This page details the many monsters found in the world of Dragon's Dogma.
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Living monsters
Goblin family
Goblin
- "Even in numbers, a weakling is a weakling still!"- Pawn Chatter
Small, red-skinned humanoid monsters who are common across the wilderness of Gransys. They are hostile to humans and attack them on sight, and serve as a threat to travelers and caravans alike.
- Achilles' Heel: They and their stronger counterparts are particularly vulnerable to Poison, which causes them to slowly stumble around, open to attack.
- Enemy Chatter: When fighting the player, they warn their allies and let out battlecries.
- Enemy Summoner: During combat, a Goblin may start sounding a horn, which will summon more Goblins unless he is killed.
- The Goomba: The first and weakest foes you'll face in your journey, and some of the most common.
- Horned Humanoid: Their heads are adorned with many small horns, which they drop on death.
- Kill It with Fire / Kill It with Ice: Pawns are fond of letting you know their kind is weak to Ice and Fire both. More accurately, Goblins are weak to every element except Dark, which they resist.
- Fire in particular is good against them as the Burning debuff causes them to panic, leaving them vulnerable.
- King Mook: Groups of Goblins usually include a "chieftain", denoted by the spiked helmet they wear. They have double the health of their underlings, but killing them causes the other goblins to panic, leaving them open to attack.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Some of them carry shields. Others use no weapons but instead cover both their fronts and backs with metal plates which leave them impervious to damage from all sides until they create an opening themselves.
- One-Gender Race: They are all male.
- Our Goblins Are Different: According to the Official Design Works, they are a One-Gender Race of evil tree root spirits, who procreate by having elder Goblins gather in a dungeon to form a tree, which they nourish with human blood. The things on their heads are meant to be roots, though the game itself refers to them exclusively as horns.
- Playing with Fire: Goblins carrying torches will throw them at enemies, causing Fire damage. They can combo this with other goblins who throw flasks that inflict the Tarred debuff, which significantly increases damage taken from Fire.
Hobgoblin
- "Tis far stronger than a common goblin!"- Pawn Chatter
Larger and stronger cousins of the regular Goblin, about the size of a full-grown human, often found acting as their leaders.
- Armor Is Useless: Some Hobgoblins wear full body armor and helmets, but it doesn't actually provide them any damage resistance.
- Boss Battle: The Hobgoblin chieftain confronted as part of the "A Fortress Besieged" quest is treated as a boss fight, having his own special health bar and dialog.
- King Mook: Like the normal goblin, groups of Hobgoblins often include a 'chieftain' wearing a spiked helmet, who is stronger than the rest. Killing them causes their underlings to panic.
- Mad Bomber: Hobgoblins often carry Dragon's Spit, which is essentially a bomb that causes various fiery explosions, and will throw them at you if given the chance.
- Matchstick Weapon: They may often carry torches which they strike you with, gradually giving you a Burning debilitation.
- Temporary Blindness: They can throw flasks which inflict the Blindness debilitation on the victim.
Grimgoblin
- "A black goblin...? I've ne'er seen its like..."- Pawn Chatter
A much more powerful variant of Goblins found in the Post-Game. Those who confuse them for the same old Goblins are in for a nasty surprise.
- Blood Is the New Black: Smaller Grimgoblins are covered in blood splatters.
- Forced Sleep: On top of other Flasks their predecessors throw, they also throw rocks (called "slumberstones" by Pawns) which cause the Sleep debilitation. Notably, no such item exists in the game that the player can obtain.
- Elite Mooks: They serve as this among the Goblin enemies.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Amusingly inverted; despite being much stronger than regular Goblins, their voices are noticeably higher-pitched.
- Kick Them While They Are Down: If a Grimgoblin knocks the Arisen or their Pawns down, they will start stomping on them for high damage until they can shake them off.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Despite their small size, they are deceptively strong and difficult to stagger, while being very capable of knocking the player down. This is particularly deadly as they possess a pinning move against downed targets where they stomp on them, and multiple Grimgoblins can do it at once.
- Skeletons in the Coat Closet: They enjoy wearing skulls as clothes and helms.
Goblin Shaman
- "This goblin bears a staff..."- Pawn Chatter
Introduced in Dark Arisen, these Goblins wield staves which they use to cast spells.
- Achilles' Heel: Being spellcasters, they are particularly vulnerable to being Silenced.
- Elemental Powers: They can cast Ingle, Frigor and Levin.
- Evil Sorcerer: More specifically, they cast Mage spells, but it still counts.
- Resistant to Magic: They possess a very high Magick Defense, enough that Pawns go out of their way to note the uselessness of using spells against them.
Greater Goblin
- "A goblin of uncommon size, Arisen!"- Pawn Chatter
Also introduced in Dark Arisen, Greater Goblins are the strongest variant of Goblin who inhabit Bitterblack Isle, being about twice the size of a Hobgoblin.
- Giant Mook: They are essentially giant Grimgoblins and behave mostly the same, save for being weak to Lightning (which Grimgoblins resist).
- Skeletons in the Coat Closet: Like Grimgoblins, they enjoy wearing skulls as clothes and helms.
Wolf family
Wolf
- "Wolves hunt in packs!"- Pawn Chatter
Savage, ragged canines who prowl the wilderness in large packs. They attack any hapless adventurers who cross them on sight.
- Alpha and Beta Wolves: Wolf packs always include an alpha, who is about twice the size of the others and has increased health. Killing this alpha causes the rest of the pack of scatter and become less aggressive.
