The kick is one of the most finicky mechanics in Dark Souls Remastered, and it’s certainly unfortunate that it hasn’t been made more accessible in this latest port. This mechanic can come in very handy when you’re facing enemies who keep blocking your attacks with their shield. You can kick them to break their guard, then deal lots of damage to them. It’s also useful when you’re trying to shove NPCs off the ledge without drawing aggro (hint: Lautrec).
How to Kick in Dark Souls Remastered
In order to kick, you’ll need to push forward on the left stick while pressing R1 at the same time. However, this is very tricky to pull off, and you’ll usually end up just doing an R1 attack instead. We’ve found that the most reliable way to execute the kick is by pushing forward on the left stick and tapping R1 at the same time, and then quickly releasing the R1 button. In short, hold forward on the left stick while hitting R1, and then quickly release R1 while still holding forward on the left stick.
It’s going to take a bit of practice before you can execute it reliably, so don’t go trying to attack any NPCs before you’ve tried this a few times.
Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more information on Dark Souls Remastered.
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Taking on enemies in Dark Souls III can be a pretty daunting thing. Even the most common enemies can cause problems for those who aren’t well enough equipped to take on their adventure. Therefore, it’s always important to be able to take a defensive approach to combat, as well as knowing when to deal heavy blows. Here’s how to parry effectively in Dark Souls III to leave your enemies vulnerable.
First thing’s first, you’ll need the right equipment. You’ll need to check first to make sure that whatever shield or weapon you have equipped is capable of parrying. This can be done by accessing the equipment screen and selecting your item. If the item is capable of parrying, it will simply say “Parry” on the item’s description screen.
Now you’re ready to actually pull it off. When you see an enemy, you want to make sure they’re facing directly in front of you. Using the target lock-on system is useful for this if you’re having problems. Pulling off a parry effectively is all about timing. Go too early or too late and you’ll end up suffering serious damage and having to wait before you can lay down another attack as your character recovers. As soon as you see your enemy lift their weapon and are just beginning their swing, hit the L2 button to deflect the attack and leave your enemy wide open for a smooth counterattack.
You’ll know you’ve successfully performed a parry because there will be an almost slow-motion effect for all of a second or two, and, of course, you won’t take damage.
Learning an enemy’s pattern and swing speed are both important, too, so make sure you’ve learned your enemy well, otherwise you could be in for a world of pain.
That’s all there is to parrying in Dark Souls III. Have you got any more tips for your fellow Dark Souls players? Share them in the comments below. If you need more help with the game, check out our wiki!
If you’re anything like us, you’re neck-deep in Dark Souls III and begging for mercy. The latest entry in From Software’s cult series turned mass obsession brings back all of the tense survival and disturbing environments we’ve come to know and love. And then, of course, there are the monsters. Lots and lots of monsters, wielding lots and lots of weapons. From gnawing rats to massive wyverns and everything in between, the game is chock full of things to kill — and things that kill you.
In this massive rundown, we rank every single enemy from the newest Dark Souls game from least dangerous to most dangerous.
90) Crystal Lizard
One of the few things in Dark Souls III that won’t kill you, Crystal Lizards are found throughout the game. They can be a pain in the ass to catch, as they often disappear into cracks in the walls when you get too close, but killing them results in some pretty sweet ore drops.
89) Hollow
If you’ve played a Souls game, you’ve dealt with a Hollow or two. These undead creatures are brainless and desperately weak — by the time you get to the Undead Settlement, where they’re common, you can end their existence in one hit. You really have to be screwing up to fall for one of these guys.
88) Grave Warden
The “tutorial” area of Dark Souls III is still a plenty dangerous place, but at least the enemies who hang out there are pretty chill. Grave Wardens show up in the Cemetery of Ash and mostly keep to themselves, only attacking if the player aggros them. Great for practicing parries and ripostes.
87) Lesser Crab
Hanging out in the pond part of the Road of Sacrifices, these hard-shelled animals aren’t much of a problem. The only reason they rank as high as they do is their ability to summon Greater Crabs, which are a lot more challenging.
86) Reanimated Corpse
These shambling zombies pose very little threat, despite the fact that they won’t stay dead for long. Their attacks are weak and they’re not aggressive. They can inflict Bleed on you with their maggoty vomit, but a torch takes care of that pretty quickly.
85) Starved Hound
Dogs are always a pain in the ass in games like this — they’re sort of the go-to enemy for fast, low-profile attacks. You first meet Starved Hounds in the Cemetery of Ash, but they’ll dog you (no pun intended) throughout the game. If you’ve got a good enough shield they’re no big deal, but it’s easy for them to stunlock you for massive damage, especially when they attack in a pack.
84) Hound Rats
These vermin are ony more dangerous than Hounds because they come in larger numbers. Keep calm and use a slashing weapon to chop them into chunks before they can swarm you.
83) Cage Spider
These agglomerations of dead bodies in metal cages are low on mobility, but they can be dangerous if you depend on slashing weapons (which are basically ineffective). They also like to box you into corners.
82) Hollow Soldier
These undead swordsmen are found in a number of locations through the third game, and they can pose a challenge if you tackle them recklessly. Although they won’t attack until awakened, failure to take out the ones with lanterns can result in a swarm of bones knocking you around. The ones in Lothric Castle are way more powerful, too.
81) Skeleton Ball
These rolling balls of bones tear through corridors in the Catacombs, but aren’t super dangerous unless they knock you from a ledge. To get rid of them, you need to hunt down the nearby skeletons that control them.
80) Grand Archives Scholar
These guys are creepy-looking but don’t really pose much danger. Found in the Grand Archives, they resemble statues with burning candles on their heads that can shoot magic missiles and coat you in speed-reducing wax.
