Demon’s Souls Boss Guide: How To Beat All Bosses?

How to beat Phalanx boss

Difficulty: Easy

To defeat the first boss in Demon’s Souls, the Phalanx, you will want to make use of fire. Whilst a pain to rout, this glutinous glob of guards is a real pleasure to kill with some flames. So, if you have been saving your firebombs and turpentine, now is the time to use them.

To easily beat the Phalanx boss in Demon’s Souls, follow these 5 simple steps:

• Step 1: First, throw firebombs at the central mass of enemies.
• Step 2: Then, backstab or burn the hoplites to clear a pathway.
• Step 3: Once you reach Phalanx, stab the soft parts with a sword or dagger.
• Step 4: Then, quickly retreat before the hoplites surround you.
• Step 5: Repeat the process until you kill the Phalanx boss.

If you would rather clear out the Hoplites first so that you can enjoy wailing on the defenceless Phalanx, it is important to note that there are 35 to kill, and more can be made – a long and painful process. The best way to kill the Phalanx is to balance your targeting between the Hoplites and the Phalanx.

How to beat the Tower Knight boss

Difficulty: Moderate

​​Once you have defeated the Phalanx, the second boss in Demon’s Souls is the Tower Knight. Located in the Lord’s Path area, this steel behemoth is better handled from a distance as the Tower Knight is much more difficult to defeat than the Phalanx.

To defeat the Tower Knight boss in Demon’s Souls, follow these 5 easy steps:

• Step 1: Once you enter the arena, run to either side and climb the stairs.
• Step 2: Reach the walls and take down the Tower Knight’s archers first.
• Step 3: Block the Tower Knight’s Soul Arrows by using the wall railings.
• Step 4: Then, shoot arrows at the Tower Knight’s head from a distance.
• Step 5: Repeat this process until you eventually kill the Tower Knight.

If you have your own Soul Arrows, that’s even better because one or two headshots are enough to kill the Tower Knight from a distance.

For those of you who are feeling brave and would rather go tête-à-tête with the Tower Knight, you are going to need to know how to dodge his many slam attacks. Besides slamming down his shield and boots, the Tower Knight will also stab his spear right at your heart, so keep your stamina as high as possible.

When you’ve managed to get behind the knight, attack his heels until he falls on his back and this is your chance to attack his head. It will take a couple of rounds of this manoeuvre but eventually, you’ll earn the Iron Demon’s Soul.

How to beat the Armor Spider boss

Difficulty: Hard

As one of the more challenging early-game bosses in Demon Souls, the Armor Spider boss can be defeated either with melee or ranged weapons. However, melee weapons are harder route.

For an easier battle, you are going to want to have good fire resistance before challenging the Armor Spider. For this, you should locate the ring and shield in the Boletarian Dragon nest before taking on the Armor Spider.

After you have equipped the ring and the shield, stocking up on Sticky White Slime to deal magic damage (the Armor Spiders weakness) is also wise. Not to mention a good level of agility and stamina so that you can dodge the Armor Spiders’ fireballs.

To kill the Armor Spider boss, follow these 5 simple steps:

• Step 1: Approach the spider and start attacking its legs with a melee weapon.
• Step 2: Dodge or block any leg sweeps or smashes with a shield.
• Step 3: Position yourself behind the spider when it starts using a flamethrower.
• Step 4: After the flamethrower sequence has completed, continue attacking the spider.
• Step 5: Repeat the process until you defeat the Armor Spider.

If you’re going to use ranged weapons to defeat the Armor Spider, then, you will want to keep as far back in the tunnel as possible. There are some hiding places too, but usually, you will be avoiding or blocking fireballs. For rangers, both soul Arrows and magic make for a quick kill. However, standard arrows and a good bow will also work too.

Note: Fire attacks are useless against the Armor Spider.

The biggest threat when battling the Armor Spider boss is its flamethrower. The spider will dramatically build fire in its mouth and cover the arena in flames. The only safe places to hide when this happens is close to the fog door at the back of the arena or directly behind the Armor spider. So, make sure that you position yourself well at all times when the Armor Spider starts this type of attack.

How to beat the Flamelurker boss

Difficulty: Very Hard

The Flamelurker is another burning jerk and requires heavy flame resistance for melee builds. Not only that, but the Flamelurker is also resistant to most attacks and will punish you for trying to flank it. As one of the hardest bosses in Demon’s Souls, again, the easiest way to defeat the Flamelurker boss is by using Demon Souls magic or ranged weapons.