- Fragile Speedster: They can't take hits, but are very agile and never stand still for too long.
- Kick Them While They Are Down: If you are knocked down by Wolves, they will run over to you and start mauling you, causing continuous damage until you shake them off.
- Kill It with Fire: They are weak to fire, and being set ablaze will make them stop and roll on the ground to try and put themselves off, leaving them open.
- Mooks: Alongside Goblins, Wolves are some of the most common smaller enemies in the game and can be found just about anywhere.
- Savage Wolves: Aggressive predators who don't think twice about attacking the Arisen and their party. Their lean, malnourished appearance hints they are actually starving, which may be the reason they are so eager to attack humans.
- Zerg Rush: They hunt in packs, alright.
Direwolf
- "'Tis more clever than a common wolf!"- Pawn Chatter
Stronger, white-furred variants of Wolves found in the northern regions of Gransys.
- Bright Is Not Good: Their white coats only mean they are more dangerous than the average Wolf.
- Dire Beast: They are named Direwolves after all.
Hellhound
- "Watchdogs of the infernal beyond..."- Pawn Chatter
A much more dangerous form of Wolf who appears in Gransys during the Post-Gate. These monsters can breathe fireballs and become empowered when in contact with flames.
- Breath Weapon: They can breathe fireballs which explode on hit, causing high damage and stagger.
- Dark Is Evil: And very deadly.
- Elite Mooks: They serve as this among the Wolf enemies.
- Hellhound: Naturally, though there is no telling if an actual Hell exists in the world of Dragon's Dogma.
- Holy Burns Evil: They take extra damage from the Holy element, though not as much as Ice.
- Kick Them While They Are Down: They have the same pinning move from their lesser counterparts, with the added effect of actively dragging their victims away from their allies so that they cannot help them get back up.
- Kill It with Ice: Their main weakness is Ice.
- Lightning Bruiser: Unlike their weaker cousins, Hellhounds are both fast and strong, being much more difficult to stagger or knock down.
- Playing with Fire: Unlike regular Wolves who fear fire, Hellhounds make ample use of it.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: They have glowing red eyes, and are extremely dangerous.
- Turns Red: Hitting a Hellhound with a Fire-based attack will ignite it, causing its Fire attacks to become even stronger.
- Weaksauce Weakness: Throwing a humble Flask of Water at a Hellhound after it Turns Red will douse its flames, reverting it back to normal.
Warg
- "That wolf's hide is rot through."- Pawn Chatter
Diseased-looking Wolves introduced in Dark Arisen, sporting a mottled blue hide and a poisonous bite.
- Kill It with Fire: Like their common counterparts and unlike Hellhounds, they are weakest to Fire.
- Poisonous Person: Their bites inflict Poison, and sometimes Torpor.
Garm
- "Shield your eyes! They spew a blinding fog!"- Pawn Chatter
Enormous boss Wolves introduced in Dark Arisen, who can be found in Bitterblack Isle. They are among the necrophagous monsters who can spawn after the player has killed enough creatures in a single area.
- Achilles' Heel: Being Wolf-type enemies who rely on their agility a lot, they are particularly hindered by the Torpor debilitation, which slows them to a crawl.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Their heads are their weakspots.
- Battle Theme Music: Necrophagous Beasts
, which it shares with the Elder Ogre and Cursed Dragon. - Breath Weapon: They can breathe out a gas that causes Blindness. They will always use it on in their death throes, so stay away from them as they die.
- Contractual Boss Immunity: They are immune to Blindness. Understandable, given they inflict it themselves.
- Giant Mook: To other Wolf enemies. Garms are fully-fledged boss creatures and are about twice the height of a human.
- Giant Space Flea from Nowhere: They are part of the 'necrophagous' class of bosses, who can appear out of nowhere after enough regular enemies have been slain in a single area, or if the player intentionally attracts them with the Rancid Bait Meat item.
- Holy Burns Evil: Their secondary weakness is Holy.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: They sport glowing red eyes.
- Temporary Blindness: Their breath causes the Blindness debilitation.
- Wolfpack Boss: Puns aside, Garms can sometimes spawn in either pairs or in trios, which increases their threat exponentially. These wolves should preferable not be fought in packs.
Harpy family
Harpy
- "Slay them afore they can use their voice!"- Pawn Chatter
Carnivorous creatures resembling a cross between a beautiful woman and a vulture. They can let out enchanting songs which lull their prey to sleep, leaving them vulnerable to be torn apart by their talons.
- Airborne Mook: These monsters attack from the skies.
- Developer's Foresight: Grabbing a Harpy in midair causes your character to cling onto their legs as they attempt to shake you off while ascending. Some areas have hidden treasure chests which can only be reached by letting a Harpy carry you up to them.
- Forced Sleep: Their song causes the Sleep debilitation if they go on for too long.
- Fragile Speedster: They are very agile but can barely take any hits.
- Harping on About Harpies: Monsters resembling half-bird half-women who have animal intelligence and feast on human flesh, usually after debilitating them with their magickal songs.
- Kill It with Fire: Not only are they weak to Fire damage, being set ablaze will knock them out of the air and leave them unable to fly again.
- Nipple and Dimed: They have exposed breasts, but with no visible nipples.
