As with the Souls games, Bloodborne thrives on its cast of remarkable bosses. Equipped with more than 30 of them, we got to thinking, what are the best bosses in Bloodborne?
Each of Bloodborne‘s bosses bring something unique to the experience, some more than others. We’ve selected what we believe to be the five most noteworthy bosses and have argued why they belong in the line-up below.
5. Martyr Logarius
Logarius is one frightening fellow. Serving as the obligatory robe-wearing skeleton with a scythe, he is an intimidating foe to go up against.
You battle Logarius on a rooftop, similar to the Bell Gargoyles in Dark Souls. While he isn’t as aggressive as the other bosses on this list, he employs a unique mixture of large melee range swipes and dark magic. These two types of attacks have moderately difficult to read telegraphs, making one try kills uncommon. He also has a couple of quick movements that make it a constant challenge to lock him down.
What makes Logarius stand out is not only his visual design, including his outstanding animations, but the musical piece that is played during the battle. It’s a high-tempo track with spiritual elements that make it feel as if you’re fighting the grim reaper himself. Your heart pounds as you swing around him searching for a weakness to exploit.
This boss is divisive among players since he is most susceptible to ranged parry, a mechanic that isn’t all that dependable. Although, if you’re able to successful parry him during his scythe swipes, you can devastate his health bar in quick order.
Defeating Logarius rewards you with over 25,000 Blood Echoes and the Crown of Illusions, one of the more impressive head attire options in Bloodborne.
4. Vicar Amelia
From the moment you encounter Vicar you can tell she’s a very special boss. Resembling a hybrid between a wolf and deer, she screeches with the power of a dozen tortured souls.
Vicar is an absolute handful to deal with. She’s agitated the moment you enter the cathedral she resides in, and clearly demonstrates that she doesn’t want you to be there throughout the course of the fight. With each blow she lets out a distinguishable roar that makes you feel as if you’ve stumbled upon the mother of a bird’s nest you just knocked over. Her unique looks only add to the horror of facing her.
Vicar is a well-tuned fight that is very challenging, many times requiring several attempts, but isn’t unfair. If you take risks, her overhand blow can lead to a quick death if she follows up with a swipe afterward. Many players struggle to defeat Vicar since she hits exceptionally hard. Patience is the key to victory, and her defeat is one of Bloodborne‘s most satisfying.
Conquering Vicar rewards you with 15,000 Blood Echoes and a Gold Pendant.
3. Mergo’s Wet Nurse
Mergo’s Wet Nurse is the only mandatory final boss in Bloodborne. though Gerhman is considered the true final boss. She doesn’t disappoint.
The Wet Nurse is a very methodical fight. It’s difficult to close in on her and get an attack off as she is constantly rotating through different moves that have large attack radii. She doesn’t open herself up to damage all that often which may cause you to take your time. If so, you’re making a mistake. She’s most dangerous when she summons the nightmare realm, a place that decreases your visibility, makes her more powerful, and later into the fight means you have to deal with her and a clone. The longer the fight goes on, the more times you have to deal with the nightmare realm, so you’re urged to deal as much as quick as possible to end the fight before it gets out of control.
Related: What I Learned From Completing Bloodborne
The entire battle is themed to portray the final story elements of Bloodborne, meaning that you encounter major set pieces. It all comes together in spectacular fashion, making the Wet Nurse a battle you don’t soon forget.
Defeating Mergo’s Wet Nurse earns you a staggering 72,000 Blood Echoes and presents you with the decision to end the game or engage the “true” final boss.
2. Father Gascoigne
Gascoigne is the the boss most demonstrative of what sets Bloodborne apart from the Souls games. It’s a battle fast-paced in nature, requiring the deliberate use of dodges, quick counter-attacks, and well-timed Regain.
You could call Gascoigne the first major hurdle of Bloodborne. He is responsible for more deaths than any other boss as he is a huge jump in difficulty compared to the regular foes that precede him. Sadly, some players give up before ever defeating him.
While his difficulty is what he’s most known for, Gascoigne is an incredibly well designed encounter. Featuring three phases all with their own move sets and dangers, he is a boss that doesn’t afford you any space to breathe. He likes to be in your face making you feel unwelcome to the graveyard you greet him in resulting in Blood Vial usage being difficult. Thankfully, his attacks have a tempo to them that once figured out affords you the comfort of knowing that you can avoid all the damage he can throw at you provided you have good rhythm with your dodges.
The battle turns into a beautiful dance around tombstones that is either followed by the agonizing pain of defeat, or the unequaled roar of triumph.
Father Gascoigne rewards those who defeat him 1,800 Blood Echoes and the Oedon Tomb Key that allows players to continue past what is considered to be one of the greatest obstacles in Bloodborne.
1. Gehrman, the First Hunter
Unlike Dark Souls 2, Bloodborne ends on an exemplary note. Gehrman might be an optional boss, but he’s the true final boss of the game. He earned his title.
A serene score and a beautiful landscape crowded with white flowers flowing in the wind host this epic battle between the protagonist and one of the most dangerous bosses in Bloodborne. He resembles Father Gascoigne in that he is quick on his feet and can dish damage with dangerous melee combos or from range. There are no tombstones to exploit for spacing this time, though. Conquering Gehrman is all about giving the battle 100% of your attention, and quickly recognizing what the boss will do next. If you make a mistake, even a small one, you’re likely to end up dead as he’s capable of ending you in one swift blow.
If you spent time learning the intricacies of Bloodborne‘s ranged parry, it pays dividends in this fight as Gehrman can be stunned during his vicious offensive attacks. Although, you can’t rely on it completely.
The Gehrman boss battle employs everything that makes Bloodborne a wonderful action RPG. It’s a hard fight, one that feels substantial, will test your abilities, and feels tremendously good to overcome.
Gehrman, the First Hunter’s death leads to the “good” ending of Bloodborne, the best reward one can receive.
