FromSoftware Games With The Most Optional Bosses, Ranked

As a seasoned veteran of FromSoftware games, I can confidently say that each game offers a unique challenge and a plethora of optional bosses that are not to be missed. While some games like Demon’s Souls and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice have their own set of rules, the Dark Souls series and Elden Ring truly shine in this regard.

As a dedicated gamer, I can’t deny that FromSoftware games are renowned for their abundance of challenging boss fights, both in quantity and quality. However, it sometimes happens that some players might overlook the truly legendary optional bosses hidden within these masterpieces. These are the secret champions, often offering the most compelling narratives and exhilarating mechanics among all, making them a must-conquer for any dedicated player like myself.

In this setting, you won’t find Demon’s Souls or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, as these games don’t have optional bosses. However, the original titles that boast some of the most challenging and memorable boss encounters in gaming are still here. The appearance of these games is contingent on their storyline choices affecting the number of optional bosses significantly.

5 Dark Souls 2 – 7 Optional Bosses

Keeping To The Essentials

In contrast to other FromSoftware games, Dark Souls 2, often seen as the rebellious one, faces a tough challenge to captivate numerous gamers. Notably, it shares the record for having the least number of optional bosses, some hidden off the main path and others made optional due to clever routing strategies.

In the game, whether it’s the initial boss, known as the Last Giant, or the Old Dragonslayer, a reference to the original Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2, the optional bosses are a blast! They are typically easy to locate, with many being optional through strategic navigation within the game (although some can be extremely challenging). The only area that is truly optional is the Belfry, home to the Belfry Gargoyles. However, these creatures might be best left unexplored.

4 Dark Souls – 7 Optional Bosses

The Original Trendsetter

As a seasoned gamer, I’ve got to say that the original Dark Souls, though compact, paved the way for an intricate web of a game world. What many players find shocking is discovering that numerous boss encounters they stumbled upon were, in fact, entirely optional.

Consider the formidable beast known as the Gaping Dragon. This menacing toothy creature often obstructs the way to Blighttown, yet by virtue of the Master Key being your starting item, you can effortlessly bypass this monster. In a similar manner, the Capra Demon can also be avoided using the same trick. The Black Dragon Kalameet, one of the game’s most challenging bosses, resides in an entire separate region that demands multiple steps to even approach, and Dark Sun Gwyndolin, Dark Souls‘ most peculiar boss fight, is similarly hidden away through some intricate pathing.

3 Dark Souls 3 – 7 Optional Bosses

Reiteration and Reimaginings

In contrast to some player opinions, Dark Souls 3 is often accused of being excessively similar to the initial Dark Souls. However, whether or not the story justifications for this repetition are convincing is a matter entirely separate from this discussion. Notably, like its predecessor, Dark Souls 3 features seven optional bosses.

In Dark Souls 3, some optional bosses like Old Demon King and Champion Gundyr are essentially redesigned versions of previous ones. However, The Nameless King stands out as one of the best battles in FromSoftware’s entire collection, and it’s not an easy feat to encounter him. Perched at the pinnacle of a challenging, entirely optional arena towards the end of the game, no Dark Souls 3 experience is fully realized without a visit to The Nameless King. You might even need to acquire some powerful weapons to have a fighting chance due to his reputation as one of the toughest battles in the series.

2 Bloodborne – 31 Optional Bosses

Let No Lovecraftian Horror Go Unhunted

At the launch of Bloodborne, numerous players were taken aback by its swift tempo. Likewise, upon multiple playthroughs, it’s astonishing to find out that a significant number of the game’s crucial bosses are entirely optional, allowing skilled veterans to breeze through the entire game at an impressive pace.

For instance, The Cleric Beast stands out among the game’s notable boss battles, yet it’s not compulsory to face it. In a similar vein, Gehrman, The First Hunter, and Moon Presence, two other challenging bosses in the game, can also be bypassed if a player makes a strategic decision at the end. Although it might seem unconventional, Bloodborne deliberately included numerous optional battles to mirror its swift-paced combat. With whispers of a remake circulating, this could be an ideal moment for players to revisit and experience these optional encounters again.

Before delving into the extra Chalice Dungeons, there are an extra 21 optional bosses players can encounter. Defeating these bosses is a challenging task that rewards one of Bloodborne’s hardest trophies and also unlocks important aspects of Bloodborne’s storyline.

1 Elden Ring – 224 Optional Bosses

Seriously, It’s That Many

In this instance, it seems that FromSoftware may have outdone themselves a tad. The innovative open-world layout of Elden Ring offers an almost overwhelming abundance of optional bosses if the player is solely focused on reaching the end credits and ignoring additional content. Factor in the field bosses, and even skirting the game’s most epic battles becomes unnecessary. As such, the number of optional boss fights in Elden Ring might never be topped.

In Elden Ring, while many players may recognize that Malenia resides in an optional arena, it’s important to note that the storyline can progress by slaying just two Shardbearers. This means that bosses like Rykard, Rennala, Radahn, and Godfrey could technically be considered optional if a player chooses that path. Bypassing all the catacombs, side areas, and DLC content, Elden Ring offers an abundance of optional boss fights and secret areas to discover.

2024-09-10 18:35