79) Giant Leech
This is another enemy that’s only really dangerous in numbers. These black sluglike enemies are found all over Farron Keep, but if you proceed with caution (and that’s what you should always be doing) they don’t pose much threat.
78) Poisonhorn Bugs![]()
Appearing in swarms on the Road of Sacrifices, these annoying insects can inflict you with poison and are more durable than they look. If you don’t have a chopping weapon, it can be tough to disperse them.
77) Lothric KnightsHow To Kick Dark Souls Switch
A more powerful humanoid enemy that hassles you first in the High Wall of Lothric, the Lothric Knights are one of the early tests of your combat readiness. Boasting a number of attacks as well as a shield bash, they can take some work to bring down. They’re relatively straightforward in their attack patterns, though.
76) Greater Crab
Found in the swamps of the Road of Sacrifices, these massive enemies can cause serious damage and slow you down with their foaming spray. Thankfully, they won’t leave the water to chase you, so you can retreat with some of your dignity intact. You can’t cheese them with arrows or magic from dry land, though, so don’t try.
75) Peasant Hollow
There are only a few of these guys in the game, and they’re not that tough to take care of — just circle around for the backstab — but if you get cornered by a group of them, they can lay down some serious pain faster than you think with their weird fork weapons.
74) Demon Statue
Another returning foe from previous games, these floating statues can shoot fire at you but their slow speed and attacks make them not terribly threatening if handled properly. If they manage to box you in, though, you could be in for some pain.
73) Man Grubs
Found in a few locations, these sluglike humanoids don’t have much to be afraid of. The magic-using ones can shoot missiles at you, but their shots travel in a straight line with no homing so it’s easy to sidestep out of the way.
72) Ghru
The descendents of the Faron guardians that have been hideously mutated, Ghru are capable of attacking very quickly, even while blocking. Thankfully, their attacks are easy to block and don’t cause much stagger. The magic-user ones can inflict poison clouds on you as well.
71) Knight Slayer Tsorig
This summonable enemy invades you before the fight with High Lord Wolnir, but he’s really not that tough a battle. You can trick him into aggroing other enemies and catching a beatdown, and hilariously you can even summon a friendly version of him to fight himself, because these games are weird as hell.
70) Hollow Slave
In a fair fight, the speedy Hollow Slaves aren’t that big of a deal. But they don’t fight fair. These little jerks hang on walls and ceilings, dropping down to attack when your back is turned. The ones who come from above can kill you instantly, so keep your eyes peeled.
69) Corvians
These flying humanoids can be taken out easily if you strike them before their wings are fully formed. Wait too long, though, and they’ll come at you ceaselessly with attacks until you kill them.
68) Corvian Storyteller
The magic-using variant of the Corvian, these aren’t much tougher except for their ability to summon nearby friends into the fray. Again, kill them fast before they can make life difficult for you.
67) Giant Slave
These massive enemies have a ton of health and deal big damage, but you don’t actually have to fight them if you don’t want to. The ones in the Cathedral can be tricked into traps they can’t escape, and the third one will sleep unless you screw with it. They’re devastating at close range but so slow that it’s easy to pick them apart with arrows.
66) Yhorm The Giant
One of the most disappointing bosses in Dark Souls III, Yhorm is pretty cool-looking, but to beat him you just need to grab the Storm Ruler sword from his throne and charge up its wind attack five times. If you complete Segward’s quest, you don’t even have to do that — he’ll show up with a Storm Ruler of his own and spank Yhorm for you.
65) Elder Ghru
These giant-sized variants of Ghrus are significantly tougher than their younger brethren. Every melee attack they use is accompanied by horming skull projectiles that are a major pain in the ass. Thankfully physical attacks are very effective and you can kill them fairly fast.
64) Pus Of Man
Disgusting black slime that bursts from the bodies of undead victims, the Pus of Man is way too powerful to tackle when you meet it in the early game, but as you gain strength they get easier. Use fire attacks to burn them out without exposing yourself to their vicious strikes.
63) Lycanthrope
Chained to crosses, these bestial enemies in the Road of Sacrifices can lunge at you for a damaging bite attack, but aren’t particularly threatening once you’ve gotten the hang of the game.
62) Sewer Centipede
One of many vile fiends found in Irithyll Dungeon, the Sewer Centipedes look like the corpses of drowned women until you get too close, at which point they erupt in a terror of spindly legs and crawl out of the water to attack you. They aren’t that tough to deal with once you get over the yuck factor.
61) Rotten Flesh of Aldrich
The game has a number of foes that drop down on you from the shadows above, and the Rotten Flesh of Aldrich might be the nastiest. It has absurdly high defense, making killing it a chore, but if you dodge its initial fatal plummet it can’t do much to hurt you once it’s on the ground.
60) Rock Lizard
These foes found in the Archdragon Peak area aren’t terribly difficult to contend with, but if you find yourself in the path of their flame breath you can take some damage. Pretty much every attack stuns them, so once you’re in range Rock Lizards are trivial to kill.
59) Mimic
Dealing with these enemies, which impersonate treasure chests, is a real test. They can surprise you for significant damage with their first bite, usually enough to kill a player in the early game. However, they only attack if opened or struck, meaning that you can avoid them until you’re strong enough to kick their asses. Hint: look at how the chains on the floor are coiled and listen for their breathing.
58) Basilisk
The Curse status effect is one of the nastiest things about Dark Souls III, and these enemies are some of the first you fight that can inflict it. Their green smoke attack causes the death countdown to start, but it’s easy to see and takes a second to take effect.
57) Sage’s Devout
Found in the Road of Sacrifices, these magic-users can lay a hurting on you from a distance. However, if you rush in and start hammering them with melee attacks before they get a chance to cast you can take them down fairly rapidly.
56) Rotten Flesh
These grotesque creatures made out of thousands of maggots are quick and nasty, but what really makes them dangerous is their ability to stack Bleed damage on you, draining your health super fast. Equip the Torch to burn out the maggots and stop the bleeding or you’ll find yourself on the floor.
