For the PS5 remake, Flamelurker, Maneaters, False King and an online Old Monk encounter are strong candidates for the hardest boss fights; Phalanx and the mechanic-driven Storm King are among the more approachable once you know what to do. This is an editorial ranking, not a measured or community-wide consensus: no comparable boss-by-boss death counts or completion-time data establish an objective order.
The tiers weigh execution and punishment, simultaneous threats, arena pressure, mechanic discovery, build sensitivity, and online/offline variation. A boss can move considerably depending on your equipment, experience with the game, and whether another player controls Old Monk.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How to read this tier list
The list covers the main boss progression roster in the PS5 remake. Vanguard Demon is optional, so it is noted separately rather than ranked alongside the main progression bosses. Recommended boss order can vary with the areas you visit first; the placements below compare challenge, not required order. The PowerPyx boss guide and the GameFAQs PS5 walkthrough describe the encounters and their mechanics.
| Tier | Bosses | Why they land here |
|---|---|---|
| S — highest pressure | Flamelurker; Maneaters; False King; Old Monk (online, variable) | Fast or punishing attacks, simultaneous threats, or the uncertainty of a human-controlled opponent can demand strong execution and adaptation. |
| A — demanding | Penetrator; Armor Spider; Tower Knight; Fool’s Idol | These fights can punish mistakes or add arena and awareness demands, though positioning, assistance, or recognizing the fight’s rule can ease them. |
| B — moderate or approach-dependent | Adjudicator; Leechmonger; Old Monk (offline); Old Hero; Dirty Colossus | They still threaten careless play, but their vulnerabilities, behavior, or available approaches make them more manageable once understood. |
| C — comparatively approachable after discovery | Phalanx; Dragon God; Storm King; Maiden Astraea / Garl Vinland | These encounters lean heavily on a discoverable vulnerability, route, or special interaction rather than sustained conventional combat pressure. |
These are relative placements, not guarantees about any individual run. A build that exploits a weakness can lower a fight’s practical difficulty; a self-imposed challenge or unfamiliarity with a mechanic can raise it. Online Old Monk is separated because its opponent can be another player, making it less predictable than the offline NPC encounter.
#1 Best Overall
Why the hardest tier is difficult
Flamelurker
Flamelurker combines speed, forceful melee pressure, and punishment for getting trapped near arena corners. The guide notes its weakness to magic and recommends blocking or dodging during its rampage; melee-focused players may find the close-range exchanges especially demanding. Bluepoint art director Mark Skelton called it, in his personal view, “the most formidable and satisfying boss in the game,” describing it as fast and powerful and advising fire resistance. That is a developer’s opinion, not a measured ranking. PlayStation.Blog’s developer commentary includes his remarks.
Maneaters
The fight shifts from one opponent to two when the second Maneater arrives after time passes. That change makes the encounter’s defining pressure the risk of handling one enemy while the other attacks. The guide recommends dealing substantial damage to the first before the second joins; bows or magic can help when a target is airborne. This is the clearest example in the roster of difficulty rising from simultaneous threats rather than a hidden rule.
False King
False King mixes fast melee attacks with ranged magic, an area attack, and a grab that drains a soul level. The range of threats makes greedy attacks risky: patience and choosing safe openings matter more than forcing damage. A build’s tools can change the fight, but the combination of reach and punishment makes it a strong upper-tier choice.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Old Monk, online
Online, another player may control Old Monk, so the fight can become a PvP encounter rather than a fixed boss pattern. Opponent skill and behavior make its difficulty unusually variable; it belongs in the top tier for uncertainty, not because every online match is necessarily harder than every conventional boss. Offline, the encounter uses an NPC and is ranked separately below.
Demanding fights with identifiable answers
Penetrator
Penetrator’s fast sword attacks reward careful spacing. Arena statues can help shape movement, and Biorr can assist if unlocked. The boss becomes available after defeating one of four other area bosses, so availability is not simply tied to clearing a single preceding fight.
Rank #2
- Discover where the journey began - Experience the original brutal challenge, completely remade from the ground up. All presented in stunning visual quality with enhanced performance, this is the world of Boletaria as you have never seen it before.
- Become the Slayer of Demons - Venture to the northern kingdom of Boletaria – a once prosperous land of knights, now beset with unspeakable creatures and ravenous demons. Meet strange characters, unhinged and twisted by the world around them, and unravel the unsettling story of Demon’s Souls.
- Face the world’s greatest warriors in ferocious PVP combat - With online invasions adding to the danger of your quest. Or play cooperatively by summoning allies to aid in your fight against the demons. Active PS Plus subscription required for online multiplayer.
Armor Spider
Armor Spider constrains the approach: ranged attacks make closing distance difficult, while getting close brings short-range attacks and a flame carpet. The challenge is managing when to advance and retreat rather than fighting freely at any distance.
Tower Knight
Attack the ankles to stagger and topple Tower Knight, then strike the exposed head. Archers on the walls can interrupt you while you work. Leaving them alive is tied to a trophy challenge, which adds a self-imposed difficulty choice for players pursuing that objective.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteFool’s Idol
Fool’s Idol tests observation as much as combat. Clones, teleportation, and floor traps complicate targeting, while a praying enemy outside the arena can revive the boss. The guide says the real Idol’s Soul Rays are thicker than those of its copies, giving attentive players a way to identify the target.
Moderate, but still dependent on approach
Adjudicator
Adjudicator can be fought from above with ranged attacks or approached from below to attack its wound, topple it, and expose its head. Finding that vulnerability turns the fight from a more awkward exchange into a clearer attack cycle.
Leechmonger
The arena allows a high-ground ranged approach or close combat. The boss is weak to fire, so both positioning and damage type can make the encounter easier than its location might suggest.