To beat the Flamerlurker boss in Demon’s Souls, follow these 5 simple steps:

• Step 1: Equip your ranged weapon and bows before starting the battle.
• Step 2: Fire arrows at the Flamelurker from a safe distance
• Step 3: Retreat up the staircase if you need to heal.
• Step 4: Come back down from the staircase and fire more arrows.
• Step 5: Repeat the process until you defeat the Flamelurker.

If you do choose to battle the Flamelurker with a melee weapon, add some Sticky White Slime and attack the Flamelurker head-on before rolling back when he attacks. The Flamelurker does not have any set movement patterns which makes for a thrilling fight for melee builds. There are also a couple of tricky strategies like high-stealth or Poison Cloud, but if you’re having trouble with the fight, you would best save the Flamelurker for later.

How to beat the Dragon God boss

Difficulty: Moderate

The Dragon God is the most imposing and fearsome-looking creature in Boletaria, but his boss fight is a little silly (and annoying). There are two ballistas for you to kill the Dragon God with and you just simply interchange between the two; watch out for the colour of his eyes.

To defeat the Dragon God boss in Demon Souls, follow these 7 simple steps:

• Step 1: First, clear the fallen rubble
• Step 2: Watch God’s eyes to avoid attacks (Yellow is safe, Red is not safe)
• Step 3: Make your way to each Ballista
• Step 4: Fire on the dragon from each Ballista
• Step 5: Once the Dragon God lays it head down, attack with melee weapons
• Step 6: Retreat back to dodge any fire from the Dragon’s breath.
• Step 7: Repeat back and forth until the dragon is killed.

By following these steps, the Dragon God will be killed relatively quickly. Your biggest threat here is being hit when you are clearing rubble. And, well, you are going to get hit so be prepared for that. Beyond this, the Dragon God is a relatively easy Demon’s Soul to collect.

In fact, it is somewhat anti-climatic which is a shame.

How to beat Fool’s Idol boss

Difficulty: Moderate

Before you start the boss battle with Fool’s Idol, you must seek out and destroy a prisoner in the upper right tower of the church. The prisoner will tell you that he will cause no trouble, but he is full of lies and will revive the Fool’s Idol each time you kill her.

You can also kill the prisoner after the battle, but why wait?

Once you have killed the prisoner, follow these steps to beat Fool’s Idol:

• Step 1: First, use the pillars as shields.
• Step 2: Damage the Fool’s Idol boss and wait for the illusions to spawn.
• Step 3: Avoid the Soul Ray that is cast from the original Fool’s Idol.
• Step 4: Spot the real Fool’s Idol amongst the pack (she will have no health bar)
• Step 5: Attack the original Fool’s Idol with melee or ranged weapons

If you roll under the Soul Arrows and attack the original Fool’s Idol, you can kill this boss easily. Both melee and ranged work, though she can be too quick for some swords. In addition, Flame Toss, Anti-Magic Field, and Firestorm work a treat.

How to beat the Maneater boss

Difficulty: Extreme

The Maneater boss in Demon’s Souls is one of the hardest bosses throughout the game. However, by following these steps, you carve through the Maneater like a hot knife through butter. Well, the first Maneater anyways.

When you’ve heroically beaten the first Maneater down to low health, the true fight begins. Maneater becomes Maneaters, and now you have to contend with two deadly demons. However, it is possible to kill the first Maneater before the second Chimaera arrives, by using Flame Toss or other magic.

To quickly defeat the Maneater boss in Demon’s Souls, follow these 4 simple steps:

• Step 1: Position yourself in the centre of the bridge at the start of the boss fight.
• Step 2: Sidestep the beast lunges without falling off the bridge.
• Step 3: Take a few slashes at the Maneater when not being attacked.
• Step 4: Repeat the process until you defeat the Maneater.

Fighting both Maneaters at once makes for a difficult boss fight. Therefore, retreating to prepare spells and fire attacks, which happens to be the Maneater boss’ weaknesses might turn the tide of battle. Just remember, do not fall off the bridge under any circumstances.

How to beat the Old Monk Demon Souls

Difficulty: Easy

The Old Monk boss fight is unique in the sense that the Old Monk can also be controlled by enemy players. It’s essentially a PvP battle to the death and so the difficulty will depend on your opponent. This might be a lovely experience if you are into multiplayer skirmishes, or much worse than the standard AI fight. However, for the sake of defeating the Old Monk easily, we’re going to do this one solo.

