The Souls series is famous for punishing the player with insanely difficult boss battles and things haven’t changed with Dark Souls 3. According to some players, Dark Souls 3 may be the toughest game ever in the long running series but you don’t need to worry (actually, you need to!) because we have a handy guide that will help you defeat every boss in the game. In this guide we have compiled everything you need to know about the vicious bosses in Dark Souls 3 including their weakness, their attack patterns, easy ways to kill them along with a complete video guide for each of them.
How To Defeat Iudex Gundyr:
This is the first boss that you will face in the game and surprisingly, it’s quite an easy one to defeat. He is located in the Cemetery of Ash area. The key to defeat this boss is to dodge his attacks. Defending with the help of your shield won’t help much as the brutal force of his Coiled Sword will break your defenses resulting into health loss. This boss has two forms. In both forms you would need to consistently dodge and roll and wait for an opening. For veteran Dark Souls player, defeating this boss should take around 3-5 minutes.
Total Health: 1059
Boss Type: Compulsory. You would need to defeat him to move ahead in the game.
Location: Coiled Sword, Cemetery of Ash
Drops: NG 3000, NG+ 15000
Weakness: Frost and Fire.
Summons: None
How To Kill The Vordt of the Boreal Valley:
The Vordt of the Boreal Valley is a compulsory boss that you need to defeat in order to gain access to Undead Settlement. You will find this boss at the bottom of High Wall of Lothric and yet again, this is a rather easy boss to defeat provided you have the courage to dodge the creatures attack. This boss does not have forms but has a couple of weak points. Try and hit this boss on the backside or the area between his hind legs and under his lower belly. But beware of his slashes and when he charges at you.
Total Health: 1328
Boss Type: Compulsory. You would need to defeat him to move ahead in the game.
Location: Bottom of High Wall of Lothric
Drops: Soul of Boreal Valley Vordt, NG (2,000), NG+ (11,250)
Weakness: Dark And Fire.
Summons: Sword Master Saber & Lion Knight Albert
Curse-Rotted Greatwood
This huge tree found near the end of the Undead Settlement is a tough one. When you enter this area, the tree will be resting. So take this opportunity to clear the nearby enemies but once you get too close to the boss, it will wake up. Now is the time to take an initiative and strike a few blows on its egg-like sacks on his hands and leg. Once you have caused enough damage the tree will jump so hard that the underlying ground will break and you will found yourself in the pit. In the pit, the tree is even more intimidating with its Spin attacks and consistently pounding the ground with its hands. Once its hands are stationary, strike them hard. The other method is get close to the egg-like sacks and smash them whenever the hand is away.
Total Health: 5767
Boss Type: Not Compulsory.
Location: Near the end of the Undead Settlement.
Drops: Transposing Kiln, Soul of the Rotted Greatwood, NG (7000), NG+ (35000)
Weakness: Fire, Slash and Thrust.
Summons: None
How To Beat The Crystal Sage:
Perhaps one of the easiest bosses in the game, The Crystal Sage resides towards the end of Road of Sacrifices. As soon as you enter the area, avoid the lightning attack by taking cover behind a pillar. Keep on changing your cover until The Crystal Sage is near. Once there, slash it several times. The boss will probably allow you to reduce its life by around 20-30%. While doing so it may cast spells at you or try and hit you, simply dodge. Once enough damage is done, the boss will disappear and create illusions. The illusions cast light blue magic while the boss casts purple. The illusions die with a single hit so kill all of them before you go for the boss. Once you kill them, the boss will attack you with spells and Ice crystals. Simply do what you did in the first phase, hide behind pillars and strike the boss. The boss will continue to create illusions. So you may have to repeat the cycle before you finally get done with it.
Total Health: 2723
Boss Type: Compulsory. This boss must be defeated before you head on to the Cathedral of the Deep.
Location: Near the end of the Road of Sacrifices.
Drops: Soul of Crystal Sage, Souls: NG (9000), NG+ (40000)
Weakness: Lightning, Physical, Poison. Alluring Skulls can be used to distract it.