Snow Harpy
- "Their screams chill the blood to ice!"- Pawn Chatter
Stronger variants of the Harpy found in the colder, northern regions of Gransys. Unlike their lesser counterparts, they have the ability to breathe out a small blast of frost which can freeze their prey.
- An Ice Person: They possess Ice attacks and are very resistant to that element.
- Breath Weapon: They can spill out a short-ranged ice breath which deals Ice damage and can freeze you.
- Bright Is Not Good: Their white feathers only mean they are more dangerous than the average Harpy.
- Forced Sleep: They share the same song as the regular Harpy, inflicting the Sleep debilitation.
- Kill It with Fire: Even more so than normal Harpies, due to being Ice-themed.
Succubus
- "Giant... bats?"- Pawn Chatter
Flying monsters found in the Post-Game. Unlike Harpies, these creatures have black, leathery wings like those of a bat, and their songs can sap the strength of their victims.
- Curse: Their songs inflict the Curse debilitation, which weakens both the player's attack and defenses.
- Dark Is Evil: They resemble flying black demons.
- Elite Mooks: Among the Harpy-type foes.
- Holy Burns Evil: They are weak to the Holy element.
- Succubi and Incubi: As demons don't exist in Dragon's Dogma beyond Daimon, the setting's Succubi are instead bat-like Harpies, who have no interest in seduction.
Siren
- "That harpy wears scales!"- Pawn Chatter
Large Harpies found on Bitterblack Isle, with a body covered in icy blue scales and sporting large reptilian wings. Unlike their other counterparts, their songs do not harm the player, but instead heal other nearby monsters.
- Allergic to Evil: They are weak to the Dark element.
- Combat Medic: Their songs heal other monsters, which can be particularly dangerous when they are paired with boss creatures.
- Shoot the Medic First: Unless you want them to heal that Archydra or Eliminators you are fighting, they should always be prioritized before they can start singing.
Saurian family
Saurian
- "Those scales and spears are an unwelcome combination."- Pawn Chatter
A race of primitive water-dwelling reptilian humanoids who use fishing spears as weapons. They are content to do little but bask in the sun all day, but are also fiercely territorial and will attack any humans who get too close.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Their tails. Enough damage to it will sever it, causing the Saurian to panic and run away from the fight as soon as it is able.
- Chameleon Camouflage: They can turn themselves almost transparent in order to blend into the environment.
- Lizard Folk: A race of humanoid lizards, who are moderately intelligent and possess a social structure, but do not seem interested in interacting with humans.
- Kill It with Ice: They are particularly weak to the Ice element.
- Non-Malicious Monster: They are not evil, just extremely territorial. Their weapons are meant for fishing rather than actual combat.
- No-Sell: They are immune to Poison, as they can inflict it themselves.
- Poisonous Person: They can spit globs which inflict the Poison debilitation.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After their tails are severed, they tend to skidaddle away at high speed.
Sulfur Saurian
- "Striped saurians are fast and fierce both."- Pawn Chatter
A more powerful counterpart to the Saurian with dark green and yellow striped scales. They make more constant use of their camouflage and their spit causes Torpor as opposed to Poison.
- Chameleon Camouflage: More so than regular Saurians; while the latter tend to leave their camouflage when they enter combat, Sulfur Saurians remain transparent until they get gravely wounded.
- Kill It with Fire: They are weak to Fire, as opposed to Ice.
- No-Sell: They are immune to Torpor, as they can inflict it themselves.
- Super Spit: Their spits can inflict Torpor, which causes afflicted characters to move in a sluggish manner.
Geo Saurian
- "A black saurian!? 'Tis... 'Tis huge!"- Pawn Chatter
A much larger variant of the Saurian with black and red scales who lives in the Tainted Mountain. Unlike their smaller counterparts, they can spit out fire.
- Elite Mooks: Among the Saurian enemies.
- Kill It with Ice: They are weak to the Ice element.
- Playing with Fire: Their Super Spit is a glob of flame.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Subverted on the evil part, but they look the part.
Saurian Sage
- "Such advanced magicks!"- Pawn Chatter
A very rare variant of Saurian found in the Post-Game. They sport snowy white scales and unlike other types, they have the ability to cast Holy magic.
- Allergic to Evil: They are weak to the Dark element.
- Combat Medic: They can cast Anodyte as well as Spellscreen, healing and strengthening each other.
- Light Is Not Good: Despite being holy Saurians, they are definitely not any friendlier than the others.
Giant Saurian
- "Gah! 'Tis a giant lizard!"- Pawn Chatter
Massive counterparts to the Saurians introduced in Dark Arisen. They come in regular, Sulfur, Geo and Sage versions and act accordingly.
- Giant Mook: While regular Saurians are about the size of a man, these are roughly the size of an Ogre, though they don't act any differently from their regular counterparts.
Pyre Saurian
- "Simply touching them yields grievous burns!"- Pawn Chatter
Another type of Saurian found in Bitterblack Isle. These creatures resemble bipedal salamanders whose bodies are wreathed in flames, making physical contact dangerous.
- Fiery Salamander: Clearly meant to invoke the image of one. In the Japanese version, they are even literally called "Salamanders".
- Kill It with Ice: Predictably, their main weakness is ice.
- No-Sell: It should be no surprise that Pyre Saurians are immune to Fire damage. Attacking them with flame will just re-ignite them.
- Playing with Fire: While Geo Saurians can breathe little globs of fire, these things are literally on fire.
