Ranking: The 10 Best Soulslike Bosses

Souls-Like games are known for their unforgiving approach to difficulty and intricate level design. Among notable titles such as Dark Souls 1, 2 and 3, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro and Elden Ring, epic battles and unforgettable bosses emerge, which not only test players' technical skill, but also contribute to a rich and immersive narrative.

Today, we rank the 10 best and most memorable bosses from the Soulslike games!

10- Isshin (Sekiro)

Like the other bosses in Sekiro, this fight balances the level of difficulty, precision and atmosphere. Unlike most fights, this one has more than two stages, making it a little more difficult than usual.

Furthermore, the encounter with it becomes fantastic due to each of its phases. Initially defeating Genichiro to free Isshin. The fight continues in a flowery field to the sound of an epic soundtrack, where each cutting movement of the opponent sends sparks, leaves and waves of wind flying across the entire scene.

Lightning begins to fall across the arena as we progress in the battle, each time falling closer to the protagonist, and joining Isshin's powerful, devastating blows. Therefore, this fight could not be left out of our top 10.

9- Darkeater Midir (Dark Souls 3)

The entire Ringed City DLC appears to be designed to build the colossal and grandiose figure that this dragon is. His giant size, which makes it easier to defeat several other bosses, is an exception here, as Midir moves frantically and executes combos that most of the time become fatal.

Despite suffering more damage from blows to the head, hitting him in this region is a challenge in itself, as he has bite attacks, in addition to frequently launching jets of fire.

His story is simple and short. Gwin gave the order for this dragon to fight against the abyss, in yet another of the Lord's attempts against the abyss, that had already flooded a city in this endeavor and even sent Artorias there.

When we meet Shira in the Dark Souls 3 DLC, she comments that she knows a dragon that needs rest and, for that, she would need to find someone stronger than him, so it's up to us, to put an end to Midir's eternal mission of facing the abyss.

8- Artorias (Dark Souls)

For a ranking like this, many elements are called into question: mechanics, Lore, music, setting, difficulty. The fight against Artorias manages to convey all the suffering and weight of the story of this knight, who fails in his journey to defeat Manus, loses his shield and breaks his arm in the process of protecting his faithful companion, Sif.

While exploring the Dark Souls DLC, you will come across him on the way to the abyss where, in the future, you can face Manus. The fight with Artorias takes place in a place similar to a coliseum while epic music, worthy of a final battle, plays, referring to the entire history that this knight lived.

Now an empty being, his movements reflect his soul. Cutting and powerful blows, but always with the body moving like an undead. After receiving each blow, you can almost feel him asking to end his misery and pain.

7- Ancient Dragon (Dark Souls 2)

Despite being an optional boss in Dark Souls 2, Ancient Dragon becomes a challenge in itself for players. Facing a giant dragon that can defeat most players in one hit just becomes an achievement when defeating it.

Resting at the Dragon Shrine, his battle begins when the player provokes him, and he will spare no energy to kill them. With claw strikes, fire blasts and even bites make this a very exciting battle.

6- Old Monk (Demon's Souls)

In the first version of Demon’s Souls, most players did not know the grandeur and secret behind what would be just another common boss fight. But due to less predictable and even human blows, players realized that they were not fighting against an AI, but against another player.

Knowing that you would be facing another player is what makes Old Monk always different and challenging. Fighting a boss that could be controlled by anyone around the world guarantees an extra thrill and the feeling of overcoming by defeating another fan of the franchise.

5- Ludwig (Bloodborne)

Ludwig was the first of many hunters to emerge, many of whom were clergy. Under Ludwig's leadership, the church formed its own hunters, trained to combat the plague.

He utilized a mystical sword he had discovered, allowing him to channel the abyssal cosmos. Although respected, Ludwig faced opposition from detractors who considered him a degenerate. Eventually, he succumbed to bloodlust, transforming into a terrifying creature. He became trapped in the Hunter's Nightmare, lost himself to the blood, and his rage resulted in the creation of a river of blood flowing through the Nightmare.

His fight is divided into two stages, where the first we face his initial cursed version. Upon entering the arena we can see Ludwig, a mixture of creature rotting in his own thirst, a decadent being who has lost his dignity. The soundtrack, as previously mentioned, tells the story of this creature that was once a powerful hunter a long time ago.

Upon arriving at the second stage of the fight, we are treated to a CG showing Ludwig holding the Moonlight Blade, we see him gain a last sigh of dignity, returning to his origins as a hunter, remembering his attacks with cunning.

4- Lady Maria (Bloodborne)

Maria's beauty reflects her skill in fighting with her memorable Rakuyo blade, while she wields her weapon, Evelyn, in her other hand.