55) Clawed Curse
One of many booby-trap enemies in the game, these multi-armed creatures spring from walls in the Grand Archives to seize onto you and cause a little damage while Cursing. They can be annoying, but if you protect yourself with Wax from the basins in the Archives they won’t attack you.
54) Hollow Manservant
These beefy fellas battle you with an enormous two-handed saw and a kettle. If they land a hit on you, they can go into a punishing combo. Thankfully, their relatively slow speed makes them unlikely to get in close enough. You still need to be careful, though.
53) Wretch
Found in Irithyll Dungeon, these pale, grublike creatures are very dangerous in groups. Their attacks can quickly whittle down the durability of your weapons, leaving you with useless junk that won’t be fixed without a trip to the blacksmith.
52) Monstrosity of Sin
These disgusting foes found in the Profaned Capital are somewhat difficult to predict and possess an instant-kill grab attack. They’re fairly easy to flank and dodge, thankfully, but when there’s other enemies in the mix the Monstrosity of Sin can be deadly.
51) Lothric Wyvern
The massive dragon on the High Wall doesn’t pose much of a threat to you once you learn where its fire breath reaches and doesn’t. However, the first couple times through it’s easy to get char-broiled. You can put it down with a bow and chase it away for a Large Titanite Shard, but that means you have to contend with the enemies the Wyvern would normally barbecue for you.
50) Devout of the Deep
These annoying foes camp out in the Cathedral and pepper you with arrows and other projectiles while you try to progress. They have pretty low health, so once you close on them, you can take them out fairly quickly.
49) Corrupted Hollow
Found on the High Wall of Lothric, these guys look like ordinary Hollows until they’re triggered. At that point, they transform into enormous, deformed creatures with massive range and way more health. Thankfully you can kill them before that happens — and even if you don’t, fire attacks do serious pain to them.
48) Ancient Wyvern
Another of the game’s optional bosses, the Ancient Wyvern takes a lot less work than the ones you encountered earlier. Regular attacks won’t damage this massive drake at all, but one jumping attack from the right spot kills it instantly.
47) Skeleton Wheel
These guys are a mainstay of the series and are just as annoying the third time around. Warriors of bare bone strapped to spiked wheels, they can roll at you at decent speed and stagger you when they hit, leaving you open for more punishment.
46) Gargoyle Lancer
Dark Souls III doesn’t have a ton of flying enemies, but these guys are among the most annoying. Hanging around the Profaned Capital, Gargoyle Lancers are headless winged statues who poke at you with spears. Their wings have the annoying ability to soak away some of your damage, so you need to land a clean hit from the front.
45) Iudex Gundyr
The first boss you have to face in Dark Souls III, Gundyr shouldn’t be too stressful for veterans. This fight makes sure you have the basics of combat down: dodging and rolling, managing your stamina, and sneaking in those backstabs. Two-thirds of the way through he transforms into a more powerful form, but you can hit him while he’s doing so to kill the boss before he gets a chance to use his new attacks.
44) Silver Knight
Posing quite a challenge even to experienced players, Silver Knights are found in several of the game’s areas. They’re fast, damaging and clever, and can deliver potent lightning attacks. One variant in Anor Londo has glowing red eyes and is significantly tougher than his brothers.
43) Smoldering Ghru
These fiery variants of the Ghru are gifted with an additional form of attack — it creates independent fireballs that will pursue you and shoot projectiles. They also have a lot of health and poise, making them hard to take down without a fight.
42) Knight of the Deep
Heavily armored knights are some of the most traditionally difficult foes in the Souls games, and when you first meet the Knights of the Deep in the Cathedral you’ll have a tough time from their powerful and unpredictable attacks. Backstabbing works wonders on these guys, though.
41) Havel Knight
There’s only one of these beefy bastards in Dark Souls III, guarding a slab of titanite. He’s got massive defense courtesy of the Greatshield in his hands, but isn’t terribly difficult to take down if you can get around it.
40) Serpent-Man
These half-snake warriors are found in a few areas in the late game. In addition to striking with their weapons, they can rapidly extend their necks for a potent bite attack. These guys have been around the series for a while, and the tactics for facing them remain pretty much the same.
39) Grave Warden
These long-bladed soldiers are troublesome foes, and even though they don’t look physically imposing they can really put a hurt on you. Their attacks are fast, can break through shields, and cause bleed damage.
38) Jailer
Another foe from Irithyll Dungeon, the Jailers deliver a status effect that can be seriously crippling. When you cross their line of sight, they’ll hit you with a curse that temporarily reduces your maximum health. It’s guaranteed to make you panic and make bad choices that will get you killed.
37) Carthus Swordsman Skeleton
Armed with a pair of curved scythe-like swords, these are probably the toughest skeletal enemies in the game. They are extremely agile, making it difficult to land blows, and their leaping slash can do insane damage.
36) Winged Knight
There are only a few of these guys in the game, heavily armored foes who allied themselves with the Angelic faith. You see their corpses everywhere, but live ones are on the High Wall and in Lothric Castle. They’re seriously powerful, with staggering attacks, but it’s quite easy to circle around them and go in for the backstab.
35) Hollow Assassin
One of the most obnoxious Hollows you’ll face in the early game, these guys lurk in the shadows and can sweep in for a backstab that does huge damage. They attack relatively quickly, and if you’re disoriented you can find yourself severely hurt before you realize what’s happening. Thankfully they don’t take many hits to kill.
34) Demon
You face a few of these mid-bosses throughout your adventure, and they can be tricky if you play fair. One-on-one, their attacks are potent and swift, but you can use the environment and nearby skeletons to keep them busy and expose their weak points.
