15 Most Memorable First Boss Encounters In Gaming History

2. Asylum Demon (Dark Souls)

Insanely difficult boss battles are a staple of the Dark Souls series. Every one of these battles provides an immense new challenge or threat for the player to overcome and chances are, there will be a few deaths before sweet victory is obtained. The beginning of the original Dark Souls sees the player return to life in the Undead Asylum. After progressing a short way through this tutorial section, the game drops the first challenge of the game on the player - literally. After entering a large, open plan room, the Asylum Demon drops from a hole in the roof and immediately dwarfs the player's undead character. It's possible to beat for the more sadistic player to beat the Asylum Demon here (characters begin with a broken weapon in Dark Souls) but this first encounter is supposed to teach the player that sometimes, it's simply better to run and rally. After clearing the rest of the asylum, the player returns to this room (with a new weapon in hand) but from an elevated position this time, allowing them to drop onto the Asylum Demon and land a hefty blow to begin the bout. It's a really clever way for the game to give a helping hand in this first boss fight while also teaching vital gameplay mechanics to the player. The Asylum Demon is by far the easiest boss in Dark Souls but with the player's low defence and inexperience, it can still deliver big damage quickly. The dramatic entrance of the Demon and the incredible size of the beast serve as a great introduction to boss battles in Dark Souls and very quickly it becomes a moment players look back on wistfully.