered some of the most challenging boss fights out of any other entry in the Souls series. Newbies shouldn’t enter these battles willingly, as many of the bosses in Dark Souls 2 have severely unfair advantages.
From one-hit knockout’s to 3v1 scenarios, the bosses in Dark Souls 2 are unpredictable and need to be taken seriously. Out of all 30 fights included in the game, here are the 10 most difficult bosses Dark Souls 2 had to offer.
The Looking Glass Knight
The Looking Glass Knight
Sporting a massive defense and the ability to summon enemies in battle, The Looking Glass Knight is a formidable adversary. Tackling the knight solo will be quite the feat, as he can summon both players and AI warriors to do his bidding. He is weak against Magic and Lightning, and players can summon Benhart to assist prior to entering the fight, but the latter dies quickly and is often unable to block the knight’s vicious attacks. Be prepared to move quickly, dodge, and evade often, as well as utilize his weaknesses. If done correctly, you might just stand a chance.
The Duke’s Dear Freja
The Duke’s Dear Freja
A massive, two-headed spider that spits lasers, The Duke’s Dear Freja is a quick and powerful foe who is also aided by an army of arachnids hellbent on taking your soul. Fast thinking and even faster reflexes are required to take on this menacing enemy, but luckily, The Duke’s Dear Freja and his army are weak against fire, so lighting a torch and striking Freja as often as you can may just be your best shot at victory.
The Dark Lurker
The Dark Lurker
An optional boss, The Dark Lurker should only be approached by experienced players. It’s a difficult boss to find, let alone fight. Reaching The Dark Lurker requires the player to first find Darkdiver Grandahl and then light the fires located within each of the three Dark Zones. The first half of the fight is fairly manageable, but once The Dark Lurker is at half health, he splits in half, and the rest of the battle is a 2v1 scenario. The worst part is that this fight must be accomplished solo since no summons are allowed in the Dark Chasm of Old.
Elana, Squalid Queen
Elana, Squalid Queen
The powerful guardian of Sinh’s room, Elana is considered stronger and tougher than the very boss she protects. Sporting a massive cleaver, powerful fire, dark magic, and a plethora of skeleton allies, Elana will require a lot of patience to take down. Not to mention, she can also summon another whole boss to do her beck and call. The resulting power dynamic is so unfair that it will require a truly staggering amount of effort for a player to succeed and move on.
Lud and Zallen, The Kings Pets
Lud and Zallen, The Kings Pets
The lead-up to Lud and Zallen’s battle is just infuriating. As the player suffers through a blinding blizzard, they are assailed by countless enemies along the way; and with no bonfires to light the way or save checkpoints, the trek is boring and agonizing. Then and only then, after hours of absolute suffering, does the player finally reach the boss room. Lud and Zallenare are practically clones of each other and copy each other’s attacks, which makes for double trouble during your fight. Summoning allies to start off the fight will help; but even then, the payoff just doesn’t feel worth it.
The Throne Watcher and Throne Defender
The Throne Watcher and Throne Defender
The pair of Throne fighters arrive just before the final boss battle and are nearly impossible to beat on your own. The player is already outnumbered from the get-go, not to mention that when the pair reaches half health, they enchant their weapons to make them even deadlier. Make sure to stack up on summons, and focus on The Throne Watcher, whose ranged attack will be more of a thorn in your side than the Defender’s strike.
The Belfry Gargoyles
The Belfry Gargoyles
Another optional boss fight, The Belfry Gargoyles should honestly just be skipped. The player is faced with six different gargoyles, and each has a fast spawn time, so it’s really easy to get overwhelmed. To make matters worse, they start to breathe fire at half health, and the powerful fire breathers together can easily kill the player as a result. Lightning buffs help power-up a player’s weapon, but even then the gargoyles remain an absolute nuisance.
Sinh, The Slumbering Dragon
Sinh The Dragon
After an emotionally and physically draining fight against Elana, the player must then take on Sinh, the only true dragon to be found in Dark Souls 2. Sinh’s flight-based attacks come at unpredictable intervals, making them tough to evade. Their flamethrower dive is also deadly and can incinerate players that dodge even the slightest second too late. To worsen this fight, Sinh can also stun and stagger the player with their other attacks. To defeat Sinh requires fast reflexes and even faster attacks.
The Ancient Dragon
The Ancient Dragon
Arguably one of the toughest boss fights in Dark Souls 2, the Ancient Dragon is a colossal behemoth that is just as powerful as it looks. It has an insane amount of health and armor and a range of powerful attacks that are impossible to remember and that happen in no particular order. Summons and fire resistance armor are required if the player wishes to have even the slightest advantage against the Ancient Dragon, but even then to defeat the monster is a grueling and time-consuming process.
The Fume Knight
The Fume Knight
The hardest boss in the Dark Souls 2 universe, the Fume Knight is every player’s worst nightmare. With delayed attacks that are fatal and impossible to dodge, the Fume Knight is completely resistant to magic, so the only way to take him down is through sheer force, which is just terrifying. With that said, the Fume Knight himself can use a wide array of magic and will destroy any shield the player equips. The Fume Knight’s boss room is also very small, so avoiding him after a while becomes impossible.
