Summary
Considering the importance of their role in the series' lore, it’s no surprise that the dragon bosses are some of the most challenging and exciting fights in theDark Soulstrilogy. FromDark Souls' Seath the Scaleless toDark Souls 2’s Ancient Dragon andDark Souls 3’s Darkeater Midir, dragon bosses are a signature element of FromSoftware’s games, something which has persisted into the award-winningElden Ring. However, even afterElden Ring’s excellent assortment of dragon bosses, one foe from the originalDark Soulsstill reigns supreme as the best of the bunch: Black Dragon Kalameet.
The penultimate encounter ofDark Souls' Artorias of the Abyss DLC expansion, Black Dragon Kalameet stands head and shoulders above otherFromSoftware dragon bossesby just about every metric. Between his challenging and complex move set, excellent arena and boss theme, and relatively easy run-back, Kalameet is one of the pinnacle boss encounters inDark Souls, setting a high bar for quality that only a few other dragon bosses in the FromSoftware catalog come close to meeting. Not only is Kalameet the template for FromSoftware’s subsequent dragon fights, the encounter itself established the benchmarks for challenge and mechanical depth in the studio’s future DLC expansions.
Black Dragon Kalameet is FromSoftware’s First True Dragon Boss
There were other dragon fights before Kalameet’s introduction in the loneDark SoulsDLC expansion, but those fights ultimately boiled down to simplistic gimmicks or spectacle rather than interesting mechanics and challenging combat.Demon’s Soulswould kick things off with the Dragon God fight, a puzzle segment disguising itself as a boss encounter, and things didn’t get much better in the base game ofDark Souls. BothSeath the Scalelessand the Gaping Dragon are great boss encounters, but they each feature slow-moving, easy-to-hit targets that only rely on a few basic attacks.
By comparison, Kalameet serves as the first dragonboss fight in theSoulsseriesto really capture the ferocity and lethality of these creatures. Kalameet is fast, hits hard, and has a wide-ranging move set that includes physical attacks, breathing flames, and even a deadly grab. Sticking close to Kalameet is a surefire recipe for disaster, forcing players to continually monitor their distance from the boss all while learning his attack patterns and taking advantage of the few windows for doling out punishment. Thanks to Kalameet, future FromSoftware dragon bosses (with few exceptions) would adopt a similar model of hitting hard followed by extended windows to maneuver around the enemy and use their massive size against them.
The Multiphase Approach to Kalameet is Unmatched by Other FromSoftware Dragon Fights
One of the best elements of the fight against Kalameet is that players come face to face with the foe multiple times throughout theArtorias of the Abyss DLCbefore they eventually encounter him. And, with a little exploration in the Oolacile Township following the fight against Artorias, players get access to a key that grants them an audience with Hawkeye Gough. By completing a few short steps that amount to a sort of “mini” side quest, Gough can permanently ground Kalameet, transforming the fight from nigh-impossible to an encounter where skilled players can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The multiple phases of the Kalameet fight have yet to be replicated in other FromSoftware games, with the closest thing being the tendency for someElden Ringdragon bosses to fly off mid-battle only to return moments later. Further, Kalameet joins some esteemed company alongside Artorias andManusto represent one of the best boss battles in the originalDark Soulsand, along with those enemies, establishes the level of difficulty that FromSoftware DLC expansions are now notorious for. More than justDark Souls' best dragon boss, Kalameet is an important part of FromSoftware’s history.