Fighting in the Astral Clock, to the sound of a theme with agitated violins, sounds of bells and a choir with a Latin chant telling part of Lady Maria's story with the following phrase:

"Deceived hunter

Forced to feel the evil, to feel the pain

An act of violence and wandering blasphemers

They go hunting when asked to fight and die"

Being one of the first hunters, she was a pupil of Gerhman, the first hunter and during a trip to Byrgenwerth, Maria was forced to learn about the mutation experiments that were being carried out on the people of the village. Forced to go against her own morals to collaborate with the experiment on Kos' body.

Her story is revealed in a soundtrack during a battle in an open environment with a beautiful clock in the background, fast and precise movements of blades that cut through the scene like a deadly dance where, if the player makes a mistake, it will cost their character's life. With all these elements, it is impossible not to mention one of Bloodborne's most beloved characters and her epic battle.

3- Malenia (Elden Ring)

Elden Ring has several legendary bosses such as Radhan, Elden Beast and others, but Malenia is a huge stand-out. Until we reach the place of the fight, we go through the entire tree that her brother created, we are immersed in that utopia that they both would like to create.

When she starts to fight, we see her guarding her defenseless brother, wearing her beautiful golden armor that resembles a valkyrie. As soon as we take control of the character, she doesn't rush forward, on the contrary, she walks towards us with grace and calm, showing her experience in battle and that this won't be an easy fight.

Her movements are precise and light, like dancing in a ballet across a river, reflecting everything Malenia learned from her master. The soundtrack truly completes this true work of art in the form of battle.

2- Soul of Cinder (Dark Souls 3)

Everything about the last battle of Dark Souls 3 makes it epic and memorable. The entire journey to his arena reminds us of several moments from Dark Souls 1 and 3, in addition to which we go up a silent path, without enemies, to show that there is nothing more than that next challenge: defeating the lord of flames.

After Gwin, who was the first lord, there were several others, such as the Chosen Undead from Dark Souls, for example. Soul of Cinder is neither the Gwin nor the Chosen: he is a manifestation of all the lords who have existed. We can see this through all the weapons scattered around the arena, their movements that combine all the styles that we have already seen in previous lords, and which we must have used in the first game of the franchise.

To make it even more memorable and beautiful, the soundtrack is a remix of an original theme added to Gwin's theme from the first game. The boss wields the sword that we see most in all the games in the franchise: the Bonfire sword, burning in the splendor of its flames in a warrior-to-warrior battle, balanced, challenging and enchanting.

1- Ornstein & Smough (Dark Souls)

There isn't a player who has played Dark Souls and doesn't remember the first time they came across Ornstein and Smough. We suffered horrors to cross the deadly falls, soulless archers and invasion after invasion throughout Anor Londo.

When we come across the giant fog that guards the boss of the area, we think twice about whether we should be prepared for what we are going to face, and most of the time, we are not.

The cutscene introduces our opponents: Ornstein, a dexterous, slender and fast knight who wields a spear. This, who was one of Gwin's right-hand men, was considered the greatest dragon slayer ever known. Smough is the opposite of his companion, with a burly physique, large and wielding a powerful hammer, but with attacks as powerful as Ornstein.

We try to focus on one of our opponents in the arena, it is spacious and has several pillars that can be used to help us. However, they always manage to surround us in a two-on-one fight. The violence of Smough's blows destroys the pillars we use as refuge, and Ornstein's speed, most of the time, ends up making us get stabbed in the back.

We will be defeated over and over again, we can ask Solaire for help, which makes the fight a lot easier for beginners. The soundtrack, with frantic drums in the background, sounds like a march to war that at certain moments stops to give way to string instruments and returning to the attack of aggressive melodies and harmonies, showing the contrast of this fight. The balance of good against evil, light against dark, powerful against agile, violent against graceful.

When we defeat one of our executioners, we are surprised again, as the one who remains will absorb the power of the fallen one. If Ornstein is defeated first, Smough absorbs his power, becoming faster and more agile, otherwise, Ornstein consumes Smough's power, becoming even more merciless and deadly.

Any mistake leads us to certain death, and each damage we inflict on bosses brings us satisfaction and excitement as we hope not to miss the next attack.

Which fights are the most epic and memorable have a personal bias and vary according to the time, emotion and period we are living in, but here we seek to remind you of the fights that many may consider the best in From Software's franchises.

But for you, what are the most epic fights or those that marked your life the most? It's even worth commenting on games from other franchises!

Also check out The 10 Best Bosses from Final Fantasy XVI!