Is Blood Starved Beast Optional in Bloodborne? A Comprehensive Guide
The short answer is: Yes, the Blood-Starved Beast is an optional boss in Bloodborne. While encountering this horrific creature might feel pivotal during your exploration of Old Yharnam, progressing through the main storyline doesn’t actually necessitate its defeat. However, bypassing this challenging encounter comes with significant drawbacks, especially for those aiming to delve deep into all that Bloodborne has to offer. Let’s explore why this optional boss is still highly recommended.
The Significance of the Blood-Starved Beast
The Blood-Starved Beast is not just another challenging foe; it’s a gateway. Found in the abandoned church at the end of Old Yharnam, this boss is the key to unlocking the Pthumeru Chalice. This item is crucial for accessing the Chalice Dungeons, a completely separate and sprawling area of the game. These dungeons aren’t just extra content; they are a major part of the Bloodborne experience, offering unique boss encounters, powerful rewards, and significantly extending the game’s overall playtime. Therefore, while technically optional, the Blood-Starved Beast’s significance cannot be overstated for players wanting to explore all facets of Bloodborne.
Why Players Often Choose to Fight the Blood-Starved Beast
- Pthumeru Chalice: As mentioned above, obtaining this chalice is a primary reason many players choose to fight the Blood-Starved Beast. The Chalice Dungeons unlock after obtaining the chalice, and are a huge and rewarding aspect of the game.
- Blood Echoes: The Blood-Starved Beast provides a substantial amount of blood echoes upon defeat, essential for leveling up and improving your character’s stats. This makes it a valuable source of experience, even if you aren’t immediately focused on Chalice Dungeons.
- Challenge and Reward: Beyond the tangible rewards, overcoming the Blood-Starved Beast is a rite of passage for many Bloodborne players. It presents a significant difficulty spike and requires players to master the game’s combat mechanics and strategies.
- Access to Hypogean Gaol: While less directly tied to the boss itself, defeating the Blood-Starved Beast eventually opens access to the Hypogean Gaol (through the bag-carrying kidnappers), an area with its own unique challenges and rewards.
The Difficulty of the Blood-Starved Beast
The Blood-Starved Beast is notoriously challenging, especially for newcomers. Its erratic movements, powerful combo attacks, and potent poison damage make it a formidable opponent. Unlike the more predictable Cleric Beast or the parry-friendly Father Gascoigne, the Blood-Starved Beast demands careful positioning, well-timed dodges, and an understanding of its attack patterns. It is often considered one of the more difficult early-game bosses, requiring patience and strategic use of items.
Strategies for Defeating the Blood-Starved Beast
- Fire is Your Friend: The Blood-Starved Beast is particularly vulnerable to fire. Fire Paper applied to your weapon and Molotov Cocktails can significantly increase your damage output, making the fight more manageable.
- Pungent Blood Cocktails: These can be used to temporarily distract the Blood-Starved Beast, providing a short window to deal damage without fear of counterattacks.
- Stagger with Firearms: The Blood-Starved Beast can be staggered by well-timed shots from your firearm, opening it up to visceral attacks.
- NPC Summon: For those struggling, the Vileblood Hunter NPC, Alfred, can be summoned to assist in the fight, provided you’ve met him and agreed to cooperate earlier in the game.
- Learn Its Patterns: Like all FromSoftware bosses, the key to defeating the Blood-Starved Beast is learning its attack patterns and creating opportunities to strike between its combos.
- Patience is Key: Do not get overly aggressive when engaging the Beast, especially as a new player.
Mandatory Bosses in Bloodborne
Despite the significant impact of optional bosses like the Blood-Starved Beast, it is important to remember that only a handful of bosses are actually mandatory for completing the main storyline and achieving an ending. There are only nine mandatory bosses required to unlock the three possible endings, highlighting that even a challenging game like Bloodborne still has optional content that significantly enhances gameplay.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What level should I be to fight the Blood-Starved Beast?
