All Bosses in Darkest Dungeon — Complete Reference With Real Numbers

There are 37 Bosses in Darkest Dungeon. The real question is never “what exists” but “which one fits the situation you are in” — so this page lays the full set out with the numbers that actually decide a pick, grouped so you can jump straight to the cluster that matches your run.

The full Bosses list

How the Bosses split by Type

Eldritch (6)

Shambler — The Shambler is a dangerous Eldritch miniboss that lurks in blackest pitch, dropping Ancestral trinkets when killed. While the Shambler is alive the Light Meter will be fixed at 0—and the light level cannot be altered in any way with torches or skills!. Flesh (Head) — The Flesh is the second boss of the Warrens, appearing after the Swine Prince. Like other bosses, it has three variations (Inchoate, Unstable, and Formless). It features 4 different parts that change each round, each of which has its own specific set of abilities and stats. Shuffling Horror — Shuffling Horror is the first of four bosses in the Darkest Dungeon. It resembles a Shambler that has been overtaken by the eldritch, fleshy growths that pervade the rest of the Darkest Dungeon. Shuffling Horror spawns with a Cultist Priest. If the Priest is killed, it will summon another enemy. Siren — The Captivating, Alluring, and Beguiling Siren is the first Boss of the Cove. She has 2 turns per round, and her main gimmick, Song of Desire, mind-controls a hero for roughly two rounds. Gestating Heart — The Gestating Heart is the second-to-last form of the final boss of the Darkest Dungeon, a wriggling mass of horror incubating an even more frightening form. Thing from the Stars — The Thing from the Stars is an Eldritch miniboss from The Color of Madness DLC, with multiple turns per round and massive Stress and Blight damage.

Eldritch/Beast (4)

Templar Impaler — The Templar Impaler is a miniboss which guards the altars in the second quest in the Darkest Dungeon. He takes 2 actions per turn, one of which is typically a Revelation attack. His other action will be spent on one of his remaining attack abilities, all of them equally dangerous. Mammoth Cyst — Mammoth Cyst is a miniboss-type enemy found on the third quest in the Darkest Dungeon. There are multiple copies of it, but only the one that guards the quest curio must be killed to complete the quest. The Shrieker — The Shrieker is an Eldritch/Beast Event Boss found in the Weald. The Shrieker typically appears when a certain number of Trinkets have been lost due to a party wipe. It may also steal trinkets from inventory in the Hamlet as well. The Shrieker spawns along with its nest, both of which take up two slots. Templar Warlord — The Templar Warlord is a miniboss which guards the altars in the second quest in the Darkest Dungeon. He takes 2 actions per turn, one of which is typically a Revelation attack.

Human (4)

Brigand Vvulf — Vvulf is a leader of the Human brigands in the area surrounding the Hamlet, and he may be encountered during the unique town event Wolves at the Door. Armed with a Tower Shield and a barrel full of bombs, Vvulf is able to deal massive damage and guard his men from attacks. Hag — The Wizened Hag/Hag/Hag Witch is a Human boss that appears in the Weald. The Hag always appears taking up rank 3 and 4, while her pot takes up ranks 1 and 2; neither she nor her pot can be moved from those positions. When empty, the pot cannot be damaged unless you only have one character left. Brigand Matchman — One of the members of the infamous “Brigands Brigade”, the Brigand Matchman is arguably the weakest among their ranks, but also the deadliest. He alone can operate the terrible Brigand Cannon, unleashing thundering blasts of fire and death that can easily decimate even the healthiest of parties. Fanatic — The Fanatic is a wandering boss in The Crimson Court that may hunt down heroes afflicted with the Crimson Curse, and always surprises the party on entering battle.

Bloodsucker (4)

Viscount — The Viscount is the Bloodsucker boss fought in the Courtyard during the Served Cold (LVL 5 Epic) quest. The fight consists of the Viscount himself plus three bodies which occupy the other ranks. Crocodilian — The Crocodilian is a dangerous Bloodsucker mini-boss that appears in several Courtyard missions and in the Endless Harvest. The Crocodilian appears in each of the each of the main quest expeditions to the Courtyard, including the initial Apprentice-level mission. Baron — The Baron is a boss that appears in the Courtyard mission Morbid Entertainment. As this quest is only offered at the veteran level and Baron does not appear in Endless Harvest, there is only one version of the Baron. The Baron drops a Blueprint and a Set Trinket when killed. Countess — The Countess is the third and final boss of The Courtyard, fought during the “Bewitching Predator” (LVL 6 Epic) quest, and the source of the Crimson Curse.

Eldritch/Human (3)

Imperfect Reflection — This is one of two copies that the Ancestor will summon during the first phase of his fight. The Imperfect Reflection will usually be summoned by the Ancestor via his Imperfect Reproduction skill after dealing deathblows to a few Perfect Reflections. Perfect Reflection — This is one of two copies that the Ancestor will summon during the first phase of his fight. After being summoned by the Ancestor on the first turn, they will serve as the main threat against your party. Ancestor (First Form) — The story of Darkest Dungeon is narrated by the Ancestor, a mysterious and seemingly omnipresent character who accompanies the player in their adventures. Along the player’s journey the Ancestor will gradually reveal, through his foreboding comments, the history of the Hamlet and the various monsters infesting the….

