The Souls-like genre has been ever-expanding ever since the release of the pioneer Dark Souls back in 2011. Known for their arduous and mentally taxing boss fights, every Souls-like game has something new to offer in their enigmatic and threatening worlds.
With a plethora of downright bewildering games under the genre’s belt, numerous bosses have claimed their title as the hardest bosses of the genre. Dare I say, they definitely are top contenders for the greatest and most difficult bosses in the history of video games. This list will jot down some of the hardest bosses you’ll ever face in Souls-like games.
A respawnable boss lying under the bone-chilling depths of New Londo Ruins in Dark Souls, where even a torch won’t work to help you through the darkness. Four Kings is a nightmarish boss that continues to haunt you in the endless abyss and doubtlessly feels like a 4v1 if you’re under-leveled, and with an almost unbreakable poise paired with excruciatingly powerful spells, comes an extraordinarily tiring boss fight.
A new game+ may sound like a blessing with all the equipment you have, but returning to Four Kings will make the fight more challenging than ever. One way or another, you’re destined to hit a roadblock if it is your first time visiting the land of Lordran.
Nameless King is one of the most cinematic boss fights fromDark Souls 3, featuring a majestic soundtrack that bumps up the badass meter significantly. Once you defeat his Stormdrake, he will descend to take his sweet revenge using his giant electric spear. For lore enthusiasts, he’s a God of War and a firstborn of the Lord of Cinder Gwyn, which itself makes his presence quite afeared.
Not only does Nameless King come with an invisible stamina bar, but his long-range attacks, never-ending combo strings, dense poise and immense speed can close the distance between you and him within a split second, making him a truly terrifying boss.
Nameless King shares some similarities to Ornstein from the original Dark Souls since, in lore, he’s their trainer. Numerous move-sets of Nameless King will definitely remind you of Ornstein.
Progressing through the endgame of the blockbuster Korean Souls-like,Lies of P, you will face numerous excruciating bosses with gradually increasing difficulty, and once you reach Nameless Puppet, all hell’s going to break loose. The Nameless Puppet has a huge amount of health, delivers massive damage with every hit and has a tiny window to parry, dancing around the arena while swinging their sword at mind-boggling speeds.
Requiring raw skill, the Nameless Puppet will force you to make use of everything you have learned from the game. Failing to parry even a single hit of this boss will result in an inevitable combo thrown right atPinocchio’sface, ultimately succumbing to the purest form of damage.
True Eigong is a boss from Nine Sols, pretty reminiscent of Sword Saint Isshin from Sekiro but if he was transported to a Hollow Knight-esque game. From never-ending combos to requiring supreme reflexes for parrying her, True Eigong is an unforgiving boss whose attack range can take over your whole screen, featuring lightning-fast hits that can only be dodged by parrying or leaping into midair.
A surprising Souls-like having one of the best boss fights in the genre’s history is truly inexplicable, and fighting True Eigong will leave you exhausted in all ways while praising her creativity.
Fume Knight is a giant, dense-armored boss who resides in the depths of Brume Tower in Dark Souls II. Carrying around a fire-applied Ultra greatsword and a straight sword, covered in a huge chunk of impenetrable metal, Fume Knight’s horrifying aura is unbeatable, and the controversial Adaptability stat is nothing but a preparation for this fight.
Ganky attacks with extraordinary damage, absurd movement reading, dark-fire damage, and ridiculous movement that can counter the most agile builds and weapons present in the game. Fume Knight is that boss who you should anticipate when you load up the Crown Of The Old King DLC who can absolutely demolish you in a single hit, no matter your vigor, if you stand too close.
Whether it’s a statistical fact or a fan discussion, Date Masamune from Nioh, inspired by a historical Japanese samurai, always stays on topin terms of difficulty. He’s an assertive individual who has a huge number of hit points for someone of his build, agonizing combo strings that transform from short to long range in the blink of an eye, and given his cramped boss arena, you’re at a disadvantage from every angle unless you’re familiar with his weaknesses.
As much as Date Masamune is praised in history, Nioh gives him the perfect memento he deserves.
Inner Father/ Owl Father, or simply the Great Shinobi Owl in his prime, is one of the numerous wonders of the Hirata Estate inSekiro. Shadow Rush, Mist Raven combos, and using his immense number of combos with great efficiency make Owl Father the most demanding and challenging boss in the game. Not only is he an aggressive boss, but he can shift his stance to a stealthy shinobi who can vanish into thin air and break your locked-on camera.
If your parry rhythm is jumbled for a split second, you’re dead. If you fail to lock the camera on him in time, you’re dead. Making a mistake on even a minuscule scale is deadly against Owl Father, whose personality remains shrouded in mystery.
Promised Consort Radahn is Starscrouge Radhan with added intensity. By far the most excruciating and mentally taxing bossever introducedin Souls-like history, Promised Consort Radhan is an absolute nerve-wracking final boss who successfully takes away the hardest boss throne from Malenia inElden Ring. The only boss in history to cause the entire internet to meltdown, he is the mightiest demigod turned into God.
His short and long-range attacks, including massive damaging AOEs, will force you to experiment with numerous builds to take him down, but it’s not easy for a man to defeat a God; it’s simply an unfair and nightmarish fight that will stay with you for long due to its unfairness and the rewarding feeling after you finally defeat him.
