Summary
Over the last few decades,FromSoftwarehas developed a number of tropes and traditions, some of which have been around long before games likeElden Ring,Sekiro,Bloodborne, andDark Souls. One of the earliestFromSoftwaretropes first reared its head all the way back in the mid-1990s with the release ofKing’s Field 2, the first FromSoft game to feature a difficult dragon boss fight.
Ever since then, dragons have become a staple of FromSoftware’s games, only appearing more prominently with each new Soulslike entry. TheDark Soulstrilogy,Elden Ring, and evenSekiroall have more than their fair share of dragon boss fights, some of which have become known far and wide as the most difficult boss fights in their respective games.
This tier list specifically focuses on the difficulty of FromSoftware’s dragons, taking into consideration how tricky their moves are to avoid and how hard-hitting their attacks can be.
S-Tier FromSoftware Dragons
The Most Difficult Dragon Fights in FromSoftware History
By far the most difficult dragon bosses in FromSoftware history areDark Souls 3’s Darkeater Midir,Elden Ring’s Dragonlord Placidusax, andShadow of the Erdtree’s Bayle the Dread. All three of these dragons have a vast moveset containing devastating AoE attacks, projectiles capable of one-shotting the player, and sweeping melee attacks that can only be dodged with pinpoint accuracy. However, the silver lining with these dragons is that each one is also one of the most visually stunning and satisfying boss fights in their respective games, making their challenge feel worthwhile at least.
A-Tier FromSoftware Dragons
The Dragons That Pack a Mean Punch
While these FromSoftware dragon boss fights aren’t quite as intense as those listed above, each one still poses a significant challenge. Lichdragon Fortissax and Ancient Dragon Senessax have some brutal red lightning attacks that make close-quarters combat very difficult. Kalameet is fast and vicious. Sinh spends most of his time flying high above the player, which makes it difficult to land attacks. AndDark Souls 2’s Ancient Dragonis the worst of the bunch, threatening to bore players to death with its absurdly huge health pool and laughably small moveset, albeit one that’s still capable of killing players in one hit.
B-Tier FromSoftware Dragons
Dragons With More Bark Than Bite
The vast majority ofFromSoftware’s dragon boss fightsland in this tier, all still putting up a tough fight, but all coming with exploitable weaknesses that players can adapt to quite easily after some practice.Dark Souls' Gaping Dragon andElden Ring’s countless Flying, Glintstone, Ghostflame, and other dragon types can pack a mean punch, but those attacks are all well-telegraphed, giving players plenty of opportunity to avoid them.Dark Souls' Seath andDark Souls 3’s Oceiros have faster movesets than the rest of their peers here, but Seath’s stationary nature and Oceiros' lower health pool make them relatively simple fights for practiced FromSoft players.
C-Tier FromSoftware Dragons
Dragons That Don’t Take Much to Conquer
These FromSoftware dragon fights can still take the player by surprise with one or two devastating attacks, but they’re not likely to give FromSoft veterans any real trouble.Dark Souls 3’s King of the Storm is just one small part of a much tougher boss fight,Sekiro’s Divine Dragonis a visual treat but doesn’t require much effort to defeat, andElden Ring’s Decaying Ekzykes is incredibly slow, but can catch the player off guard with his Scarlet Rot attack.
D-Tier FromSoftware Dragons
The Weakest Dragons in FromSoftware History
By far the easiest dragon bosses in FromSoftware history, these three aren’t really boss fights in the traditional sense, which is what lands them at the bottom of this tier list.Demon’s Souls' red and blue dragons are designed to be avoided completely, acting more as environmental hazards.Demon’s SoulsDragon God andDark Souls 3’s Ancient Wyvernare puzzle bosses, with both requiring the player to sneak towards the boss and land a one-hit blow.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
