{"id":172474,"date":"2025-09-04T04:29:57","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T04:29:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/?p=172474"},"modified":"2025-09-04T04:29:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T04:29:57","slug":"is-bsb-optional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/","title":{"rendered":"Is BSB optional?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_67_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#Is_BSB_Optional\" title=\"Is BSB Optional?\">Is BSB Optional?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#Understanding_the_Role_of_BSB_in_Bloodborne\" title=\"Understanding the Role of BSB in Bloodborne\">Understanding the Role of BSB in Bloodborne<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#FAQs_About_BSB_and_Bloodborne\" title=\"FAQs About BSB and Bloodborne\">FAQs About BSB and Bloodborne<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#1_Can_You_Skip_BSB\" title=\"1. Can You Skip BSB?\">1. Can You Skip BSB?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#2_What_is_the_Reward_for_Killing_BSB\" title=\"2. What is the Reward for Killing BSB?\">2. What is the Reward for Killing BSB?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#3_Is_BSB_Harder_Than_Vicar_Amelia\" title=\"3. Is BSB Harder Than Vicar Amelia?\">3. Is BSB Harder Than Vicar Amelia?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#4_What_is_the_Ideal_Level_for_BSB\" title=\"4. What is the Ideal Level for BSB?\">4. What is the Ideal Level for BSB?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#5_Can_You_Summon_an_NPC_for_BSB\" title=\"5. Can You Summon an NPC for BSB?\">5. Can You Summon an NPC for BSB?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#6_Does_Blood_Cocktail_Work_on_BSB\" title=\"6. Does Blood Cocktail Work on BSB?\">6. Does Blood Cocktail Work on BSB?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#7_What_is_the_Best_Armor_for_BSB\" title=\"7. What is the Best Armor for BSB?\">7. What is the Best Armor for BSB?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#8_Is_Moon_Presence_Optional\" title=\"8. Is Moon Presence Optional?\">8. Is Moon Presence Optional?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#9_What_Bosses_Are_Not_Optional_in_Bloodborne\" title=\"9. What Bosses Are Not Optional in Bloodborne?\">9. What Bosses Are Not Optional in Bloodborne?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#10_How_Much_of_Bloodborne_is_Optional\" title=\"10. How Much of Bloodborne is Optional?\">10. How Much of Bloodborne is Optional?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#11_Can_You_Get_to_Vicar_Amelia_Without_BSB\" title=\"11. Can You Get to Vicar Amelia Without BSB?\">11. Can You Get to Vicar Amelia Without BSB?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#12_Is_Numbing_Mist_Effective_Against_Vicar_Amelia\" title=\"12. Is Numbing Mist Effective Against Vicar Amelia?\">12. Is Numbing Mist Effective Against Vicar Amelia?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#13_What_is_the_BSB_in_Banking\" title=\"13. What is the BSB in Banking?\">13. What is the BSB in Banking?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#14_Does_the_BSB_Have_a_Dash\" title=\"14. Does the BSB Have a Dash?\">14. Does the BSB Have a Dash?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/#15_How_Difficult_is_the_Blood-Starved_Beast\" title=\"15. How Difficult is the Blood-Starved Beast?\">15. How Difficult is the Blood-Starved Beast?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_BSB_Optional\"><\/span>Is BSB Optional?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>The <strong>Blood-Starved Beast (BSB)<\/strong> is indeed an <strong>optional boss<\/strong> in the game <strong>Bloodborne<\/strong>, meaning that players can choose to skip it if they wish, but doing so would prevent them from accessing certain areas and rewards, such as the <strong>Chalice Dungeons<\/strong> and the <strong>Pthumeru Chalice<\/strong>. By defeating the <strong>BSB<\/strong>, players can gain <strong>blood echoes<\/strong>, <strong>Insight<\/strong>, and unlock new paths, making it a worthwhile encounter for those looking to explore every aspect of the game. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_the_Role_of_BSB_in_Bloodborne\"><\/span>Understanding the Role of BSB in Bloodborne<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To fully comprehend the significance of the <strong>Blood-Starved Beast<\/strong>, it&#8217;s essential to consider its placement within the game&#8217;s narrative and world. The <strong>BSB<\/strong> is located in <strong>Old Yharnam<\/strong>, and its defeat can alter the player&#8217;s progression through the game, especially in terms of accessing <strong>Hypogean Gaol<\/strong> and encountering other <strong>optional areas<\/strong> like the <strong>Healing Church Workshop<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs_About_BSB_and_Bloodborne\"><\/span>FAQs About BSB and Bloodborne<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Can_You_Skip_BSB\"><\/span>1. Can You Skip BSB?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, it is possible to skip the <strong>Blood-Starved Beast<\/strong> if the player does not wish to engage in the fight, but this will limit access to certain areas and items.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_What_is_the_Reward_for_Killing_BSB\"><\/span>2. What is the Reward for Killing BSB?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Defeating the <strong>Blood-Starved Beast<\/strong> rewards the player with <strong>6,600 blood echoes<\/strong>, the <strong>Pthumeru Chalice<\/strong>, and <strong>three Insight<\/strong>, making it a valuable encounter for progression.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Is_BSB_Harder_Than_Vicar_Amelia\"><\/span>3. Is BSB Harder Than Vicar Amelia?