- Wreathed in Flames: By default, their bodies are covered in flames which cause Burning on those who try and hit them in melee. Cutting off their tails, attacking with Ice magic or throwing Flasks of Water at them will douse them.
Gargoyle family
Gargoyle
- "Their skin looks hard as stone!"- Pawn Chatter
Large, flying creatures whose bodies are hard as stone. While at first similar to Harpies, they differ in that they possess a long stinger tail which can petrify their foes.
- Airborne Mook: They behave like Harpies in this aspect.
- Beware My Stinger Tail: Their main weapon is their stinger tails, which they use to deliver powerful tail whips or deadly stings.
- Mini-Boss: The Gargoyle fought during the quest "The Conspirators" has its own health bar on top of the screen as if it were a boss monster. It's the only Gargoyle who can be encountered before the Post-Game.
- Our Gargoyles Rock: Flying monsters resembling grotesque pterodactyls, whose tails can petrify those stung by them. The game is ambiguous about whether they are full-blown Rock Monsters or simply have a stone-like hide.
- Taken for Granite: Being impaled by their stingers causes the Petrification debilitation, which is a One-Hit Kill if not cured as quickly as possible.
Strigoi
- "They grow stronger by drinking blood!"- Pawn Chatter
An even larger counterpart of the Gargoyle introduced in Dark Arisen. These blood-red creatures lack the power to petrify their prey, making up by being able to suck out their blood with their tails, increasing their strength in the process.
- Giant Flyer: The largest flying enemies in the game who aren't bosses.
- Kill It with Ice: They are weakest to the Ice element.
- Our Vampires Are Different: They are the closest thing to vampires in the game; they resemble giant bats, can suck blood, and the name 'strigoi' is heavily associated with vampires.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: They are red and black, unlike their gray Gargoyle counterparts.
- Turns Red: While they are already red, letting them succeed on their impaling attack causes them to become even stronger, with their tails glowing a bright red. Notably, they only drop their rare Bloodred Crystals in this state.
Undead monsters
Undead family
Undead
- "They are men no longer... 'Twould be a mercy to destroy them."- Pawn Chatter
The animated corpses of the dead, animated either by necromancers or from the sheer magick present in the place of their death. They attack the living on sight, having only a modicum of their former memories. They come in two forms: basic unarmed undead, and Undead Warriors carrying weapons and armor.
- Enemy Chatter: Disturbingly, you may hear them uttering sentences, hinting at their former lives as if unaware that they are now undead."My baby..."
- Kill It with Fire: When lacking Holy magic, Fire is the next best thing against these monsters.
- Mooks: Undead corpses are the main mooks you'll find when venturing during night time.
- Our Zombies Are Different: Walking corpses animated by dark magick, apparently remembering some of their lives, and might even be aware of their surroundings. They can often be heard commenting on the state of their clothes, mumbling about having to be home, or wondering aloud where their loved ones are.
- Revive Kills Zombie: Not only are they weak to Holy damage, the spells Anodyte, Halidom and Spellscreen will damage any Undead who makes contact with them.
- Stone Wall: Extremely slow and deal fairly minor damage, but are very resistant to non-enchanted blows.
- Zerg Rush: They rely on numbers to be a threat, often coming in groups of over 5 at once.
Stout Undead
- "Is that hiss... gas?"- Pawn Chatter
Larger, bloated undead corpses resembling obese individuals. In truth, their stoutness is due to being bloated with flammable gas from the decomposition of their rotting flesh.
- Body Horror: They are unnaturally bloated from the gas inside them.
- Kill It with Fire: Notably, any Fire damage will cause it to explode a few seconds later.
- Why Am I Ticking?: Being hit with flame causes their gas to ignite, turning the Stout Undead into a bomb (shown by it becoming even more bloated and emitting a loud hiss) who explodes a few moments later, inflicting heavy Fire damage on anything in its vicinity. This can lead to a chain reaction if there are multiple Stout Undead in the area.
Giant Undead
- "A giant undead comes!"- Pawn Chatter
Hulking undead corpses covered in shackles and runes, almost twice the size of a man, who begin emerging from the earth during the Post-Game.
- Elite Mooks: Among the undead-type enemies.
- Foe-Tossing Charge: They possess a shoulder-bash attack, where they sprint at their target and ram into them for high damage and stagger.
- Giant Mook: Much larger than your average zombie, which begs the question if they are even human corpses to begin with...
Banshee
- "That voice... 'tis white-hot pain!"- Pawn Chatter
Female undead introduced in Dark Arisen, distinct for their long shaggy hair. They have the ability to let out a powerful shriek, strong enough to physically harm their enemies.
- Kill It with Ice: Unlike other Undead-type enemies, Banshees are particularly vulnerable to being frozen by Ice spells.
- Our Banshees Are Louder: Superficially, they resemble common zombie women, but they have the ability to let out powerful shrieks.
Poisoned Undead
- "They've the toughness to match their size..."- Pawn Chatter
Massive, rotund undead introduced in Dark Arisen, almost as large as an Ogre, who have become bloated by poison which they can puke out at their prey.
- Giant Mook: They are giant versions of the Stout Undead, large enough that the player can climb them, though unlike the latter, they don't explode when hit by fire.
- Poisonous Person: Predictably, they can inflict Poison debilitations with their puke.
- When being climbed, they can let out emissions from their bodies which inflict the Defenses Lowered debuff.
- Zombie Puke Attack: They can puke out their poison, which debilitates anyone unfortunate enough to be hit by it.
