While there are plenty of reasons to loveSoulsborne games, their main attraction is undoubtedly their indomitable bosses.
Since 2009, FromSoftware has presented us with numerous challenges that are among the century’s most notable, both for their difficulty and their exceptional design, including choreography, aesthetics, music, lore, and more.
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FromSoftware is brilliant at making you believe you’ve finally won when, in reality, the worst is yet to come.
From abominations to monarchs, including beings as diverse as dragons with small heads and humanoids,this series is filled with iconic figures that remain etched in your memory, something particularly true with their portrayal of women.
FromSoftware’s female NPCs and bosses have played a crucial role in each adventure, but when it comes to the latter, they directly feature some of the most incredible and unforgettable encounters in the entire formula.
As a result, in the interest of highlighting one of the most underrated aspects of the studio’s work, these arethe ten best female Soulsborne bosses,ranked.
10Chaos Witch Quelaag
Eerily Fascinating
Dark Souls
Blighttown
SinceDark Soulswas my first game from the company, it’s inevitably the one that left the biggest mark on me, but that’s also because it’s packed with shocking moments.
It’s difficult for me to forget the traumatic experience of arriving in Blighttown, butit’s even harder to forget my bewilderment when Quelaag’s cinematic unfolded.
Featuring one of the series' most special and impressive designs, the combat’s build-up is immaculate, with an entire area whose aesthetics allow us to anticipate what kind of enemy we’ll face without letting us guess its true form.
While the combat is simple, like the vast majority ofDark Soulsbosses,Queelag is among the enemies with the most movements in the game, forcing you to be aware of two beings simultaneously despite inhabiting the same body.
From the animations to the audiovisual effects, it’s a challenge that makes up for its mechanical simplicity with the rest of the elements, combined with a masterful lore that gives the fight even more character.
9Lost Sinner
An Adrenaline-Filled Show
Dark Souls 2
Lost Bastille
As much as I loveDark Souls 2, it’s undeniable that it features the trilogy’s most static bosses, as they rarely offer any variation in the pace of combat, movement patterns, and patterns.
Because of this,the Lost Sinner is an incredibly pleasant surprise, as she completely increases the game’s speed by leaping from end to end and delivering extremely fast and powerful strikes.
Although she doesn’t have such a wide range of moves, her limited attacks are still enough to pose a challenge, especially given the interesting gimmick offighting in the dark and not being able to lock on as easily, which increases the reflexes required during combat.
As imperfect asDark Souls 2may be, encounters like the Lost Sinner show us, from its very cinematic introduction, that there are great ideas behind the game, even if it doesn’t always capitalize on them as well as it does here.
8Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos
Cosmic Terror At Its Best
Bloodborne
Altar of Despair
I thinkBloodborne’s combat is at its best when you face human bosses, butEbrietas, Daughter of the Cosmosis a wonderful exception.
I’ve always found her art design and arena fascinating, and even reason enough to hold her in high regard as one of the most outstanding bosses in the entire base game.
Yet, not only does she offer an iconic aesthetic, buther combat is as visceral and magical as you’d expect from a boss whose name already suggests an unparalleled experience.
When she rains stars, slams her bloody and gruesome head into you, or flies majestically across the area before nuking you, you realize this is a fight unlike any other inBloodborne, but just as memorable.
7Corrupted Monk
A Flawless Second Round
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Fountainhead Palace
When you first encounter the Corrupted Monk inSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, it’s a peculiar battle that forces you to deplete her health bar before her stance.
I’m not a particular fan of said fight, but the second encounter with her in Fountainhead Palace is memorable. From its spectacular entrance to its frightening final phase,she’s an imposing figure who abandons the game’s typical elegance to offer a more brutal and overwhelming combat.
The way the combat evolves is masterful, with a demanding and dynamic first phase, a dreamlike second stage that adds platforming to the equation, and a final part including terror, without ever losing the speed and magnificent choreography that characterize it.
True Corrupted Monk is the kind of confrontation that,when it clicks,reminds you whySekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis the masterpiece it is. Its combat is mesmerizing, as much as its design, transitions, and soundtrack.
6Dancer of the Boreal Valley
The Most Elegant Waltz
Dark Souls 3
High Wall of Lothric
Although I’m not among the unfortunate souls who facedDancer of the Boreal Valleybefore Vordt, it’s still among my most highly ratedDark Souls 3bosses.
Saying this about the FromSoftware game with the strongest average boss quality is the best reflection of this knight’s excellence,who flows through the arena with a grace as beautiful as it is destructive.
I don’t like the analogy of fights as dances because it’s overused, butDancer of the Boreal Valleyrequires it to fully understand both its narrative and mechanical background.
When she enters her second phase and pulls out a second sword that reminds you of your traumas withPontiff Sulyvahn, spinning so many times that not even the longest stamina bar could allow you to dodge them, it’s just unbelievably fascinating.
