Getting through any of Demon's Souls' challenging levels is difficult enough as it is, but players won't have long to celebrate their accomplishments as they'll soon be beset upon by a towering boss. These bosses each offer unique challenges, and while they are all challenging in some way, there are definitely certain ones that are tougher than others. When ranking these bosses, it's important to take into account their innate difficulty, and to dismiss any unintended cheese strategies that make the boss fight trivial. There's a way to cheese every boss in Demon's Souls, so taking these strategies into account would make for a boring tier list.
As veterans of Demon's Souls likely already know, the game features a non-linear story progression. Players can theoretically complete the fifth Archstone before they even hunt down the Tower Knight. The only exceptions to this are the Phalanx, which must be fought first; the Penetrator, which can't be fought until after the player has an Archdemon Soul, and the final boss of the game, which naturally must be fought last. This boss will be discussed in greater detail ahead, so players wanting to avoid spoilers for the end of the game should turn back now.
Demon's Souls S Tier Bosses - The Hardest Bosses
- Old King Allant (False King Allant)
- Flamelurker
- Maneaters
The S Tier bosses in Demon's Souls are those that can't be beaten by relying on gimmicks, as these battles are pure tests of skill. It should come as no surprise to anyone that Old King Allant, also called False King Allant, tops the tier list in S Rank. As the final challenge that players must face, he's meant to be incredibly difficult to defeat, and he lives up to that purpose. Even after beating all other bosses in the game, Old King Allant will be a real challenge for players.
The Flamelurker often contests Old King Allant as the hardest boss, so it's fitting that it would also be S Tier. This fight seems to be an archetype for the future of Dark Souls boss battles, as it is both agile and deadly. If players aren't ready to deal with its fire damage, this fight will be brutal. The Maneaters make this tier almost solely because they are the only two on one boss fight in the game. Their narrow boss arena and high knockback don't make things any easier, however.
Demon's Souls - A Tier Bosses
- Penetrator
- Maiden Astraea and Garl Vinland
- Old Hero
A Tier bosses represent challenges that are difficult to overcome without a lot of determination but not entirely impossible. The toughest boss in this tier is the Penetrator, defender of the King's Tower. This boss is similar to S Tier bosses like Old King Allant and the Flamelurker, but it's slow and predictable moves make it a bit easier to deal with. Maiden Astraea and Garl Vinland are unique as players can effectively choose which boss they want to fight, but both are difficult and the boss arena provides a unique challenge int the form of plague. Finally, the Old Hero is an incredibly fast and powerful enemy, but can be defeated much easier once players realize he is blind.
Demon's Souls - B Tier Bosses
- Old Monk
- Dragon God
- Vanguard Demon
Though it may seem strange to see two of the game's five Archdemons in B Tier, there's a good reason for it. B Tier bosses are only difficult because of certain gimmicks that make them harder or other restrictions placed on the player. The Old Monk can be the hardest boss in the game if players are invaded by a skilled player, but this can be bypassed by fighting the boss offline.
Along a similar vain, the Dragon God will give new players a major headache, but those that know the trick to avoiding his gaze will have an easy time defeating this boss as it's really more of a puzzle. Finally, the Vanguard Demon itself is easy, but when players encounter it in the tutorial they are at a huge disadvantage without anything other than their starting gear and stats. More likely than not, this boss will one shot the player before they get a chance to do anything about it.
Demon's Souls - C Tier Bosses
- Armor Spider
- Tower Knight
- Phalanx
- Fool's Idol
C Tier bosses are relatively easy to defeat, and it typically isn't terribly difficult to figure out their weaknesses. Admittedly, the Armor Spider could easily be ranked much higher in difficulty, but it does sit at the top of this tier. Beneath it are the Tower Knight and Phalanx, some of the earliest bosses of the game, as players should have an easy time discovering how to beat them. In the case of the Tower Knight, he can be knocked over, and the Phalanx is incredibly weak to fire damage. Finally, the Fool's Idol is easy for ranged builds, but it can be difficult to figure out which of its copies are real.
Demon's Souls - D Tier Bosses - The Easiest Bosses
- Storm King
- Dirty Colossus
- Leechmonger
- Adjudicator
D Tier bosses are very easy because there's a built in way for players to defeat them regardless of build or skill level. At the top of this tier is actually one of the five Archdemons in the game and the boss of the Fourth Archstone. The Storm King fight is a visual spectacle, but it's easy to defeat with the Storm Ruler weapon.
The Dirty Colossus has the potential to be a tough boss, but it's so slow and predictable that even beginners will handle this fight with ease. The Leechmonger's only saving grace is that it regenerates, but fire damage will burn down its health bar quickly. Finally, the Adjudicator's boss arena gives it a major disadvantage, as players can strike at its weak point from out of range.
Demon's Souls - F Tier Bosses - True King Allant
Though it's a little unfair since this fight is meant more as a story moment than an actual boss battle, the true final boss of Demon's Souls is also the easiest thing players have faced so far. True King Allant has been deformed by his time with The Old One, and players can dispatch him with the utmost ease. This fight is so easy that players would have to actively try to let him kill them in order to lose to him.
Demon's Souls is available now on PS5.