To defeat the Old Monk in Demon’s Souls, follow these 7 simple steps:

• Step 1: Return to the main menu and switch to offline mode.
• Step 2: Start the battle and block the Old Monk’s quick attacks with melee.
• Step 3: Use an extra-large weapon to stun the Old Monk.
• Step 4: Once the Old Monk has been stunned, hit him with some quick slashes.
• Step 5: Retreat and repeat until the Old Monk’s health bar is low.
• Step 6: Once low, dodge the Old Monk’s Homing Soul arrows from a distance.
• Step 7: Continue to circle around the Old Monk, taking slashes with a melee weapon.

The Old Monk will be equipped with claws and healing grasses. In addition, he will also occasionally parry and attack very quickly (too quickly for most arrows) so be careful of that. However, despite the Old Monk’s challenging battle, extra-large weapons can stun him, or when attacked quickly, he can be stunned and given a good beating. Otherwise, you can backstab for big damage.

When the Old Monk’s health wanes, you should be careful of his Homing Soul Arrows, which are best dodged at a distance. Alternatively, you can just circle around the monk and take slashes as you travel.

How to beat the Adjudicator boss

Difficulty: Hard

The best way to kill the Adjudicator is by using magic attacks.

Sniping the golden crow on the Adjudicator’s head from the upper levels can also be a safe tactic, however, the Adjudicator’s tongue lashes will break the floor beneath you. At the middle level, Homing Soul Arrows from above can kill with just two hits and Fire Spray can hit the Adjudicator’s head from the stairs.

However, if you don’t have any of these items, you will need another way to defeat the Adjudicator boss and I have that for you right here.

To kill the Adjudicator boss in Demon Souls, follow these 5 simple steps:

• Step 1: Use Sticky White Slime for high damage on a two-handed weapon.
• Step 2: Walk in circles around the Adjudicator and stay on his right side.
• Step 3: Attack the wound on the right side of the Adjudicator.
• Step 4: Dodge the Adjudicator’s tongue lashes which break the floor beneath you.
• Step 5: Once the Adjudicator falls, hit the Adjudicator on the head to slay him.

Generally speaking, with a lot of spices and grasses in your inventory, the Adjudicator boss fight can be relatively simple when you follow the steps above. However, the Adjudicator is one of the more difficult boss battles you will encounter in Demon’s Souls.

When fighting close range, one hit will be deadly when you use Sticky White Slime and a two-handed weapon. In addition, walking in circles around the chubby behemoth is enough to dodge most attacks. After you’ve attacked the wound enough, the Adjudicator will fall down, and you can hit the bird on his crown and slay him.

How to beat the Old Hero boss

Difficulty: Moderate

The easiest way to beat the Old Hero boss is the equip “The Thief’s Ring” which will make your movements almost silent. The Old Hero boss is the only boss in Demon Souls that cannot hear you very well and so the Thief’s Ring will make this an easy battle. Without it, the Old Hero boss can be a fairly challenging encounter

To defeat the Old Hero boss in Demon Souls, follow these 5 simple steps:

• Step 1: Equip the “Thief’s Ring” to make you almost silent
• Step 2: Sneak up on the Old Hero and attack him from behind.
• Step 3: Once the Old Hero is close to half health, switch to ranged attacks.
• Step 4: At exactly half health, the Old Hero will send a damaging shockwave.
• Step 5: Avoid this shockwave and continue to strike the Old Hero.

By using this method, you can simply enjoy a few backstabs, listen to the Old Hero crying out in pain and wait for him to calm down before repeating the process.

When battling the Old Hero with long-range weapons, you should fire a single arrow and then wait for the Old Hero to calm down before firing your next arrow. Otherwise, he will work out your location and, well, that will be the end of that battle.

Melee weapons on the other hand require a lot of dodging. Therefore, you should aim to be behind him and attack cautiously. His weakness is poison, so poison daggers, kunai, and poison clouds are of great help.

How to beat the Storm King boss

Difficulty: Easy

Despite featuring in the middle of the game, the Storm King is actually more of a cinematic than a boss fight. Well, you still have to kill the Storm King but you won’t find this very challenging to complete.

In addition, the Storm King boss is one of the only bosses in Demon’s Souls that you cannot kill with melee weapons. So, it’s time to get out your ranged weapons and magic tricks. If you have a Lava Bow or Soul Ray, these are the best weapons to use against the Storm King.