While individual skill plays a significant role, many players tackle the Blood-Starved Beast successfully around level 14-15. However, if you’re struggling, leveling up a bit more can make the encounter less daunting. Don’t overthink it too much and focus on learning the rhythm of the fight.
2. How difficult is the Blood-Starved Beast compared to other early bosses?
Many players find the Blood-Starved Beast to be one of the most difficult early-game bosses due to its erratic movement, combo attacks, and poison. It’s generally considered more challenging than the Cleric Beast and Father Gascoigne, demanding more finesse and strategy.
3. Is the Cleric Beast optional in Bloodborne?
The Cleric Beast is technically optional as you can proceed to Father Gascoigne, however, you’ll eventually need to defeat the Cleric Beast as the item it drops is needed for progression.
4. Which boss is harder, Cleric Beast or Father Gascoigne?
Father Gascoigne is widely considered harder than the Cleric Beast. While the Cleric Beast is a large, slower foe with easily telegraphed attacks, Father Gascoigne is more agile, aggressive, and unpredictable.
5. Is it beneficial to fight the Cleric Beast?
Yes, defeating the Cleric Beast, while not strictly mandatory initially, gives you a good amount of blood echoes. This can help you to level up your character, which is crucial if you want to take on future bosses like Father Gascoigne.
6. Is Vicar Amelia harder than the Blood-Starved Beast?
Many players find Vicar Amelia to be a tougher boss than the Blood-Starved Beast. Amelia’s attacks are powerful, and her healing abilities demand a more aggressive approach or the use of Numbing Mist.
7. What are the weaknesses of the Blood-Starved Beast?
The Blood-Starved Beast is weak against fire and can be staggered by firearms. Using Fire Paper, Molotov Cocktails, and well-timed shots are key strategies for this boss fight.
8. Can I summon an NPC for the Blood-Starved Beast fight?
Yes, you can summon the Vileblood Hunter NPC, Alfred, to assist you. Make sure you’ve spoken with him earlier in the game and agreed to cooperate.
9. Is it possible to play Bloodborne without dying?
Yes, it’s possible to return to the Hunter’s Dream via the lanterns, rather than dying. The game mechanics allow for players to avoid death, if they are careful enough.
10. What is the final boss in Bloodborne?
The main final boss is Gehrman, the First Hunter, while an optional final boss is Moon Presence.
11. How long does it take to complete Bloodborne 100%?
A full 100% playthrough of Bloodborne, including all bosses and side content, typically takes around 76 hours. Focusing on just the main objective will take around 33 hours.
12. What level should I be to fight Vicar Amelia?
The recommended level for fighting Vicar Amelia is around 35. It’s important to have a well-upgraded weapon and sufficient stats at this point in the game.
13. How do you stop Vicar Amelia’s healing?
You can stop Vicar Amelia’s healing by dealing enough damage to interrupt it, or by using Numbing Mist, which temporarily disables her healing ability.
14. Which Bloodborne bosses are optional?
Some notable optional bosses in Bloodborne include the Moon Presence, Yharnam, Pthumerian Queen, Amygdala, and Celestial Emissary.
15. What is considered the hardest boss in Bloodborne?
Many players consider the Orphan of Kos to be the hardest boss in the entire game due to his relentless aggression and unpredictable attacks. Other contenders include Laurence, the First Vicar, and Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos.
Conclusion
While the Blood-Starved Beast is technically an optional boss in Bloodborne, its defeat is highly recommended for anyone looking to fully experience all that the game has to offer. By granting access to the Pthumeru Chalice and the Chalice Dungeons, it opens up a vast new area of gameplay and significantly enhances the overall Bloodborne experience. While challenging, understanding its weaknesses, learning its patterns, and utilizing strategic items can help you overcome this formidable beast. So gear up, Hunter, and face the challenge – the rewards are certainly worth the effort.