33) Black Knight
The cindered ghosts of the elite knights of Gwyn roam the world in several different locations, attacking any creature dumb enough to get in their way. They’re a tough but fair challenge best kept for when you’ve built up your character a bit so you can survive their attacks.
32) Cathedral Evangelists
These beefy armored warriors are pretty mouthy, chanting or making fun of you as they attack. They’ve got a bunch of different ways to hurt you, including a homing spell that makes you bleed if it hits. They also set themselves on fire for a brutal grapple attack that causes mongo damage. Take them out from a distance as quick as possible.
31) Giant Sandworm
This enormous creature in the Smouldering Lakes is terrifying when you first encounter it, but there are a few tricks that make it easier to handle. It can’t strike from underneath if you stand on solid rock, and you can bait it into standing in the path of projectiles from the nearby siege engine.
30) Stray Demon
This mini-boss from Farron Keep is challenging until you get the hang of his attacks. His grabbing strike can kill low-health players in one hit, but thankfully it’s very telegraphed. There are numerous ways to cheese the Stray Demon out with arrows or magic, so don’t be afraid to take the lame way out.
29) Boreal Outrider Knight
You face these ice-armed enemies a trio of times in the game, and they’re a bit of a challenge each time. If they land a hit, the frost enchantment on their weapons makes you vulnerable to additional damage. Thankfully, clever play and solid fundamentals will get you through them in one piece.
28) Consumed King’s Knight
These vicious armored soldiers in the Consumed King’s Garden would be tough enough on their own, but fighting them in the poisoned ground with little room to maneuver makes them extremely difficult.
27) Gertrude’s Knight
Showing up in the Grand Archives, these armored warriors are visually identical to Winged Knights except for one thing: they can fly. That mobility makes them significantly more of a hassle to deal with. The dual axe wielder can also throw his weapons at you for decent damage.
26) Man-Serpent Summoner
As you’d expect from their name, these guys make your life miserable by pulling other enemies from the void to battle you. They can summon powerful Drakeblood Knights and revive them when they fall, so take them out quick. If you’ve got the guts, keep the Summoner alive to farm souls from the foes they conjure up.
25) Pontiff Knight
Probably the most difficult knights in the game, the Pontiff Knight’s attack patterns are hard to deduce and counter. Their one weakness is that it takes them some time to charge up their ranged attacks, so lure them into casting one and then rush in to deal damage. Never fight more than one at a time if you can help it.
24) Sulyvahn’s Beast
There are three of these massive crocodilian creatures in the Boreal Valley, and they’re unusual for a few reasons. Yes, they have powerful attacks including lightning breath and a mouth grab that causes a pile of damage, but they also knock you back and damage you just by touching their bodies.
23) Boreal Immolator
One of the most threatening enemies in the Boreal Valley, this female warrior brandishing an enormous flaming cross has a ton of damaging attacks that cover a ton of space. She can impale you on her cross and fling you away from the battle as well.
22) High Lord Wolnir
He’s imposing, but Wolnir’s weak spots are as telegraphed as a Mega Man enemy. All you have to do is smack away at his golden bracelets when he brings them to the ground. Take out the left one first before he wakes up, then stay out of his death fog. He summons skeletons, but his own attacks destroy them so it’s not terrifically stressful.
21) Oceiros, the Consumed King
For an optional boss, Oceiros is distressingly simple. The tiny room that his fight takes place in is the real hassle. If you’re tough enough to beat the game, you should be able to smack him out of the air pretty easily as long as you watch for his obvious attack tells. His acid breath attack also has a ridiculously long charge time.
20) Dark Wraith
A returning enemy from the first Dark Souls game, these jet-black knights are pretty damn tough. They can use Weapon Arts with their Dark Sword and have a grab attack that will ignore your shield. Thankfully, you encounter them one-on-one and with solid planning can take them down.
19) Vordt of the Boreal Valley
The second boss you face in the game, Vordt, can deliver some serious punishment with his massive mace. Thankfully, his attacks are fairly easy to dodge. When he’s down to half health, he gains a charging rush that can really hurt. Thankfully, his ice breath attack takes a ton of time to start and opens him up for nasty attacks on his back, making him not terrifically difficult.
18) Ravenous Crystal Lizards
The grown-up versions of the least threatening enemies on our list, Ravenous Crystal Lizards have learned how to defend themselves. These puppies have a ton of health and have multiple dangerous attacks, including a rolling strike that can break your Poise and a blast of frost breath. One can show up in the tutorial area, making life miserable for new players.
17) Drakeblood Knight
These incredibly tough humanoid enemies are found in the game’s last optional area, and pose a problem for even the most skilled fighters. They do tons of damage, have lots of health and are very difficult to stagger. Even worse, the Man-Serpent Summoner enemies can return them to life once they’re slain.
16) Deep AccursedHow To Kick Dark Souls
There are only two of these bastards in the entire game, and you’re basically going to die the first time you run into them. The Deep Accursed are huge spider-like creatures that creep across the ceiling and pounce down on you, and they cause a horrific amount of damage. The only safe way to take them out is from a distance.
![]() 15) Demon Cleric
These powerful foes from the Smouldering Lake are vicious melee fighters who rarely let up, and they’re often found in rooms with other, weaker monsters. Lure out their cohorts and deal with them one at a time, because even in a mano-a-mano fight Demon Clerics are more than a match for you.
14) Champion Gundyr
Your second go-round with Gundyr is tougher because he’s picked up the pace a lot. His attacks also do a lot more damage (unsurprisingly), but they’re still accompanied by fairly notable tells. Your shield won’t help you here, but if you’ve got parry timing down just about every attack he lets loose can be parried and riposted for tasty damage.