Unholy (3)

Drowned Anchorman — When summoned by the Drowned Crew it will have a buff that grants +50% to PROT, Bleed Resist and Blight Resist; and +25% Stun Resist. After it uses “Heave to!”, it will lock a hero in place. Prophet — The Prophet is a boss that appears in the Ruins, and, like other bosses, has three variations (Sonorous, Fulminating, and Gibbering). The Prophet spawns on rank 4, with wooden pews occupying ranks 1, 2 and 3. Drowned Crew — The Sodden/Sunken/Drowned Crew is a boss that appears in the Cove. Although they may appear to be individuals, the Crew are mechanically a single-target entity filling three ranks. The Drowned Anchorman is not part of the larger group and has his own HP, resistances, and set of abilities.

Beast (2)

Wilbur — Wilbur is a Beast monster boss that is always fought alongside the Swine Prince in the Warrens. During battle, Wilbur will use the attacks End This One or End These Two on one or two of your heroes. This marks your heroes for extra damage and prompts the Swine Prince to target them specifically. Swine Prince — The Swine Prince/King/God is a Beast boss that appears in the Warrens. The Swine Prince occupies the first three ranks, and Wilbur, the fourth.

Husk (2)

Fracture — Fracture is a boss found within the Farmstead in The Color of Madness DLC, and the first phase of the fight against The Sleeper. The Fracture does not usually attack the heroes directly outside of the low-damage Slow the Sands; instead, it focuses on summoning and empowering other enemies to fight for it. The Sleeper — The Sleeper is a boss found within the Farmstead in The Color of Madness DLC. It serves as the second phase to Fracture, and is guaranteed to be encountered on the wave group after the Miller. The Sleeper has two incredibly powerful attacks: The Sleeper Awakens and The Sleeper Stirs.

Cosmic (1)

Heart of Darkness — Heart of Darkness is the ultimate boss of Darkest Dungeon. It is the last phase of the Ancestor fight, whose form became a vessel for the creature to cross over. Heart of Darkness has a terrible ability called Come Unto Your Maker, which instantly kills a hero - regardless of HP or stress.

Poor Soul (1)

Miller — The Miller is a boss found within the Farmstead. He must be defeated to unlock the Endless Harvest mode, and is also always the first boss encountered on every Endless Harvest run.

Carpentry (1)

Barrel O’ Bombs — The Barrel O’ Bombs is an enemy which is always encountered alongside Brigand Vvulf. It has no abilities of its own, but while it is out Brigand Vvulf will automatically use two abilities.

Ironwork (1)

Brigand Pounder — The Brigand 8-/12-/16-Pounder is a Boss which appears in the Weald, spawning on the second rank with an assortment of Brigands supporting it in the other three ranks.

Unholy/Eldritch (1)

Necromancer — The Necromancer is an Unholy/Eldritch boss that appears in the Ruins. The Necromancer will always start in position 1, and each time he uses an attack he creates a skeleton enemy in rank 1 and moves himself back 1 rank.

Crockery (1)

Cauldron(Empty) — The Cauldron is an enemy which is always encountered alongside The Hag. It is largely passive but a key component of the encounter, spawning in the first 2 ranks while the Hag lurks behind it.

Stonework/Eldritch (1)

Garden Guardian — The Garden Guardian is a boss in the Courtyard, unlocked after all the other Courtyard bosses have been defeated. The expedition Defeat the Fallen Guardian appears after the Countess is defeated and is always available.

Human/Eldritch (1)

The Collector — The Collector is an Eldritch/Human miniboss who has a 3%, 4%, or 5% chance (by difficulty) to spawn if the inventory is at least 79% full.

Unclassified (1)

Bosses (Darkest Dungeon) — A legacy placeholder entry carried over from the source scrape with no assigned type; excluded from the ranked tables above.

The numbers at a glance

What the Bosses data tells us

If you only remember one thing: the type split is the fastest way to narrow 37 Bosses down. Eldritch is the largest group at 6 entries, so start your comparison there before looking at anything else.

By the numbers, the standouts are Countess with the highest Hp A (400). They set the ceiling for the whole Bosses set.

Entries worth a closer look

Shambler — The Shambler is a dangerous Eldritch miniboss that lurks in blackest pitch, dropping Ancestral trinkets when killed. While the Shambler is alive the Light Meter will be fixed at 0—and the light level cannot be altered in any way with torches or skills! Heart of Darkness — Heart of Darkness is the ultimate boss of Darkest Dungeon. It is the last phase of the Ancestor fight, whose form became a vessel for the creature to cross over. Heart of Darkness has a terrible ability called Come Unto Your Maker, which instantly kills a hero - regardless of HP or stress. Templar Impaler — The Templar Impaler is a miniboss which guards the altars in the second quest in the Darkest Dungeon. He takes 2 actions per turn, one of which is typically a Revelation attack. His other action will be spent on one of his remaining attack abilities, all of them equally dangerous. Miller — The Miller is a boss found within the Farmstead. He must be defeated to unlock the Endless Harvest mode, and is also always the first boss encountered on every Endless Harvest run. Shuffling Horror — Shuffling Horror is the first of four bosses in the Darkest Dungeon. It resembles a Shambler that has been overtaken by the eldritch, fleshy growths that pervade the rest of the Darkest Dungeon. Shuffling Horror spawns with a Cultist Priest. If the Priest is killed, it will summon another enemy. Imperfect Reflection — This is one of two copies that the Ancestor will summon during the first phase of his fight. The Imperfect Reflection will usually be summoned by the Ancestor via his Imperfect Reproduction skill after dealing deathblows to a few Perfect Reflections. Barrel O’ Bombs — The Barrel O’ Bombs is an enemy which is always encountered alongside Brigand Vvulf. The Barrel O’ Bombs itself has no abilities, however while it is out Brigand Vvulf will automatically use two abilities;.

Related guides on Antewise

• beginner guide
• boss difficulty ranking
• boss guide
• combat guide
• common mistakes
• difficulty guide
• dungeon guide