She doesn’t feature any innovative design gameplay-wise, but it demands such precise dodges and positioning that she doesn’t need to.Dancer of the Boreal Valley excels at what FromSoftware does best: demanding exchanges of attacks where the tiniest mistake will be your demise.
5Lady Butterfly
The Best Teacher
Hirata Estate
Speaking of entering aflow state, few titles understand this feeling as much asSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, something you only achieve through training likeLady Butterfly’s.
In addition to being Sekiro’s mentor,she also forcibly teaches players this journey’s difficulty,but she does so in a more accessible context to prepare us for what’s to come.
We all knowGenichiro Ashinais the campaign’s turning point, though Lady Butterfly plays a providential role by familiarizing us with everything a fight demands beyond the Mikiri Counter.
Managing phases, jumping attacks, using items to take advantage of each boss’s specific weaknesses, deflecting projectiles…It’s a masterclass in game mechanics,and people rarely give it the credit it deserves.
Plus, it brings all these qualities while delivering extremely fun and incredibly choreographed combat, so it’s an outstanding fight all around.
4Rellana Twin Moon Knight
Underrated Royalty
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Castle Ensis
To think that one of the best bosses in FromSoftware’s history doesn’t even have a cinematic intro is sad, but such is the case withRellana, Twin Moon KnightinElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
Renalla’s sister delivers a memorable fight that’s easily amongthe expansion’s best, with extremely high but satisfying difficulty thanks to her excellently telegraphed attacks and spells.
The way she combines the best of melee and magic combat is impressive, switching between the two seamlessly and creating long combos that are demanding but fair.
Rellana is a perfect demonstration of how to create a challenge that never becomes frustrating, and when you add in her great lore and superb design, everything becomes even better.
3Sister Friede
Three Phases of Pure Pain
Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel
Painted World of Ariandel
In this life, only two bosses can claim to have made me put off a game for weeks, and one of them isSister FriedefromDark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel.
When I reached her third phase, probably one of the instances where FromSoftware most deceived the community,I couldn’t even react to the black flame that was erupting in front of me.
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To be honest, the first time I managed to beat her was using a bow in her final phase, because I couldn’t handle the absurd speed, length, and range of her combos. I refused to try anotherbuild, mainly because it was so cool that it deserved to be fully practiced.
However, it wasn’t until years later I could face her head-on, and she still destroyed me in multiple attempts. I find it a more divisive fight than the rest due to its extreme difficulty, but ultimately,it’s a magnificent show of epic movements,grabs,and effects.
Plus, its first phase serves as a pretty clever setup, and the second is just as iconic thanks to Ariandel’s heartbreaking presence, so it’s engaging from start to finish.
2Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower
A Glorious Duel of Hunters
Bloodborne: The Old Hunters
Astral Clocktower
I’m generally more of a fan of humanoidbossesthan colossal or beastly figures, and inBloodborne, it makes even more sense thanks to fights likeLady Maria’s.
Watching two hunters face off, using the same tools and tactics,is one of the most magical moments in all of Soulsborne, even despite the tragic backstory surrounding them.
Lady Maria isn’t as difficult a boss as others on this list, especially since parrying inBloodborneis completely broken,but she’s challenging enough to force you to become a complete master of the gameplay.
Between her dashes with the Old Hunter Bone, the Rakuyo’s glorious moveset and abilities, and her increasingly faster, more painful, and more complex phase changes, it’s an unstoppable crescendo whose climax leaves you spellbound.
Then her lore only adds even more dimensions to an already compelling character, making Lady Maria not only one of the best bosses in the developer’s history, but one of the best NPCs in general.
1Malenia, Blade of Miquella
She Has Never Known Defeat
Elden Ring
Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree
Maybe it was a bit predictable, but what can I say?Malenia, Blade of Miquellahas been FromSoftware’s most iconic female boss almost sinceElden Ring’s first trailer, and arguing with that seems futile.
The Goddess of Rot is already a Soulsborne legend and a clear contender for the best boss FromSoftware has ever created, as she meets the highest standards for every aspect expected of such a challenge.
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Being the last challenge doesn’t necessarily make you the most demanding.
If you consider the difficulty, choreography, variety of attacks, art design, arena,soundtrack, phases,gimmicks, transitions, cinematics, story, and everything else,Malenia is always among the most distinguished.
Interestingly, it didn’t take me hundreds of attempts like most, but I don’t think it was necessary to fall completely in love with even the infamous Waterfowl Dance that has destroyed so many controllers in the last couple of years.
Being able to master Malenia’s combat enough to defeat her consecutively with various builds is something that makes me happy. Not because I see it as an achievement, but becauseI have mastered a fight that can certainly be defined as flawless.
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