Updated Dec 16, 2014 8:02 am
This page contains a list of all the bosses that are either optional or can be skipped in any playthrough, as well as those that are non-optional.
Note: The Shrine of Winter will open after you either light 4 Primordial Bonfires, or have a Soul Memory of 1,000,000 souls (in NG, see page for more details). This in turn allows you to skip every boss that isn't in Drangleic Castle and beyond.
- In version 1.0? of the game (xbox360 only?) you could even skip the Shrine of Winter without 1,000,000 Soul Memory. It's an out of bounds path involving a series of jumps in the mounds around the entrance, ending up on the other side of the rubble that's blocking the path behind the Sentry mini-boss.
The Last GiantArea boss of the Forest of Fallen Giants.Defeating this boss gives you the Soldiers Key to access the Pursuer boss, and to reach the King's Gate to The Place Unbeknownst.
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The PursuerSecond boss of the Forest of Fallen Giants.This boss can also be defeated early in Forest of Fallen Giants, but you still need the Soldiers Key to access the boss area. Another one can be fought upon returning to the Smelter Demon's location, and there are also two of them at Drangleic Castle's throne room in NG+.
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DragonriderFirst Boss of Heide's Tower of Flame.
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Old DragonslayerBoss behind the fog gate across a large drawbridge, dropped by pulling a nearby lever, at Heide's Tower Of Flame.
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Flexile SentryArea boss of No-man's Wharf. Accessed by ringing a bell atop the Wharf that docks a ship.
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Ruin Sentinels Yahim, Ricce and AlessiaArea boss of Lost Bastille.
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Belfry GargoylesBosses of Belfry Luna.
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Lost Sinner
Area boss of Sinners' Rise, the area past and below the Lost Bastille.
- Optional with high enough Soul Memory to open Shrine of Winter.
Royal Rat Vanguard
Area boss of the Grave of Saints.
- This boss and area can be skipped by entering a path further down the Majula pit, which in turn leads directly to the Gutter.
The Rotten
Area boss of the Black Gulch, below the Gutter
- Optional with high enough Soul Memory to open Shrine of Winter.
The Skeleton Lords
The Skeleton Lords are located in the Huntsman Copse, behind the waterfall.
- This boss must be killed to access Harvest Valley, Earthen Peak and Iron Keep.
- Can be skipped with a high Soul Memory and the Shrine of Winter.
Executioner's Chariot
This boss is encountered in the Huntman's Copse, across a dilapidated wooden bridge and behind a red greatsword phantom NPC.
- This boss only blocks access to the Brotherhood of Blood covenant, and is completely optional.
Covetous Demon
Boss of the Harvest Valley.
- Optional with high enough Soul Memory to open Shrine of Winter.
Mytha, the Baneful Queen
Boss of the Earthen Peak, directly in the middle of Harvest Valley.
- Optional with high enough Soul Memory to open Shrine of Winter.
Smelter Demon
First boss of the Iron Keep.
- This boss is completely optional, defeating it grants acces to a Bonfire and an optional Pursuer boss fight.
Old Iron King
Second boss of Iron Keep, bonfire called Eygil's Idol.
- Optional with high enough Soul Memory to open Shrine of Winter.
Scorpioness Najka
Area boss of the Shaded Ruins.
- This boss must be defeated to reach the Doors of Pharros and Brightstone Cove Tseldora, but can be skipped with enough soul memory to open the Shrine of Winter.
Royal Rat Authority
Boss of the Doors of Pharros.
- Optional
Prowling Magus and Congregation
Perhaps the weakest boss in the game, location upper Brightstone Cove Tseldora.
- Optional with high enough Soul Memory to open Shrine of Winter.
The Duke's Dear Freja
Area boss from Brightstone Cove Tseldora.
- Optional with high enough Soul Memory to open Shrine of Winter.
Twin Dragonriders
Bosses of King's Gate in the Drangleic Castle. Two of them.
- This boss is non optional, since they must be defated to reach the Shrine of Amana.
Looking Glass Knight
Boss in Drangleic Castle's King's Passage.
- This boss is not optional, since he must be defeated to reach the King's Ring.
Demon of Song
Frog boss, found in the Shrine of Amana.
- This boss must be defeated to reach the Undead Crypt, and the King's Ring.
Velstadt, The Royal Aegis
First boss in Undead Crypt.
- This boss must be defeated to reach the King's Ring in the room next door.
Vendrick
Second boss in Undead Crypt. Can be weakened by having 1 to 5 Souls of a Giant. Having all 5 weakens him most.
- Completely optional, You only need the King's Ring from his area.
Guardian Dragon
Boss of the Aldia's Keep.
- Must be defeated to get to Dragon Aerie and Dragon Shrine for the Ashen Mist Heart.
Ancient Dragon
Boss in Dragon Shrine. The player can talk with him.
- This boss is completely optional. He gives you the Ashen Mist Heart when you talk to him, which is all you need.
Giant Lord
Boss of the Memory of Jeigh, after examining a tree in the Forest of Fallen Giants.
- This boss is not optional since it gives you the Giant's Kinship needed to access the final boss.
Darklurker
Secret boss of Dark Chasm of Old, accessed by joining the Pilgrims of Dark Covenant.
- This boss is completely optional. Defeating him grants access to a spell.
Throne Watcher and Throne Defender
Bosses of the Throne of Want.
- Non optional boss.
Nashandra
Boss of the Throne of Want appearing after cleaning previous locations. Final Boss.
- Non optional boss.
AnonymousWhy is Nashandra and the other non optional bosses even in this list? Also yeah half the game is optional if you can skip it, so why not have 2 categories, true optional, and optional depending on path choice
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
The flexile sentry is NOT optional. If you reach the lost bastille via the raven you still have to face them to continue.
- Anonymous
A few of these are actually non-optional, such as the Skeleton Lords, which are required to reach Iron Keep, which is where you get the fragmented branch of yore to unpetrify the woman in the way of the lever you have to pull to reach shaded woods...
Noice
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