Highlights

  • FromSoftware rose to fame with Dark Souls and Elden Ring.
  • Boss encounters are a staple of FromSoftware games.
  • Elden Ring's massive boss count and expansive open world are astounding.

FromSoftware has shot up the ranks to become one of the most reputed video game developers of the modern era. Ever since the release of Dark Souls, the developer has wowed players time and time again with its tough combat mechanics, amazing worldbuilding, engrossing lore, and a wealth of challenging boss fights that have become a staple of their games.

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Elden Ring is the game that has pushed the studio into the mainstream, with more and more fans checking out FromSoftware's games for themselves and finding out why people love their hard yet fair combat. This is especially true when it comes to boss encounters, and players will love the many FromSoftware games that let players challenge a wealth of bosses who will wallop the players to kingdom come if they aren't careful.

5 Dark Souls 2

32 Bosses (Base Game) + 9 Bosses (DLCs)

Dark Souls 2

Platform(s)
PS4 , PS3 , Xbox 360 , PC , Xbox One
Released
March 11, 2014
Developer(s)
From Software
Genre(s)
Action RPG

Many people feel that Dark Souls 2 features way too many bosses for its own good, with the vast majority of encounters feeling lazy in comparison to the tightly designed battles of the first game. Too many bosses are supported by hordes of weaker enemies that add an artificial level of difficulty. Still, this is a small price to pay for a game that has an immense variety of areas and new additions to combat that are innovative and have persisted in future Soulsborne games.

For every Royal Rat Vanguard, there's a Sir Alonne who pushes players to their very limits without feeling too unfair. The DLCs also add some interesting encounters of their own, making for the highest boss count in a Dark Souls game to date. Players who felt that this game cheapened the feeling players enjoyed whenever they encountered a unique boss had no idea what was in store for them when Elden Ring came out.

4 Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon

43 Bosses (Base Game)

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

Platform(s)
PS5 , PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
Released
August 25, 2023
Developer(s)
From Software
Genre(s)
Action , Shooter

Before becoming an internationally recognized developer, FromSoftware was mostly known for the Armored Core series. Fans who felt that this series would be on the back burner permanently after the studio shifted to developing more Soulsborne games were glad to see the announcement of Armored Core 6, with the game featuring the best version of mech combat that players have come to appreciate.

The lack of the debt mechanic means that players don't have to worry too much about racking up a negative bank balance as they struggle to beat the many challenging bosses in this title. Armored Core 6 features the largest collection of bosses in any game in the series, and players will love micromanaging their mech and investing in their mobility and offensive capabilities, allowing them to take out a particularly challenging boss that was obliterating them just a few attempts prior.

3 Bloodborne

17 Bosses (Base Game) + 21 (Chalice Dungeons) + 5 (DLC)

Bloodborne

Platform(s)
PS4
Released
March 24, 2015
Developer(s)
From Software
Genre(s)
Action , RPG

The gothic and Lovecraftian influences of Bloodborne make it one of the most memorable games in FromSoft's history. The focus on a smaller pool of weapons with unique movesets makes it a treat to acquire any armament in the game, with the boss fights ranging from emotional encounters to harrowing duels and everything in between. The main game features a total of seventeen bosses, but there are other candidates that deserve a mention too.

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The Chalice Dungeons may not be the most beloved addition to this game, but the work put into developing a host of unique bosses in these randomized areas deserves some recognition. Finally, The Old Hunters DLC features five boss encounters, four of which are arguably some of the best and most memorable boss encounters in any FromSoftware game to date. There's a reason why fans are pining for a Bloodborne remaster — this game deserves to be played at 4K and 60 FPS because of its immense quality.

2 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

17 (Main Bosses) + 30 (Mini-Bosses)

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Platform(s)
PS4 , PC , Xbox One
Released
March 22, 2019
Developer(s)
From Software
Genre(s)
Action RPG

Sekiro was a shift no one saw coming, with FromSoftware opting to develop a game with a more in-your-face narrative that lacked any of the multiplayer or RPG elements that most players had come to expect from the studio's games. Instead, the focus was solely on sword fighting and deflecting blows to reduce an enemy's posture and leave them open for a Deathblow. It's a gameplay mechanic that players must learn if they don't want to be completely obliterated by the many tough enemies present in this title.

The fast-paced combat of Sekiro makes for a great time, as players deflect blows and punish enemies for being too aggressive, but the same applies to them. This is especially true in the case of bosses, who are ridiculously aggressive and demand perfection from the player if they don't want to be struck down by a damaging string of combos. Unlike most other Soulsborne games, the mini-bosses in this game are so stressful and challenging that they deserve a mention in the eyes of many, with some of these enemies rivaling actual bosses in terms of how challenging they can be.

1 Elden Ring

165 Bosses (Base Game) + 42 (DLC)

Elden Ring

Platform(s)
PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
Released
February 25, 2022
Developer(s)
From Software
Genre(s)
RPG , Action

It was only a given that Elden Ring's massive boss count would make the game a perfect fit for this list. The focus on an open world with the numerous boss encounters that are present in each and every corner makes this title one of the most rewarding sandboxes players can explore. Despite the many unique bosses present in this game, the fact that Elden Ring only recycles these encounters from time to time is a testament to the sheer scale of this world and why players can sink in more hours in this game alone than the entire Dark Souls trilogy combined.

To make things even more impressive, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion adds even more content for players to mess around with. The fact that this expansion alone has as many bosses as Dark Souls 2 (including its DLC) makes it clear why so many critics hailed this DLC as one of the very best ever released for a video game.

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