Boss fights are a core part of the Dark Souls franchise. These enemies will stop at nothing to see you die over and over again. While some do this better than others, most of the bosses in the series are iconic for one reason or another.
Considered the black sheep of the series, Dark Souls 2 has a plethora of bosses for you to face, some of which are rather hidden. Due to the game requiring you to only kill a handful of bosses to beat it, some of these bosses are easily missed and rarely fought. From giant rats to saber cats, here are ten hidden bosses you likely missed in Dark Souls 2. This article contains spoilers for Dark Souls 2.
10 Sir Alonne
Sir Alonne is an optional boss fight in the Old Iron King DLC for Dark Souls 2. You will need to face this expert swordsman to obtain the final Smelter Wedge, an item that’s necessary to prevent Fume Knight from regenerating health.
Facing Sir Alonne will require you to reach the Smelter Throne bonfire at the top of Brume Tower alongside the Ancient Dragon’s Ashen Mist Heart. Slaying Sir Alonne is quite the task, requiring you to traverse an arena filled with Alonne Knights before facing the man in charge.
9 Ancient Dragon
Traveling to the end of the Dragon Shrine will reveal the Ancient Dragon, arguably one of the hardest dragon bosses in the Dark Souls franchise. The Ancient Dragon is initially friendly but will become a threat once he is attacked.
Run towards the Ancient Dragon’s tail when he does his flying flame attack, slash at his ankles, and maintain patience to slay this massive beast.
8 Afflicted Graverobber, Ancient Soldier Varg, And Cerah the Old Explorer
Otherwise known as the “Gank Squad” amongst the community, this trio of undead humans can be found in the optional Cave of the Dead found in the Crown of the Sunken King DLC. Since this is considered a co-op zone, those without the DLC can be summoned here by placing a summoning sign at Black Gulch’s DLC entrance.
Regardless of how you get here, they will need to traverse a small cave filled with petrifying statues before they face this trio of hollowed humans. They are frustrating to fight since they attempt to surround you while attacking. Summon a few phantoms to even the odds.
7 Smelter Demon (Iron King DLC)
There are two Smelter Demon fights in Dark Souls 2. The first can be found in Iron Keep while the second is somewhat more obscure. You will need to journey to Brume Tower and make their way to the bottom of the tower to find the entrance to Iron Passage.
Iron Passage is a volcanic side area that also acts as a co-op zone, meaning those without the DLC can place their summoning sign outside the DLC’s entrance to be summoned here. Regardless, you will need to delve into the zone to fight the Smelter Demon’s blue twin brother. This version is slightly tougher and has more damaging attacks, but he otherwise is identical to the Iron Keep version. Considering the DLC never asks players to delve into Iron Passage, it isn’t a surprise some never get to face this boss.
6 Belfry Gargoyles
The Belfry Gargoyles boss in Dark Souls 2 is basically the same fight as the one encountered in the first game. The only difference is that these gargoyles are found in Belfry Luna, a location tied to Lost Bastille that otherwise serves no purpose.
Besides the gargoyles starting in a pair, this fight uses the same basic attacks as the original game used. Cut off their tails and either use area-of-effect spells or focus on one gargoyle to make this fight a breeze.
5 Royal Rat Authority
With the Scholar of the First Sin edition of Dark Souls 2, the Doors of Pharros serves little purpose besides connecting the Shaded Woods and Brightstone Cove Tseldora zones. Still, the area contains a boss named the Royal Rat Authority.
While not hidden, the boss is in a zone that almost no one explores. To face it, you will need to climb to the second floor of the area and fight alongside ledges to reach the fog gate. As for the fight itself, it practically plays itself out if you can kill the four smaller rats in the arena that inflict poison. Use a bow or ranged spells to take them down, then take out this Sif wannabe with little resistance.
4 Vendrick
Vendrick is an optional boss that can be found in the Undead Crypt past Velstadt. He will wander in a circle aimlessly while dragging his massive sword. This boss is passive towards you but, just like the Ancient Dragon, can be attacked and killed.
Unlike the Ancient Dragon, Vendrick has another hidden mechanic tied to him. This boss is extremely tough when you lack any Giant Souls. Normally, Vendrick will be 32x tougher without any Giant Souls. Five Giant Souls need to be obtained to make Vendrick easy to defeat, although four works as he will only be twice as strong. Slay various Giants or obtain the Ancient Dragon’s soul to weaken this boss and kill him.
3 Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin
Introduced in Scholar of the First Sin, Aldia is an NPC that will visit you during certain stages of the game. He might be invincible during his short visits, but Aldia does mention his relationship with King Vendrick.
If you can piece together Aldia’s past, it becomes clear that his brother can be slain by obtaining the souls of Giants. Killing Vendrick will draw Aldia’s attention, turning him into the game’s true final boss after you kill Nashandra. You will need to encounter Aldia all three times throughout the game and kill Vendrick before he appears as a final boss.
2 Lud And Zallen, the King’s Pets
Many players don’t know that these two saber tigers exist in Dark Souls 2’s Ivory King DLC. Reaching them is quite a hassle, requiring you to open the Garrison Ward Key in front of the Expulsion Chamber bonfire. From there, head towards a coffin and enter it to slide down to the Frigid Outskirts.
Fighting through the Frigid Outskirts is a nightmare. Low visibility and constant Ice Stallions make the trek to their arena a frustrating experience. The fight with Luz and Zallen is also a pain since these two enemies will pounce on you relentlessly while using AoE blasts. This fight is hard on its own, but getting there is arguably more frustrating.
1 Darklurker
Very few Dark Souls 2 players have ever faced Darklurker. This boss is locked behind an obscene grind that few will ever attempt.
To start, you will need to join the Pilgrims of Dark covenant by interacting with Darkdiver Grandahl three separate times. Then, they will need to clear out three separate Dark Chasm of Old dungeons that can be found in Drangleic Castle, the Shaded Woods, and Black Gulch. It is important to light the braziers in each. Once complete, Darklurker will appear and must be slain before you can leave the dungeon.
Even after all of that effort, you will need to prepare for a rather tough fight alone as co-op phantoms are disabled in the Dark Chasm of Old. The fight itself is stressful for most builds since Darklurker fires a flurry of projectiles, summons portals to redirect attacks, and creates a clone of itself at 60% health similarly to Dark Souls 3’s Pontiff Sulyvahn fight. For a boss that is so obscure, it’s shocking FromSoftware put so much work into making this fight one of the most unique and difficult experiences the game has to offer.
NEXT: Dark Souls: All Boss Tail Cut Weapons, Ranked
