In the Soulsborne universe, sometimes even referred to as Soulsbornekiro, there are dozens of deadly women who serve as some of the toughest bosses across any of the games. Some of these fight under a timid initial appearance, set to deceive the player before they express their masterful techniques.

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Some of these characters take the form of highborn royalty or those with incredibly tragic backstories and motivations, which can make the player feel guilty for killing them. Nonetheless, each of them should be approached with caution, as many of the encounters are unforgivably difficult.

Updated on March 2, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: FromSoftware has become one of the biggest names in the gaming industry. Their games are amazing and do a great job of immersing players time and time again. The combat in these games can feel rather unforgiving at times, but players need only improve their skills and strengthen the protagonist to stand a chance against the many imposing bosses in each title. Players will love engaging in the many boss fights across FromSoftware's wealth of action RPGs, with the studio knowing just how important it is to integrate female bosses who are just as powerful (if not more) than their male counterparts.

11 Chaos Witch Quelaag

A Fiery Boss Fight At The End Of The Hardest Area In Dark Souls

Blighttown is one of the most grueling areas to traverse in Dark Souls. The narrow platforms and verticality of this area mean that there's a real chance of players falling off with a single enemy ambush as they descend down to the poison swamp. It doesn't end there either, with players having to brave this status effect and dodge the rocks thrown by a group of annoying enemies before finally making their way to Quelaag's Domain.

After reaching this area, players must fight a spider-human hybrid who specializes in dealing fire damage. Sure, Quelaag may not be the most imposing boss around from a difficulty perspective, but she's pretty memorable and lets players enjoy a grand sense of achievement after besting one of the toughest sections in the game. If players beat this boss, then they may have what it takes to go through the entirety of Dark Souls without breaking a sweat.

10 Ebrietas, Daughter Of The Cosmos

A Tragic Great One Who Hits Like A Truck And Is One Of Bloodborne's Hardest Bosses

One of the tankiest bosses in Bloodborne who can hit like a truck, Ebrietas is a beast who should not be underestimated in battle. She's a tragic figure who must be goaded into a fight, where she'll waste no time in one-shotting the player with her high damage over and over again.

Players must be smart in their approach if they wish to stand a chance against this boss. Sticking to her backside is a winning strategy, and the Hunter should commence with a panic roll from the ages the moment they see her unleashing her A Call Beyond attack.

9 Crossbreed Priscilla

The Boss Of An Optional Area Who Pulls Off A Disappearing Act Midway Through The Battle

• Dark Souls

After heading through the fog gate, players meet the majestically glamorous Priscilla, adorned in a cloak of white and wielding an enormous scythe. Unlike other bosses in the game, Priscilla is initially peaceful unless attacked.

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If the player speaks to her, she will instruct them to leave the painted world. If attacked, she turns invisible and will track the player around the arena and attack them with her scythe. By looking at the snowy footprints on the floor, it is possible to deduce Priscilla's location and reveal her physical form again.

8 Lady Butterfly

A Skilled Fighter Who's Agile, Deadly, And Takes No Prisoners

Lady Butterfly is an unbelievably skilled fighter, far more experienced than the game's protagonist, Sekiro. She plays this to her advantage with various jibes. Encountering the player at the end of the Hirata Estate memory, she relishes in the opportunity to fight a skilled opponent.

Lady Butterfly opts for an agile fighting style, pursuing the player as she utilizes her kunai, forms of magic, and her Phantom Kunai to chip away at the player's health. With her age comes a prosperous career as a deadly warrior, and the fact that she is alive reveals just how skilled she truly is.

7 Nashandra

The Final Boss Of An Underrated Game

Born from one of the four shards of Manus, Father Of The Abyss’ soul, Nashandra hid her identity in the form of a beautiful woman to seduce and wed King Vendrick, which allowed her to get a step closer to the power she desired. She initially shows herself to the player at Drangleic Castle in the form of a human, but this couldn't be any further from her true, monstrous identity.

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Meeting Nashandra at the end of the game at the Throne Of Want, she takes on the form of a grotesque monster. Her corrupted form is covered in bones and dead bodies, highlighting her embodiment of death and decay in a body created from darkness.

