If you want to know what the best Bloodborne bosses are in the game, make sure you read this list. Of course, this is completely subjective, and you may find that you don’t like some of these bosses as much as we do, and vice versa.
It goes without saying that most of these bosses are incredibly difficult, but what makes them special is the lore that goes with them and the phenomenal soundtrack for each boss fight.
Here are the Bloodborne bosses ranked from best to worst. This list may contain spoilers if you haven’t played this game yet, so read ahead with caution!
S Tier – Ludwig, the Holy Blade
Ludwig the Accursed and Ludwig, The Holy Blade are two of the best fights in Bloodborne. While it is a DLC boss, which means you won’t get to fight him for a long time, it is worth the wait. The build-up during this battle is amazing, and the score for this fight will give you chills. The crescendos of the song are perfectly timed with the fight as Ludwig descends further into rage and insanity.
Phase two of this fight will leave you on edge. Especially the cut scene that follows phase one to commence the second phase. It will always be seared into my memory. Will you choose to kill him as a beast or give him an honorable death?
S Tier – Orphan of Kos
An incredibly visceral experience, Orphan of Kos is another DLC fight that will have you frustrated with the immense difficulty and tactic of the fight but feel proud and triumphant after completing the fight.
Orphan of Kos’ fight is quite disorienting, with how ear-piercing his screams are to the fact he is using a placenta as a weapon. This fight is something you’ll never forget.
S Tier – Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower
Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower is a tricky boss to locate, but once you have, you’ll have one of your life’s most intense fights.
Lady Maria is agile and dangerous and has some very aesthetically pleasing attacks. For this fight, you’re going to have to parry to get the advantage on her, as she will test your strength and ability to predict her attacks. Beware of her Blood Powers, as they do more damage than ever and have more range than her attacks from phase one.
S Tier – Yharnam, Pthumerian Queen
Yharnam, Pthumerian Queen, is an incredibly eerie boss. A Demon Queen with blood on her dress, curiosity is peaked as you approach her in the Chalice Dungeons to take her on.
S Tier – Shadow of Yharnam
Quite a challenging boss, Shadow of Yharnam has you battling three entities all at the same time. The more damage you do to the group as a whole, the harder the fight gets. Not only do their abilities complement each other and make it harder for you to dodge and weave between them while trying not to get overwhelmed, but the fight gets harder as you slowly chip away at their health bars.
This boss is truly one of the hardest challenges in the game, with you having to use all of the skills you’ve learned thus far to defeat this boss while trying not to get caught by fire and summoned snakes.
S Tier – Amygdala
An incredibly creepy boss, found in an optional area of the game, you get to fight the enemy that you’ve been seeing throughout the vast world of Yharnam and take on the Amygdala as a boss. Be prepared for a tough fight. While their entire body is available to be sliced and diced, aiming for the head is surprisingly not the best option for the fight, as it can do immense damage if it hits you. For those who suffer from trypophobia, this may be one of your worst nightmares, as not only are they scattered around the world of Yharnam, but fighting the Amygdala is a mandatory fight.
This boss also happens to take up pretty much all of the screen, making it even more challenging than it already is.
S Tier – Gehrman, the First Hunter
An iconic boss fight, and one of the last ones in the main game, Gehrman has come out to play, and it’s time for you to take him on. This also comes as a reasonably big plot twist, as he has been wheelchair-bound the entire time and is now agile and able to fight with no issue.
His moves are incredibly powerful, and he does not play around in this fierce battle. This is another fight where parrying is your best friend and picking the right moment to attack, as he only gets more powerful as you keep fighting him.
S Tier – Mergo’s Wet Nurse
One of my favorite fights in the game, Mergo’s Wet Nurse, is a spine-tingling experience. With a creepy children’s lullaby playing in the background throughout the entire fight, combined with a baby’s crying, this fight is disorienting and uncomfortable, to say the least.
Not only is the fight wildly unsettling, but it’s also a fairly difficult battle, with multiple arms and weapons swinging at you and flailing wildly. You’ll need to take care of this boss, but you can feel victorious once it’s done.
