Most difficult bosses in Soulsborne games

The Soulsborne games are characterized by their difficulty and steep learning curve. They can be overwhelming to newcomers, and even to longtime players. The bosses are among the most difficult parts of the games; they test your knowledge of the game's mechanics and your patience for enduring a long fight that culminates in a tense duel with an imposing enemy. However, not all bosses are created equal. Some are more challenging than others, but some are easier because they're simple to learn or because the fight simply doesn't take long enough for you to get tired. Here's a list of five of the hardest bosses in Soulsborne games, along with five that aren't too bad:

5 Soulsborne bosses that take a lot out of players

1) Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower (Bloodborne)

In Bloodborne, there are a number of bosses that can be very challenging to even the most experienced players. The first of these is Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower. In fact, one could argue that Lady Maria is perhaps the most difficult boss in all of Bloodborne. She has a number of attacks which she will use throughout the fight. Her main attack is her scream which shoots out a sound wave, causing damage if you get hit by it. This means that you should try and stay behind her as much as possible to avoid taking too much damage from this attack. 

2) Nameless King (Dark Souls 3)

The Soulsborne games are comprised of hard bosses. It's in their very name, which comes from a difficulty setting in Demon's Souls. The games are all about being challenging, requiring players to think carefully about every move they make and to prepare for the worst. But among them, Nameless King is especially difficult. Most of his moves knock you back and stop you dead in your tracks if he hits you with them, leaving you vulnerable to attack while you're trying to recover. His attacks are also slow but wide-reaching, so it's hard to get a feel for where he is or when his attacks will hit you, making it impossible to dodge them all. 

3) Owl (Father) (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)

In the first phase, players will have to deal with Owl's club attacks and sweeping kicks. They'll also have to dash to avoid being hit by his bombs, which can be thrown at a distance or up close with a lunge attack. The challenge comes from having to watch for these attacks while simultaneously avoiding the poisonous miasma that covers much of the floor. The second phase sees Owl shifting into his true form. His agility increases, and he gains new moves that allow him to dodge out of the way of attacks and punish players who try to pressure him. During this phase, he can perform a powerful guard break that drains health if it connects, but it can be dodged by sprinting behind him at the right moment.

4) Isshin, the Sword Saint (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)

The Soulsborne series has a reputation for being unforgiving to those who don't know what they're doing, and many bosses have earned their reputation for being particularly difficult. The sword saint Isshin is one of the more challenging bosses in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but his difficulty doesn't come from his overall style of fighting (though it's certainly incredibly difficult). Instead, Isshin's chief difficulty stems from the fact that he doesn't provide a lot of opportunities for the player to figure out how to fight him. He's extremely mobile, and while his style isn't overly complex in terms of attack patterns, he is able to move quickly around the arena, he unleashes very fast strikes, and he can block well before players are able to get in close enough to actually hit him.

5) Melania, Blade of Miquella (Elden Ring)

Bosses are one of the main things that make Soulsborne games so much fun. They're a challenge to overcome, and most of them have different strategies for you to discover as you play. However, not all bosses are created equal. Some of them get a bad rap among players because they're harder than others, but I don't think that's always the case. There are some bosses in this game series that are notoriously hard because of how they were designed. I'm going to count down the five hardest bosses in the Soulsborne series and talk about why I think they were made the way they were and how you can defeat them with less stress.