Skeleton family
Skeleton
- "There! Human bones that walk on their own!"- Pawn Chatter
Human skeletons who have been animated by evil magicks. They have no awareness or memories of their former lives, being only mindless puppets under the control of those who raised them.
- Dem Bones: But of course.
- Revive Kills Zombie: Not only are they weak to Holy damage, the spells Anodyte, Halidom and Spellscreen will damage any Skeleton who makes contact with them.
- Zerg Rush: They are individually weak but tend to come in groups.
Skeleton Knight and Sorcerer
- "This skeleton is skilled indeed!"- Pawn Chatter
More advanced forms of Skeletons who, unlike their weaker brethren, possess greater weapon skill and coordination. Skeleton Knights carry swords and shields while wearing body armor, while Skeleton Mages carry staves in order to cask magick.
- Anti-Magic: Skeleton Mages have access to Silentium, which blocks your ability to cast spells temporarily.
- Elemental Powers: Skeleton Mages can cast Ingle, Frazil and Levin.
- Evil Sorcerer: The Skeleton Mages.
- Knightly Sword and Shield: Skeleton Knights have this going in spades.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Skeleton Knights carry shields for defense. Hit their shields too much and they will retaliate with a shield bash.
- Poisonous Person: Skeleton Mages can cast Miasma, which can poison you if you stay in its radius for too long.
Skeleton Lord
- "Such raw evil!"- Pawn Chatter
A much more powerful and rare variant of skeleton. They have the abilities of Mystic Knights, wearing full-plate armor and carrying magick shields which they use to cast spells.
- Barrier Warrior: They have their own equivalent of Holy Wall which protects them from blows from the front so long as their magick shields are up.
- Cool Helmet: They wear fancy, horned helmets.
- Elite Mooks: Among the Skeleton enemies.
- Knightly Sword and Shield: More so than Skeleton Knights, as they wear full plate and resemble evil knights.
- Magic Knight: They are Mystic Knights, though they focus more on the Knight side as opposed to the Mystic one.
Skeleton Brute
- "Can those truly be human bones?"- Pawn Chatter
Giant animated skeletons found in Bitterblack isle.
- Attack Its Weak Point: They take significantly reduced damage from blows dealt anywhere but their skulls.
- BFS: The swords they carry are about as large as a man.
- Giant Mook: Giant versions of the regular skeleton, massive enough that they can be climbed. Pawns lampshade they are far too large to be regular human bones.
Golden and Silver Knight
- "That skeleton's mail is rather garish."- Pawn Chatter
Fully-armored skeletons introduced in Dark Arisen who always fight in pairs. The Golden Knight is a Fighter who employs brute force, while the Silver Knight sports the ability to cast spells like a Mystic Knight. So long as one of them still stands, the other cannot be destroyed.
- Bling of War: Their armors are very extravagant, which even the Pawns point out.
- Carry a Big Stick: Silver Knights use maces, the weapons of the Mystic Knight vocation.
- Cool Helmet: Gold and silver variants of the horned helmet worn by the Skeleton Lord.
- Combat Medic: The Silver Knight has access to an evil form of Anodyte, which it can use to heal itself or the Golden Knight.
- Dual Boss: They are always fought together. Taking out the health of one of them merely knocks them out, and they won't die until the other is also down.
- Kill It with Fire: Silver Knights are weakest to Fire...
- Kill It with Ice: ...While Golden Knights are weakest to Ice.
- Knightly Sword and Shield: The Golden Knight sports this look, as does the Silver Knight, though the latter uses a mace rather than a sword.
- Magic Knight: The Silver one is a Mystic Knight.
- Mini-Boss: They serve as dual mini-bosses whenever encountered.
- Piñata Enemy: Golden Knights tend to drop lots of giant gold pouches on death. Silver Knights, meanwhile, drop tons of Rift Crystals.
Phantom family
Phantom
- "A forsaken soul floats in the air!"- Pawn Chatter
A mass of several, incorporeal undead spirits, bound to the living world by some unfulfilled desire. They can cling to their victims in order to steal their life force, at the cost of becoming vulnerable to physical blows in the process.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: You free someone grabbed by a Phantom by striking them with an attack.
- Intangibility: They can't be touched by non-magickal means, unless they cling up to a victim, in which case they can be struck.
- Make Me Wanna Shout: One of their attacks is to let out a screech, which can knock down their victims.
- No-Sell: By default, they are completely immune to physical attacks, only taking damage from enchanted weapons or spells. They are also immune to all debilitations. However, when a Phantom clings to an Arisen or Pawn, their allies can strike them with a physical attack and it will both damage the enemy and free the victim.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: They are undead souls who still cling to the material world by some unfulfilled desire, joining up into a floating ball of ghosts who chase after you and your Pawns.
- Power Floats: They move about by floating.
- Revive Kills Zombie: Not only are they weak to Holy damage, the spells Anodyte, Halidom and Spellscreen will damage any Phantom who makes contact with them.
Phantasm
- "This phantom is charged with lightning!"- Pawn Chatter
A more powerful form of phantom, clinging to the living world by even stronger desires. Their souls are charged with lightning magick.
- No-Sell: On top of regular Phantom immunities, Phantasms are immune to Lightning attacks.
- Shock and Awe: They are charged with Lightning and deal such type of damage in their attacks.