13) Old Demon King
Although this guy’s pretty cool looking with all the fire and torment, the Old Demon King really doesn’t pose that much of a challenge if you’ve been playing properly. All of his attacks are seriously telegraphed, giving you plenty of time to hammer on him while he’s winding up. Sure, they do a lot of damage, but who cares if you can roll out of the way in time?
12) Deacons of the Deep
These guys rank as high as they do on the list because of the Curse that gets slapped on you towards the end of the fight. This awful status ailment is one of the most hateful things about Dark Souls III, creating a countdown bar that kills you instantly once full. Using weapons that can hit more than one enemy at a time makes this boss battle significantly easier.
11) Aldrich, The Devourer Of Gods
This mid-game boss can be challenging if you don’t use the environment to your advantage, but if you can’t do that you probably shouldn’t be playing Dark Souls. His spells pack a serious wallop, but hiding behind the pillars in the room absorbs them and lets you rush in to do melee damage.
10) Curse-Rotted Greatwood
If you just had to take this big old tree on by itself, it would be no big deal. Unfortunately, the Curse-Rotted Greatwood is accompanied by a bunch of Undead that mill about, and if one lands a hit on you it can screw up the whole battle. Keep moving and target the egg sacs on the Greatwood’s body to damage it — hitting it anywhere else is a waste of time.
9) Crystal Sage
Now we’re getting into the upper echelon of bosses. The Crystal Sage isn’t difficult for the attacks she spits out — in fact, the first half of her fight is one of the easiest in the game. What makes her a pain in the ass is the duplicates she generates, all of which can harm you. Throw in magic attacks that pass through obstacles and you’ve got a serious hassle, at least until you learn how to distinguish the real one from the clones. Hint: check the color of the magic orbs.
8) Dancer of the Boreal Valley
This boss would change spots depending on how early you take her on. The Dancer of the Boreal Valley moves slowly, but when she gets in range she strikes with her two swords that have incredible reach and cause sick damage. Thankfully, she’s vulnerable to a bunch of different kinds of damage, most notably Bleed, so a smart build that maximizes that can make the fight way easier.
7) Abyss Watchers
The fight with the Abyss Watchers is one of the most fascinating stories in all of Dark Souls 3. One soul, traveling between three bodies, leads to a multi-man battle that’s hard to deal with. When extra Watchers spawn, the first will be aggressive towards you, but the second will target the boss. Hit the friendly one by accident, though, and there’ll be three sword-swinging monsters working together to take you down.
6) Dragonslayer Armor
A one-on-one battle with the Dragonslayer Armor would be tough enough on its own — the massive knight can deliver huge lightning damage and a crippling shield bash, and the narrow bridge you fight on is dangerous as well. Throw in a flying friend that rains fireballs down from above and you have a boss fight that’ll push you to the limit.
5) Pontiff Sulyvahn
We’re fully into the “no gimmicks, just skill” part of our Dark Souls III enemy list, and Pontiff Sulyvahn embodies that philosophy. He’s fast, he’s aggressive, and he spawns a clone of himself that’s just as nasty. There are a few tells you can learn — the clone attacks, then the real Pontiff copies — but for the most part fighting this guy is all positioning, timing and quick hits.
4) Soul of Cinder
The game’s final boss earns a spot high on the list — this guy’s no joke. The Soul of Cinder has the most diverse attack patterns of any foe in the game, striking with swords, spears, crystal magic and fire at will. The first time you fight him, they’ll be in a specific order, but after that all bets are off. Oh, and after you kill him once you have to do it all over again, only with different moves.
3) Lorian and Lothric
Ugh. One of the most frustrating fights in the entire series is against the pair of brothers Lorian and Lothric. They’re incredibly fast, can teleport, and Lorian has a beam attack that can one-hit kill all but the beefiest fighter. But what makes the conflict even worse is that Lothric can use his magic to revive Lorian when he’s killed, prolonging the battle past the stamina of even the toughest player.
2) The Nameless King
The Souls series is notorious for its insanely hard optional bosses, and the Nameless King carries on that tradition in fine form. This knight rides on a dragon and floods the arena with lightning and fire. Once you kill his mount, you still have to handle the King’s fast, erratic attacks. Even worse, you can’t use summons to help you — if you try to bring Hawkwood in, he peaces out as soon as the King appears
1) Other People
As has been the case with Souls games since the beginning, the most dangerous enemy is Man. The ability to materialize in someone else’s world as a Phantom and either help them out or hunt them down makes every game an exercise in paranoia. Sure, you can deal with the AI, but a real foe is something totally different.
Basically, what we’re saying here is that Dark Souls III has awesome, terrible enemies that ruin your life.
Taking on Dark Souls bosses ranks pretty highly on the scale of testing your gaming mettle, and if you're not prepared then it's likely you'll be squished into paste within seconds of stepping into the combat arena. Many of these fights might seem impossible to the uninitiated, but if you know what you're looking for then every Dark Souls boss has their weakness that can be exploited to defeat them. If you're having trouble laying the smack down on some of these imposing foes then don't get stressed, as we've worked our way through the toughest Dark Souls Remastered bosses to produce these handy tips to help you secure victory in battle.
Dark Souls Remastered bosses general tips
Observation is key. We know, this seems obvious—but when you get killed by a boss for the eighth time, remember to be patient. Learn its attacks, know when to dodge, when to block, and when to strike. One mistake can easily mean death. There’s no shame in dying as long as you’re learning something from the death.
Choose your stats carefully. When it comes to leveling up, consider what you're pumping points into. Vitality and Endurance are critical early on, as health and stamina are your two most important resources. Depending on what kind of character you're building, some attributes are only useful for meeting equipment requirements.
Circle strafe. Many of the game's melee monsters aren't as scary as they seem once you get up close. Unless you're fighting a monster that can grab you, try hugging their bodies as you strafe in a counter-clockwise circle around them. Most enemies will miss you entirely if you're constantly circling them, giving you ample time to land a backstab. You can usually roll between the big guys’ legs as well if you time it right.