To beat the Storm King in Demon Souls, follow these 5 simple steps:

• Step 1: Draw the Storm King’s friends to the fog door
• Step 2: Shoot down these friends with arrows; leaving only the Storm King alive.
• Step 3: Use Lava Bow or Soul Ray if you can for high damage.
• Step 4: Fire as many arrows as use your surroundings to dodge the King’s barbs.
• Step 5: Repeat the process until the Storm King is dead.

If your ranged weapons are weak there is another option: The Storm Ruler.

To the right-hand side and down the hill from the Altar of Storms, the Storm Ruler sword can be found near crystal lizards and Storm Beasts. You can use this weapon to defeat the Storm King relatively quickly with a little bit of dodging and patience.

Each attack with the Storm Ruler fires white arcs or magic and they are devastating. However, beware that if you die, the Storm Ruler will disappear forever. I’ll leave that up to you to decide whether it’s worth the risk!

How to beat the Leechmonger boss

Difficulty: Easy

The Leechmonger boss is petrified of fire and magic attacks. So, before you enter this battle, pour some Turpentine on your sword or equip some fire arrows for an easy ride. While the Leechmonger boss is not terribly fearsome, if you like, you can kill it from a safe spot and leave the battle without a scratch.

To kill the Leechmonger boss in Demon Souls, follow these 4 easy steps:

• Step 1: When you enter the battle, hop down to the first set of wooden planks.
• Step 2: Dodge any initial leeches that are slung at you.
• Step 3: Find an area on the plank where the leeches are not reaching.
• Step 4: Go to this area and fire arrows until the Leechmonger dies.

For the daring types, melee weapons can also be used.

When using melee attacks, slip behind the Leechmonger and slash its backside. Every time you slash, it will swing its arms around and causes a ruckus, but these can be easily dodged. The attack patterns of the Leechmonger are relatively easy to understand so you will be in and out of the arena in no time at all!

How to beat the Dirty Colossus boss

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

If you have still got turpentine or fire magic left over from your boss fight with the Leechmonger, then the Dity Colossus boss will be relatively easy to kill too. Again, without these, you might find the arena battle a little testing. As another foe that hates flames, pour some Tupertine on your weapons or switch to fire arrows before starting the battle.

To kill the Dirty Colossus boss in Demon’s Souls, follow these 4 easy steps:

• Step 1: Pour Tupertine on your weapons
• Step 2: Roll through the Dirty Collussus’ swings.
• Step 3: Get behind the Dirty Collussus and perform backstabs and slashes.
• Step 4: After some time, the Dirty Collussus will perform a shockwave.
• Step 5: Avoid this shockwave by dodge-rolling.
• Step 6: Repeat the process until you defeat the Dirty Collusus.

While fighting the Dity Collusus is most fun with melee weapons, you will have an easier fight when using ranged weapons or magic. For ranged weapons, you can walk left from the fog gate and hide behind the. Or, just stand by the flaming torches. Once you have positioned yourself away from the Dirty Collusus shockwaves, you can safely sling arrows, and burn off the bugs when tainted by the Dirty Colossus’s attacks.

Alternatively, for mages, you will have the easiest battle of all the builds when facing the Dirty Collosus. Simply lock onto the Dirty Collussus and roll around it whilst your magic takes effect. The best magic spells to use are Firestorm, Fire Spray and Soul Ray.

How to beat the Maiden Astraea boss

Difficulty: Moderate

Killing the Maiden Astraea in Demons Souls actually does not require you to attack the Maiden Astraea at all. In fact, you can kill the sweet Maiden Astraea by simply talking to her. But there is a catch, you will need to defeat her bodyguard Garl Vinland first.

To easily kill the Maiden Astraea in Demon Souls, follow these 5 steps:

• Step 1: Walk over to the left cliff to find Garl Vinland.
• Step 2: Attack Garl whilst he is casting his first spell to interrupt him.
• Step 3: Once interrupted, fight Garl by baiting his attacks and countering.
• Step 4: Once Garl is defeated, walk up to the Maiden and start a conversation.
• Step 5: The Maiden will commit suicide and grant you her Demon’s Soul.

Garl dodges, heals, and casts God’s Wrath to blast the area. If you’re too slow, he’s a hard fight. So, when he’s casting a spell, attack him to interrupt it. Here, fire spells– especially Firestorm– can help, but Cloud spells– Acid, Poison, and Death– work even better.