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The difficulty of <strong>BSB<\/strong> compared to <strong>Vicar Amelia<\/strong> can depend on the player&#8217;s skill and strategy, but <strong>Vicar Amelia<\/strong> is often considered one of the toughest main bosses due to her aggressive pattern and the need for precise timing.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_What_is_the_Ideal_Level_for_BSB\"><\/span>4. What is the Ideal Level for BSB?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The recommended level for facing the <strong>Blood-Starved Beast<\/strong> is around <strong>25<\/strong>, with the player advised to stock up on <strong>antidotes<\/strong> due to the boss&#8217;s poisonous attacks.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Can_You_Summon_an_NPC_for_BSB\"><\/span>5. Can You Summon an NPC for BSB?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, <strong>Alfred<\/strong>, the <strong>Vileblood Hunter NPC<\/strong>, can be summoned for the fight against the <strong>Blood-Starved Beast<\/strong>, providing strategic assistance.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Does_Blood_Cocktail_Work_on_BSB\"><\/span>6. Does Blood Cocktail Work on BSB?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The <strong>Blood Cocktail<\/strong> can be used effectively against the <strong>Blood-Starved Beast<\/strong>, especially when combined with <strong>Molotov Cocktails<\/strong> for a strategic attack.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_What_is_the_Best_Armor_for_BSB\"><\/span>7. What is the Best Armor for BSB?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The <strong>Gascoigne Set<\/strong> is particularly useful against the <strong>Blood-Starved Beast<\/strong> due to its resistance to slow poison damage and decent defense stats against various attacks.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Is_Moon_Presence_Optional\"><\/span>8. Is Moon Presence Optional?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, the <strong>Moon Presence<\/strong> is an <strong>optional final boss<\/strong> that can only be accessed if the player has all <strong>three One Third of Umbilical Cord items<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_What_Bosses_Are_Not_Optional_in_Bloodborne\"><\/span>9. What Bosses Are Not Optional in Bloodborne?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Mandatory bosses<\/strong> include <strong>Father Gascoigne<\/strong>, <strong>Vicar Amelia<\/strong>, <strong>Shadow Of Yharnam<\/strong>, <strong>Rom, The Vacuous Spider<\/strong>, <strong>One Reborn<\/strong>, <strong>Micolash, Host Of The Nightmare<\/strong>, <strong>Mergo&#8217;s Wet Nurse<\/strong>, and <strong>Gehrman, The First Hunter<\/strong>, which must be defeated to progress through the game.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_How_Much_of_Bloodborne_is_Optional\"><\/span>10. How Much of Bloodborne is Optional?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A significant portion of <strong>Bloodborne<\/strong> is <strong>optional<\/strong>, with only <strong>nine bosses<\/strong> being mandatory for progression, allowing players a degree of freedom in how they approach the game.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"11_Can_You_Get_to_Vicar_Amelia_Without_BSB\"><\/span>11. Can You Get to Vicar Amelia Without BSB?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, it is possible to reach <strong>Vicar Amelia<\/strong> without fighting the <strong>Blood-Starved Beast<\/strong> by opening certain doors or defeating the <strong>Cleric Beast<\/strong> and purchasing the <strong>Hunter Chief Emblem<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"12_Is_Numbing_Mist_Effective_Against_Vicar_Amelia\"><\/span>12. Is Numbing Mist Effective Against Vicar Amelia?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Numbing Mist<\/strong> can be used to negate <strong>Vicar Amelia&#8217;s<\/strong> healing ability, making the fight more manageable.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"13_What_is_the_BSB_in_Banking\"><\/span>13. What is the BSB in Banking?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In a completely different context, <strong>BSB<\/strong> stands for <strong>Bank-State-Branch<\/strong>, a six-digit code used in banking to identify a specific bank, state, and branch, along with the account number for transactions.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"14_Does_the_BSB_Have_a_Dash\"><\/span>14. Does the BSB Have a Dash?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, the <strong>BSB code<\/strong> typically includes a dash, separating the bank identifier from the state and branch identifiers, for example, <strong>673-876<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"15_How_Difficult_is_the_Blood-Starved_Beast\"><\/span>15. How Difficult is the Blood-Starved Beast?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The <strong>Blood-Starved Beast<\/strong> is considered one of the more challenging bosses due to its erratic movements and devastating combo attacks, making it a formidable opponent for new players.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is BSB Optional? The Blood-Starved Beast (BSB) is indeed an optional boss in the game Bloodborne, meaning that players can choose to skip it if they wish, but doing so would prevent them from accessing certain areas and rewards, such as the Chalice Dungeons and the Pthumeru Chalice. By defeating the BSB, players can gain &#8230; <a title=\"Is BSB optional?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/is-bsb-optional\/\" aria-label=\"More on Is BSB optional?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-172474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172474\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}