Cut off the tail! Fighting a monster or boss that has a tail? Try cutting it off. Chances are you can get a sweet weapon as a result. Seriously, give it a shot.
Dark Souls Remastered Bosses
We've posted the guides for each of Dark Souls' bosses in alphabetical order, as progression can differ from player to player. These videos are primarily for learning and understanding how to avoid the bosses attacks, where possible. Many bosses simply amount to “kill it until it's dead', but knowing when to clear out when an AoE attack is on the way is important.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Bed of Chaos
One of the Lord Demons, Bed of Chaos is a pretty straightforward fight. There are two glowing orbs in his chamber, one on each side of the room. Pick one and sprint over it, hugging the wall as much as possible to help avoid the sweeping attack, break through the branches, and attack the core. Dealing with one, or both side orbs persists through death so you don't have to worry about doing everything in one go at least. It's also a worthwhile tactic to use a Homeward Bone or the Homeward Miracle to warp out of the room, or even quite and reload so that once you return, you’ll only have to make half the journey to the other side of the bed.
The second root will be harder as the floor crumbles, preventing you from hugging the wall as easily, and there's a new scythe attack. Use sprints into the inside circles after the sweep attack and you should be able to avoid taking damage.
When it center is reachable drop into the room, go straight and wait for the swipe attacks, before running forward and onto the root right in front of the boss, in the hole which is created once close enough. Keep going into the middle of the monster and the red thing.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Bell Gargoyles
Essentially Maneaters 2.0, this fight is ripped straight from Demon's Souls. Dodge the Gargoyles’ swipes and aerial attacks, and focus on the first one as much as you can. A second will appear when he's at half health but stay on the original - the quicker you can kill the first one, the less time you have to worry about dealing with both at once. Pyromancy or Firebombs are good here, or Gold Pine Resin for lightning damage
If you manage to destroy the tail of either gargoyle, you will earn a Gargoyle Tail Axe. It's not that powerful - not even half as powerful as the Drake Sword - but it is rare.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Capra Demon
First, kill the two dogs that attack with the Capra Demon - head left as soon as you're through the fog door and up the stairs to deal with them before the demon reaches you. If you can, drop back down and wait for the Capra Demon to follow before heading back up the stairs for a quick drop attack. If you're taking him head on then know that you can block everything he has bar the overhead swing, which is also an insta kill so maybe dodge that one. Ranged attacks like Fireball are also good here.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Ceaseless Discharge
This is one of the most unpleasant boss encounters in the game but the Ceaseless Discharge boss has an exploit to make life easier. The first time through the fog door you'll be safe until you grab the Gold-Hemmed Armor or attack, but after that he's hostile for good.
The easy (!) way to defeat him is to run around to the right until you head up some stairs. You should still be able to see him through a narrow gap at the top where he can slam a tentacle your way. That's easy to avoid and then attack.
If you want to fight him honourably (you fool) then stay close to the ledge near his body, or he'll ceaselessly discharge fire all over the place. Sprint from side to side along the ledge to avoid his tentacle slams, and then get a few hits in. Rinse and repeat.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Centipede Demon
Worth noting that this boss is immune to fire, what with living in lava and all that. This monster's pretty straightforward. You only have a narrow ledge to fight on, so the first step is luring him onto your platform. He'll try to punch you with his Stretch Armstrong fists, but you can avoid his attacks by sprinting the length of the platform. Once he's in your turf, get under him, swing a few times, and back off. The goal is to stay underneath the demon and attack. When it leaps into the air, pull out your shield and block. It’s as simple as that!
We don't recommend locking on to him, as the camera can be sporadic when under his body. When he launches in the air, get away from him until he lands to avoid getting smashed. Finally, when he only has about one-third of his health left, he'll start dropping bombs from the ceiling when he jumps. Wait till those blow up before you rush in to attack.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Chaos Witch Quelaag
Half spider, half sexy lady, Chaos Witch Quelaag will quickly end you if you stare for too long at those spider legs. Actually, the fight is fairly simple. Don't stand in fire and roll dodge her sword attacks - Quelaag’s firesword is extremely deadly, so we suggest you read her swings and attempt to roll away from them as opposed to blocking them. The most damaging firesword attacks are her stabs, which are slow and telegraphed. Stabs come at the end of a three-hit combo or as a singular attack. Rolling to either side at the very last moment (her stabs track) will keep you out of harms way. The biggest thing you'll want to watch out for is her brutal AoE ability - when the human portion of her body bows down, that's your signal to move.
The goal is to get around the side or rear of Quelaag an attack using your weapon. If you summon Maneater Mildred let Quelaag go after her so you can get behind her and hack away. When she pets her spider’s head, that means lava vomit is coming, but it also means you have plenty of time to maneuver around back. If you stay too close for too long, Quelaag will release a deadly wide-radius attack. When you see her human form bend down and her spider form curl up, back away!
If you run too far from Quelaag, she’ll perform a leaping attack and hurl lava at you. This is hard to avoid (usually rolling forward underneath her as she flies towards you works) so we don’t suggest you stray too far.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Crossbreed Priscilla
Priscilla is not immediately hostile. In fact, if you talk to her, she offers to take you back to Anor Londo.
Attacking her begins the fight. She’ll immediately turn invisible so watch for Priscilla's footprints in the snow—that will give away her location. Be sure to keep that shield up in case you lose track of her. Get a few attacks in, then roll away. This fight isn't hard - she moves slowly, but has long range thanks to her scythe and does heavy damage. Using Pyromancy force her to reveal herself but the main thing is to stay close and circle around her back to strike.
