Summary

  • FromSoftware has a history of challenging dragon boss fights, with some becoming iconic for their difficulty and visual spectacle.
  • Dragons like Darkeater Midir, Dragonlord Placidusax, and Bayle the Dread are among the toughest and most visually stunning in their games.
  • While some dragons are easier to conquer, even the weakest ones like the Red/Blue Dragon and Dragon God offer unique puzzle mechanics.

Over the last few decades, FromSoftware has developed a number of tropes and traditions, some of which have been around long before games like Elden Ring, Sekiro, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls. One of the earliest FromSoftware tropes first reared its head all the way back in the mid-1990s with the release of King'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. The Dark Souls trilogy, Elden Ring, and even Sekiro all 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

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree All Major Bosses
All Major Bosses in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

In the Elden Ring DLC, there are a total of eleven major Shadow of the Erdtree bosses, but you don't need to beat all of them to beat the DLC.

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The Most Difficult Dragon Fights in FromSoftware History

  • Darkeater Midir (Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City)
  • Dragonlord Placidusax (Elden Ring)
  • Bayle The Dread (Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree)

By far the most difficult dragon bosses in FromSoftware history are Dark Souls 3's Darkeater Midir, Elden Ring's Dragonlord Placidusax, and Shadow 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

  • Lichdragon Fortissax (Elden Ring)
  • Ancient Dragon Senessax (Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree)
  • Kalameet (Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss)
  • Ancient Dragon (Dark Souls 2)
  • Sinh (Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Sunken King)

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. And Dark Souls 2's Ancient Dragon is 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

  • Gaping Dragon (Dark Souls)
  • Seath The Scaleless (Dark Souls)
  • Oceiros (Dark Souls 3)
  • Flying Dragons (Elden Ring)
  • Magma Wyrms (Elden Ring)
  • Glintstone Dragons (Elden Ring)
  • Borealis The Freezing Fog (Elden Ring)
  • Ancient Dragon Lansseax (Elden Ring)
  • Ghostflame Dragons (Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree)

The vast majority of FromSoftware's dragon boss fights land 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 and Elden 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 and Dark 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

  • Guardian Dragon (Dark Souls 2)
  • King of the Storm (Dark Souls 3)
  • The Divine Dragon (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)
  • Decaying Ekzykes (Elden Ring)

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 Dragon is a visual treat but doesn't require much effort to defeat, and Elden 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

  • Red/Blue Dragon (Demon's Souls)
  • Dragon God (Demon's Souls)
  • Ancient Wyvern (Dark Souls 3)

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 Souls Dragon God and Dark Souls 3's Ancient Wyvern are puzzle bosses, with both requiring the player to sneak towards the boss and land a one-hit blow.

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Elden Ring Tag Page Cover Art
10 /10

Elden Ring
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RPG
Action
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Systems
PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
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Released
February 25, 2022
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
From Software
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The Erdtree in Elden Ring
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The Erdtree in Elden Ring
malenia's intro scene in elden ring
Elden Ring: Most Overpowered Weapon Of Each Category, Ranked Player using radahn's rain weapon skill
elden ring player one-shots ghostflame dragon with incredible buff system
elden ring player defeats all 207 bosses without dying
elden ring fan creates handmade quest log for friend's first playthrough
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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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.

Engine
Proprietary
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
Genre(s)
RPG, Action
How Long To Beat
58 Hours
PS Plus Availability
N/A