Maneater is quite possibly the hardest boss to beat in Demon’s Souls. You will face him towards the end of the game and surely enough, he will make you sweat. The moveset, the arena, and a bit of a twist, all that combined is the perfect formula for chaos.
To make sure you do not end up banging your head against the wall, we have put together this guide about how you can defeat the Maneater in Demon’s Souls.
Fighting Maneater
If you thought that Demon’s Souls bosses were a breeze to deal with, wait till you fight Maneater. You will find this demon in the Tower of Latria.
It is already hard enough to deal with Maneater in a normal setting, the location you are supposed to fight is a narrow walkway with an endless pit on either side.
Falling over the edge will result in instant death. You have to be mindful of that fact throughout the fight.
The biggest twist to the fight is that there will be not just one but two Maneaters. The second one will spawn either after the first one falls below 25% health or after a certain time limit has passed.
Until this point in the game, you must have put together a strategy of your own to take down bosses, but still, here are some tips that should help you further perfect your plan.
- The Maneater is weak against fire and poison, so we suggest you prepare accordingly.
- Keep the pace of the fight such that when the second Maneater appears, you are done or almost done with the first one.
- Stay at a distance from the edge because some of the boss’s attacks are specifically to push you off the edge.
- Get behind him and cut off his snake tail the first chance you get because it serves as a power boost for Maneater.
Moveset
The moveset of Maneater is where things get tricky. This creepy-looking monster not only crawls on land but also stings from the sky. His moveset is a combination of ground and aerial attacks. Let’s have a look at both:
- Single Hand Pount: A sudden jab from either of the two arms.
Reaction: Can be blocked or avoided by dodging. - Double Hand Pount: Maneater will rise in the air for a brief moment and lunge towards you while slamming both of his hands on the ground. This attack can also come while it is in the air.
Reaction: While can be blocked by a high-strength build/heavy shield it is not recommended. It is best to dodge the attack altogether. - Bull Ram: The boss will charge at you like a bull. The giveaway to this attack is when gets down on all four of his hands.
Reaction: If you try to block, there are chances of damage and knockback. That is why it is best to just dodge roll to avoid and not fall off the cliff. - Sonic wave: Maneater will emit an ultrasonic ray from his mouth which will inflict damage upon contact. This attack can also come while it is in the air.
Reaction: Can easily be predicted and avoided at all costs. - Power Boost: During the fight, the snake-leg will bite him and all of his powers will get a 30% boost.
Reaction: Cut off the snake at the start of the fight. - Souls Arrow: It flies in the air and fires three soul arrows that will follow you around and explore with time.
Reaction: Cut off the snake-tail or dodge roll throughout the fight.
Strategy
In theory, the strategy to take the Maneater down is simple. As soon as the fight starts, you need to get those initial hits in no matter the kind of build you are running.
If you have a melee build, run around it towards the back, and attack there. It is slow to react if you attack its backside and can also get staggered. This will also get rid of the snake tail, which boosts him. With that, you will not have fewer attacks to deal with.
Throughout the fight, you need to make sure that you are nowhere near the edge because a tiny push is enough to send you back to the starting point. All of the attacks have a buildup. You will notice that as you fight them.
If it flies in the air, do not bother to use magic on it because oftentimes it will not reach or not him. Just wait for it to come and start attacking again.
For all the wizards out there, you can follow the same strategy. Attack from a distance and dodge any attack that comes your way. Being at a distance gives you a bigger opportunity to dodge and move when needed.
Another one will appear once the first one is whittled down to 25% health. From spawning to coming to you there is a small window of opportunity where you can finish off the first one and then put all of your focus towards the second one.
Persistence and observation are two of the most powerful virtues in this battle and may the best man win.
How to Cheese Maneater in Demon’s Souls
While the arena is punishing for the most part, still, there is an exploit that you can use to turn the tables. You can use it to easily take down the Maneater. For this strategy to work, you will need some kind of magic spell preferably Poison Cloud.
As soon as the fight starts, run straight towards the stairs, but rather than going up, slowly walk to the right side, and you will see that there is a small ledge on the side where you can stand.
Slow walk until you reach the wall. From there you can use as many attacks as you want without getting hit by any of Maneater’s. You might have to move back and forth a couple of times for your poison cloud to hit the boss. Other than that, you can do everything for the safety of the special spot.
Rewards For Defeating Maneater
Here is what you will get for taking down Maneater in Demon’s Souls:
- x1 Mixed Demon’s Soul
- x13880 Souls
- +45% White World Tendency
If you have been following the guide, you should be done with the Maneater now. Taking it down might be difficult, but things will seem much easier from now on.