A Tier – Father Gascoigne
The first main boss in Bloodborne, Father Gascoigne, is iconic, and his voice lines in the cutscene will always be memorable. This battle is difficult for those new to Soulslikes. It does have a gimmick you can utilize to make the fight a bit easier.
The lore for this battle is also fantastic and worth exploring and reading up on, especially once you experience phase two and the story intertwined with this fight.
A Tier – Vicar Amelia
Vicar Amelia comes as the first proper hurdle in Bloodborne, and with good reason. With erratic movement and ear-piercing screams, it’s hard not to become disoriented when battling her. She also has an incredibly cool cutscene leading up to the fight, helping amplify the excitement and terror as you watch a woman’s blood splatter all over the walls as she transforms from a dainty Vicar to a bandaged beast.
A Tier – Darkbeast Paarl
Darkbeast Paarl is an outlier as a boss. He gives off similar vibes to Manus, Father of the Abyss, with the dark arena you battle in. Not only that, but he utilizes the arena to his fullest by making sure to create a distance between you and him, making it difficult to get those hits in.
Unfortunately, you can also encounter this boss very early in the game, making it an even harder experience than if you were to encounter him when you were sufficiently leveled up. This fight requires you to get up close and personal with Darkbeast Paarl, which can be superbly difficult with his AoE attacks.
A Tier – Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos
Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos, is a gross-looking boss. Not only is she incredibly slimy and disgusting to look at, but she’s also the tankiest boss in the game and can really pack a punch (a tentacle?).On top of that, not only does she hit incredibly hard, but she can use nearly all of her appendages to dole out damage, making it hard to know where it is at all safe to stand.
If you aren’t careful, one of her attacks can completely annihilate you and leave you dead on the floor if you aren’t dodging the projectiles from her nasty attack, A Call From Beyond.
A Tier – Living Failures
While they don’t look or sound like much on paper, they can be incredibly overwhelming and hard to fight. One of the gimmick fights in the game that has you crowded by many mobs as you have to weave through the crowds to find the right one, this fight with the Living Failures can be surprisingly difficult. Even if you have great damage output, dodging attacks and grabs from the other enemies as you make your way to the main opponent can have you cornered or stunned unable to escape.
That being said, they can be manageable with correct kiting. Their tankiness is an asset to them as well as their giant projectiles that can stunlock you, unable to fight back against them. Compared to the other DLC bosses, the Living Failures do pale in comparison.
A Tier – Rom, the Vacuous Spider
If you have a fear of spiders, you’re going to hate every second you have to spend battling Rom, the Vacuous Spider. The fight can be overwhelming and difficult, as you have to spend a lot of time-fighting off the smaller spiders attempting to overwhelm you and can also deal out a significant amount of damage.
That being said, if you can deal with the smaller spiders, Rom isn’t too difficult of a fight. The way you make it into the fight is very cool, and it can be lengthy, with having to sprint over to him repeatedly.
A Tier – Laurence, the First Vicar
The next DLC boss, Laurence, the First Vicar, packs quite a punch. You have to deal with his incredibly aggressive attacks with two phases in the fight. As well as pouring fire all over the arena floor, making it hard to get an attack on Laurence.
This fight is particularly memorable, especially with the cutscene that takes place just before you get to tackling Laurence. Sat casually on a throne in a Cathedral, Laurence, The First Vicar, truly has no care in the world. It’s a chilling image, but don’t worry; the fight will heat you up with no problem.
A Tier – Martyr Logarius
One of the most frustrating fights in the game, Martyr Logarius, is a fairly difficult fight with a lot of irritating mechanics to try and avoid. With a haunting appearance, this ghostly figure stands on the rooftops, ready to knock you off and watch you fall to your death.
Having to avoid his various magic spells can be quite frustrating and can lead to you rolling off of the roof in an attempt to dodge his powerful attacks. Not only that, but he also hits quite hard if you let him. This area is completely optional, so you don’t have to fight this evil sorcerer should you want to steer clear.