Summons: Eygon of Carim, found just before you enter the area of the boss.
How To Kill Abyss Watchers
Abyss Watchers is a compulsory boss that you will find in Farron Keep. This could be a rather difficult boss if you do not focus on the boss’s patterns. To be honest, he has a pretty standard pattern during the first phase, first sword thrusts and charge attacks. However during the first phase, you will be attacked by some of the corpses. Ignore them and keep attacking the main boss. Note that these corpses may also attack the boss, allowing you to drink and heal from Estus Flask. Once phase one is done, phase 2 will kick with a more stronger variant of the same boss.
Again, there is a pattern here but dodging and rolling won’t help much. Instead try and equip a powerful shield to protect you the fury filled sword attacks.
Total Health: 1548
Boss Type: Compulsory. This boss must be defeated before you head on to the Catacombs of Carthus.
Location: Through the door which has three fire sources in Farron Keep.
Drops: Soul of the Blood of the Wolf, Cinders of a Lord, NG (18,000)
Weakness: Lightning.
Summons:
- Sirris of the Sunless Realms – You need to first speak with her.
- Shade of Londor – Can be summoned if you have 5 dark sigils from Yoel of Londor.
- Black Hand Gotthard
How To Defeat The Deacons of the Deep:
Deacons of the Deep does not deserve to be a boss! It’s so damn easy. You really don’t need to plan anything or form any sort of strategy. You are basically facing against a number of enemies and you only need to attack the one with the red aura while defending yourself from melee attacks and fire magic.
Total Health: 4099
Boss Type: Compulsory. This boss must be defeated in order to procure the small doll which can be used for travelling to Irithyll of the Boreal Valley.
Location: Cathedral of the Deep.
Drops: Small Doll, Soul of the Deacons of the Deep, NG (4099)
Weakness: Bleed, Dark And Lightning.
Summons: Anri of Astora, Sirris of the Sunless Realms and Horace the Hushed.
How To Defeat The High Lord Wolnir:
Yet another easy boss! As they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall or in this case, the bigger they are, the easier they are to take down. This guy can be taken out by simply focusing on his hands. Yes, keep hitting them until you break the golden bangles on his hands. Yes, that is it! The boss will try and smash you with his lame attacks and will occasionally use magic. Simply dodge and keep that trusty Estus Flask all filled up and you will be good.
Total Health: 7052
Boss Type: Not Compulsory. This boss must be defeated in order to proceed to Irithyll of the Boreal Valley.
Location: At the end of Catacombs of Carthus.
Drops: NG (24000), Grave Warden Pyromancy Tome and Soul of High Lord Wolnir.
Weakness: Great swords.
Summons: None.
How To Kill Old Demon King:
Depending on the equipment you have, this fight could be tough or downright easy. We recommend a Great sword or a Great axe to take this one out. Since the boss is resting, run up to him and start attacking him. You will reduce its life by 8-10% this way. Now it’s a matter of using dodging ability and taking cheap shots from behind. Beware, the boss may use fire magic and you may die even if a single one hits. The boss also carries a weapon, so make sure you dodge and defend accordingly.
Total Health: 13000
Boss Type: Not Compulsory.
Location: Smouldering Lake. This can be accessed via the bridge in Catacombs of Carthus.
Drops: NG (25,000), Soul of a demon
Weakness: Great swords, Great axe.
Summons: Knight Slayer Tsorig.
How To Defeat Pontiff Sulyvahn
Boy, this one is a real toughie. Does the boss has two amazing swords that will wallop you? Check. Is the fast real quick? Check. Will you die a lot? Check! So yes, this is a bad ass boss. All of the fight will be close range as he will try and wallop you with his magical swords. So an armor with more lighting and fire resistance will go a long way in ensuring a success. Furthermore, his attack pattern is random. Sometimes he will take a spin and then stab the player or carry out a sweep attack whereas other times he will carry out backward and forward lighting and fire slashes. Your best bet is to look for an opening via efficient use of defending and dodging.
