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- Midir was considered the best FromSoftware dragon boss fight, even after Placidusax was featured in Elden Ring.
- However, Bayle has managed to usurp Midir’s throne, as this encounter is now the best dragon boss from this studio.
- In my opinion, everything about this boss is perfect.
Nobody is better at making memorable bosses than FromSoftware. This was abundantly clear after Elden Ring’s success, even if the game relied excessively on reusing these battles.
Despite its knack for making quality games, the studio has still struggled with dragon bosses. With the exception of Midir, Placidusax, and Bayle, past dragons have felt underwhelming or unfair due to poor camera angles and unimpressive movesets.
Nonetheless, the studio seems to have finally hit the mark in Elden Ring. Placidusax was easily the game’s best dragon, and while he didn’t measure up to Dark Souls 3’s Midir, the battle showed FromSoftware’s evolution in this regard.
As expected, the team has outdone itself yet again. In my opinion, Bayle is now the best dragon fight this team has created.
Why it matters: Dark Souls 3 was released in 2016, and for eight years, Midir stayed unchallenged as the most fearsome dragon.
Bayle, The Dread, Has Usurped Midir’s Throne
Shadow of the Erdtree features 40 boss fights, and 11 of them are remembrance bosses. While Midir isn’t exactly a remembrance boss, after defeating him, you get his heart, which has a special option in the new Dragon Communion.
However, this is similar to a remembrance since you choose two spells from his heart. So, it works the same way as remembrance, but you have to go to a different place. Overall, fighting this boss was an experience I will never forget.
Fighting him was so fun that I didn’t kill him when I first had the chance so that I could return to the battle. Midir was fun and easily one of the best bosses FromSoftware has ever created. However, learning that boss is easy, as it doesn’t have that many moves.
On the other hand, Bayle has a large arsenal of moves that can two-shot you, depending on how much defence you have. The first phase is super cool, especially the grab and the tail attack combo.
However, things get way more interesting when he enters his second phase. Remember the openings from the first phase? Well, those get follow-ups in the second phase. Also, Bayle has an attack where he first breathes fire toward you from the sky and then instantly traverses to the other side to fire a laser. This is what I call “Absolute Cinema.”
Curse You, Bayle
If you remember this dialogue, congratulations; you have done the best side quest in Elden Ring. The side quest you do during this fight isn’t difficult at all. Instead, it makes the boss battle even more memorable.
After you defeat the Ancient Dragon Man, go on to beat the Jagged Peak Drake. After that, you will hear Igon’s voice, and he will proclaim you the Drake Warrior. Following this encounter, make sure to summon him in the fight and enjoy his iconic voice lines.
He has a history with Bayle, and during the fight, he curses the dragon for a while. This adds a new story element to the battle, so I 100% recommend summoning for this fight. While it may make the battle easier, you can always attempt the boss without the summon later.
The Lore Makes Bayle Even Better
Placidusax was not a better dragon than Midir, but one could argue that the boss had incredibly flashy moves and intriguing lores. So, it was difficult to decide which one was better. However, now we know who cut off three of Placidusax’s heads and tails.
That entity is none other than Bayle. This explains how powerful Bayle is since he went toe-to-toe with the Dragonlord Placidusax and survived. However, both were evenly matched as Placidusax cut off Bayle’s leg and both wings.
In the second phase, the dragon grows his wings, though these are not real. So, they both had an epic fight, which ended in a stalemate. No one won, and no one lost. That said, we never got to fight either of them in their prime.
Midir had a massive lore advantage before, as he stopped the Abyss all by himself. However, now Bayle also has his own legends backing him up, and the boss fight is just way too good.
In addition to this fight, the likes of Messmer show how FromSoftware continues to craft memorable boss encounters in Shadow of the Erdtree.
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[News Editor]
Obaid is pursuing a Law degree while working as a content writer. He has worked as a gaming writer for over three years because of his passion for the medium and reporting the latest updates in the industry. Having played hundreds of games, Obaid finds himself coming back to Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with these games being among his favorites. He has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as Wccftech, Metro UK, PS Lifestyle, GamePressure, VGC, and Gamespot.
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