A Tier – Micolash, Host of the Nightmare
Micolash is a peculiar boss, and what makes him so special is his memorable voice lines. That being said, the fight isn’t as fantastic as you have to chase him down hallways that all look the same and can be hugely disorienting. Once you get to the combat, he has some wildly strong attacks that can deplete your health bar in one go, leaving you to have to do the entire run all over again.
Even if the battle isn’t the fun part of the fight, his design and cutscene are fantastic and are some of my favorite lines from the game.
A Tier – Pthumerian Descendant
Pthumerian Descendant is very similar to the Pthumerian Elder but fights with a lot more energy and aggression. He is quite a difficult battle in the Chalice Dungeons compared to some of the other fights that take place there.
Comparing him to the Pthumerian Elder, he is a lot more fun to fight because he provides a challenge to the player.
A Tier – Watchdog of the Old Lords
The Watchdog of the Old Lords is one of the best fights that takes place in the Chalice Dungeons, other than Queen Yharnam herself. However, it is a very difficult fight and can get a bit frustrating after a while if you aren’t succeeding in the fight. With sporadic movements and fire attacks, it makes him a very challenging boss to take on.
Not only are his attacks a nightmare, but he takes up a large amount of space in the small arena where the fight takes place, giving the players more frustration and challenge as they fight the Watchdog of the Old Lords.
B Tier – Blood-starved Beast
There are a lot of beasts throughout this game that you have to kill, and the Blood-Starved Beast is just another one that has to be taken down. This one is pretty average compared to some of the other beast fights in the game. While it can be a bit of a challenge having to dodge their attacks and make sure you hit them sparingly to ensure you survive, there isn’t anything too special to this battle.
B Tier – Cleric Beast
One of the first bosses you can fight in the game, the Cleric Beast, is an optional boss on the bridge. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to take this boss on at all. However, doing so can be quite helpful as it allows you to get some experience in boss battles before taking on Father Gascoigne.
The Cleric Beast’s theme and their shrill screams make for a brilliant and intense fight all around. They can really pack some punches if you aren’t careful, but they’re one of the easier bosses to kill in Bloodborne.
B Tier – Abhorrent Beast
This boss is interesting to fight, as it is the final form of the Suspicious Beggar NPC that you encounter throughout Bloodborne. You can also encounter him outside of this dungeon, but it’s quite difficult to do so.
While his appearance outside the Chalice Dungeon is equally frightening, taking him on in battle is horrifying. You must deal with his immense power and agility in this challenging fight.
B Tier – Headless Bloodletting Beast
There are two forms of the Bloodletting Beast: The Headless Bloodletting Beast and the Headed Bloodletting Beast. Of the two battles you can have, the Headless Bloodletting Beast is a better experience, as it provides more of a challenge, and he’s a bit more horrifying.
The Headless Bloodletting Beast can prove to be a bit of a task as he has a wide reach with his attacks and takes up a lot of space in the tiny arena, requiring a lot of skill to take him down.
B Tier – Forgotten Madman
The Forgotten Madman is another Hunter vs Hunter fight, and this one is fairly decent, all things considered. Compared to the legends of Lady Maria and Gehrman, it doesn’t quite compare. However, it’s still an equally fun fight with an extra bit of a challenge as you have to take on two enemies in this battle.
B Tier – The One Reborn
The One Reborn is quite a grotesque boss and can be difficult to take on with how massive they are and how much space they occupy within the arena.
The fight begins with you being advised to take out the Bell-Ringing women, as they can fire powerful arcane projectiles that can chip away at your health bar. To make the fight easier, it’s best to despatch them before taking on the gross amalgamation in the center of the arena.
Although the boss fight itself is a bit disappointing overall, the design and lore behind The One Reborn is fascinating and fit in well with the dark secrets of Bloodborne.
B Tier – Moon Presence
The Moon Presence is somewhat of a “secret boss”, as you have to meet a fair few requirements to be able to battle them. They come as a second phase to Gehrman, The First Hunter, and are classed as the “true final boss.” This fight isn’t as fantastic as the one with Gehrman by any means, but the Moon Presence does have a very cool design and gives the opportunity for some fantastic in-game photography.
