Demon's Souls Old Monk.PNG

The Demon bosses in Demon's Souls are the hardest and most stressful part of the whole affair. Filling up on souls in the stage prior only to have to prove yourself against a giant enemy with a massive health bar to match is almost always a daunting task.

But don't worry, in this Demon's Souls guide we'll have you covered by breaking down each of the game's bosses and the best way to approach them. Take a deep breath, have a look at the tips below, and try your best to enjoy yourself and the challenge that the bosses pose.

How to Beat the Old Monk in Demon's Souls

It's actually quite difficult to recommend a course of action to defeat the Old Monk, but the reason why is quite interesting and highlights how innovative and novel this boss fight is. The Old Monk manifests itself as a Black Phantom – a humanoid enemy with all the same capabilities, equipment, and loadout that a player can procure.

That being the case, you might actually be fighting a real human player when you go up against the Old Monk. It's possible for an invading player to inhabit the Old Monk, and your battle against them will become your boss fight. If that's the case, there's not much we can do for you to combat the unpredictability of an actual human person.

Despite this, we can still give you a couple tips if the Old Monk you're fighting happens to be the NPC that you'll get pitted against if there aren't any enemy invaders to go up against.

Get in Close and Use Your Shield

Spells and ranged weapons won't do you much good against the Old Monk because of how good it is at dodging. It's not a particularly large target, so trying to hit it with a projectile isn't very easy especially in the wide open arena you're fighting in.

However, because of its small stature, the Old Monk is quite easy to stagger. If you block its attacks, it'll likely become stunned for a short period, leaving it open to attack. It'll also get stunned if you dish out some heavy hits. Use this to your advantage by chaining together heavy hits whenever you get an opening.

Ripostes and Backstabs Work Wonders

Because the Old Monk is extremely similar to a player character, it's very vulnerable to ripostes and backstabs whereas normal Demon bosses aren't. With that in mind, prepare yourself for the possibility of a well-timed riposte, or be on the lookout for an opportunity for an open backstab – both of which can deal some massive damage in a short period of time.

Old Monk Rewards

Outsmarting the Old Monk will provide you with:

  • A variable amount of souls
  • Golden Demon Soul

Were you one of the lucky souls who got to fight a real player when you went up against the Old Monk? Tell us how the person on the other end tried way too hard to kill you in the comments section below. Don't forget to check out the rest of our Demon's Souls guide for more tips on the many bosses of Demon's Souls.