JohnnyoftheWell
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Favourite Souls/Bloodborne fights

Here's the battles that really get me going. Haven't fought Kos, Laurence, Ebreitas, Gehrman, Mergo's Wet Nurse, most of the Chalice bosses, Blue Smelter, Darklurker or Alonne, so they're excluded.
1Coheed and Cambria
The Color Before The Sun

Kalameet - I honestly didn't expect Kalameet to take the top spot, but when I was eliminating and working out a ranking, I realised that no other boss has tested my patience, forced my to change my style, demanded endless repeats, and ultimately paid off in the way Kalameet did. Maybe it was because I was set on the immensely difficult bonus of cutting his tail off, but this was the peak of Souls I for me. It's a fantastically hard fight that is worth every scrap of energy thrown into it.
2Chelsea Wolfe
Abyss

Artorias - The boss that pushes the boundaries of what a humanoid fight can feel like. Artorias' size, speed, ridiculously wide moveset and intimidating health bar make for a long fight that can take you down in a second. It might be fair, but the stakes are right up - the degree of concentration needed to take him down is steep, and the intensity of keeping it up for the whole fight makes this one of the best experiences these games have to offer.
3Yo La Tengo
I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One

Abyss Watchers - The first phase of this fight was a risk on the part of Fromsoft - multiway fights have gone in all kinds of directions in the past - but they got it exactly right. The confusion and dynamism of the Abyss Watchers hacking each other, and you, apart already made this a great fight, but the buffed up Watcher you face in the second phase recalls a lot of the Lady Maria fight's greatest strengths in its power and enjoyment. This battle has it all and might have topped the list if it was pitched at endgame. However, although I think it's pretty easy after a few tries, it is just the right level of difficulty to end the early game on.
4Queens of the Stone Age
...Like Clockwork

Lady Maria - Disclaimer: I've still yet to beat Maria. I spent hours hammering away at her the last time I had a chance to play Bloodborne, and although I got within a couple of hits of taking her down, I never made it. As such, I think it'd be unfair to put her any higher. However, this is an absolutely phenomenal fight that escalates perfectly, allows you to play to your strengths, challenges you relentlessly and can claim some of the strongest lore and music in the series.
5Dire Straits
Brothers in Arms

Ornstein and Smough - These guys are a perfect fight, but I've been through them so many times now that they don't pose the challenge they used to. They get high placement because, well, they're a perfectly structured encounter with very fair difficulty, but I don't get quite the same exhilaration when I take them down.
6Bullet for My Valentine
The Poison

Sinh - Man, oh man, I wish I'd died to this guy more often just so I'd had more time fighting him. As it was, I had a couple of tentative goes (mostly with summons, over within a minute both times) and then tried him solo for the hell of it, just treating it as a run to learn his moves. What followed was one of the coolest moments I've had playing this series - I felt all the muscle memory I'd learnt ages before for Kalameet return and found myself able to follow him, anticipate his dives, avoid his poison, and 100% rule the fight, without feeling like I had any odds in my favour. The whole Sunken King DLC was fantastic, and ending it with this fight was just perfect. I consider myself a fairly decent but unextraordinary Souls player, but Sinh was one moment when I felt like I could take anything the series could throw at me. Then I took on Fume Knight again...
7Soundgarden
Superunknown

Nameless King - Like Maria, I haven't had the time to take the King down, but the mechanics behind his two phases, lore, design and atmosphere are easily enough to land him a high placement, based on the experience I've had so far.
8Mogwai
Mr. Beast

Ludwig - Perhaps the best of the lot when it comes to design, Ludwig will have you counting his limbs and various protrusions for days. The first part of the fight is about as intense as Soulsborne gets, while it's breathtaking to watch him draw himself back to composure and focus on you with more consideration. The struggle to survive the first part and then the endurance test of the second draws things out to just the right length.
9Snowmine
Laminate Pet Animal

Aava - I heard 'slow boss' and assumed Aava would be a fun pushover. Ha. This guy has a pretty neat moveset and enough mobility to keep you on your toes throughout. It's another design I totally love - a giant snowy tiger firing homing soulmass is a straight win in my book. While his moves can be worked around after a few tries, Aava's still a cool challenge.
10Glassjaw
Worship and Tribute

Vicar Amelia - While she's a little easy even in a blind playthrough (somewhat redeemed by her healing mechanic), Amelia is a super fun fight that lets you take the upper hand if you have the patience for it and offers a grueling challenge if you don't. I love, love, love the design of the fight (those screams!), and both setting the Laurence fight in the same location and making you cross over it to get to Ebrietas both struck me as reminders of a great showdown in the same way that putting Aldritch in Anor Londo thrills me every time.
11Converge
No Heroes

Champion Gundyr - Perhaps the definitive fast, aggressive Soulsborne boss, Gundyr is a great challenge for new or experienced players and elevates its corner of the game from a curious easter egg to an essential detour.
12Iced Earth
Burnt Offerings

Burnt Ivory King - This was maybe the only time Dark Souls II's main flaws were turned into advantages - many humanoid enemies piling onto you made for a fantastic experience here. The lore explaining the army and location, the awesome arena, the friendly knights that turn a gank into a fair fight and give you extra incentive to explore the previous area, and the King himself all come together to make for a series highlight.
13Soul Cycle
Soul Cycle II

Soul of Cinder - The final boss to end all final bosses. This is the only time the series got the closing encounter right (I suspect I'll take that back when I fight Gehrman, and you could make an argument for False King Allant), and it's extraordinary. I found myself on the back foot for almost the whole fight and having to adjust to the Soul's changing weapon styles made for a really fun encounter. I still find it a little punishing, which keeps it out of the top ten, but as I go over Souls III more and more, I think my experience with this guy will only get better.
14The Flaming Lips
In A Priest Driven Ambulance

Pontiff Sulyvahn - Although some people rage about Sulyvahn, I took him down first time on my first playthrough (quality) and found him manageable on my second (dex). It's another one of those fights that gives you very little room to breathe, but allows you the occasional second change if you screw up; I liked its aggression and balance and give extra credit to the phantom form that joins in halfway. Sulyvahn's lore is top-notch and having a furious battle in Irithyll Cathedral was very cool.
15Children of Bodom
Follow the Reaper

Matryr Logarius - I best Logarius first time and haven't started another Bloodborne playthorough yet, but that one battle was a relentlessly intense challenge that felt incredibly fair but also punishing. The arena is gorgeous and the conclusion it provides for Cainhurst Castle was very satisfying.
16Massive Attack
Protection

Velstadt - the fight itself is pretty cool but not extraordinary, but it fits so well with the area leading up to it and the hollowed Vendrick that you find afterwards that I couldn't resist including it.
17A Lot Like Birds
Plan B

Honorary mentions: Aldritch, Gwyn, Darkbeast Paarl, Flamelurker, Tower Knight, Shadows of Yharnam, Capra Demon
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