Specter
- "'Tis nemesis to all pawns!"- Pawn Chatter
A greater form of phantom, far more malevolent than others. They seek to possess the bodies of the living to drag them into the afterlife. They predominantly prey on Pawns.
- Dark Is Evil: The only ghostly enemy specifically described as evil in the Design Works.
- Demonic Possession: If they cling up to Pawns, they don't simply deal damage, but also cause the Possession debilitation, turning them against their allies. The Pawns themselves are very freaked out by these enemies and will warn the player accordingly.
Wraith
- "It drains life with a fearsome hunger!"- Pawn Chatter
A very powerful form of ghost found in Bitterblack Isle, shining an eerie red. They can curse those who they cling up to.
- Curse: Their rushes can cause the Curse debuff.
- Elite Mooks: Among the phantom enemies.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: They are black and red orbs of evil.
Living Armor
- "What evil dwells within that armor?!"- Pawn Chatter
Towering suits of armor, haunted by ghostly spirits, who prowl Bitterblack Isle. These boss monsters are skilled swordsmen, said to be a collection of souls who have died holding grudges or regrets, manifested into a single physical entity of sorrow and rage.
- Animated Armor: Huge suits of plate armor, much larger than a normal human and animated by angered phantoms.
- BFS: Those swords they carry are almost as big as they are!
- Contractual Boss Immunity: They are immune to all debilitations.
- Determinator: The Living Armor will keep fighting even after its armor is broken, and will not stop until fully destroyed.
- Intangibility: Not at first; unlike other ghostly enemies, Living Armors can be attacked by physical blows in their first phase. However, when they lose half of their HP, their armor breaks apart, revealing the phantoms animating it. At this point, they become intangible like other ghostly enemies and can only be hit by enchanted weapons and spells.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: They will use their large shields to block any blow to the front. Hit them too much and they'll retaliate with a shield bash.
- Knightly Sword and Shield: They resemble ghostly knights, fighting with sword and board.
- Magic Knight: Downplayed; they sure look the part, and they do have access to a spell, but they are mostly about hitting you really, really hard with their swords.
- Playing with Fire: While they mostly fight in melee, they can cast Store Forest, a fire-based Mystic Knight spell that causes Fire damage.
Boss monsters
Cyclops family
Cyclops
- "It has but one eye! Strike it!"- Pawn Chatter
Massive, one-eyed giants resemble grotesque, humanoid trunkless elephants. They are dim-witted but strong, and possess a voracious appetite. While usually found on their own, they are sometimes enslaved by goblins or bandits, who outfit them with crude helms and armor.
- Achilles' Heel: They are extremely weak to Lightning spells like Levin and Brontide, which leave them temporarily stunned and disarmed.
- Attack Its Weak Point: The eye, predictably. Hitting it will not only cause great damage but send the beast reeling back in agony.
- Battle Theme Music: One-eyed Giant.
- Berserk Button: Hitting them in the eye deals big damage, but also sends them into a rage, where they attack much faster and become more aggressive. They are also sent into a rage if their tusks are broken.
- Carry a Big Stick: Cyclopes often carry giant cudgels, which they are sure to use in combat. A powerful strike to the hand will cause the monster to drop it.
- Classical Cyclops: Huge, one-eyed giants who make up for their lack of wit with massive strength.
- Cruel Elephant: Their design makes them resemble humanoid, trunkless elephants, and they are particularly nasty. This is intentional, as elephant skulls are believed to be one of the sources of the cyclops myth.
- Dumb Muscle: They bring a lot of pain, but are not the brightest monsters in Gransys.
- Eye Scream: The best way to deal with these monsters is to hit them real hard in the eye.
- Happiness in Slavery: Some Cyclopes are enslaved by goblins or bandit gangs, but they are noted to be not particularly perturbed by it, as it means they are provided with a reliable source of food.
- Heavily Armored Mook: Some Cyclopes wear armor which will glance away blows to that body part (but can be broken by continuous attacks). They may also wear crude helms which protect their eyes, and these can only be removed by tricking the Cyclops into grabbing an enemy on its back.
- Mighty Glacier: They deal heavy damage, but are very slow on their feet.
- Playing with Fire: Their cudgels are sometimes wreathed in flames and will cause Fire damage if they hit you with them. These are more common during nighttime, presumably because the Cyclops is using it as a torch.
- Unique Enemy: The Watergod's Altar is home to a particularly small Cyclops whose tusks are too tiny to be broken, who can't be found anywhere else in the game. It has less health and deals less damage than its regular counterparts.
Gorecyclops
- "Shall we leave it be? ...Please?"- Pawn Chatter
A more brutal counterpart to the Cyclops introduced in Dark Arisen. They come in two versions; the first is roughly the size of a common Cyclops, while the other is known as a "Prisoner" Gorecyclops and is several magnitudes larger.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: The Prisoner ones rival Grigori and the Ur-Dragon as the single largest enemies in the game, being estimated to be about 100 feet/30 meters tall.
- Battle Theme Music: Contemptuous Prisoner.
- Carry a Big Stick: Prisoner ones wield crude-looking morningstars.
- Kill It with Ice: Their main weakness is the Ice element.
- Lightning Bruiser: Their size combined with their propensity to rage makes them much faster and more dangerous than your average Cyclops.
- Might as Well Not Be in Prison at All: Despite being prisoners chained to the walls of Bitterblack, all it takes is some small provocation from the player to make them break free of their bounds and start attacking, making one wonder why they even bother staying chained to begin with.
