Here’s the Best Bloodborne Boss Order

Conquering Bloodborne's challenging bosses requires strategy. This guide outlines optimal boss fight orders, catering to different playthrough styles.

The Best Boss Order for Bloodborne
Best Boss Order for Non-Optional Bosses in Bloodborne
Best Boss Order for All Bosses in Bloodborne
Our Best Boss Order, Explained

The Best Boss Order for Bloodborne

While not all bosses are mandatory for completing Bloodborne, defeating most yields significant rewards. We recommend tackling as many as possible. This guide presents both non-optional and complete boss orders, followed by a detailed breakdown.

Bloodborne features 17 main bosses and 5 DLC bosses from *The Old Hunters*. Chalice Dungeon bosses are excluded. The DLC is accessible after Vicar Amelia, though many prefer tackling it near the game's end. The optimal timing for the DLC relative to Mergo's Wet Nurse affects certain dialogue.

Best Boss Order for Non-Optional Bosses in Bloodborne

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)

Best Boss Order for All Bosses in Bloodborne

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)

Our Best Boss Order, Explained

Cleric Beast (Optional)

Area: Central Yharnam. This early boss introduces aggressive combat. Target its hind legs to trip it, then focus on its head.

Father Gascoigne

Area: Central Yharnam. Mastering parries is key to efficiently defeating this fast-moving hunter.

Blood-Starved Beast (Optional)

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

Vicar Amelia

Area: Cathedral Ward. Exploit her self-healing animation for attacks.

The Witch of Hemwick (Optional)

Area: Hemwick Charnel Lane. Deal with her henchmen first, utilize firearms when she's visible.

Shadow of Yharnam

Area: Forbidden Woods. Dodge attacks, target its head with firearms, and slash its legs.

Rom, the Vacuous Spider

Area: Moonside Lake, Byrgenwerth. Beware of poison and summoned spiders.

Defeating Rom alters the game world, so consider completing other areas beforehand.

Darkbeast Paarl (Optional)

Area: Hypogean Gaol, Yahar’gul, The Graveyard of the Darkbeast. A hulking brute best tackled after Rom.

The One Reborn

Area: Yahar’gul Unseen Village. Manage physical and magical attacks, and prioritize smaller enemies.

Martyr Logarius (Optional)

Area: Forsaken Castle Cainhurst. A challenging boss; mastering parries is highly recommended.

Amygdala (Optional)

Area: Nightmare Frontier. A large, difficult boss with a variety of attacks.

Celestial Emissary (Optional)

Area: Upper Cathedral Ward. A fast-moving boss; roll towards its legs to avoid attacks.

Micolash, Host of the Nightmare

Area: Nightmare of Mensis. Chase Micolash, manage fog and summoned enemies.

The Old Hunters Bosses

The *Old Hunters* DLC bosses are fought linearly: Ludwig, Laurence (optional), Living Failures, Lady Maria, and Orphan of Kos. Prepare for challenging encounters.

Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos (Optional)

Area: Altar of Despair. Watch out for her tentacle and magical attacks.

Mergo’s Wet Nurse

Area: Nightmare of Mensis. A challenging boss with tentacle and water projectile attacks. Avoid damage during fog phases.

Gehrman, the First Hunter

Area: Hunter’s Dream. The penultimate boss, utilizing a scythe and firearms. Parrying is advantageous.

Moon Presence (Ending Specific)

Area: Hunter’s Dream. The final boss, requiring three One Third of Umbilical Cords before facing Gehrman. Use learned strategies to overcome her attacks.

This comprehensive guide provides a strategic approach to conquering Bloodborne's formidable bosses. Good hunting!

For more on Bloodborne, check out our Bloodborne PSX, a brutal fan-made PS1 demake. For cool FromSoftware stuff in general, check out 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.