One Boss Type Has Led to Some of the Best and Worst FromSoftware Experiences

Game ZXC

Elden Ring

By Liam Ferguson

Published Oct 29, 2023

Highlights

Boss fights in FromSoftware games are crucial and leave a lasting impression on players, with bosses like Starscourge Radahn, Malenia, and Morgott from Elden Ring being standout examples.
The variety in boss fights is important, with different elements and additional foes adding challenge and making each fight unique. However, some boss-level threats can be incredibly difficult, such as the Godskin Duo and double Valiant Gargoyle fights in Elden Ring.
One of the most memorable boss fights in the Dark Souls series is the battle against Ornstein and Smough, who set the standard for group boss fights with their coordinated attacks. Ornstein's animated armor has made appearances in subsequent games, showcasing their lasting impact.

The importance of boss fights in modern FromSoftware games can't be understated. Representing the peak of each title's fever-pitch gameplay, bosses stick out in players' minds, and FromSoftware's design work turns some into fandom legends. From Elden Ring alone, many of the Great Rune-holding demigods including Starscourge Radahn, Malenia, and Morgott are all remembered as high points of many playthroughs. The amount of bosses to go through does drag Elden Ring down sometimes, but on a whole they've impressed once again.

Variety is a big reason why some bosses stand out and others feel like a chore. Elden Ring ensures there's something different about every boss fight, but it's often through minor touches like different elements or adding extra foes. The latter extends to other boss-level threats, resulting in some of Elden Ring's hardest battles. Just about everyone who's reached Elden Ring's endgame has a horror story involving the Godskin Duo, and some believe the double Valiant Gargoyle fight is just as bad. This shouldn't be surprising, however, as the type of fight involved has marked peaks and valleys in FromSoftware titles for a long time.

Ornstein and Smough Stand As One of Dark Souls’ Highlight Boss Fights

Out of the original Dark Souls' many bosses, an enduring standout is the fight against Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough. It isn't the first Dark Souls boss fight against two or more opponents, but it's still widely agreed to be the game's best. Ornstein and Smough blocked many players from seeing Dark Souls' back half, but the amount of publicity they got from it made them a fan favorite. Their memorable designs and tough-but-fair fight lead to every subsequent Souls game calling back to them, with Ornstein's animated armor even returning for several more bouts.

What impressed those who toughed out Ornstein and Smough's fight, aside from having two second-phase variations and subsequent rewards, was how the duo interacted. Their attacks and behaviors complimented each other and allowed players to keep track of both at once and split them up. Such coordination, offset by ways to exploit it, has been a hallmark of the greatest group bosses in FromSoftware's catalog. DS2's Throne Watcher and Throne Defender, DS3's Demon in Pain and Demon from Below, the second phase of Sister Friede's fight alongside Father Ariandel in the same game, and Bloodborne's Shadows of Yharnam are all fondly remembered for following the guidelines set by Ornstein and Smough.

Many FromSoftware Duo Bosses Show How Rough Those Fights Can Be

FromSoftware SoulsBorne Bosses Beasts Maneaters

Just because Elden Ring's Godskin Duo was seemingly another Ornstein and Smough callback doesn't mean they're as beloved, however. These bosses were already formidable alone, and their strengths were further amplified together. Both they and the double Valiant Gargoyle fight are far tougher than the Dark Souls bosses that inspired them and are hardly redesigned to accommodate their new paired contexts. It takes one of Elden Ring's most broken builds to consistently take these bosses down, and that doesn't mitigate the frustration players will feel learning which ones even work.

Frustration is the inevitable result when FromSoftware doesn't get a duo boss quite right. As early as Demon's Souls, the Maneaters are a wall that players climbing the Tower of Latria must face. It's telling that despite being nearly identical to Dark Souls' Belfry Gargoyles, this pair is instead compared to Dark Souls' infamous Bed of Chaos. Their unpredictable AI combined with flight, pitfalls, and strong attacks makes them feel downright luck-based. Fairness is key when it comes to dividing FromSoftware's best and worst duo bosses and will continue to be so as the developer experiments with new takes on the fight format.

Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set in a world co-created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the influential Dark Souls video game series, and George R.R. Martin, the author of the best-selling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. This collaboration between two renowned creators has resulted in FromSoftware's largest game to date, filled with danger and discovery at every turn. Hidetaka Miyazaki, president and game director of FromSoftware, has a history of directing highly acclaimed games in franchises such as Armored Core and Dark Souls.