5 toughest early-game bosses in Lords of the Fallen

With titles like Lies of P, Star Wars Jedi Survivors, and, most recently, Hexworks' Lords of the Fallen, 2023 has been an excellent year for Soulslike games fans. But what makes a good Soulslike game? While fans of this genre appreciate story and soundtracks, fun and challenging boss battles have always been key to games of this genre.

Lords of the Fallen, the sequel to a 2014 game of the same name, provides a plethora of powerful enemies to take down and prove your supremacy over them. When released in 2014, the prequel didn't try to hide its influences, with several of its mechanics explicitly inspired by Dark Souls.

Let's look at some of the challenging foes you will face early in the game, both story bosses, as well as optional ones.

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Challenging foes you will face early on in Lords of the Fallen.

1) Pieta, She of Blessed Renewal

The first real challenge you will face (Image via Hexworks)

Pieta, She of Blessed Renewal, is the first real challenge one will face in Lords of the Fallen. Her arsenal consists of melee and ranged attacks and offers a test for players to master the game's mechanics. You must be precise with your parries and dodges if you don't want to die at her hands.

To crank things up a notch, Pieta also has a second battle phase, which starts once you have done significant damage to her. In this mode, she will fly and summon clones at times to take your life. Be quick on your feet if you want to best her.

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2) Gentle Gaverus, Mistress of Hounds

Gentle Gaverus runs away when you get close to her (Image via Hexworks)

Gentle Gaverus is one of the main story bosses in Lords of the Fallen. When she is by herself, she is not challenging, but as the name suggests, she is not alone while you face her. Gaverus sets her hounds on you and tests your ability to efficiently handle multiple enemies.

Besides ordering her hounds to attack you, Gentle Gaverus also shoots at you from a distance. If you get close to her, she will try to run away by jumping away from you or using her smoke bombs. Sometimes, she will even use a sword to attack you, so be careful.

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3) Ruiner

A Soulslike game is incomplete without a boss fight on a bridge (Image via Hexworks)

This towering monstrosity, Ruiner, stands on Fitzroy's Gorge's bridge in Lords of the Fallen. He hits hard, making this confrontation even more scary because the bridge is narrow with limited space on it. He also employs fire spells against you, so stay quick on your feet.

Ruiner also has a lot of armor in his front, so it is recommended to attack him from behind. Another thing that can help you against this boss is armor sets with physical and fire resistance.

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4) Crimson Rector Percival

This elegant-looking boss is ready to destroy you if given the chance (Image via Hexworks)

Crimson Rector Percival is one of the optional bosses in Lords of the Fallen and offers the players quite a bit of challenge. He might not look dangerous as he does not have a towering stature like many of the other bosses. However, do not take him lightly. He will use Radiance and Holy attacks to deal with you.

Percival strikes you with a combination of rapid sword attacks and summoning spirits. You must deflect his blows and wait for the right opportunity to stun him in order to do heavy damage to him. He's a fun boss to tackle since he puts your parrying skills to the test.

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5) The Lightreaper

The Lightreaper is an optional boss you can find in the game (Image via Hexworks)

You can face the Lightreaper three times during Lords of the Fallen's campaign. The first time will be during the prologue, where he is the boss you need to face. However, you have little chance against him since you are under-geared. The second time you meet him, he will ride a dragon to face you. This time, you can find him at the end of Fitzroy's Gorge. If you fail here, there is a third time you can challenge him.

The final time will be in Upper Calrath Plaza. This fight is similar to the prior one in many ways, except that he is faster and more aggressive this time. The Lightreaper will repeatedly try to incinerate you with his dragon, so be fast to avoid the torrent of fire his dragon may pour down on you.