6 Rennala, Queen Of The Full Moon

A Tragic Figure Who's Fought In A Beautiful Arena

Queen of the Carian Royal family, Rennala was once a champion who led the Academy Of Raya Lucaria to prominence, establishing Carian royalty and instilling values for her students to strive towards. After bearing three of Radagon’s children, Radagon left her to become an Elden Lord, leaving her heartbroken in the process. Her students rose against her, locking her away in the Grand Library as she no longer held the qualities of a champion who could lead them.

Rennala is renowned for her mastery of lunar magic, which she displays against the player in their battle. After beating an easy first phase, the player will fight her during a second phase under a full moon. The second phase is likely an illusion set up by her daughter, Ranni, drawing power from the Amber Egg gifted by Radagon to project the illusion of Rennala fighting in her prime.

5 Emma, The Gentle Blade

A Tough, Tragic Boss Fought In The Bad Ending Route

• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Much like Friede in Dark Souls 3, Emma is a deceptively skilled fighter. Players face her as the penultimate boss of the Shura ending should they follow that path. As Sekiro sides with Owl, Emma approaches with her weapon drawn. Accepting Sekiro’s chosen alliance, she readies to dispose of him.

While Emma’s skillset derives from the teachings of her master, Isshin Ashina, she incorporates her own personal flair into the battle, attacking quickly and with considerable damage. The fight is a turning point for an innocent character, who has aided Sekiro throughout the majority of the game. At this point, even Emma feels she must take it upon herself to stop Sekiro from turning Shura, a mindless monster who kills without reason.

4 Dancer Of The Boreal Valley

Displays An Eccentric Moveset With Combos That Can Take Most Ashen Ones By Surprise

The Dancer has some of the most interesting lore in Dark Souls 3, and her story is as tragic as they come. When players engage her, she tiptoes around the room with elegance, and her cold and calculated attack pattern can lead to the player panic-rolling to their death.

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Players who can dissect and interpret the Dancer's rhythmic movements will be able to open up the fight to chip away at her health. While she can be fought very early in the game and defeated just after Iudex Gundyr, doing so at such an early point is a significant challenge that new players should not attempt. Fighting the Dancer is one of the most memorable moments in Dark Souls 3, and being able to beat her at a low level is a commendable feat.

3 Malenia, Blade Of Miquella

The Elden Ring Boss That Turned Boys Into Men

• Elden Ring

Few will stand against the might of the Goddess of Rot, lest they risk losing both mind and will. Born afflicted with the Scarlet Rot that gradually wore away at her from the inside, Malenia became battle-hardened in the face of her predicament, attaching golden prosthetics in place of her lost limbs.

Malenia is a warrior of unrivaled strength, bested only by players willing to dedicate long periods of time to learn her moveset and take her down. Even then, Malenia can catch some of the best players off guard with her devastating attacks and waterfowl dance, a powerful move that is hard to evade. Malenia serves as a nightmarish end to an already difficult area, but beating her at the Brace of the Haligtree is one of the most gratifying moments in all of Elden Ring.

2 Lady Maria Of The Astral Clocktower

An Epic Boss With Three Phases

• Bloodborne

Disillusioned by the practices of the Church, Lady Maria locked herself inside the Astral Clocktower, seeking to protect its secrets and knowledge. Overcome with the guilt inflicted by the church's massacre of the Fishing Hamlet, Lady Maria carries a heavy burden on her shoulders due to her own involvement, further enforced by the way she distances herself from her associated atrocities by residing in the Astral Clocktower.

Maria adopts the powerful Rakuyo in battle, a duel-wielded weapon consisting of a rapier and a serrated sword. Her attacks are relentlessly quick, and she can evade the player easily with her rapid movements. It is fitting for Maria to use blood arts in her second phase, a forbidden technique that she utilizes as a last-ditch effort to take the player down.

1 Sister Friede

An Epic Boss Encounter Spanning Three Grueling Phases In A Cinematic Battle For The Ages

• Dark Souls 3

Sister Friede initially appears as a timid, soft-spoken woman of royalty. Her clothing befits a highborn lady, which wouldn’t be expected for such a formidable fighter. With her deceiving appearance comes one of the deadliest foes in Soulsborne history, and calling her timid is a far cry from her true nature.

Friede fights like a monster with her deadly scythe, elegantly tiptoeing around the arena as she tries to catch the player unaware with stealth attacks. With a further two phases where the player must fight both Friede and Ariandel and then Blackflame Friede in an almost unstoppable form, the battle against her can be mentally taxing. Putting her down once and for all is an unparalleled feeling.

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