Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • RPG Club
  • Countdown to GTA 6
  • Game of the Week
  • New Games 2026
  • G+RLS Podcast
  • Best gaming tech
  • Join our RPG Club
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. Action Rpg
  3. Bloodborne

Bloodborne chalice boss guide: all the terrors you might meet in the option dungeons

Guides
By Tony Wilson
Published 12 October 2020

How to defeat all the Chalice Dungeon bosses in Bloodborne

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Bloodborne Chalice Dungeon bosses
(Image credit: Sony)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Bloodborne Chalice Dungeon bosses are a unique challenge in a unique location. Chalice Dungeons are semi randomly generated challenges players can create and run. Pushing through the descending levels means more risk and more reward. Just surviving the basic Bloodborne enemies you can find can be tough but there are also numerous Bloodborne Chalice Dungeon bosses that can test the skill of even the most seasoned pro with an OP character. Some help is definitely not a bad thing so here's a run down of what Chalice Dungeons you might encounter and how best to deal with them. 

Undead Giant 

Being the first boss, the Giant is quite a pushover. In fact, he only has two attacks at his disposal. The first is a simple swipe of his arm blades - easily avoided with a sidestep. He may also hunker down and start charging up. Give a little ground, as he’ll burst outward with an area-of-effect blast.

The Watchers 

Though not as easy as the Undead Giant, the Watchers can be taken down fairly quickly if you avoid getting surrounded. Two Watchers wield cleavers, the other a rifle. Your first move should be taking out the rifle-toting one. Once he's down, focus on one of the other Watchers, avoiding their cleaver swings with sidesteps. Take them down one by one, and you should have no problem.

Watchdog of the Old Lords 

The Watchdog has three attacks: a close-up chomp, a long-range fiery leap, and a fire area-of-effect blast. For the chomp, sidestep back or to the side to avoid damage. As for the leap, the easiest way to avoid damage is to dash forward, causing the Watchdog to leap over you. If you see him charging up, retreat to avoid the fire blast. Pro tip: you can roll under his hind legs and do massive damage to his belly.

Maneater Boar 

You've seen this guy before: his the giant pig enemy you've encountered in the main game. Watch out for his charges, using sidesteps to avoid damage. If you’re directly behind him, you should also step away in case he bucks. Finally, be ready to dodge at short range if he starts shaking violently. Keep these in mind, and whale on Mr. Boar whenever possible.

You may like
  • Elden Ring Margit the Fell Omen boss facing Tarnished player All main bosses in order to complete Elden Ring
  • Bloodborne screenshot of The Hunter player-character with their back to us, wielding a bladed in their right hand and an a ranged weapon in their left One Bloodborne player has spent 3,500 hours helping people with one of FromSoftware's hardest bosses
  • Messmer the Impaler, one of the main bosses in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree All main bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree

Beast-possessed Soul 

You've probably encountered this guy in the main game already - he hasn't changed. He'll either throw fireballs at you or swipe with his giant claws. In both cases, a sidestep is all that's necessary to avoid damage. Take him down!

Keeper of the Old Lords 

The Keeper can be a little tricky - he's pretty quick with his kitana and fire magic. Leap back to avoid his slashes, and leap to the side to avoid his fire blasts. He'll add fire effects to his blade after taking enough damage, so be extra careful during this time because you'll take additional damage.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Pthumerian Descendant  

This old, but large foe isn’t too tough. He wields a sickle, which he'll attack with while lunging slashing. In both cases, sidestep around him to get at his weak back. After taking enough damage, he'll split the sickle into two. He'll use the same basic attacks, but learn a new leaping one. When he springs up, dash under him to avoid being pounced on. This attack will also break your lock-on, so be ready to swing the camera around and find him again.

