Summary
In the Soulsborneuniverse, sometimes even referred to as “Soulsbornekiro,” there are dozens of deadly women who serve as some of the toughest bosses across any of the games. Some of these fight under a timid initial appearance, set to deceive the player before they express their masterful techniques.
Some of these characters take the form of highborn royalty or those with incredibly tragic backstories and motivations, which can make the player feel guilty for killing them. Nonetheless, each of thesefemale Soulsborne bossesshould be approached with caution, as many of the encounters are unforgivably difficult.
Updated June 26, 2025 by Ritwik Mitra:Soulsborne video games are a blast to play through, and it’s easy to see why this is the case. FromSoftware has opened the floodgates for hardcore action-adventure games to become the norm, with their tantalizing gameplay loops compelling players to get better at these games by mastering the systems and using a wealth of powerful equipment to beat their enemies.
A huge part of what makes these games so engaging are the many cinematic boss fights players must face to make progress, with FromSoftware making a point to make both genders as threatening as possible. So, it’s easy to see why some of thebest female Soulsborne bossesare such a nightmare to engage.
Given the sheer number of amazing boss encounters inBloodborne, it’s easy to see why players who encounter Mergo’s Wet Nurse near the end of the game may be disappointed by the perceived lack of difficulty when it comes to this encounter. However, in terms of the lore implications alone, Mergo’s Wet Nurse can stand tall as one of thebest female Soulsbornebossesof all time.
This Great One is a nightmare to behold, and players who don’t know how to counter the phase where she summons a fog and leaps from the shadows using her clones will be in for a rough time. Still, players who read up on an optimal strategy or just go at it for a while will beat down Mergo’s Wet Nurse and unlock the route toBloodborne’s many endings.
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Players who enjoyed fighting Chaos Witch Quelaag in the firstDark Soulsgame will love this subtle homage to the Blighttown boss inDark Souls 2. It’s a funfemale Soulsborne bossplayers can engage in battle as they make their way to the Doors of Pharros.
Despite its intimidating stature, players need only read her moveset for a while before picking smart attack windows and taking out this boss with numerous well-timed shots. Still, the encounter design is excellent and makes for one of the morememorable boss fights inDark Souls 2, a game notable for featuring too many boss encounters and not enough quality to justify such a high number of encounters.
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3Vicar Amelia (Bloodborne)
A Maddened Beast That Can Heal Herself To Make Things Harder For The Player
The Cleric Beast is possibly one of the first bosses players can encounter inBloodborne, but it can be killed as long as players are smart about dodging and managing their attacks. As a result, some people may underestimate Vicar Amelia, another Cleric Beast with a unique transformation cutscene.
Players will be in for a rough time if they adopt this mindset since Vicar Amelia takes no prisoners. Thisfemale Soulsbornebosshits like a truck and can heal after absorbing enough damage. If players don’t have a Numbing Mist equipped, then it’s going to be an absolute nightmare to deal with a boss who is ridiculously powerful in the game’s early goings.
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Blighttown is one of the most grueling areas to traverse inDark Souls. The narrow platforms and verticality of this area mean that there’s a real chance of players falling off with a single enemy ambush as they descend to the poison swamp. It doesn’t end there either, with players having to brave this status effect and dodge the rocks thrown by a group of annoying enemies before finally making their way to Quelaag’s Domain.
After reaching this area, players must fighta spider-human hybridwho specializes in dealing fire damage. Sure, Quelaag may not be the most imposing boss around from a difficulty perspective, but she’s pretty memorable and lets players enjoy a grand sense of achievement after besting one of the toughest sections in the game. If players beat this boss, then they may have what it takes to go through the entirety ofDark Soulswithout breaking a sweat.
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5Ebrietas, Daughter Of The Cosmos (Bloodborne)
A Tragic Great One Who Hits Like A Truck And Is One Of Bloodborne’s Hardest Bosses
One of the tankiest bosses inBloodbornewho can hit like a truck, Ebrietas is a beast who should not be underestimated in battle. She’s a tragic figure who must be goaded into a fight, where she’ll waste no time inone-shotting the playerwith her high damage over and over again.
Players must be smart in their approach if they wish to stand a chance against this boss. Sticking to her backside is a winning strategy, and the Hunter should commence with a panic roll from the ages the moment they see her unleashing her A Call Beyond attack.
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6Crossbreed Priscilla (Dark Souls)
The Boss Of An Optional Area Who Pulls Off A Disappearing Act Midway Through The Battle
After heading through the fog gate, players meet the majestically glamorous Priscilla, adorned in a cloak of white andwielding an enormous scythe. Unlike other bosses in the game, Priscilla is initially peaceful unless attacked.
If the player speaks to her, she will instruct them to leave the painted world. If attacked, she turns invisible and will track the player around the arena and attack them with her scythe. By looking at the snowy footprints on the floor, it is possible to deduce Priscilla’s location and reveal her physical form again.
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Painted World of Ariamis
Drops
Soul of Priscilla, Twin Humanities, Priscilla’s Dagger (if the tail is cut)
Lady Butterfly is an unbelievably skilled fighter, far more experienced than the game’s protagonist, Sekiro. She plays this to her advantage with various jibes. Encountering the player at the end of the Hirata Estate memory, she relishes in the opportunity to fight a skilled opponent.
Lady Butterfly opts for an agile fighting style, pursuing the player as she utilizes her kunai, forms of magic, and her Phantom Kunai to chip away at the player’s health. With her age comes a prosperous career as a deadly warrior, and the fact that she is alive reveals just how skilled she truly is.
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8Nashandra (Dark Souls 2)
The Final Boss Of An Underrated Game
Born from one of the four shards of Manus, Father Of The Abyss’ soul, Nashandra hid her identity in the form of a beautiful woman to seduce and wed King Vendrick, which allowed her to get a step closer tothe power she desired. She initially shows herself to the player at Drangleic Castle in the form of a human, but this couldn’t be any further from her true, monstrous identity.
Meeting Nashandra at the end of the game at the Throne Of Want, she takes on theform of a grotesque monster. Her corrupted form is covered in bones and dead bodies, highlighting her embodiment of death and decay in a body created from darkness.
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Queen of the Carian Royal family,Rennalawas once a champion who led the Academy Of Raya Lucaria to prominence, establishing Carian royalty and instilling values for her students to strive towards. After bearing three of Radagon’s children, Radagon left her to become an Elden Lord, leaving her heartbroken in the process. Her students rose against her, locking her away in the Grand Library as she no longer held the qualities of a champion who could lead them.
Rennala is renowned for her mastery of lunar magic, which she displays against the player in their battle. After beating an easy first phase, the player will fight her duringa second phaseunder a full moon. The second phase is likely an illusion set up by her daughter, Ranni, drawing power from the Amber Egg gifted by Radagon to project the illusion of Rennala fighting in her prime.
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Remembrance of the Full Moon Queen,Great Rune of the Unborn
10Emma, The Gentle Blade (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)
Much like Friede inDark Souls 3, Emma is a deceptively skilled fighter. Players face her as the penultimate boss of the Shura ending should they follow that path. As Sekiro sides with Owl, Emma approaches with her weapon drawn. Accepting Sekiro’s chosen alliance, she readies to dispose of him.
While Emma’s skillset derives from the teachings of her master, Isshin Ashina, she incorporates her own personal flair into the battle, attacking quickly and with considerable damage. The fight is a turning point for an innocent character, who has aided Sekiro throughout the majority of the game. At this point, even Emma feels she must take it upon herself to stop Sekiro from turning Shura, a mindless monster who kills without reason.
1 (2 for Isshin Ashina)
10,000 (after beating both bosses)