The second phase is even more difficult. The boss will create an illusion who will carry out similar attacks but can be taken down with a strike or two. The boss’ attacks become more violent in this phase so make sure you take care of the illusion first.
Total Health: 5106
Boss Type: Compulsory.
Location: Irithyll of the Boreal Valley
Drops: NG (28000), Soul of Pontiff Sulyvahn
Weakness: Thrust attacks with Great Sword.
Summons: Black Hand Gotthard, Londor Pale Shade, Anri of Astora.
How To Kill Yhorm the Giant:
A difficult boss for those who do not explore but a simple one who like to search their surroundings. Yhorm the Giant is one of the toughest bosses in the game if you don’t know what needs to be done. Once you enter the area, run straight and pick up the Yhorm’s Storm Ruler sword which is located near Yhorm’s throne. Once this is done, you simply need to hold down LT or L2 (depending on which platform you are playing on) and charge the sword. The boss will go down only in a few hits. Of course, Yhorm The Giant will get angry at times and will try and kill you violently, so you need to do what you have always done. Dodge and keep that Estus safe.
Total Health: 28000
Boss Type: Compulsory.
Location: Fog Wall in Profaned Capital
Drops: NG (36000), NG+ (108000), Soul of Yhorm the Gaint
Weakness: Yhorm’s Storm Ruler sword’s charge attack
Summons: Siegward of Catarina (You need to complete his quest line)
How To Easily Defeat The Dancer of the Boreal Valley:
The Dancer of the Boreal Valley can be quite a difficult boss due to a number of reasons. To begin with she does not seem to have a different number of phases making here patterns difficult to track. Secondly, all her attacks are random. Now there a couple of ways to defeat this boss. The shortest way is to get hold of a Great shield because in this boss you are not going to roll or dodge. When the boss is simply slashing her swords, try to get behind and attack a couple of blows. Try and repeat this for a number of times but beware, once she starts swinging her sword fast, run and get behind some pillar. These attacks have a long reach so make sure you keep this in mind. You also need to make sure that she does not grapple you because if she manages to get hold of you, it will most likely be a single hit kill.
Total Health: 1059
Boss Type: Compulsory.
Location: High Wall of Lothric
Drops: NG (60,000), NG+ (180,000), Dancer’s Soul
Weakness: Great sword.
Summons: Lion Knight Alfred (you need to kill Emma to trigger this boss fight early)
How To Defeat The Dragonslayer Armour
The Dragonslayer Armour is one of the most difficult bosses in the game. The problem is that he is in a way, a completely well equipped fighter. He has a powerful shield, an axe and a long sword. Be ready to die a lot if you plan to take him head on. You simply can’t get pass his shield, let alone his brutally violent axe and sword slashes. In this case, dodging will work better than using your shield. You need to try and get behind him. This is the only way you will be able to deal some damage. Furthermore, some flying evil things in the sky will try and make the battle even more difficult. This will happen during the later stages of the boss fight. Just try and stay away from whatever they throw at you. This is a boss that will test your patience as well as your skill to the limit.
Total Health: 4581
Boss Type: Compulsory.
Location: Dragon Barracks in Lothric Castle
Drops: NG (64,000), Soul of Dragonslayer Armor
Weakness: Frost
Summons: Eygon of Carim, Sirris of the Sunless Realms
How To Kill Oceiros, the Consumed King
During the initial stages, Oceiros is a fairly straight forward boss. You just need to make sure that you stay away from his physical attacks and frost magic. You just need to get in between his legs somehow and start smacking. But in its second stage, Oceiros is an all together different beast. He will jump in the air, tear through any cover or wallop you with his tail. The second stage requires a lot of patience but your best bet is to dodge and wait for the right moment.
Total Health: 1059
Boss Type: Optional.