Bloodletting Beast 

The Bloodletting Beast is very similar to the Cleric Beast, but a bit more annoying - finding an attack opportunity can be tricky. His attacks consist of paw swipes, fist slams, and long range lunges. In all cases, your best bet is to dodge backwards manoeuvre around him. As far as dealing damage, you can actually dodge right under him and through his legs, opening up his back to attack. Just be aware that he may also stomp at you while back there.

Abhorrent Beast 

The Abhorrent Beast may be the toughest random boss you'll face. Be on your toes, always dodging for the duration of the fight. His punches and swipes hit hard, and reach much farther than you think. Make sure he's done with a combo before leaning in to damage him yourself. Be sure to immediately dodge away too, as there's barely any time to even move in this (honestly, pretty cheap) fight. When he powers up halfway through the battle, be sure to sidestep his two-handed attack, as it'll now send a damaging sound wave forward from his fists.

You may like
  • Elden Ring Margit the Fell Omen boss facing Tarnished player All main bosses in order to complete Elden Ring
  • Bloodborne screenshot of The Hunter player-character with their back to us, wielding a bladed in their right hand and an a ranged weapon in their left One Bloodborne player has spent 3,500 hours helping people with one of FromSoftware's hardest bosses
  • Messmer the Impaler, one of the main bosses in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree All main bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree

Brainsucker 

If you're fighting the Brainsucker at this point, you've encountered him before - the only difference here is more HP. Sidestep his puny punches, and take care not to get grabbed. If you're caught, he'll dig into you with his tentacle, causing a decent chunk of damage.

Forgotten Madman 

The Madman can be tricky boss, since he's basically an NPC Hunter. Use sidesteps to avoid his enchanted sword slashes and blunderbuss blasts, and keep an eye on his left hand. When it's in a tentacle form, he will also use a medium range tentacle strike. He may even perform a large area of effect spell, so keep your distance if you seem him powering up.

Things heat up (quite literally) when the Madman's Escort shows up when the Madman is past half HP. He's another Hunter wielding the Kirkhammer and Flamesprayer. Focus on getting rid of the Madman first, then turn to his buddy. Keep sidestepping the hammer blows, and be sure to give a wide berth when he starts firing the flamethrower your way.

Pthumerian Elder 

The Elder wields possibly the coolest weapon in the game, but don't get distracted - it packs a punch. At a distance, the flaming sceptre will become a crossbow, so use sidesteps to avoid getting pierced by bolts. If it turns into a flaming scythe, be prepared to dodge to the sides as echoes of the scythe will fly toward you. If he swings it like a staff at close range, dodge around him and strike at his back. Finally, if he slams it into the ground as a mace, give some distance, because it will burst in an area of effect attack.

Loran Silverbeast 

You've likely fought plenty of these guys, so keep the same general strategy. Use sidesteps to avoid their swipes and fire-spitting. They may also charge up an area-of-effect shock attack - give some distance to avoid damage. If they drop the torch and enter their crawling form, be ready to dodge their lunges and claw swipes.

Yharnam, Pthumerian Queen 

The Queen isn't too tough to take down, but you have to be cautious. The main rule of the fight is this: attack once or twice, then back off as you hear the baby cry. Otherwise, you'll be caught in a binding spell, completely open to attack. When it comes to the Queen's attacks, she'll begin with area-of-effect and ranged blood blasts, both of which can cause rapid poison damage. Sidestep up to her, deal damage, and back off. Once she breaks her handcuffs and starts using dagger swipes and charges, be ready to dodge a little quicker.

Your strategy should change once she starts moving more. If she spawns clones (which she will do frequently), take them out first. They go down in one blow, but use all the same attacks. You also need to watch for when she starts channeling into her dagger. She may either cause a row of blood spikes to chase you or multiple burst from the ground. In either case, keep moving and keep your distance from her. Finally, watch for any large glowing ring around her, and get out quickly if you spot it - it's a pretty big energy attack.

