Demon’s Souls Bosses Order: All Mandatory And Optional Bosses

The tutorial of Demon’s Souls teaches you the basics of the game and will see you explore a relatively short area before coming face-to-face with your first, Vanguard, a demon with grey skin and spikes, a pair of small wings, and a giant axe. Most players will immediately die when facing the Vanguard, as the game intends, but you can face the boss again later on in the Shrine Of Storms area.

Phalanx is the first boss you’ll face in Demon’s Souls and was an enemy that appeared in Dark Souls. The boss is accessed after unlocking the giant entrance gate of Boletarian Palace by pulling two levers. The boss is a strange blob that is surrounded by dozens of Hoplites enemies possessing shields and blocking you from attacking Phalanx. To access and defeat the boss, you’ll need to get through several Hoplites, all of which are weak to fire, including the boss to access Phalanx and defeat the boss.

The Tower Knight is the second boss of the Boletarian Palace world and, as suggested by its name, is a large knight. The boss wields a lance and heavy shield, and above it on the battlement, are several bowmen that fire arrows at you. It’s generally a good idea to take out the bowmen and then concentrate on defeating the Tower Knight. The boss can easily be defeated by attacking his shins or using magic if possible.

Penetrator is the third boss of the Boletarian Palace world and likely a boss you’ll face later in the game. The boss is another knight, but possesses the Penetrating Sword that can unleash dangerous attacks. Fighting Penetrator can be difficult, but the pillars within the boss arena can be used as cover. If you’ve found and saved Biorr, he can help in taking out Penetrator quickly.

Old King Allant is the final boss of the Boletarian Palace world. Old King Allant, known as the False King because the boss is a demon made in King Allant’s image, serves as the penultimate or ultimate boss of the game depending on your actions, and is arguably one of the most difficult bosses to defeat. Old King Allant possesses the Demonbrandt and can perform a series of devastating attacks, as well as a Soulsucking attack that drains an entire soul level from you. Once you’ve defeated Old King Allant, you’ll still have one small area to explore.

Armour Spider is the first boss of the Stonefang Tunnel area. As hinted at by its name, the Armour Spider is a gigantic spider covered in armour. The boss is resistant to fire, can shoot fireballs and lava, and it can shoot web that slows you down and leaves you susceptible to attacks. Many players have issues with Armour Spider due to the tight boss arena and dangerous, persistent attacks. The fight can be particularly difficult if you lack fire defence.

Flamelurker is a fire demon located directly past Armour Spider and deep into a pit past several centipede-like enemies. The demon is resistant to fire and magic, meaning the fight heavily depends on melee attacks, which can prove difficult for anyone who’s working with alternative builds. However, there are several pillars that can be used for brief cover.

The Dragon God boss is the final boss of the Stonefang Tunnel area and can be accessed immediately after defeating Flamelurker. Dragon God is the creature that appears in the opening cutscene of Demon’s Souls and can actually be encountered after defeating the Vanguard boss in the tutorial, although it always kills you. The Dragon God boss is less of a fight and more a puzzle, as it requires you to stealthily move around the boss arena, sneaking between pillars and destroying rubble to access two ballistae, which are used to injure the boss before you provide a final blow to the horn.

The Fool’s Idol is the first main boss of the Tower Of Latria world and, similarly to the Dragon God, is more of a puzzle. The Fool’s Idol is a witch-like boss that shoots spells, leaves symbols that stun you on the ground, and creates clones of herself. The boss can be defeated pretty easily, but cannot be killed until you’ve killed the Prisoner that continually revives her. Once you’ve killed him, you’ll need to defeat the Fool’s Idol to complete the boss and move onto the next level.

Maneater is the second boss of the Tower Of Latria world, found at the top of a spiral staircase. The Maneater boss fight requires you to take on two human-animal hybrid beasts, with the second appearing once you’ve chipped away enough of the first creature’s health. This boss fight is notable for its difficulty, mostly due to the small boss arena that you can easily fall from when trying to dodge Maneaters’ attacks.

The Old Monk is the final boss of the Tower Of Latria world, and the fight is an unusual one. To access the fight, you’ll need to climb a series of stairs beside the Ivory Tower archstone. Once you reach the top, a cutscene will play in which the Old Monk summons either another player if playing online or an AI-generated enemy. The fight simply requires you to take out the phantom and once defeated, the Old Monk will automatically be killed.

The Adjudicator is the first main boss of the Shrine Of Storms world. The Adjudicator is an obese demon with a long tongue with a bird perched atop his head. The only way to damage the Adjudicator is by attacking the bird, which is great for ranged players. For melee players, patience is required to attack the Adjudicator at precise moments.

The Old Hero boss can be found past several dangerous Storm Beasts, Skeletons, Reapers, and reviving Shadowlurkers. Like a majority of the other Demon’s Souls bosses, the Old Hero boss fight incorporates puzzle elements. Old Hero is a legendary hero that has been brought to life but is now blind, which means he struggles to find you. There are several ways to make the fight easier for you; using silencing spells, miracles, and rings or simply taking off your characters’ shoes to silence their movement.

Storm King is the final boss of the Shrine Of Storms world. Accessible immediately from the Old Hero boss archstone, the Storm King boss fight requires you to find and use a unique weapon found only within the arena. You’ll need to dodge deadly attacks to reach the weapon – thankfully you’ll only have to do this once – and will have to work out how to use it to defeat the Storm King and all Storm Beasts. The Storm Beasts all respawn whenever you return to the area after defeating the Storm King, and the boss arena is one of Demon’s Souls’ best farming spots.

Leechmonger is the nauseating first boss of the dreaded Valley Of Defilement world. The fight begins once you’ve made your way through the Depraved Chasm and its rickety wooden platforms. The fight takes place in a basin filled with poisoned water. Leechmonger attacks with leeches, slamming them into you when close and shooting balls of leeches when you’re far or above him in the ramparts.

Dirty Colossus is the second boss of the Valley of Defilement and is accessed by making your way through the Swamp Of Sorrow, which is filled with tough Depraved enemies and knee-high poisoned water. A demon comprised of filth, Dirty Colossus can quickly be defeated with magic, fire or melee attacks, as long as you’re able to avoid his attacks and flies, which continually chip away at your health and do a lot of damage.   

Maiden Astraea is the final boss of the Valley Of Defilement. Maiden Astraea helps the sickened inhabitants of the Valley and is guarded by Garl Vinland. Defeating Maiden Astraea requires you to either kill her via ranged attacks or by defeating her bodyguard first, easily done with magic or by baiting his attacks and striking whenever there are openings. Once Garl Vinland has been defeated (Drops 16,750 Souls, the Crest of Vinland, and Bramd), you’re free to take on Maiden Astraea, just be aware of her God’s Wrath miracle attack and the poisonous water you’ll need to wade through to get to her.

King Allant is the Demon’s Souls final boss. Once you’ve been transported to the Nexus and have entered the Old One, you’ll be required to kill a deformed King Allant, which can be done quickly with a few quick spells or melee attacks. Once done, you’ll have the option to trigger the game’s good or bad ending, done by either exiting the Nexus or killing the Maiden in Black.