Optimal Bloodborne Boss Fight Order

Embarking on a *Bloodborne* adventure? Knowing the optimal boss order can significantly impact your experience. This guide outlines ideal strategies, catering to both completionists and those aiming for a quicker playthrough. We'll cover recommended sequences for both essential and optional bosses.

Note: While not all bosses are required to complete the game, defeating most unlocks valuable rewards and enhances the overall narrative. This guide includes 17 main game bosses and 5 from the *Old Hunters* DLC, excluding Chalice Dungeon encounters. The DLC is generally recommended towards the game's end, though opinions vary on the ideal placement relative to Mergo's Wet Nurse (impacting some dialogue).

Recommended Boss Order: Non-Optional Bosses

This sequence focuses solely on essential bosses for game completion:

• Father Gascoigne
• Vicar Amelia
• Shadow of Yharnam
• Rom, the Vacuous Spider
• The One Reborn
• Micolash, Host of the Nightmare
• Mergo’s Wet Nurse
• Gehrman, the First Hunter
• Moon Presence (Ending Specific)

Recommended Boss Order: All Bosses

This comprehensive order includes both mandatory and optional encounters:

• Cleric Beast (Optional)
• Father Gascoigne
• Blood-Starved Beast (Optional)
• Vicar Amelia
• The Witch of Hemwick (Optional)
• Shadow of Yharnam
• Rom, the Vacuous Spider
• Darkbeast Paarl (Optional)
• The One Reborn
• Martyr Logarius (Optional)
• Amygdala (Optional)
• Celestial Emissary (Optional)
• Micolash, Host of the Nightmare
• Ludwig the Accursed/Holy Blade (DLC/Optional)
• Laurence, the First Vicar (DLC/Optional)
• Living Failures (DLC/Optional)
• Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower (DLC/Optional)
• Orphan of Kos (DLC/Optional)
• Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos (Optional)
• Mergo’s Wet Nurse
• Gehrman, the First Hunter
• Moon Presence (Ending Specific)

Detailed Boss Strategies

Cleric Beast (Optional)

• Area: Central Yharnam
• Strategy: Target its hind legs to trip it, then focus on head attacks.

Father Gascoigne

• Area: Central Yharnam
• Strategy: Master parrying for efficient damage.

Blood-Starved Beast (Optional)

• Area: Old Yharnam, Church of the Good Chalice
• Strategy: Maintain distance and utilize fire/explosive weapons.

Vicar Amelia

• Area: Cathedral Ward
• Strategy: Exploit her vulnerability during self-healing.

The Witch of Hemwick (Optional)

• Area: Hemwick Charnel Lane
• Strategy: Prioritize her henchmen, utilize firearms, and anticipate her corner-camping tactics.

Shadow of Yharnam

• Area: Forbidden Woods
• Strategy: Dodge its attacks, target its head with firearms, and slash its legs to create openings.

Rom, the Vacuous Spider

• Area: Moonside Lake
• Strategy: Prioritize spiderlings, manage poison, and exploit openings during attacks. Be aware that defeating Rom alters the game world.

Darkbeast Paarl (Optional)

• Area: Hypogean Gaol, Yahar'gul, The Graveyard of the Darkbeast
• Strategy: Recommended after Rom.

The One Reborn

• Area: Yahar’gul, Unseen Village
• Strategy: Maintain distance, dodge attacks, and capitalize on ground-based opportunities.

Martyr Logarius (Optional)

• Area: Forsaken Castle Cainhurst
• Strategy: Master parrying for optimal damage.

Amygdala (Optional)

• Area: Nightmare Frontier
• Strategy: A challenging encounter; adapt strategies based on her varied attacks.

Celestial Emissary (Optional)

• Area: Upper Cathedral Ward
• Strategy: Roll towards its legs, and be wary of its ground attacks.

Micolash, Host of the Nightmare

• Area: Nightmare of Mensis
• Strategy: Chase him, manage summoned enemies, and exploit openings during his attacks. Poison knives can be effective.

The Old Hunters Bosses (DLC)

The order for the Old Hunters DLC bosses is largely linear after defeating Ludwig. Laurence is optional after acquiring Laurence’s Skull.

Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos (Optional)

• Area: Altar of Despair
• Strategy: Watch out for her head slams and magical attacks.

Mergo’s Wet Nurse

• Area: Nightmare of Mensis
• Strategy: Dodge tentacles and water projectiles; manage the fog effect.

Gehrman, the First Hunter

• Area: Hunter’s Dream
• Strategy: Master parrying; be prepared for scythe and firearm attacks.

Moon Presence (Ending Specific)

• Area: Hunter’s Dream
• Strategy: Requires obtaining three One Third of Umbilical Cords before facing Gehrman; dodge tail and claw attacks, and manage darkness orbs.

This detailed guide should equip you to conquer *Bloodborne’s* challenging bosses. Good hunting!

For more *Bloodborne* news, check out our *Bloodborne* PSX demake. For FromSoftware fans, explore *Armored Core VI*.

**Related:** *How to Access the Hunter’s Nightmare for Bloodborne DLC on Attack of the Fanboy*

Update: This article was updated on 2/3/2025 by Escapist Editorial to include more information about the various bosses, provide a high-level summary of the boss order, and to include the bosses from the Old Hunters DLC.