- Spikes of Villainy: Prisoner Gorecyclopes are covered in spiked chains which deal a small amount of damage to Arisen or Pawns who climb over them.
- Unstoppable Rage: Once enraged, prisoners ones tend to keep going wroth continuously, only pausing briefly before going mad again.
Chimera family
Chimera
- "A goat's head, from the shoulders of a lion...? With a serpent tail?"- Pawn Chatter
A freakish abomination resembling a cross between a lion, a goat and a serpent, believed to be the creation of dark sorcery as opposed to a natural beast. The lion is a brutish fighter, while the goat possesses the ability to cast spells, and the serpent provides support with its poison and reach.
- An Arm and a Leg: The serpent has its own separate health bar which, once depleted, severs it from the Chimera's body completely.
- Attack Its Weak Point: The lion's head is vulnerable to spells, while the goat head is vulnerable to physical attacks.
- Battle Theme Music: Three Heads.
- Classical Chimera: Fits to a T, resembling a creature with the head head and body of a lion, a goat head growing from its back, and sporting a snake for a tail.
- Elemental Powers: The goat can cast Ingle, Frigor and Levin.
- Forced Sleep: The goat can cast Sopor around the Chimera, causing any player or Pawn affected to fall asleep, leaving them open to attack.
- Holy Burns Evil: They are weakest to the Holy element.
- Lightning Bruiser: Chimeras are both very strong and quick on their four feet, with the lion being able to quickly close the gap with leaps or paw swipes.
- Magically Inept Fighter: The lion head is a physical powerhouse, but is vulnerable to being struck with spells.
- Mighty Roar: They lion can let out a roar that will knock players and Pawns back.
- Mix-and-Match Critters: Part-lion, part-goat, part-snake.
- Multiple Head Case: Each head of the Chimera has its own personality and autonomy. While they normally coordinate well in combat, they sometimes respond to damage by going into a panic, as they struggle for control over their body. During this state, a powerful blow can knock the monster down.
- Poisonous Person: The serpent can inflict Poison by breathing out a jet of venom into a small area.
- Squishy Wizard: The goat head has spellcasting, but is notoriously weak to physical blows, usually leading it to die before the lion head.
- Unstoppable Rage: Happens if the goat head is killed first; the lion head is sent into a frenzy, becoming significantly more aggressive in its attacks.
Gorechimera
- "A black chimera! This won't be easy..."- Pawn Chatter
A more powerful form of the Chimera, primarily found in the Post-Game. The black lion head is even more brutish, the goat head sports even deadlier spells, and the serpent tail can regrow itself if it's severed from the body.
- Battle Theme Music: Beast of Darkness.
- Combat Medic: On top of its usual offensive abilities, the goat head of the Gorechimera can cast Anodyte in order to heal the monster.
- Healing Factor: The snake head of the Gorechimera possesses a variant; it can't regenerate health, but if destroyed, it can simply regrow itself back at full HP indefinitely. This can be delayed by striking the stump with a fire weapon or spell, much like how one delays the regrowth of Hydra heads.
- Kill It with Ice: Ice element is its biggest weakness.
- One-Hit Kill: The goat head has access to Exequy, which will kill any player or Pawn instantly unless they move out of the spell's area.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: The Gorechimera exchanges the natural colors of its normal counterpart with a predominantly black and dark-red combination.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: On all three heads.
Ogre family
Ogre
- "Its kind targets women over all others!"- Pawn Chatter
A race of brutish, gorilla-like monsters usually found underground or in nighttime. Formerly a race of giants, they were cursed by the gods and transformed into their current state, losing their intelligence over time and becoming little more than bloodthirsty animals.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Their heads are their only true weakspots.
- Blocking Stops All Damage: An Ogre can cover its head with its arms, which will temporarily negate damage from direct attacks.
- Boss in Mook Clothing: Unlike other boss monsters, the health bar of a regular Ogre doesn't appear on the top of the screen and is placed directly above its head instead, just like weaker cannon fodder enemies' health bars. Aside from making it slightly harder to tell how much HP the beast is missing at first glance, it disguises the fact that an Ogre is still a durable monster with unique gimmicks.
- Combat Pragmatist: If they notice someone climbing their backs, they will throw themselves backwards into the ground, crushing the victim if they don't let go in time.
- Diving Kick: One of their strongest moves is a dropkick that will send any unfortunate player or Pawn hit flying.
- Dumb Muscle: Even more vicious in the physical department than a Cyclops, and about as stupid.
- Eating the Enemy: They will attempt this if they land a grab. This can be turned against them; should they bite a male, they will react with disgust and be momentarily staggered.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Their tendency to rush at their enemies can be used to lure them into throwing themselves off cliffs for a One-Hit Kill.
- Kill It with Fire: They are weakest to the Fire element.
- Lightning Bruiser: They are both extremely tough and deceptively agile for their size, especially when they turn red.
- Our Ogres Are Hungrier: A race of bloodthirsty brutes who are fond of human females. According to the Design Works, they are a race of giants who were cursed by the gods into their current state. The bumps and spurs on their backs are ossified warts.
- Turns Red: When confronted by female characters (be it the player Arisen or any of their Pawns), the Ogre becomes visibly excited, clapping its hands with flushed cheeks and buttocks. In this state, the Ogre will become more aggressive, but will also focus its attacks on the female(s) while mostly ignoring the male party members until it hits low health.
