The first boss in any Souls game will rarely be the hardest. In most cases, players are even outright expected to die during the tutorial (Demon's Souls and Bloodborne). As far as Dark Souls is concerned, however, starter bosses tend to offer a higher level of challenge. Taking cues from Bloodborne's frantic gameplay loop, Dark Souls 3 is a faster paced game than its predecessors and makes heavy use of multi-phase boss fights to keep combat dynamic.

One of the biggest surprises in Dark Souls 3 is not just how early the first boss is fought, but the fact that they offer up a real challenge. Aside from the likes of the Cleric Beast or Father Gascoigne, Iudex Gundyr might be the hardest opening boss in the Soulsborne franchise. This isn't to say he's particularly difficult – series veterans should be able to defeat him on their first try – but he puts up a serious fight and is designed to punish newcomers.

What makes Iudex Gundyr so hard for a first boss is how he subverts expectations between multiple phases and a complex attack pattern. Most opening bosses (even in Souls games) aren't this demanding, forcing players to fully understand the core controls and mechanics before they can so much as level up.

Getting To Gundyr

Dark Souls 3 Cemetery of Ash

The Cemetary of Ash is the first major area in Dark Souls 3 and although it sports a few branching paths, the way to Iudex Gundyr is fairly straightforward. From the start of the game, just head straight and make sure to pick up the Ashen Estus Flask (replenishes lost MP) along the way. It's also worth noting that players only have 3 helpings of Estus at the start of Dark Souls 3, so use them wisely.

There's a Ravenous Crystal Lizard hiding down one of the branching paths for anyone who wants to test their mettle early, but otherwise push forward and follow the exiting hill up to a Bonfire. While resting at the Bonfire replenishes health and Estus charges, you won't be able to level up until after defeating Gundyr.

Move on down the hill and kill any Grave Wardens along the way. Be patient and don't let them hit you since you'll want as much health as possible for the boss fight. Similarly, just go rest up at the Bonfire if you end up taking any damage. Once you're ready, head towards the courtyard where Iudex Gundyr is kneeling.

Challenging The Iudex

Dark Souls 3 Iudex Gundyr

Unlike other bosses in Dark Souls 3, players don't need to walk through a fog gate to trigger Iudex Gundyr's fight (adding another element of surprise to the battle). Walk up to Gundyr's body and interact with him to pull the Coiled Sword out of his chest. Immediately start attacking Iudex Gundyr for some free hits and then back away as he aggros properly.

Iudex Gundyr is weak to Frost, Fire, and Lightning along with being parryable. Don't bother blocking any of Gundyr's attacks unless you absolutely need to since his strikes are heavy enough to drain Stamina fast. Instead, keep an eye on his telegraphs and aim to dodge any attacks. It'll be risky with only three Estus, but it's better than rationing out Stamina between blocks that ultimately won't hold.

Iudex Gundyr's Phases

Dark Souls 3 Iudex Gundyr Phase 2

Multi-phase boss fights were fairly uncommon for the Souls series until FromSoftware released Bloodborne. Most bosses in Bloodborne feature dynamic transformations that greatly influence the flow of combat. Iudex Gundyr immediately introduces players to multi-phase bosses in Dark Souls 3, undergoing a grotesque transformation after being dealt enough damage.

Iudex Gundyr's two phases are distinct enough to require slightly different strategies. For the first phase, Gundyr will stick to his Halberd and go for long, heavy strikes that are well telegraphed. For his second phase, Gundyr grows monstrous appendages and adopts a much more frantic fighting style. You'll need fast reflexes to dodge his attacks and to take advantage of any openings he creates. Stay aggressive and Iudex Gundyr should go down fast.

Next: Dark Souls 3: The 10 Strongest Weapons In The Game, Ranked