When the Centipede Demon made his entrance in Dark Souls Remastered, I jumped out of my seat. This giant insect-themed boss is a horrific sight, and he fights like a boxer. Even though he has a plethora of attacks, some deadlier than others, there is a very straightforward strategy to taking on this boss if you know what you are doing.
In this guide, we will cover what the Centipede Demon brings to the fray and what you should be doing to mitigate this monstrosity. Also, we have discovered a stinky cheese method that will eliminate the boss in one fell sweep.
Fighting Centipede Demon in Dark Souls Remastered
Entering the boss arena will trigger a cutscene that shows the Centipede Demon waking up from his slumber while stuck to the wall. He’ll drop down and reveal his terrifying form, a giant two-legged creature with many centipedes growing all over his body.
Every centipede head you see is alive and waiting to grab you. The boss likes to use his stretchy bug limbs to catch you from afar. After he slowly reaches you, he’ll start using his giant centipede arm to jab and slam you. He’ll also have some high-flying maneuvers to crush you. His attacks deal a mix of fire and physical damage and hit like a truck. Besides that, he has projectile attacks and a lethal grab attack that’ll turn you into his dinner.
The bigger concern is the lack of land in this arena. The whole thing is a pool of lava, and stepping on it will quickly drain your HP. You have to stand in the small masses of land in here or else you’ll burn to a crisp before the boss even reaches you.
Here are some things to consider when facing Centipede Demon in Dark Souls Remastered:
- He is weak to Magic damage.
- It will take some time but you can proc Bleed on him.
- He is entirely immune to Fire Damage.
- You can summon Solaire of Astora to aid you during this fight.
- His tail and arm will regenerate over time.
- Severing its limbs will significantly reduce the range of his attacks.
- Up to 5 severed centipedes can remain active in the arena. Don’t let yourself be overcrowded; take them out quickly.
- The first severed limb will drop the Orange Charred Ring, which, when equipped, will significantly reduce the damage from lava. If you die the first time, use this ring to mitigate the annoyance of fighting over the lava.
- Fire-resistant armor and ring will benefit immensely.
Boss Strategy
To ensure a safe Centipede Demon encounter, your priority is finding a large enough piece of land to fight on (one that keeps you clear of the dangerous lava). As soon as you enter the arena, turn right, leap over the lava to the next landmass, and stick close to the wall. Follow this path carefully; it will lead you to a spacious area where you can engage the boss more effectively without worrying about accidental missteps in the molten hazard.
Being well-prepared with high endurance, defense, and fire resistance can make the fight much safer.
Staying under the demon, specifically between its legs, forces it into a pattern of high and explosive jumps. While this positioning keeps you relatively safe, explosive jumps can still pack a punch, so stay alert. The demon may also attempt to grab you, but by staying close to its legs when it lands and blocking while airborne, you can protect yourself and create openings to land successive hits on its knees.
One key strategy to gain an edge in this battle is to cut off its tail early. If you can lure the demon to stand directly above you, you’ll find opportunities to strike its tail while remaining relatively protected. Keep your block up to guard against surprise attacks, though.
Beware, after losing its tail, the demon goes wild, charging through walls and becoming more erratic. Your best bet at this stage is to stay behind its back feet, where you’ll find relative safety. The tail regenerates, so you’ll need to repeat the process and cut it off again if it grows back.
As the fight progresses, watch for its arm-extension move. Dodge it as it approaches, then close the distance and position yourself beneath the boss. Aim for its ribcage; it’s the safest target for most character builds, allowing you to deal damage without putting yourself in danger.
Moveset
Centipede Demon in Dark Souls Remastered has all the below attacks, and we have mentioned how you should counter them:
| Attack | Description | Reaction |
| Stretched Jab | When you are at a distance, he rears his right arm and sends it flying toward you. It has a surprising amount of range. | Dodge to the side right before the punch is about to reach you. |
| Jumping Smash | Centipede Demon jumps slightly, spins around mid-air, then slams his limb into the ground in front. | Dodge to the side right before the smash lands on you. |
| Horizontal Swipe | He’ll pull his right arm to the other side and perform a quick horizontal strike. | The attack doesn’t cover a wide radius, so you can run to the left side, and he’ll miss. Or you can dodge into the swipe, and it’ll bypass you. |
| Grab Attack | He’ll roar and perform a quick thrust from his left arm. If it hits you, he’ll grab you and throw you inside the mouth in his stomach, chomp on you, and then throw you out if you still have some HP. The attack can easily one-shot you. | Staying behind him will ensure he doesn’t use this attack. If he does grab you, try to mash all the rear attack buttons (R1, R2, L1, L2) to force him to release you quickly. |
| Body Slam | The boss jumps vertically and goes off-screen, then, after some delay, lands in the same spot he jumped from. Deals massive damage. | Back off as soon as he goes airborne, after he lands, move in and attack, exploiting the recovery window. |
| Stomp | If you stay underneath him for too long, he’ll begin to stomp both of his feet, trying to trample you. | Back away, wait for it to be over, and then return. |
| Jumping Blast | At lower health, he’ll jump slightly and fling a fireball on the ground beneath him. The ball explodes and has a wide AoE. | Back away and create some distance to avoid getting caught in the explosion. |
| Frenzy | While remaining stationary, he’ll use all his limbs to thrash around in a circle. | Back off and wait for it to be over. |
| Fireball Projectile | When you are really far away, he’ll throw two slow-moving fireballs toward you. They explode upon impact with slight AoE. | Dodge to the left side right before they hit you. |
| Severed Limb | When you cut the boss’s centipede arm or tail, it will come to life and will chase you. | Focus on the centipedes and kill them as soon as possible. Otherwise, you risk losing sight of the main boss or getting ganged up on. |
Rewards for Defeating Centipede Demon
You’ll receive the following goodies for crushing the Centipede Demon in Dark Souls Remastered:
- 40,000 Souls
- 1x Homeward Bone
- 1x Humanity
- Orange Charred Ring – Wearing it will decrease the damage from lava considerably. You don’t necessarily have to kill the boss for this ring to drop; severing its tail has a drop chance.
How to Cheese Centipede Demon in Dark Souls Remastered?
There is a way to glitch Centipede Demon into dying without needing to attack him. More experienced players who know how to dodge won’t need anything for this cheese, but for beginners, it is better to carry a sturdy shield and wear some heavy protective armor.
After entering through the fog gate, turn to your left and stand in the corner next to the gate. You need to stay here for the cheese to work.
The boss will steadily walk toward you while using his long-range attacks like the Stretched Jab. You must dodge or block these attacks and remain in the corner. Soon, he will be all up in your face. During this point, the camera will spazz out, and you’ll see nothing since you’ll be backed up to a wall, and the boss will be right over you.
Don’t worry! You only need to put up your shield or dodge any attacks he may throw at you. You need to stick to the corner until he uses his Grab Attack. As soon as he lifts you after the grab, start mashing R1, L1, R2, and L2, and hopefully, you’ll break free from the hold without any significant damage.
If you do it right and are positioned perfectly in the corner, the boss will disappear after he releases you. He’ll glitch out of the arena. His HP will remain active for some time and soon instantly goes to 0. You’ll get the Victory screen, and viola, you are done without lifting a single finger.
As with most giant bosses in Dark Souls Remastered, the best strategy is to stick close to Centipede Demon’s legs and slowly whittle away his health. This bugger has some lethal moves, but for the most, he’s easy to deal with. The biggest enemy is the arena itself, and once you remove that concern, there is little to worry about. Ironically enough, stand under him and crush this pest under your heel!