If you can try and cut off her small tail because it's the only way to obtain a rare and powerful weapons called Priscilla’s Dagger which does a lot of bleed damage.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Demon Firesage
The Demon Firesage bears a striking resemblance to the Asylum Demon from the tutorial area, but he has a few more attacks. The two most annoying abilities in his arsenal are some fire spells. When he plants his spear in the ground, run. This signifies that he's about to use a rather powerful AoE explosion. He does another fire attack that does damage in a frontal cone. Dodging this attack is rather difficult.
When he does a leaping axe attack, roll toward his body and get some hits in. Occasionally he'll fly up into the air and body slam the ground. Use this opportunity to score some free attacks. Get close and stay close, preferably behind to finish the battle quickly. The Firesage Demon does tend to move away from you more often, so keep him on a short leash.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough
This is the first boss encounter where Dark Souls proudly presents its giant middle finger. Two bosses at once, both of which are powerful. Yay! Dragon Slayer Ornstein is agile and does both lightning and physical damage. Executioner Smough, on the other hand, is a bit slower, easy to dodge/outrun but hits super hard. There's no real easy way to approach this fight but it is imperative that you pick one boss and focus on killing him first - once one dies, the other gains full health as well as enhanced abilities:
KillingOrnstein first adds lightning damage to all of Smough's attacks.
KillingSmough first means Ornstein grows bigger in size and strength.
So choose your pain. Either way, expect to get your skull caved in a time or two. Take advantage of the pillars to line of sight attacks. Chip away when the opportunity arises, but expect a lengthy fight.
If you’ve got some humanity to spare, you can summon Solaire of Astora to come help you if you’re alive. His summon symbol is at the top of the short staircase beside the entrance to the boss area. He makes this fight much much easier as he will essentially tank one of the bosses, allowing you to focus on the other. If you prefer real players to AI bots, this is a great fight to try summoning some help from other players.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Four Kings
You must have the Covenant of Artorias ring equipped to access the Abyss, which is where these bosses are housed and the key to this fight is to wear your strongest armor, use your most damaging weapon, and end things as quickly as possible. We recommend equipping your most defensive armor (probably the Havel's set from Anor Londo), as the Four Kings don't hit terribly hard. At the beginning of the fight, only one of the kings will be active. Eventually, all four will be out at once, and they share a health pool.
Their magic abilities are what hurt the most, and they typically only cast them if you're at a distance - so stay up close, attack a king until it dies, then move onto the next. They respawn a little while after being killed, but managing one or two at a time is far easier than all four. The best way to take down an individual king is to put a weapon in both hands, hack away and continue circling as your stamina charges up. Don’t worry about getting hit - as long as you're wearing your best armor, the Kings’ physical attacks won’t do much damage. And if you stay close, they'll just swing wildly, rarely using magic or a grab attack which is obviously telegraphed - that will easily strip half your health if it's lands so don't let your life bar get too low.
Occasionally, one will charge up a spell (usually the one you're attacking) which you can spot from the purple aura in the process. Get your shield up fast as the AoE will hurt far less while blocking. The kings can also use a grab attack.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Gaping Dragon
The easiest way to take on the Gaping Dragon is to try and stick close to the right side of his body, between his two legs. This location allows you to easily dodge his side swipes, and gives you ample time to avoid his stomps. When he flies into the air, move away as to not get crushed. Be prepared to turn and run, as he occasionally vomits a large pool of acid.
If you don’t have the Drake Sword, Gold Pine Resin will add lightning damage to your weapon and help immensely. Whatever you do it's important to attack the tail and cut it off to get theDragon King Greataxe which increases your Magic and Fire defense, and has devastating area of effect damage. As you try and cut off the tail, watch out for the tail swipe attack, which is largely telegraphed. Battlefield 1 hardcore release date. As well as the weapons, once the tail is gone, the battle becomes extremely easy.
Once you have the tail, run far away from the dragon, far enough that it stops walking. It will slam its front end down, which signals that its about to charge. At this point, run around to its rear end. The dragon will eventually charge, but if you are running to the side, he won’t be able to track you. Once the charge stops, put your weapon in both hands and have at his tail stump. When he leaps in the air to turn around, run far away and repeat this process until the boss is defeated. If you summon Solaire to draw the dragon’s attacks this can makes things a lot easier.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Gravelord Nito
You should go into this fight with medium armor for a medium speed roll and Nito is vulnerable to fire, so Pyromancy is a great tool here. This is a pretty brutal fight overall - one of Nito's main abilities is to spew death from his mouth, and within his chamber are several skeletons, some of which are the big brutes that knocked us off ledges in the Tomb of Giants a billion times. Plus Nito is a necromancer, so the trio of skeletons he has with him will revive unless you kill them with a divine weapon.
As soon as you drop into the arena, heal if you've not got anything to negate the fall damage. At the start lure Nito toward the entrance which should let you avoid having to deal with the giant skeletons, though you'll still have to put up with a few of the small fries. Try rolling around until he reaches you, as his magic sword attack can reach you from anywhere in his room, popping up through the floor. It's given away by a scream though so listen out.
Nito himself is fairly easy. He has a few standard sword attacks that hit pretty hard, but aren't difficult to avoid. The problem is that while you're trying to damage him, you'll be taking hits from the skeletons nearby. Oh, and you can get poisoned during the encounter. Get a few hits on Nito and eventually he'll spray death all over, temporarily destroying the skeletons. Quickly get some more hits in before they respawn and heal up whenever the opportunity arises, and he'll be dead in no time.
A good strategy is to use a divine weapon to deal with the trio of skeletons that rushed you, then dance around Nito chucking Pyromancy spells. Just try to stay out of the aggro range of the giant skeletons in the back of the arena. From medium range, all of Nito’s attacks are telegraphed and easily avoidable. If he starts to charge up, however, run far away, for his area of damage attack is massive. Also, if his fist glows, that means he’s going for a grab attack, which has surprising range and tracking and also deals lots of damage.
