For most Souls veterans, the Orphan of Kos from Bloodborne was probably the first boss that truly broke our wills, as even in a series of games known for their fair but punishing difficulty, this guy felt just a little too intimidating with his move set.
Since then, however, we as a community have grown a lot more, to the point that one-shotting bosses has almost become routine. So when we watch some random guy pull up to the nightmare baby and nuke it with a single parry, it feels like a healing balm on a wound long unattended.
People Are One-Shotting Bloodborne’s Orphan of Kos Now With Ease
Back when Bloodborne was arguably the best and most challenging gaming experience that FromSoftware had created, Orphan of Kos was the one boss to crack just about every hunter’s brain out there in half.
The problem with the guy was that it was designed to punish at the slightest hint of defense or hesitation. It was a fair fight—don’t get us wrong—but goddamn if it wasn’t a jump in difficulty the likes of which we just weren’t prepared for.
You know, in the first phase, the fight seems easy enough. The Orphan gives you enough parry windows, and even its plunging attack leaves him susceptible to backstabs if you can dodge forward in time.
But the moment the second phase begins, the difficulty gets cranked up to infinity, with the parentless menace growing faster, stronger, and more unrelenting. It swings its placenta with reckless abandon and summons near-unavoidable lightning AoEs at every chance it gets.
As far back as we can remember, this was the first boss in Bloodborne that almost made it mandatory to use every trick and buff that we could gather just to stand a fighting chance, and even then, almost always, it felt as though you barely survived the fight.
But why are we talking about this fight all these years later and in such great detail? Well, just look at the following clip, and you’ll know exactly why:
Back when we all first encountered the boss, it felt like a Souls game was truly testing your growth, patience, reflexes, and determination all in one fight.
So, when we watch someone one-shot it the way OP did above, even with all sorts of buffs like the Poorman’s Gems, Clawmark Runes, and a good old Trick threaded can, it just feels so liberating, as though some side of us still stuck in the battle all those years ago has finally been given peace.
More importantly, though, it reminds us why Orphan of Kos is still one of the best and toughest fights FromSoftware has ever crafted and how we all continue to “git gud” with each new game.
Orphan of Kos Is Still One of the Best Bosses Fromsoftware Has Ever Designed
Fast-forward nearly a decade, and Elden Ring’s bosses have basically taken the Souls formula’s bosses to unbelievable new heights. Whether it be Maliketh’s Destined Death attacks and unpredictability, Elden Beast’s golden tracers, or Consort Radahn’s pillars of light, all of them push the players to their absolute limits.
However, few fights within the series feel as raw, brutal, and yet fair as our fight with the Orphan of Kos. Not that the new bosses are bad or anything—all of them have things to like about them and are incredible in their own ways—but the way the Orphan just stays in your face the entire time, attacking in this unpredictable and relentless rhythm, it just feels pure, visceral, and simply different.
Even after all these years, there aren’t many bosses who can perfectly match Orphan’s storm of aggression, rage, and despair. It never needed any flashy moves or some hail-mary type of attack; its placenta and lore were enough to make us back off and rethink our approach.
This was, at the end of the day, an appreciation post of sorts for the sheer nightmarish challenge that Orphan posed to us all those years ago. Though some of the newer bosses may have one-shot moves or some truly cinematic attacks, that child is still one of the best and will forever remain unforgettable.
With all that said, what are your thoughts on Orphan of Kos’ boss fight? Would you like to head back into Bloodborne to try and one-shot it yourself? Let us know in the comments below!
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