CATEGORIES
PS5 PS4 Platforms PlayStation
Tony Wilson
Tony Wilson
Social Links Navigation
Freelance Writer

Tony lives in Maryland, where he writes about those good old-fashioned video games for GamesRadar+. His words have also appeared on GameSpot and G4, but he currently works for Framework Video, and runs Dungeons and Dragons streams.

Read more
Elden Ring Margit the Fell Omen boss facing Tarnished player
RPGs All main bosses in order to complete Elden Ring
 
 
Bloodborne screenshot of The Hunter player-character with their back to us, wielding a bladed in their right hand and an a ranged weapon in their left
Action RPGs One Bloodborne player has spent 3,500 hours helping people with one of FromSoftware's hardest bosses
 
 
Messmer the Impaler, one of the main bosses in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
Action RPGs All main bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree
 
 
Elden Ring godrick the grafted boss fight cutscene holding a massive axe
RPGs How to defeat Godrick The Grafted in Elden Ring
 
 
Palworld bosses
RPGs All Palworld Tower Bosses in order
 
 
let me solo her facing off against melania. they're an elden ring player who dual-wields katanas and only wears a pot on his head
RPGs 13 Elden Ring tips and tricks to help you beat bosses and become the Elden Lord
 
 
Latest in Action Rpg
Mortal Shell 2 twin swords warrior
Action RPGs First Mortal Shell 2 balance patch stacks the deck for players, refunds for wasted Glimpses
 
 
The Duskbloods character Zork in a welded suit of iron armor
Action RPGs FromSoftware knows what it's doing with The Duskbloods character Zork, the internet's new obsession
 
 
Stray Dog: Nobody Cares
Dark Souls New Soulslike with "brutal boss fights" places you in the paws of a Sif-coded stray dog
 
 
A Borderlands 4 Vault Hunter stands armed and ready
Borderlands Borderlands 4's next DLC is a John Wick-inspired rescue mission to save a Borderlands 3 hero's dog
 
 
Elden Ring screenshot showing Ranni, a young woman with pale ice-y blue skin and a large brimmed witch-like hat
Action RPGs Even after Elden Ring exploded, Hidetaka Miyazaki says FromSoftware doesn't make games for anyone
 
 
The Duskbloods character holding hammer
Action RPGs The Duskbloods and Bloodborne are completely unrelated, Hidetaka Miyazaki says
 
 
Latest in Guides
The Duskbloods trailer screenshot showing a blood red moon and sky with a bloodsworn woman standing directly under the moon on some ruins
Action Games Does The Duskbloods have PvP and is it multiplayer only?
 
 
The Duskbloods trailer screenshot showing a bald old man with small glasses raiding a chalice up to his mouth
Action Games Will The Duskbloods release on PC and consoles?
 
 
Black PS2 on right and pink PS2 Slim on left with stack of PS2 games in front with a controller on top next to a light gun.
Retro How to play PS2 games
 
 
One of the Fortnite Cheat Codes glowing on a wall
Fortnite Fortnite Cheat Codes and how to use them to collect Sprites
 
 
sinking city 2 trident
Survival Horror Games How to solve the Sinking City 2 trident puzzle
 
 
As you unlock the Genessa Mortal Shell 2 Shell, the Sester appears in her first memory
RPGs How to get the Mortal Shell 2 Genessa Shell
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. GTA 6 reveal trailer screenshot showing a young blonde woman standing near a sunny rooftop pool, wearing a white and gold bikini
    1
    GTA 6 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are "the north stars of gaming," says Gamescom chief, but they won't last forever because "most gamers aren't only interested in a single game"
  2. 2
    GTA 6 leaks persist despite Take-Two taking action, and the hacker's now dangling strip club footage in front of Rockstar
  3. 3
    "They don't make 'em like they used to": How flash player games defined an era of indie horror
  4. 4
    Parts of The Duskbloods are "very similar to a lot of RPG elements you might find in a tabletop RPG," says FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki
  5. 5
    Kingdom Hearts modder turns an indie love letter to the JRPG series into an even more blatant Kingdom Hearts-like

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...