Rank #3
- DARK SOULS REMASTERED - Then, there was fire. Re-experience the genre-defining game that started it all. Return to Lordran in the beautifully remastered game in high definition, 60 fps with single-player or online multiplayer with dedicated servers. Includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC.
- DARK SOULS II: SCHOLAR OF THE FIRST SIN - Prepare to Die again. The second installment of the series includes the base Dark Souls II plus all three DLCs: Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, and Crown of the Ivory King.
- DARK SOULS III: THE FIRE FADES - Now only embers remain… Dark Souls III is the final journey in the series where players can fight through intense combat solo or team up for in co-op or PvP multiplayer. Includes the award-winning game and both DLC chapters: Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.
- ALL ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS - Visit the EP!C corner to download the music of the Dark Souls saga composed by Motoi Sakaraba and Yuka Kitamura. 110 tracks and more than 6 hours to listen and take back any Dark Souls fan to the intense boss fights and the best moments of their deadly journeys.
Old Monk, offline
Offline, Old Monk is an NPC encounter rather than a player-controlled opponent. The guide notes its homing yellow-orb attack. Without the variation of an online human opponent, it sits below the online version in this tier list.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesOld Hero
Old Hero is blind. Walking slowly or using the Thief’s Ring helps avoid detection, making this chiefly a stealth and knowledge check rather than a test of fast reactions.
Dirty Colossus
Fire is useful against Dirty Colossus, and its swings can be dodged. An explosion covers the player in dirt, but the guide characterizes the fight as not particularly difficult. Its unpleasant arena and attack effect should not be mistaken for evidence that it is among the hardest mechanically.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.More approachable once you understand the mechanic
Phalanx
Phalanx is the first boss and a clear early knowledge check. Defeating the small shielded enemies exposes the central target; fire is effective, with firebombs and turpentine among the guide’s suggested options. Before discovering that vulnerability, the mass of shields can make the encounter feel tougher than it is once the rule clicks.
Dragon God
Dragon God is a puzzle-style encounter, not a conventional duel. Use cover while advancing to the two ballistae, fire both, then approach the downed boss. Its challenge comes from reading the route and timing movement around danger; discovering the intended interaction changes the fight substantially.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Rank #4
- STEVEN RHODES ART AND EASY-TO-LEARN GAMEPLAY: Based on the artwork of Steven Rhodes, an illustrator best known for his offbeat reimagining of children’s activity books from the ’70s and ’80s, Let’s Summon Demons immerses you in hilariously dark retro worlds. It features fast-paced, easy-to-learn gameplay with very little setup time, while offering hidden depth to satisfy hardcore gamers.
- ROLL THE DICE!: What are little Johnny, Suzy, and Fido supposed to do to escape the everyday doldrums of suburban life? I know: Let's Summon Demons! Each player takes turns rolling dice and trying to match those numbers with kids they have acquired for the summoning circle. Make a match and collect Souls, use those Souls to get more Kids, or save up and SUMMON a Demon! The first player to summon three Demons wins the game.
- KEY FEATURES: The game is from Dynomite Games, an old-school sub-brand of Cryptozoic Entertainment, and features art inspired by popular illustrator Steven Rhodes. It is for 2-5 players (ages 12+) and has an estimated playtime of 10-20 minutes per game.
- INSIDE THE BOX: 125 Cards, 40 Soul Tokens, 2 6-sided Dice, 1 Rulebook
- ABOUT CRYPTOZOIC ENTERTAINMENT: Since 2010, Cryptozoic Entertainment has been dedicated to the concept of "Fans First," striving to develop the most creative and sought-after products for pop culture enthusiasts worldwide. As an entertainment company with a diverse portfolio of licensed and original IPs, its catalog covers a broad spectrum of tabletop games and collectibles. The passionate team at Cryptozoic aims to inspire gamers and collectors and bring fans together.
Storm King
Clear the flying mantarays and use the Storm Ruler sword found in the arena to hit Storm King. The distinctive weapon and intended method make the encounter considerably more manageable once found; its spectacle is not the same thing as sustained combat difficulty.
Maiden Astraea and Garl Vinland
This is a special encounter in which Garl is the active aggressor and multiple outcomes are possible. Bluepoint chief technology officer Peter Dalton described Astraea as “in a league of her own” because the encounter is emotionally unforgettable, while noting it may not demand the twitch reactions of other bosses. That comment speaks to emotional impact, not proof that she is mechanically the hardest. It is useful to keep atmosphere and narrative weight separate from combat difficulty.
Optional encounter: Vanguard Demon
Vanguard Demon is optional and is not part of the main boss progression tier list above. GameFAQs marks it as optional. Include it in a personal ranking only if you want to compare optional boss-like encounters with the main progression bosses; doing so changes the scope of the list.
Which boss is hardest, and which is easiest?
For a conventional fight, Flamelurker, Maneaters, and False King are the strongest hardest-boss candidates here, for different reasons: execution and punishment, two simultaneous enemies, and a varied set of fast attacks. Online Old Monk can be the most unpredictable because a human opponent may control it. There is no evidence in the cited material establishing one universal hardest boss.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Phalanx is a strong easiest-boss candidate once you know to clear the shielded enemies and exploit fire. Storm King also becomes approachable once you use the Storm Ruler. “Easiest” therefore depends on whether you have found the intended mechanic, rather than simply on how early or dramatic a boss is.
About the PS5 remake
This ranking concerns the PS5 remake by PlayStation Studios and Bluepoint Games. The official PlayStation game page identifies it as a PS5 title and lists Standard and Digital Deluxe editions, as well as features including graphics modes, fast loading, and haptics. Store editions and availability can change. The developer commentary also describes the remake’s aim of preserving foes’ core identities and gameplay while recreating them; it does not provide a measured boss-difficulty ranking.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