Arrows, on the other hand, are practically worthless. So, if you’re a bow wielder, you can clear out some worshipers on a walkway by the right cliff, and shamelessly fire arrows at the maiden from there.

If your damage outpaces her healing, you can kill her without taking damage, and Garl will give up too. If you reload your game now, Garl will disappear and leave behind his items, otherwise, he’ll still fight when attacked.

How to beat the Penetrator boss

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

The Penetrator boss fight is one of the most difficult fights you will encounter throughout Demon Souls, unless you have already saved Biorr from his lonely cell in the Boletarian Palace Archstone. Then, the Penetrator boss fight is much simpler.

If you’re an excellent sword fighter or axe-wielder, you will be put to the test. And, if you’re not good at sword fighting, then, well, you are going to die. When the Penetrator’s sword glows, he will thrust forward, penetrating all defences. Otherwise, he’ll be swiftly swinging and lunging which means that rolling constantly is the best you can do to avoid being struck here.

The alternatives to defeating the Penetrator are magic and fire. He has heavy weaknesses with both of these and Homing Soul Arrows will deal heavy damage too. However, even with these tricks, you will need to dodge the Pentrator’s attacks often.

If you want to defeat the Penetrator quickly, just go and save Biorr first.

Good luck out there!

How to beat the Old King Allant boss

Difficulty: Very Hard

The Old King Allant boss is your final test of strength. He has no weaknesses, and his attack variety will challenge both ranged and melee builds. For his most powerful attack, he raises his sword and summons a destructive hurricane. The damage and range of this attack will often kill you with just a single stroke. So, make sure that you attack to interrupt his casting or flee to the far end of the arena.

To beat the Old King Allant boss, follow these 5 simple steps:

• Step 1: Stock up on all supplies before starting the battle.
• Step 2: Once the battle begins, keep a large distance between you and the King.
• Step 3: Before moving forward to attack, throw fire at the King.
• Step 4: Step forward and attack Old King Allant and then immediately retreat.
• Step 5: Continue to attack and retreat until the Old King Allant dies.

In addition to using Fire, both Poison Cloud and Firestorm can also work on the Old King Allant. However, generally, you will be able to crawl to victory by attacking and backstepping quickly. The Old King Allant (also known as the False King) is both a tough and a long fight. So, make sure you stock up on whatever you might need and always interrupt that deadly blast of his for free damage.

Patience is really a virtue to win this battle.

How to beat King Allant Demon Souls

Difficulty: Easiest

Unfortunately, the True King Allant boss fight is the easiest boss fight you will encounter throughout Demon’s Souls. It’s more of a victory lap than a boss fight. But it is well deserved, so enjoy!

To defeat the True King Allant, a simple slash-then-retreat tactic will be enough to slay this not-so-menacing beast. You will not be required to dodge King Allant’s attacks very often, nor will the attacks be that devastating when they do land. In fact, this grim pile of sludge and flesh has just a single attack– a forward thrust.

If you are a mage or ranger build, you will also be completely safe to just stand back and launch anything that you have left in your inventory at the True King Allant. After the ordeal of defeating the Old King Allant, the True King Allant will just give you a cuddle.

Well done, you made it to the end!

Final Tips For Defeating All Bosses In Demon’s Souls

What I love about all of the Demons Souls bosses is just how unique each encounter becomes. However, save for a couple of exceptions, fire and magic make quick work of almost all of the Demon Souls bosses. So, save your Turpentine and Sticky White Slime for most of the bosses and you will find that they instantly become easier to manage.

In addition, another tip when fighting bosses in Demon’s Souls is to take your time and keep your distance. These bosses hit so hard that running towards them wielding an axe is just going to end up with a trip to an early grave. Take your time and enjoy the game!

If you’re having trouble honourably defeating these demons in hand-to-hand combat, then spend some souls upgrading a bow and check out the cheeky ways you can safely kill bosses from afar– it’s a tactic that’ll work most of the time.

What is your favourite boss battle in Demon’s Souls? 

Drop us a comment below with any of your other favourite bosses and we’ll be sure to check them out. In the meantime, take a look through some of our other roundups and tutorials for all of your favourite games:

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Content Disclaimer: This tutorial on all mandatory bosses in Demon’s Souls has been independently written by Branden Zavaleta using a test copy of the Demon’s Souls game. GamePro has not been commissioned by Bluepoint Games, nor have we received any royalties for this article. This includes financial reimbursement, free advertising or gifts.

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