Demon’s Souls was released in 2009 and something about its design struck a deep chord within us. It was a challenging experience and recalled an era when game worlds were merciless and secrets were well hidden. This sense of nostalgia became a worldwide phenomenon when Dark Souls was released. The game would go on to sell nearly 3 million copies. I♉t put From Software firmly in the centre of the mainstream gaming conversation, and revealed the creative genius of Hidetaka Miyazaki.

Much of the success of the Souls series is oweಞd to this man. His unique storytelling approach is integral to these games and his talents as a developer allow his imaginative beasts to appear fully formed on the screen🉐, often to devastating effect.

Boss encounters are some of the most exciting and fully realized moments in Souls games, but also some of the most trying. Occasionally, the level of punishment reaches absurd proportions, and we at TheGamer have assembled the 20 most infuriating bosses, drawn from all available games and their DLC. The challenge of these bosses is only matched by their lore implic🃏ations, and this makes beating them all the more satisfying or, in some cases, tragic. But no matter how maddening, no boss is unbeatable, and all can be defeated with the right amount of patience, skill, and teamwork.

20 Bed Of Chaos (Dark Souls)𒆙

What better boss to start off the list? This fight is a shame, because the Bed Of Chaos is exceptionally🧜 important lore wise. This fiery monstrosity is the Witch Of Izalith, who sought to recreate the majesty of the First Flame. Instead, she created the horrifying Chaos Flame, which spewed demons into the world, destroyed Izalith, and transformed the Witch and her daughters into horrifying forms.

The Bed Of Chaos is really more of a platforming puzzle than a fight, and platforming in Souls games is far from precise. You must dodge her swinging arms and jumpꦆ across gaping chasms to reach her inner sanctum, where a curious worm creature awaits its destruction. One false move can send you careening into the pits and the Bed Of Chaos's movements are heinously sporadic and unpredictable.

19 🦄 Father Gascoigne (Bloodborne) 🍒

This is where Bloodborne gets serious and it's a make or break point for newcomers to the series. Fa꧑ther Gascoigne is furious and deadly, and forces you to manage your inventory carefully and have lightening fast reflexes. The challe𒁃nge is augmented in the second phase, where Gascoigne goes full beast mode and makes mercy a relic of the past.

Thankfully, there are some tricks that can help you get through the fight. First, you can douse him in oil then toss Molotov cocktails at him, which do a significant amount of fire𝓀 damage. You can also use the music box given to you by the little girl earlier in the level. The sound of it paralyzes him, reminding him of his lost humanity of the wife he mindlessly murdered, and leaves him wide open to attacks.

18 A♍ncient🃏 Dragon (Dark Souls II)

Found at the very top of the Dragon Shrine, the Ancient Dragon has a f♋ire breath attack that he uses very liberally. The massive AOE from this move leaves very little room to hide and it can obliterate you in moments. It is very difficult to dodge and requires you to run right to the edge of the ring, then run back again to deal damage to his unguarded legs.

The A⛦ncient Dragon is a curious creature and one that may not be who he seems. It is very likely that he is a creation of Aldia, brother of King Vendrick, who did research on the secrets of life. No matter his origins, the rewards for encountering the Ancient 🎃Dragon are numerous, as you are granted a Giant’s Soul and the Ashen Mist Heart, which lets you access new areas through the memories of giants.

17 🍰 Old Monk (Demon’s Souls) ✅

The Old Monk battle in Demon’s Souls can either be one of mediocre difficulty, or one of the toughest fights in the game, depending on your luck and Internet connectivity. The fight is wholly unique in the Souls series and pits you against other player characters. You may face a serious roadblock as a res𝓡ult of this, for there is no NPC that can replace the cunning of a real human being who wants nothing more than to murder you.

This human element means that no two Old Mink battles are the same. Every player has his or꧙ her own strategy and you may be poisoned, ambushed, or beaten to death with a giant club. The unpredictability of this fight makes it one of the most maddening and shows how the developers are always looking for new ways to challenge their players.