Location: Dragon Barracks in Lothric Castle
Drops: NG (58,000), Soul of Consumed Oceiros
Weakness: Lightning
Summons: Hawkwood, the Deserter
How To Defeat Champion Gundyr
Oh boy! Our good old Gundyr is back with a bang! He is now a more powerful, more competent version than the lame one you faced right at the beginning of the game. Regardless, he has a number of moves this time around. Defending won’t do any good, so try and dodge the attacks but try and dodge away from him otherwise he will do foot slam that will take a chunk of your health away.
Boss Type: Optional.
Location: Untended Graves
Drops: NG (60,000), Soul of Champion Gundyr
Weakness: Poison
Summons: Sword Master (you need to defeat him)
How To Kill Lothric, Younger Prince and & Lorian, Elder Prince
Quite easily one of the toughest bosses in the game, just due to the fact that the action happens really fast. This boss has two forms. You will first face off against, Lorian. He is extremely aggressive with his sword and will inflict a ton of physical damage. The only way to inflict damage on him is to trade blows. You need to take some damage so that you can actually drain out his health. That coupled with some smart dodging will enable you to defeat the first phase. Do remember that Lorian teleports a lot so be ready to die a lot. If you are able to clear the first phase, Lothric will join the battle, however he will only heal Lorian. So try and get on the back side of Lorian and inflict damage on Lothric . If that is not possible then try and take out Lorian first, this will ensure that Lorian will fall to the ground allowing you to inflict damage on Lothric. You will win the boss fight even if you are able to drain out Lothric’s life.
Boss Type: Compulsory.
Location: Top of Lothric Castle
Drops: Souls: NG (85000), Soul of the Twin Princes
Weakness: Lightning
Summons: None.
How To Defeat The Ancient Wyvern
You know, not all bosses are difficult in Dark Souls 3. Some are so easy that it only takes a hit to take them out. One look at the Ancient Wyvern and you can’t help wonder about the problems it may create for you. But in reality, all you need to do is just run straight through his legs and reach on top of him. Once there simply jump on him and he will be dead.
Total Health: 7873
Boss Type: Optional.
Location: Archdragon Peak. You need to acquire the Path of the Dragon Gesture after killing Oceiros, the Consumed King. Then you need to travel to Irithyll Dungeon and use the gesture besides Dragon Torso Stone.
Drops: Souls: NG (70000), Dragon Head Stone
Weakness: Lightning and Frost
Summons: None.
How To Defeat The Nameless King
I am amazed that one of the most badass bosses in Dark Souls 3 is only optional. This will be one your longest battles in the game. In the first phase you will need to kill the dragon and you can do that easily by dodging his attacks and aiming for his head. The second phase will pit you against the Nameless King who wields a huge sword. You need to stay absolutely close to him; if you move away he will inflict damage on you with the help of some combo attacks. You need a shield that can block lightning along with physical attacks. Look for an opening and deliver some blows. This is one of those bosses that will remind you why some people break video game controllers.
Total Health: Phase 1: 4577, Phase 2: 7100
Boss Type: Optional.
Location: Archdragon Peak
Drops: Souls: NG (80,000), Soul of the Nameless King
Weakness: Shots to the dragon’s head.
Summons: None.
How To Defeat Soul of Cinder
The final boss in the game and perhaps the toughest one in the game. Make sure you have a Great Sword to go along with a Great Shield. Stick close to him try and defend and dodge as much as you can. In the first phase, the boss will give you ample of opportunities to get behind and lay down some strikes. Throughout this boss battle, you will be using your shield a lot, so make sure you have enough invested a ton into the Stamina category. In the second phase, he will use a variety of devastating attacks and magic spells including some vicious jump attacks. It goes without saying that you need to showcase your best ability and focus if you have any chance to kill him.
Boss Type: Compulsory.
Location: Kiln of the First Flame
Drops: Souls: NG (100,000), NG+ (264,000)
Weakness: None that we could find.
Summons:
- Yuria of Londor (Done Anri’s event)
- Shade of Londor (Done Anri’s event)