5 hardest bosses from Dark Souls lll, ranked

Dark Souls III is the final game in the Dark Souls series and for many, is the best in the trilogy. Dark Souls III brought an end to the age of fire and ended the series in a spectacular finale.

Ramping up the difficulty curve, improving upon the gameplay, and adding new weapon arts were some improvements made by Dark Souls III, many of which carried over to FromSoftware’s next big Souls title, Elden Ring. Another change introduced in the game was to make the bosses harder, faster, and stronger, leading to players simultaneously having a great and frustrating time.

While there are 26 bosses in the base game and DLC, some of them are far superior to others. This ranked feature will look at five of the hardest bosses from Dark Souls III and rank them based on the challenges that they pose.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.

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Ranked: 5 topmost difficult bosses from Dark Souls III

1) Abyss Watchers

As Dark Souls III takes place many years after Dark Souls, many elements of the first game are alluded to here. One such bit of lore is that of the Artorias of the Abyss, whose legacy has been carried on by an army of warriors known as the Abyss Watchers.

However, at the end of the area known as Farron Keep, you will come across these soldiers in a state of undead, fighting amongst themselves, corrupted by the Abyss just like Artorias before them. While this boss fight starts simple enough, with you facing only one of these warriors, things quickly take a turn for the worse as another gets up and starts attacking you.

This is eventually remedied by another Abyss Watcher being reanimated, who starts fighting the other two. But like most Souls bosses, it is the second phase you need to watch out for. Once the first health bar is depleted, one of the Watchers consumes the souls of its fallen brethren and attacks you with their combined might and a fresh new health bar.This boss has two health bars, which is a running trend in Dark Souls III.

Point of note: While Atrorias featured as the hardest boss in my Dark Souls boss rankings, the Abyss Watchers are in the lowest spot for the game, despite being very similar. This should give you an indication of how Dark Souls III is in comparison to the first game.

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4) Lothric, Younger Prince

Lothric, Younger Prince is the final boss of Dark Souls III before you face the Soul of Cinder, which is more of a grand finale than a boss. And yet, the name Lothric, Younger Prince is a misnomer as you will not be fighting him till the second phase, and instead, take on his older brother Lorian in mostly melee combat.

Lorian does not fight fair as, despite being a young fellow, he is twice the size of the player character and wields a similarly large sword. Along with his melee attacks, he can also teleport and unleash a health bar decimating divine strike immediately after he gets out of sight.

Defeat Lorian and Lothric finally joins the fight, climbing onto his brother’s back and giving him backseat magic support. In this phase, if you are not careful about whom you’re hitting, Lothric can revive Lorian a second time, so remember to take out the squishy glass cannon first.

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3) Nameless King

Probably the hardest boss in the game, the Nameless King can be found in the optional area of Archdragon Peak. It is ridiculously difficult to wrap your head around this fight as the two phases are completely different and it is impossible to optimize your gear for both at the same time. So it all comes down to skill.

First, you will have to defeat the oversized chicken/dragon-creature known as the King of the Storm, which the Nameless King arrives on. This can be done relatively easily as long as you have the attacks down to a T and are also quite an expert at wrestling with the camera.

In the second phase, you take a shot at the King, and if it is your first time, you are probably going to end up dead. Adjusting to his hard-hitting melee attacks after taking on a dragon is jarring, and it is this adjustment period that is where most people struggle with. The way to do this fight is to think less and let your Dark Souls III reflexes kick in.

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2) Darkeater Midir

This is another optional boss fight, this time in the Ringed City DLC. Midir’s final encounter can be found after a series of convoluted steps, so if you have never found him in your playthrough, consider yourself lucky. This honking big dragon has the highest health pool of any bosses in Dark Souls III and is one of the hardest-hitting ones too.

This thing has a dangerous moveset that includes claw swipes, bites, and a variety of fire-breath attacks which it can mix in with some melee moves. By far its most dangerous weapon is the atomic breath-like attack that is apparently inspired by Shin Godzilla.

In its second phase, Midir gets even more volatile, is more aggressive, and calls upon the Abyss to use dark attacks. Thankfully, this boss only has one health bar, because just chipping that down while not getting killed and running out of Estus is a battle of attrition.

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1) Sister Friede

Sister Fride is the hardest boss in Dark Souls III. She serves as the final boss of the DLC Ashes of Ariandel, and for good reason. She might not look intimidating, being about the same stature as the player character, if not smaller, but her lithe movements and quick attacks feel like she stepped in from Bloodborne.

Her first health bar is simple enough; don’t get hit and attack opportunistically. However, in her second phase, she is joined by the hulking figure of Father Ariandel. As they both try to kill you, one using fire and the other using ice, you might wonder if you’re stuck in a bad interpretation of a Robert Frost poem.

Struggle through this arduous battle by finishing off the combined health bar, and you’ll be rewarded with a Titanite Slab, and the realization that the fight isn’t over yet.

Frieda rises from death once more, now wielding a new weapon and a new health bar bearing the title Black Flame Frieda. That’s right, three health bars because it's Dark Souls III, and it just wants to make you cry.