Dark Souls 3 boss guide - how to defeat every top tier enemy

Dancer of the Boreal Valley 

Remember when you fought Vordt back at the High Wall of Lothric? Well now you get to fight another beast from his hometown: the Dancer of the Boreal Valley. (Hopefully you didn’t initiate this fight without a break from Aldrich, like I did!)

The Dancer of the Boreal Valley is quite nimble with a blade, but she’s more deliberate than most of the swordsman you encounter in this game. She’ll leave plenty of opportunity for attack as she tiptoes around (pro tip: poison damage really helps here). But when does attack, watch out: her fire sword does pretty have damage. She may sweep it, slam it, or stab with it, all of which you can avoid by sticking close and rolling to her side or rear. If she squats to place an ember into the ground, back off, as it will quickly explode with fire damage. And if she spins with her blade touching the ground, back off here too; the circle she traces will shoot up with flames as well. Finally, she may lurch forward and try to grab you. This is her deadliest move, so make sure you roll out of her clutches.

Once she’s down to about 75% health, the Dancer will squat and withdraw a magic sword from the ground. During this phase, her attacks do even more damage. She also gains a new attack, where she whirls around the arena swinging both blades. This doesn’t last long, so dodge backward and wait for her to stop spinning. If she squats during this phase, you should keep your distance, as a dark, damaging cloud will emerge from the ground around her.

The Dancer of the Boreal Valley looks pretty fearsome, but she’s thankfully less chaotic with her weapons than some other bosses. Don’t get too greedy with your own attacks, avoid hers, and you’ll knock this dancer down.

Jump to Boss:

Iudex Gundyr
Vordt of the Boreal Valley
Curse-Rotted Greatwood (Optional)
Crystal Sage
Abyss Watchers
Deacons of the Deep
High Lord Wolnir
Old Demon King (Optional)
Pontiff Sulyvahn
Yhorm the Giant
Aldrich, Devourer of Gods
Dancer of the Boreal Valley
Oceiros, the Consumed King (Optional)
Champion Gundyr (Optional)
Dragonslayer Armour
Lothric, Younger Prince
Ancient Wyvern (Optional)
Nameless King (Optional)
Soul of Cinder

Freelance Writer

Tony lives in Maryland, where he writes about those good old-fashioned video games for 12DOVE. His words have also appeared on GameSpot and G4, but he currently works for Framework Video, and runs Dungeons and Dragons streams. 

Latest in RPG
The Witcher 4 screenshot with Ciri using sword and sorcery to fight an ancient monster
The Witcher 4 devs explain how Ciri's fighting style will differ from Geralt's: "He's nimble, but he feels like a block...she's liquid"
Kai and Giatta battle Xaurip in Avowed
I get why Obsidian doesn't like The Elder Scrolls comparisons, but Avowed is the first RPG to have its hooks in me this deep since Skyrim took over my life 14 years ago
Mass Effect 3
BioWare lead proves he's onto us while celebrating Mass Effect 3's birthday, clarifying that's all he's doing so that "nobody can say I purposefully teased them"
Avowed screenshot of dwarven companion Marius who wears a bow at his back
I'm obsessed with Avowed's made-up curse words, which have a surprisingly practical purpose in the world of Eora
Avowed
Avowed has a Skyrim Easter egg that pokes fun at the RPG's most memed about companion NPC
Starfield
Bethesda breaks silence as Starfield fans hope for an update: "We have a lot of exciting things planned for the game this year"
Latest in Guides
Assassin's Creed Shadows Claws of Awaji expansion Naoe and Yasuke in Awaji forest
Assassin's Creed Shadows roadmap, DLC and future content
A scary emoji shown in horror game REPO.
Is REPO coming to consoles?
Monster Hunter Wilds Nu Udra Palico
How to get the Monster Hunter Wilds Aqua Sac and Flame Sac
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 DLC guide to all Season Pass wrestlers
Monster Hunter Wilds screenshot showing a fiery octopus monster grabbing player
Monster Hunter Wilds Black Flame location and boss fight guide
Monster Hunter Wilds Aqua Sac and Flame Sac
The best Monster Hunter Wilds mods and how to install them