16 The Four Kings🌜 (Dark Souls) ꦦ

The Abyss is one of greatest threats in the Dark Souls mythos and when you first step within it, you are greeted by the Four Kings. The Four Kings were once great men and friends of Lord Gwyn, but were🧜 reduced to subservient hollows when Darkstalker Kaathe tempted them with Lifedrain, a powerful technique that usurps victims of their humanity. Now they stalk the Abyss, and attack all who dare entreat with the💝m.

This fight is one that assaults you from all angles and requires you to be aggressive and persistent. While the first King seems an easy mark, things become much more complicated when hiඣs compatriots arrive and, if you take too long to defeat each King, you will quickly find yourself overwhelmed. Swing your sword fast and true!

15 Mℱaneater (Demon’s Souls)

The Maneater boss fight is deceptively simple at first. You face off against a gargoyle creature that has relatively strong attacks, bu𒅌t nothing too frightful and seems to be going down after a few well-placed hitꦚs. But once his health goes below 80%, things take a turn for the worst, and a second Maneater appears.

This simple, yet devastating twist makes you think on a much broader level. Suddenly you have two foes to deal with, and must split your focus between them equally. Losing track of one can easily be your downfall and the Maneater fight is made even more difficult due to the narrow walkway on which it occurs. The “second boss entering the fray” mechanic was destined to become one of From Software’s favourite fallbacks, and famously reappears for the first time in the Bellfry Gargoyle fight atop the church in Dark Souls.

14 🍸 Ebrietas, Daughter Of The Cosmos (Bloodborne)

The Healing Church discovered Ebrietas, the left behind Great One, in the labyrinth beneath the city and she showed them the true power of the cosmic plane. This inspired the creation of the Choir and they have since delved deep into its mysteries, while making many frightful discoveries. Her blood was part of the church’s 💟blood ministration program and is likely one of the sources of the beastly scourge.

This Lovecraftian horror is a hard hitter and her swinging tentacles and charge attacks will sweep you off your feet, even if you are whittling her health down from the s🌳ide. To make matters worse, she also has an arsenal of arcane spells, which rain down from above and will rapidly put you underground if you don't dodge them fast enough.

13 Old King Allant (Demon’s Souls) ♔

Old King Allant is the demonic doppelganger of the true King Allant, who gave up his kingdom to the Old One in his lust for power. This boss forces you to use all the skills you have acquired throughout you journey in Boletaria. He is fast, ruthless, and hits like a freight train. Even if you are halfway across the room he can cut you in half with his rushing strike, and has an explosion attack that will kill you in a single hit if you don’t get far enough awayꦐ.

There are certain strategies you can employ to defeat the Old King. The Total Protection spell is extremely useful, as it greatly reduces da𓃲mage done to the player. Long-range weapons and hit and run tactics are also highly recommended, for getting caught in Allant’s sword combos will quickly spell your end.

12 Pontiff Sulyvahn (Dark Souls III) ✨

Pontiff Sulyvahn, one of the biggest jerks in the Dark Souls universe, is also one of the most obnoxious bosses to take down. He has two swords, one wreathed in the flame and one in dark, and he swings these relentlessly to smash throug♓h your defences. To make matters worse he summons a phantom of himself during the latter half of the fight, once again forcing you to take on two enemies at the same time.

Pontiff Sulyvahn was born in the Painted World and, upon leaving he spread misery to Anor Londo and The Boreal Valley, he overtook what remained of the royal family, named himself Pontiff, and fed Darksun Gwyndolin to Aldritch The Devourer. He is 🐻also responsible for creating the beastly outrider knights, who assault us in unexpected corners throughout our journey in Lothric.

11 🦹 Smelter Demon (Dark Souls II)

High up in the Iron Keep you wil♉l find the la💞ir of the Smelter Demon. This monster was formed out a mass of iron that was given a soul, and was strong enough to kill Old Iron King himself.

The Smelter Demon’s attacks are crushing and the arena you face him in is tiny. As the fight goes on, his inner flames ignite to deal passive damage at close range and he imbues his sword with fire. There is some hope in the form of a summon outside the fog gate and, though Lucatiel of Mirrah doesn't put up much of a fight, she’s great for distracting the monster so you can get in a few hits. Aside from that, be sure to alw🅺ays dodge to the left and wear fire resistant gear!