10 Most Disturbing Dark Souls Bosses

Being killed by an enemy, only to be swiftly humiliated by another after progressing just a little bit further on your next attempt is a common occurrence in Dark Souls. FromSoftware's coveted trilogy is renowned for its tough-but-fair difficulty in which death is an intrinsic part of the gameplay experience.

Nowhere is this element of the series better exemplified than with its wide selection of punishing boss fights that have doubtlessly been the cause of many broken controllers since Dark Souls first arrived back in 2011.

Encompassing a whopping 92 bosses (including all DLCs, but excluding Demon Souls), names like Ornstein and Smough, and The Nameless King will give many players traumatic flashbacks of some of the toughest fights they've battled through.

Coming from the twisted and equally genius mind of series creator Hidetaka Miyazki, some of these bosses are also known for one other thing. Namely, for being some of the most truly grotesque and nightmarish video game creations that have graced our screens in recent memory.

With their grim visages and repulsive lore, these are the Dark Souls' bosses that have traumatised many players who've encountered them.

Encountered in the slimy Depths of Dark Souls, The Gaping Dragon is unlike any of the other dragons you'll come across in this series. When bold players first pass through the fog gate into this boss's arena, they'll be treated to a cutscene of the boss emerging from a pit. With its adorable little head poking out, this boss seems anything but threatening.

Then we see the rest of it. An enormous body with its rib cage opening into a gaping mouth eager to swallow you whole if you're not careful, proving this dragon is anything but adorable.

Corrupted by its own greed and loneliness, this presumably once noble creature has now been transformed into this grotesque monstrosity, with a ravenous maw where its chest and stomach should be.

Though it's far from being considered the hardest boss fight in the game, seeing this beast bear its toothy chest for the first time is a fiercely intimidating sight for new players. A boss that Miyazaki himself has cited as one of his favourites, this dreadful dragon is the perfect embodiment of the Dark Souls series: a brilliant blend of fantasy and horror with undertones of tragedy.