Soulsborne games are very well known for being very difficult; in fact, they are so difficult that many gamers around the world demand that FromSoftware consider releasing them along with an easy mode. From Demon Souls to their latest game, Elden Ring, FromSoftware has continuously included very hard bosses in their titles. From characters that do massive AOE attacks to those that fight players with small weapons, the variety is unmatched.
But amongst these bosses, there are some that are so hard that it becomes impossible for players to forget them. They take hours to defeat, and before that, they demolish players numerous times. But one character is such that players haven’t forgotten it to this day.
Not Elden Ring; players are most scared of this Dark Souls 3 boss
FromSoftware has a knack for designing some very complex boss fights. These boss fights require players to learn a bunch of patterns and then combat them to be able to win. These fights often have two stages, and sometimes the developers even throw a curveball by introducing a third round to these boss fights.
There’s no limit to the lengths developers can go to challenge their fans. The first ever proof of this came years ago when players fought the mighty Ornstein and Smough in Dark Souls. These two attacked players with varied moves, and when one of them was dead, the other literally consumed his powers and became a more powerful version of himself.
Then there was Orphan Kos in Bloodborne: The Old Hunters. This guy had two phases, but both of them were so different from each other that he caught players unaware. He is still considered by many as one of the hardest fights in all soulsborne titles.
But FromSoftware was focusing on making things even worse for their fans. This time, the real challenge came with Dark Souls 3. This game is full of many crafty bosses, from large undead trees to an army of skillful warriors. Players had to fight them all.
But the real challenge came when they reached Irithyll of the Boreal Valley. Here, they have to fight none other than Pontiff Sulyvahn. He is not an easy enemy to fight and would slash at players with his two swords. They deal magic as well as fire damage.
What’s worse is that the guy is resistant to poison, toxic, frost, and bleed. Hence, it’s hard to just infect him and run. To top it all off, in his second phase, he summons a clone that fights exactly like him, making the player’s life a bit more hellish. He is so ruthless that players claim to have PTSD about this boss fight to this very day.
So yes, Malenia the Blade of Miquella might be a hard boss, but it’s hard to forget the time players had with the Pontiff. It goes without saying, though, that it would be very hard to choose which one of these is harder.
Malenia did not pull her punches either
While Dark Souls 3’s Pontiff Sulyvahn is no doubt a very hard boss to fight, Malenia is no joke either. She comes at the players with all her might. She uses the very dangerous ash of war. She also gains back her health with every attack.
To top it all, in her second phase, she also does scarlet rot damage. She is a truly ruthless boss, no doubt. And that’s why the choice is better left in the hands of gamers who have had enough time with both of them.