Another option is to use a strong weapon, equip very heavy armor, apply iron flesh and just rush Nito to hack away. Don't worry to much about blocking with this approach but sill be wary of any area attack.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Great Grey Wolf Sif
Sif's attacks are strong and are sometimes tricky to dodge. You'll want to play it safe. Wait till he finishes a set of attacks, sprint under his body, get a few attacks in, and get out. Don’t worry too much about speed here though, wear enough armor so that you can still do a medium speed roll. Camtasia studio 9 serial key 94fbr software. Learn to read Sif’s attacks, remain a good distance from him and roll away just as he is about to strike. He has a few hits and combos that can be easily read and avoided if you are familiar with them.
You'll especially want to look out for his two-part spin attack. Even if you block the first swing in the attack, it will drain most of your stamina. The second strike is sure to knock out at least half of your health. You can tell he’s about to do this when he switches his grip on the sword in his mouth, even if you can’t avoid it entirely, taking one hit is way better than taking two.
The trick is to roll under Sif’s attacks and attack from underneath. Of course, you can always use spells and Pyromancy from a distance, just be ready for when he leaps at you from far away. A simple combination of rolling and Pyromancy can end this fight very quickly. Another tactic is that once Sif appears, run back to the puddle left of the door through which you entered. If you stay in this corner, there is a good chance Sif will get semi-stuck on the uneven terrain, allowing you to slash at his underside.
This fight is all about patience. Once Sif is below 25% health you’ll notice he starts limping.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Gwyn
Here it is—the final battle. Gwyn is tough. He attacks fast. He hits hard. You'll have to roll to avoid many of his attacks although he is ironically, vulnerable to fire, so Pyromancers should have no problem. Equip some flame resistant armor and a flame resistant shield.
Once the battle begins, Gwyn will always perform a leaping attack. Dodge this, then stay close to him. We found the easiest way to approach him is to constantly be walking backwards with your shield raised. Equip any stamina regeneration gear you might have, because you'll be rolling and blocking a lot. Whenever Gwyn tries to kick or grab you, use that opportunity to get a few hits in, then start backing away. Don't get greedy—trying to land too many hits too soon can easily result in death. When you need to heal up, try and line of sight him around one of the pillars in the cavern.
There are other methods that work, too. Staying close is actually better than backpedaling, as you can read when he’s about to use his grab attack - roll out of the way and use this opportunity to either heal or hit him hard. You can also parry nearly all of Gwyn’s attacks and use a powerful one handed weapon for ripostes. It takes skill, but using smaller shields increase your parry window however a mistimed parry can be disastrous.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Iron Golem
The Iron Golem isn't all that hard, especially if you have spells or Pyromancy - simply get close enough to coax a swing out of the golem, then pelt it with ranged attacks. Alternatively, roll underneath it when it attacks and get in a few melee blows before retreating and repeating.
You can fall off of the platform you're fighting on, so try to keep the boss in the center of the tower. Circle strafe to avoid most of his attacks, and back away when he tries to pick you up. Also, be wary of his stomp attacks. Even if you block his attacks, you’ll slide back quite a ways, so make keep checking you’re not blocking near the edge of the platform. After he takes a bit of damage, he'll be stunned for a while so attack hard then.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Moonlight Butterfly
This fight can be a pain early on. If you don't have access to any spells, we recommend snagging the Longbow from the area between the Darkroot Forest and the Valley of Drakes. Chip away at the creature's health while it's airborne, but pay attention to its magic attacks. It's best to roll dodge its magic when possible, as blocking does little to nullify the damage. At times, the Moonlight Butterfly will land on the ledge. Start slashing away until it charges up a magic spell—when you see it start to glow, get away.
If you’re alive, you can summon an AI companion witch whose long distance spells can be extremely helpful here, especially if you’re a melee character. Her summon symbol is hidden in some grass at the bottom of the tower leading up to the boss’s room.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Pinwheel
Pinwheel throws spells at you while creating mirror images of himself. He's not terribly difficult, just rather annoying. Rush the original Pinwheel and roll under any magic projectiles, then attack with a two handed weapon to max the damage. There’s not much else to add, just.. kill him really and make sure to look for one of the three masks he drops on death - you won't get it automatically.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Seath the Scaleless
The trick to this battle is to get to the rear of Seath's room and destroy his magical crystal thing, otherwise, he regenerates his health. Once that's down, bait him into using his crystal laser beams, then run up close and hit him in the dragon jewels. Be careful, though, as he does have one crystal AoE that can quickly destroy you. When he bows down and starts groaning, run.
Equip the Blood Shield if you have it as it will reduces curse build-up and use light armor so that you can move fast. The main tactic here is to run to one end of the room and coax out his breath attack, then running to his left side and attacking two handed weapon in both hands, or using spells/Pyromancy. Once you get in a few good swings or spells, run away to the other side of the room to avoid his extremely deadly ground-slap attacks
If you can cut off his tail you'll get the Moonlight Greatsword. It’s difficult to reach it after he does his breath attack and before he turns around, so wear light armor and aim for the very tip of the tail. Since he turns quickly, the easiest time to attack is while he's still in stun-lock after destroying the crystal. Lure him to there, and when he's close, either hit the crystal or have him destroy it himself with his breath attack. This should give you the time to get to his tail.
Dark Souls Remastered boss: Taurus Demon
The Taurus Demon is pretty simple. Once he jumps down from his tower, immediately run back behind you to reach the ramparts and a ladder next to a door. Climb up and do a plunging attack on the boss. Lure him away from the ladder, dodge his attacks, then run back up the ladder and repeat. You can also avoid virtually all his attacks by simply rolling between his legs every time he winds up to swing at you. Also use Fireball, Firebombs, or Black Firebombs as the Taurus Demon is very weak to fire.
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