Dark Souls 2 bosses walkthrough and guide

There’s no shame in asking for help in the daunting new release from ‘From Software’, Dark Souls 2, with its tough gameplay and vague directions. The boss fights can be punishing and fierce, and so follow on to discover our full guide and walkthrough to all bosses in Dark Souls 2. Enjoy…

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There's a considerable number of bosses in Dark Souls 2 and so don't forget to flick through the pages to discover the full list. 

1. Deafeating the Last Giant
The first boss you come across in Dark Souls 2 in the Last Giant, met in the Forest of Fallen Giants. The best advice for defeating this boss is to be patient and keep hitting away at his health. Although you shouldn’t stand around being patient in front of this boss as he will hit the ground before him and be sure not to get caught around his feet, the Last Giant is also known to stomp on players. The safest place to attack him from is behind, so aim there for when you’re dodging his sweeping attacks. Lastly, if the Last Giant looks like he’s about to fall, don’t celebrate until you’re well out of the way. If his feet along can squish you, you have no hope under his whole body. The key in defeating this boss is movement and making sure you have somewhere to move to rather than cramming yourself into a corner. This is especially important when the Last Giant rips his arm off and uses it like a club, which gives him a wider range when attacking. Good luck in defeating your first boss!

2. Defeating The Pursuer
The first chance to encounter The Pursuer comes in the Forest of Fallen Giants after you’ve defeated the Last Giant, at this stage it is optional but this boss reappears later in the game as a compulsory boss. The Pursuer is a speedy opponent, despite his size. Lower level characters will find it very difficult to avoid The Pursuer’s charges, however it is possible. Timing is thus very important when defeating this boss. Players should wait for The Pursuer to use the rushing slash attack and when he does, roll out of the way to the right and then attack him. When this boss uses his 3-move attack, block the first two moves and then roll to the left to avoid his blast once more. Between timely dodging and attacking you’ll be able to take this boss down.

3. Defeating the Dragonrider
! Important information ! This boss will try to knock you off the platform to your demise, so stay away from the edge. You’ll find the Dragonrider at the base of Heide’s Tower of Flame and challenge him on a small island, but it can be made bigger by activating a switch found behind the Old Knight across the water. Still, stay away from the edge by fighting near the centre of the arena. The best attacks to use are magic ones for maximum impact. The Dragonrider is a fairly slow boss, you should be able to stay relatively safe from his attacks by standing behind him. This boss fights with a halberd and shield, attacking with sweeping and stabbing motions.

4. Defeating the Old Dragonslayer
Once you’ve concurred the Dragonrider you’ll find the Old Dragonslayer in a tower of the Heides Tower of Flame. This boss fights with mainly physical attacks, but also uses some dark magic spells. To defeat him easily use lightening and magic, which inflict increased damage. When attacking the Old Dragonslayer, generally aim for his left side which is vulnerable when, and after, he strikes.

5. Defeating the Flexile Sentry
This Dark Souls 2 boss is encountered in the ship in No-Mans Wharf, which fills with water during your fight, limiting your time. The Flexile Sentry has two sides, one which attacks with swords and the other attacks with clubs. Always engage with the club side as these attacks are slower and the Flexile Sentry’s melee finishes more obviously. This is essential to defeat this boss quickly as you’ll need to attack as much as you can during the brief pauses between attacks. Be warned however, if you keep too close to the Flexile Sentry you’ll provoke an extra attack from his sword side. Avoid this by running away when the boss suddenly stops moving. Another tip for beating this boss is to use the mast in the middle of the room to block the Flexile Sentry’s attacks for you.

6. Defeating the Ruin Sentinels
Note - this boss battle is actually with three enemies: Ruin Sentinel Alessia, Ruin Sentinel Ricce and Ruin Sentinel Yahim. You’ll encounter Sentinel Yahim when you land on a platform in The Lost Bastille and he will attack you immediately so be prepared to dodge or block. Falling off the platform won’t kill you, as it would do in the Dragonrider boss battle, but if you do slip you’ll have to face all three Sentinels at once. It’s best to stay on the platform and deal with Sentinel Yahim alone first. Ensure you keep out of the way when Sentinel Yahim attacks and go after his left side in the pause after he strikes. Once you’ve defeated Yahim, it’s time to take on the other two. Stay on your platform to start with and attack Sentinel Alessia with a ranged weapon. The enemy with eventually get too close which is when you retreat behind a pillar for protection. Alessia will attack similarly to how Yahim did, with the exception that Alessia also has a shield. Only attack when the shield is down to make progress. When this boss misses the jumping attack you have a clear window to strike them a couple of times, depending on your weapon of choice. Weaken Alessia as much as you can before moving to the corner of the platform, it’s now that you have to face Ricce and Alessia together. By staying on the platform you limit the duo’s attacks by limiting space, but they will be more prone to using their shields. Jumping down to the floor means you’ll take some damage and give the Sentinels, and yourself, more space. This may seem like a terrible idea, but if you stay back the Sentinels will throw their shields – definitely dodge them as they can do some serious damage. Although you have to face both at once, try to focus your attacks on one of the Sentinels because the fight is much easier when it’s one-on-one. The best time to get hits in is after every dodge or block, it’ll take you a while but with patience it’ll be worth it. The Sentinels attack simultaneously by jumping towards you and slashing, but also be wary if you see them spinning because that signals an attack and strikes multiple times. You’ll be thankful for having a good shield during this battle.

7. Defeating the Belfry Gargoyle
This boss battle will also feature some 3-on-1 fighting, sorry. You’ll have 10 seconds alone with the first gargoyle when you start this battle in the Belfry Luna. Use this to your advantage by attacking as much as you can, hopefully with the result of killing him or at least inflicting damage. You’ll then have to fight other gargoyles, but only 3 at a time. During this fight you’ll have to be quite defensive, but take the chance when a gargoyles uses its flame breath to attack. The gargoyle will be still so you can run and strike. Occasionally the gargoyles also catch each other, which always help and normally occurs when one gargoyles is very close and the others are stuck behind.

8. Defeating the Lost Sinner
! Important information ! Having defeated Belfry Gargoyle, you’ll be able to use the Bastille Key you obtained to open the doors at the top of the left and right sets of stairs. Take a torch and light the oil here to illuminate the boss area, giving you better sight and the ability to use your lock on still. If you fight in the dark you won’t be able to keep your target lock on. The Lost Sinner is found in Sinners Ride, where you’ll get up close and personal. This Dark Souls 2 boss requires that you fight in close combat, your trusty shield should be well used here. By circling the Lost Sinner some of his attacks will miss while others deflect off your shield, use a fast weapon to combat the Sinner’s agility and defeat him.

Have you got any Hints and Tips for Dark Souls 2? Let us know in the comments below.

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