C Tier – Undead Giant
The Undead Giant has a couple of variations you can fight, but overall, the fight is quite bland. Compared to some of the other bosses on this list, it’s quite average and feels like a bog-standard fight in the game.
This is similar to many other giants in the Soulslikes and doesn’t offer any new techniques or attacks.
C Tier – Celestial Emissary
Much like the Living Failures, the Celestial Emissary is an interesting fight. Just when you think you have it under control, it spins it on you, and suddenly you’re dealing with an overwhelming amount of mobs and have to fight for survival.
However, comparing it to the Living Failures, the Celestial Emissary isn’t as exciting as a fight.
C Tier – Pthumerian Elder
The Pthuemerian Elder fight pales in comparison to the Pthumerian Descendant. With sluggish movement and dodgeable attacks, he isn’t as fun to fight. While the story fits in well with Bloodborne, and the concept of fighting an elderly Hunter is nice, it just doesn’t have the same oomph that some of the other fights in the Chalice Dungeons bring.
C Tier – Loran Darkbeast
The Loran Darkbeast is identical to Darkbeast Paarl, but this time you have to fight him in an even smaller arena, making it a bit more difficult. While this fight can be quite challenging, it’s a shame that there isn’t much difference between the Chalice Dungeon boss and Darkbeast Paarl.
This fight is significantly harder than Darkbeast Paarl, predominantly due to the smaller arena and having less space to avoid his lengthy area attacks.
D Tier – Witch of Hemwick
Overall quite a bland fight, as this is another gimmick fight that you have to complete. This time, it’s managing to locate the Witch of Hemwick in the arena, as her power is turning invisible and traveling around the room to disorient you.
If you let her get the jump on you, she has some very powerful attacks, and this fight can feel a bit unfair at times, especially as her cronies can equally overwhelm you. (Source check this).
D Tier – Maneater Boar
Like the Brainsucker, this Boar is exactly like the others you face throughout Bloodborne, just with more health. There isn’t anything at all that is special about this boss, as his visuals and attacks are the exact same as the regular mobs you come across, just with more health and defensives this time.
D Tier – Merciless Watchers
While there is nothing overwhelmingly special about this fight, it can be quite a difficult fight to take on, especially if you aren’t a player who’s good with dealing with multiple enemies at once. This boss utilizes that tactic heavily and has you take down an incredibly tanky pair of enemies that gives players a pretty good idea of what to expect throughout their foray in Yharnam.
D Tier – Loran Silverbeast
The Loran Silverbeast is also a copy of another enemy in the game, but this time it uses fire. This boss isn’t particularly anything special but has some difficult attacks to dodge. They can also be quite speedy and have a bit more of a visual flare to it. This fight is still pretty bland and tedious, one of the many downsides to the Chalice Dungeons.
D Tier – Beast Possessed Soul
While this boss is available in the main world of Yharnam, he is tucked quite far away in the Healing Church Workshop to try and prompt players to first encounter this enemy in the Chalice Dungeons. While this fight isn’t anything special, the boss’s aesthetic is quite cool and fits in well with the dark and grotesque world of Bloodborne.
Despite that being an asset for the boss, there is nothing else that’s spectacular about the fight.
D Tier – Headed Bloodletting Beast
Similar to the Headless Bloodletting Beast, the only real difference is that this one has a head! On top of that, hitting his head is his vulnerable body part in the fight, making it unique from the Headless beast. Also, this one doesn’t come with the disgusting feature of shooting bugs out of its back to inflict poison.
D Tier – Brainsucker
Brainsucker is a pretty gross boss with an equally disgusting name. While it doesn’t really add anything too special to the game, it can be a hard fight. Unfortunately, this fight isn’t that special, as it’s the same mob you see throughout Bloodborne, but with more health. That’s it.
That concludes our tier list of the 37 bosses available in Bloodborne. Which ones are visually striking fun to fight even after you’ve died at least a hundred times, and which bosses have the best soundtracks, all added together to boost the rankings of each boss?
Some bosses are far more memorable and can stay fresh in the memory for years. Bloodborne was a fantastic game and gave us some of the best bosses to encounter throughout the horrifying experience of Yharnam.
