Ever since its initial release, people have put praise upon praise on Dark Souls. For good reason too. There are many reasons to love the game, from its beautifully designed world to its engaging gameplay. Probably its most distinct feature is its challenge. It takes effort and time to get adjusted to the difficulty of Dark Souls, but that just makes the payoff of success all the more satisfying.
Perhaps the greatest challenges within Dark Souls lie within the bosses. These bosses are the numerous hurdles that players have to face throughout the game, and they will certainly be the factors that drive many to quit the game. Most of these bosses are imposing characters that feel like they would be the final boss of any other game rather than just an early or mid-entry opponent. With a lot of personalities deeply tucked within the lore of the game, they also cement their place within the world. However, of the 26 bosses found within the original game, not all of them are going to be winners. So, here are the best and worst bosses in Dark Souls.
Best: Asylum Demon
So here's the thing: Asylum Demon is a simple boss to beat for anybody who is familiar with the Dark Souls games; however, for the green players who just started the game with little to no understanding of what they are walking into, it is a great first boss.
Asylum Demon is a tutorial boss, and yet it will still mercilessly toss around and beat any player who is new to the Dark Souls formula. At this point in the game, players are been fighting weak undead, and to go from that to a giant demon with a hammer is certainly a sharp learning curve. Obviously, the Asylum Demon is a joke if you understand the mechanics and know some of the tricks to beat him, but he is still a great boss to set the tone of the game for the uninitiated.
Worst: Firesage Demon
For multiple reasons, the Firesage Demon is just not that great. For one, it is a rehash of the Asylum Demon and Stray Demon, so it lacks originality. Secondly, it is just incredibly easy to beat. At this point in the game, most players will know how to dance around a boss like this and take it out quickly.
Thirdly, it is just not that memorable, especially considering how the player can skip the boss if they are a level 2 Chaos Servant. The only consolation this boss really has going for it is that it is not at all a frustrating experience to deal with.
Best: Gwyn, Lord Of Cinder
As the final boss of the game, Gwyn may have felt disappointing to some, but he is still a great fight. He is fast, powerful, and can unleash a fury of slashes that are difficult to dodge or block. He is also an unpredictable fighter, making it hard to learn his moves. In a lot of ways, Gwyn mirrors the player who would potentially be his successor. Both are beings who have accumulated immense power, and Gwyn's old and fatigued appearance implies a grim destiny for the player.
While the fight has a somber tone that many did not find appealing for a final boss, it feels appropriate for the game. Played in the background is a dreary, yet beautiful, piano song which gives the fight an amazing atmosphere.
Worst: Sanctuary Guardian
For a DLC which has some of the hardest bosses in the game, this one is pretty easy to defeat and does not leave much of an impression. Its placement in the lore is also unremarkable, as it is basically just a gatekeeper. Its one upside is that its manticore design is good.
Best: Great Grey Wolf Sif
Of all the bosses found within Dark Souls, Sif is certainly one of the coolest. There is just something about a massive wolf carrying an equally massive sword in its mouth that is just so awesome. This will always be one of the bosses Dark Souls' fans think of when they consider great boss designs.
Fighting Sif is also fun, for a time. Sif's attack range can be devastatingly tricky to handle, and his sweeping sword swipes can knock the player over easily. The one major downside of this boss is that when he is nearly dead, Sif will start limping. It is such a sympathetic moment, especially when there is no way to continue the game without killing him.
Worst: Ceaseless Discharge
The Ceaseless Discharge is more of a funny boss rather than one that is difficult. While he certainly looks imposing, the boss can be easily defeated under the right circumstances. If players pick up the loot item near him before fighting him, this will initiate combat with the boss. When running away to the fog gate, the Ceaseless Discharge will leap at the character and land its hand at the edge of a cliff. If the player attacks the hand, the Ceaseless Discharge will fall and be killed instantly. It is not the most difficult or noteworthy boss fight, but it is a bit amusing.
Best: Manus, Father Of The Abyss
Manus is the final boss of the DLC, and he makes for one of the best fights within the game. He is a savage fighter who is unrelenting in his attacks. While he looks like a demon, he fights more like a wild ape as he jumps around the arena and whittles away at the player's health. He can also unleash a rain of dark magic, which can be difficult to withstand (unless the player has the silver pendant).
Additionally, Manus's mysterious story as a primordial human consumed by darkness is great lore. His anger and brutality give him a personality not often found in non-humanoid bosses. It is also really fun to summon a young Sif to aid in defeating Manus.
Worst: Pinwheel
Pinwheel's design is cool and unique, but everything else about him is lackluster. He is objectively one of the easiest bosses in the game, yet unlike other easy bosses, his position as a late-game boss is puzzling. He can be killed extremely quickly just by wailing on him immediately.
Best: Artorias, The Abyss Walker
Artorias is a legendary figure in the lore of Dark Souls. He iss one of the Four Knights of Gwyn and the commander of Gwyn's army. Eventually, he succumbed to the influence of the Abyss and lost much of his humanity.
In the DLC the player is able to fight a corrupted version of Artorias. His unpredictability, power, and swiftness easily makes him the most challenging boss in the game. Players may be able to see his attacks, but they will not be able to survive them without taking some damage.
Worst: The Bed Of Chaos
This boss had so much potential, but it was all wasted. The thing about The Bed Of Chaos is that unlike the other bosses, it plays out more like a puzzle than an actual combat endeavor. In order to beat this treelike enemy, the player must destroy the two orbs on either side of The Bed Of Chaos. Then the player enters the middle of the root and destroys the bug within the root. There really is not much else to it. It is not really challenging with the only exception being how easy it is to fall into insta-kill pits, which basically depends on luck.