Dark Souls 2 First Boss Fight: The Last Giant

BEWARE: Spoilers ahead! Don’t read if you want to avoid information about Dark Souls 2 ahead of release.

So you’re playing Dark Souls 2. You make it to the first boss, which, incidentally, is the last giant. Seems like a shame to put an end to his species, though from his appearance it would seem that many before you have tried and failed. Unfortunately for both of you, the old chap happens to be in possession of a particular key you need to progress to the next part of the game, so to arms it is.

Although the last giant’s physical presence is somewhat intimidating, it is important to note that he does have certain weaknesses.

For a start, he is relatively slow-moving and doesn’t have lightning quick reaction speeds. As such, you can quite easily keep your distance until you find an opening to rush in and attack.

Secondly, his long legs are relatively easy to run through, enabling you to flank him and get in a few hits to the back of his legs before he knows where you’ve gone.

Finally, he seems to have a particular weakness to firebombs. If you hit him with one, he will fall flat on his face and stay there for a few seconds, long enough for you to get in several of your best swings and reduce his health by almost a third in the process. This is a very useful method of getting an early advantage in this boss fight.

The Last Giant’s Attacks

Sweep attack
This attack consists of the giant performing a low sweep along the ground, using one of his own arms as a makeshift club (he literally pulls it off to use it as a weapon). The attack has range and covers the 180 degrees in front of him. He can also do this without using his arm as a club, with slightly more limited attack radius.

Smash attack
Again using his own arm as a club, the giant will swing the club vertically downwards in front of him into the ground (and you, if you get in the way). While the attack radius is minimal, the positioning will adjust slightly if you don’t more far enough out of the way. A roll through the legs is generally the best way to avoid this one, provided you have enough space to move around behind the giant. There will be a window of a few seconds following the attack in which you can attack the giant’s legs.


Stomp attack
As the name would suggest, the giant will stomp angrily when you are too close to him for prolonged periods of time. A backwards roll will save you from this attack.

Jumping stomp attack
Similar to above, except the giant will jump backwards preceding the attack. Watch out for this one if you are spending a lot of time directly behind the giant, and ensure that you are aware of your surroundings and don’t back yourself into a corner.

With perseverance and a little luck, you will prevail!

Take a look at the video below to watch the boss battle and see the methods described in action: