The 8 hardest bosses to parry

Summary

• Defeating bosses in the Ring of Fire can be tailored to any build and offers different strategies.

• Parrying is a challenging skill to master, especially against bosses like Tree Sentinel.

• Some bosses, like Malenia, require precise parrying to defeat due to their relentless attacks.

One of the best things about Fire Ringis that it allows players to defeat the various bosses spread across The Lands Between and the Land of Shadows with any build they want. Whether it's a powerful magical construct with matching armor set, a quick dexterity, or a decimating Strength variant, there are many avenues to explore.

While many players prefer to stick with the classic dodge and strike approach along with some awesome talismans, others choose to hone their skills and embark on a journey to become parry experts. Here are some of hardest bosses to parry Fire Ring.

8

Tree Sentinel

The difficulty comes from how early he can be taken on

• An optional early game challenge

• Figuring out Tree Sentinel's parry openings can be difficult for beginners

The Tree Sentinel isn't particularly difficult, especially for players who choose to take on the other challenges spread across Limgrave and then return to this enemy after leveling up significantly. However, players who decide to take on this enemy as soon as they touch the first bonfire in the area will find parrying him to be very challenging.

To begin with, it can be difficult to do enough damage to this boss with a starter weapon. On top of this, the Tree Sentinel does a lot of damage, so a couple of inappropriate parries can mean death. A good way to counteract the difficulty of this encounter is to find the best weapons in Limgrave.

7

Margaret, The Fell Omen

The first skill check for many players

• One of the first real challenges players will face in The Lands Between

• Margit's second phase is much more aggressive than his first

For many players, especially those who have never played any other Soulsborne title, Margaret, The Fell Omen will be the first skill check they encounter on their journey. While this boss isn't particularly difficult compared to the ones in the later stages of the game, it can be difficult to figure out when to parry him.

Also, his second phase has caught more than one player by surprise, and given how he picks up speed after losing half his Health bar, Margit can be difficult to parry, at least at first. Since he can move quite quickly during his second phase, a skill build with a good skill weapon is recommended.

6

Loretta, knight of the halig tree

A tougher version of the boss players face at Caria Manor

• This version of Loretta is much more difficult than that of Caria Manor

• Avoiding their attacks can be difficult, especially when looking for a parry opportunity

When players meet Loretta, Knight of Haligtreeperhaps they quickly realize that this formidable boss is a stronger version of the one they faced in Caria Manor earlier in the game. Of course, this stronger variant is significantly more aggressive, hits harder and is generally more difficult.

While figuring out Loretta's parry openings isn't that challenging, having to read and dodge her attacks while trying to find an opportunity is no easy task. Players who fight her in abundance can try to find some of the best weapons that can melt boss health bars to make this fight easier.

5

Crucible Knights

Rapid attacks that can be difficult to predict

• Crucible Knights are very fast and relentless

• Defeating Crucible Knights often rewards players handsomely

Fire Ring not only has multiple endings and a wide variety of weapons, armor and spells, but it also features various fights with Crucible Knightswhich are considered by many to be some of the most difficult non-real boss enemies.

Crucible Knights hit like a truck, are lightning fast and have confusing attack moves that can sometimes be hard to predict. This is especially true during the Crucible Knight Duo fight, where players must plan every move in order to survive. Defeating Crucible Knights in The Lands Between offers great rewards, but figuring out the correct parry times to do so can be a challenge.

4

Commander Niall

His attacks are telegraphed, but also quite fast

• Commander Niall must be defeated to enter Miquella's Haligtree

• It is recommended to deal with the spirit knights first

Even if Commander Niall is completely optional, defeating him is mandatory if players want to access Miquella's Haligtree and the infamous boss fight against Malenia. One of the things that makes this boss fight so difficult is that before players can even face Commander Niall, they must take care of the two knight spirits that he summons.

Once Commander Niall's companions are dealt with, players can focus on parrying his attacks. This isn't easy though, as he hits like a truck, moves really fast and has delayed attacks, leaving no room for error. Players can use the Blasphemous Blade or some of the other hardest weapons to obtain Fire Ring to make this fight easier. But even then it won't be a walk in the park.

3

Malenia Blade Of Miquella

Quick blade swings and relentless attacks

• The hardest boss in the base game

• If players fail to parry her, she will restore HP

Malenia is arguably the hardest boss in the Fire Ring bass playing. Over the years, she has posed a significant challenge to any player who decides to face her, and while parrying can make her easier to defeat, getting the tempo right to do so isn't particularly easy.

Not only does she have a very fast moveset and restores HP whenever she lands a hit on Tarnished, but she also has the Waterfowl Dance move in her repertoire, which is deadly to say the least. Many players agree that making her an optional boss is the best thing FromSoftware could have done.

2

Rellana Twin Moon Knight

Her dual sword attack pattern is confusing

• Dual sword attacks that are relentless and deadly

• She leaves little or no opportunity to attack

The Shadow of the Erdtree The DLC humbled many players who were already overpowered in the base game and felt they were unstoppable. Bosses like Rellana Twin Moon Knight proved that things can still be kicked up a notch in terms of difficulty and present players with a formidable challenge, even at a high level.

One of the things that makes Rellana so difficult to parry is that her attacks are fast, relentless and often hard to read as she swings her two blades with utmost skill and unpredictability. Like everything else in life, her difficulty to parry is up for debate, as some players say she's easy to read, while others disagree.

1

Maliketh, The Black Blade

Some attacks can only be parried with the Profane Claw

• Players must get Blasphemous Claw to parry Maliketh properly

• Fast melee and ranged attacks

Finally, there is Maliketh, the black blade. While there are other bosses in the base game and DLC that are considered more challenging than him, there is a special aspect to parrying Maliketh that other bosses don't have – Blasphemous Claw.

Some of his attacks can be parried normally. However, others require the Blasphemous Claw, which requires players to take a few extra steps to obtain it. This, in and of itself, makes Maliketh a challenge to parry, as it's not obvious to figure out that a particular thing is needed to parry certain attacks.