7 hardest boss fights in Lords of the Fallen

Lords of the Fallen has finally been released and players seem impressed by the title's brilliant boss designs. Lords of the Fallen is a brand new AAA Soulslike that is a remake of the 2014 game of the same name. While the 2014 original fell flat and was not received well, CI Games has provided eager fans with an experience that can rival top-tier Soulslike games in the genre.

Developed on the Unreal Engine 5, Lords of the Fallen boasts gorgeous visuals, an exceptional world design, and brutal enemies. With new mechanics added to the classic Soulslike formula, Lords of the Fallen sets itself apart providing a balanced experience that feels polished and fully realised. While the game does disappoint in some sections, it is an easy recommendation for any Souls fan willing to dive deep into the world of Lords of the Fallen.

Lords of the Fallen have an incredible variety of bosses and encounters with them feel unique as players have to come to grips with their moveset. The combat system is easy to pick up but hard to master with the parry and Wither mechanics. This list takes a look at 7 of the most challenging fights that players will encounter in Lords of the Fallen.

Note: This list contains spoilers for Lords of the Fallen. Reader discretion is advised.

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7 incredibly hard bosses in Lords of the Fallen

1) Judge Cleric, the Radiant Sentinel

A heavenly ordinance, Judge Cleric (image by CI Games)

First encountered as an NPC, the Judge Cleric boss fight is easily one of the more challenging encounters in Lords of the Fallen. Elden Ring fans will be quick to notice some similarities between Judge Cleric and Commander Niall, a boss in Elden Ring.

Judge Cleric is a two-phase boss fight where players have to defeat both her radiant and dark phases. This fight is not optional and will have to be completed in order to progress the story. Judge Cleric wields a spear in one hand and carries a longsword in the other. The spear provides her immense reach so players will have to attack from a certain distance to maintain pressure on her.

As the fight goes on, she will use ranged and AOE attacks. Her second phase follows the same fundamentals as the first one and she can be defeated by players exercising patience.

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2) Lightreaper

Stalker on wings (Image by CI Games)

Although Lightreaper is technically a tutorial boss, he pops up during different parts of the player's journey. Players aren't expected to defeat the boss the first time they encounter the Lightreaper, who appears riding a dragon. This boss stalks the player on their journey attempting to steal away their Umbral lamp, hence the name.

The Lightreaper boss fight is comparatively straightforward. Avoid the swooping dives from the dragon. The beast's fire breath attack can be accomplished by dodging inward and to the side respectively. Since the dismounted Lightreaper is a devastating close-quarters combatant, players have to maintain distance from the two blades he wields and have to think on their feet for a chance at an opening.

The Lightreaper boss fight is one of the more spectacle-oriented fights in the game but is just as challenging as the others.

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3) Tancred and Reinhold

Reinhold, the Immured (image by CI Games)

Tancred, master of Catignations, and Reinhold, the Immured, are brothers bound together by a mysterious curse. This boss fight is not optional and players are required to beat these brothers to progress the story. The player first encounters Tancred in the Tower of Penance and this first phase of the fight is relatively straightforward.

Players have to be wary of this boss' off-hand shield which deals a ton of damage as he slams it into the ground or uses it to bash the player away. The most important aspect of this fight is keeping focused and not using a ton of consumables.

The second phase is significantly harder than the first. Out of the corpse of Tancred, rises Reinhold and is highly reminiscent of the enemy design in Bloodborne. His fighting style is violent and beast-like. Staying in front of Tancred in this fight can spell doom and players are advised to keep circling the boss and attack from the sides or the back.

The boss also has a ton of AOE slam attacks plus a beam attack that can cause major damage. Although this boss fight is challenging, it is also one of the best in Lords of the Fallen.

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4) Sundered Monarch

Sundered Monarch's prayer and flame (image by CI games)

As with most bosses in Soulslike games, they tend to mirror enemy designs from other titles. This fight against the Sundered Monarch will remind players of Father Ariandel in the Dark Souls 3 DLC - Ashes of Ariandel. As players enter the arena, they will encounter the Sundered Monarch who is kneeling and praying to a statue. The player has control of their character and can land a few free hits at the start.

The start of the actual boss encounter begins right after the cutscene where the Sundered Monarch is enraged by players tickling their feet. The Sundered Monarch is a colossal enemy that uses a wide array of unpredictable AOE attacks and slams. As with all colossal bosses, players must watch and learn their enemy's highly telegraphed movesets which have wide openings.

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5) Congregator of Flesh

A grotesque sight (image by CI Games)

The Congregator is another colossal enemy on this list that provides players with a tough challenge. This boss can be encountered in the Forsaken Fen as players make their way across a rope bridge. The Congregator of Flesh is a grotesque boss that uses poison attacks to deal damage over time.

This boss fight is mainly challenging due to the sheer size of the foe. There are a lot of ways this fight can end badly for the player but the most common consequence is usually poison buildup. Players are advised to purchase antidotes from the NPC standing to the right before they drop into the fight.

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6) Harrower Dervla, Pledged Knight and The Unbroken Promise

The two-phase Harrower Dervla and Unbroken Promise boss fight (image by CI Games)

Much like the Tancred and Reinhold boss fight, Harrower Dervla and the Unbroken Promise is a two-phase boss fight where the player must learn wildly different movesets in order to progress. Similar to Tancred, the first phase of the boss fight is straightforward, with Harrower Dervla wielding a greatsword and an enchanted crossbow. Arguably the biggest thing to take note of during this phase is that the crossbow can catch players off guard with ease.

The Unbroken Promise fight is triggered when the player depletes the Pledged Knight's entire health bar. The Unbroken Promise fight is harder and takes a monstrous approach when dealing with the player character. This fight is all about knowing when to attack and when to back off. The biggest thing to keep track of are the two giant nails controlled by the boss which can deal huge damage.

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7) Pieta, She of Blessed Renewal

Pieta's sacred oath (image by CI Games)

One of the first proper challenges in Lords of the Fallen, Pieta is a mandatory boss that players will encounter at the Abandoned Redcopse. This boss fight is incredibly satisfying to learn as Pieta teaches the player a ton of fundamentals to combat in Lords of the Fallen. This boss has two phases, with the first being where she attacks the player with her greatsword. Pieta then transitions to a winged form after depleting about 1/3rd of her health bar.

The first phase can be trivialized with precise parry timings and she can be riposted. The real meat of the fight occurs in the second phase as Pieta often keeps retreating to safer positions. Players will have to manage the distance and get to Pieta before she bombards them with ranged Radiant attacks. She also has illusory images that she uses at range. This boss fight is Lords of the Fallen's first mandatory skill check.

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Boss fights in Soulslike games have always been a spectacle to witness. Lords of the Fallen takes valuable lessons learnt from the 2014 release and improves on this ten-fold. Lords of the Fallen is available to play on the PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Microsoft Windows.