FromSoftware Dragon Difficulty Tier List

Highlights

FromSoftware has a history of challenging dragon boss fights, with some becoming iconic for their difficulty and visual spectacle.
Dragons like Darkeater Midir, Dragonlord Placidusax, and Bayle the Dread are among the toughest and most visually stunning in their games.
While some dragons are easier to conquer, even the weakest ones like the Red/Blue Dragon and Dragon God offer unique puzzle mechanics.

As a seasoned traveler of the twisted realms of FromSoftware, I must say that the dragons of their games have always held a certain allure for me – the majesty of these ancient beasts, the thrill of facing them in battle, and the satisfaction of finally conquering them. However, it seems that not all dragons are created equal in the realm of FromSoftware, and I’ve had to endure more than a few lackluster encounters with some of these feathered foes.

For several decades now, FromSoftware has been establishing and refining certain themes and conventions, some of which can be traced back even before games like Elden Ring, Sekiro, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls. One such convention that can be traced as far back as the mid-1990s is a challenging dragon boss fight, a feature that made its debut in King’s Field 2, one of FromSoftware’s early games.

Since that time, dragons have consistently featured in FromSoftware’s games, growing increasingly prominent with each new Soulslike release. The Dragon-themed battles in the Dark Souls series, Elden Ring, and even Sekiro are abundant, with some of these encounters famed for being among the hardest boss fights within their individual titles.

This tier list specifically focuses on the difficulty of FromSoftware’s dragons, taking into consideration how tricky their moves are to avoid and how hard-hitting their attacks can be.

S-Tier FromSoftware Dragons

The Most Difficult Dragon Fights in FromSoftware History

Darkeater Midir (Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City)
Dragonlord Placidusax (Elden Ring)
Bayle The Dread (Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree)

As a seasoned gamer, I must say that some of the toughest dragon bosses I’ve ever encountered hail from the realm of FromSoftware. Among these beasts, Dark Souls 3’s Darkeater Midir, Elden Ring’s Dragonlord Placidusax, and Shadow of the Erdtree’s Bayle the Dread stand out as absolute monsters. Each of them boasts an arsenal of moves that can make or break a player, from area-of-effect attacks that leave no room for error, to projectiles powerful enough to end my journey in a single hit, and melee swipes so swift they require millisecond-perfect dodges.

A-Tier FromSoftware Dragons

The Dragons That Pack a Mean Punch

Lichdragon Fortissax (Elden Ring)
Ancient Dragon Senessax (Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree)
Kalameet (Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss)
Ancient Dragon (Dark Souls 2)
Sinh (Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Sunken King)

Although FromSoftware dragon boss fights in games like Dark Souls might not reach the same level of intensity as those mentioned earlier, they remain formidable challenges. The Lichdragon Fortissax and Ancient Dragon Senessax unleash powerful red lightning attacks that make close combat tricky. Kalameet is swift and ferocious. Sinh mostly stays aloft, making it tough to strike him. The Ancient Dragon in Dark Souls 2 stands out as particularly challenging, with a massive health pool and limited moves, which could potentially bore players – yet one mistake against this dragon can still prove fatal.

B-Tier FromSoftware Dragons

Dragons With More Bark Than Bite

Gaping Dragon (Dark Souls)
Seath The Scaleless (Dark Souls)
Oceiros (Dark Souls 3)
Flying Dragons (Elden Ring)
Magma Wyrms (Elden Ring)
Glintstone Dragons (Elden Ring)
Borealis The Freezing Fog (Elden Ring)
Ancient Dragon Lansseax (Elden Ring)
Ghostflame Dragons (Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree)

The great majority of dragon boss battles in FromSoftware games fall into this category, remaining challenging yet offering exploitable weaknesses that gamers can master with practice. Dragons such as the Gaping Dragon in Dark Souls and various Flying, Glintstone, Ghostflame dragons in Elden Ring possess formidable power, but their attacks are predictable, providing ample room for players to dodge them. The bosses Seath from Dark Souls and Oceiros from Dark Souls 3 move faster than others in this group, but Seath’s stationary position and Oceiros’ smaller health pool make these fights less daunting for experienced FromSoftware gamers.

C-Tier FromSoftware Dragons

Dragons That Don’t Take Much to Conquer

Guardian Dragon (Dark Souls 2)
King of the Storm (Dark Souls 3)
The Divine Dragon (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)
Decaying Ekzykes (Elden Ring)

In these FromSoftware dragon battles, even seasoned players might be caught unawares by a couple of powerful attacks, yet they usually won’t pose a significant challenge for veterans. The King of the Storm from Dark Souls 3 is merely a prelude to a much more formidable boss fight, Sekiro’s Divine Dragon offers stunning visuals but isn’t too demanding to overcome, and Elden Ring’s Decaying Ekzykes moves at a snail’s pace, but his Scarlet Rot attack can easily take players off guard.

D-Tier FromSoftware Dragons

The Weakest Dragons in FromSoftware History

Red/Blue Dragon (Demon’s Souls)
Dragon God (Demon’s Souls)
Ancient Wyvern (Dark Souls 3)

The dragons from Demon’s Souls (the red and blue ones) and Dark Souls 3 (the Ancient Wyvern) are quite unlike typical boss fights in FromSoftware games. Instead, they’re more of obstacles in the game environment that players can choose to avoid. On the other hand, the Dragon God from Demon’s Souls and the Ancient Wyvern from Dark Souls 3 function as puzzle bosses. This means you need to figure out how to approach them stealthily and deliver a single decisive strike to defeat them.

2024-08-12 00:56