- Unique Enemy: There is a particularly small Ogre in the Catacombs, only a little taller than a human, who is the only one of its kind found in-game.
- Unstoppable Rage: On low health, they enter a permanent rage mode, becoming even faster and stronger while attacking all party members indiscriminately.
Elder Ogre
- "They attack men with special zeal!"- Pawn Chatter
An even more dangerous counterpart to the Ogre who prowls Bitterblack Isle. They are among the necrophagous monsters who can spawn after the player has killed enough creatures in a single area.
- Battle Theme Music: Necrophagous Beasts, which it shares with the Garm and Cursed Dragon.
- Giant Space Flea from Nowhere: They are part of the 'necrophagous' class of bosses, who can appear out of nowhere after enough regular enemies have been slain in a single area, or if the player intentionally attracts them with the Rancid Bait Meat item.
- Turns Red: Mostly the same as their common counterparts, with the big difference being that Elder Ogres become excited at the sight of males rather than females.
Golem family
Golem
- "Those glowing discs are its weakness!"- Pawn Chatter
Massive humanoid figures created from clay and rock, and animated with magickal discs distributed across their bodies. They typically serve as guardians to important places, treasures, or people, and they follow orders loyally and without question.
- Attack Its Weak Point: In multiple noteworthy ways:
- They only take damage when struck in the magickal discs which animate them.
- When using its laser beam, a powerful strike to the Golem's head will knock it on its knees (though it won't deal damage). This is useful to expose the disc located on its foot.
- As the battle progresses, a specific disc will start glowing. Destroying it will cause the Golem to completely freeze in place, leaving it open to further attacks.
- Battle Theme Music: Strong Stone.
- Breath Weapon: They attack from range by letting out a beam from their mouths which causes a delayed fire explosion in the area they struck.
- Contractual Boss Immunity: They are completely immune to all debilitations.
- Golem: Massive animated piles of rock with no mind of their own who exist to serve as guardians.
- Mighty Glacier: It is slow on its feet, but virtually immune to damage outside of its weakspots.
- Mistaken for Granite: Before aggroed, they remain curled on the ground, being easily confused for giant boulders. Approaching them causes them to stand up.
- No-Sell: Golems are completely immune to the Five Archmagicks. The only spells that can harm them are those that deal physical damage (such as Seism) and Exequy.
- Reduced to Dust: They crumble into a pile of sand after being defeated.
- Rock Monster: Giant monsters made of stone and clay.
- Turns Red: After it recovers from the destruction of its glowing disc, a Golem will go on a rampage, shown by its colored veins turning purple. In this state, it moves much faster and becomes much more aggressive, though it eventually returns to normal after some time has passed.
Metal Golem
- "Metal golems derive energy from an external source!"- Pawn Chatter
Stronger versions of the Golem plated in metal rather than stone. Unlike their rocky counterparts, the magick discs which animate them are not located on the actual construct, but rather scattered about the area they are guarding.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Like the regular Golem, they only take damage when struck on their discs. Unlike the regular Golem, however, the discs are not even on the actual Golem, but spread far across their boss arenas.
- Battle Theme Music: Guardian of the Forest.
- Lightning Bruiser: Unlike the common Golem, Metal Golems are virtually always in their rage state and will chase after the player relentlessly.
- Unwinnable by Design: Fighters and Warriors have a particularly difficult time fighting these monsters, as some of their discs float far above the ground and can only be reached by climbing on the Metal Golem and jumping off of it (which is both extremely time-consuming and dangerous due to how aggressive they are). However, some Metal Golems found on Bitterblack Isle have discs which simply cannot be reached by certain vocations, leaving you unable to destroy the beast if you don't have any Striders or Rangers in your party.
Hydra family
Hydra
- "Hack the heads off and it's a common snake!"- Pawn Chatter
An enormous monster resembling a serpent with four heads. Each of them can attack independently, further increasing the danger posed by such a creature, and cutting them off only slows it down, for it can keep regrowing them so long as it still lives.
- Battle Theme Music: Danger at Dawn.
- Feed It a Bomb: Nearby explosive barrels can be thrown at the Hydra's mouths, causing them to swallow them. The throat bulge can then be attacked to explode the barrel and sever the head.
- Final Boss Preview: Downplayed since they are not the final boss, but early in the game, you have to fight off a Hydra at the Encampment, and the beast runs off once you cut off one of its heads. You only get to fight a Hydra fully in the Post-Game.
- Healing Factor: While they don't regenerate HP, they can regrow their heads indefinitely. This can be delayed (but not prevented) by hitting the neck stump with fire.
- Kill It with Fire: You better have a source of fire damage if you want to kill these beasts in a reasonable amount of time. Fire slows down their regeneration on top of generally just dealing increased damage to Hydras.
- Our Hydras Are Different: Massive multi-headed snakes who can regrow lost heads unless the stumps are struck with flame. They are destructive animals with intelligence equivalent to that of common beasts. While they can regrow lost heads, they are never encountered with more than four of them at a time.
- Poisonous Person: They can let out jets of venom which inflict Poison.
- Swallowed Whole: They will occasionally attempt this, and if the player or Pawn fails to break free of their mouths, they are swallowed whole and remain stuck in the monster's neck, suffering an unavoidable (and, in the case of Pawns, un-revivable) death unless the head is severed to free them before they reach the bottom.
- Use Your Head: One of their most common moves is to send their heads down into the ground to smash their prey.
Archydra
- "An archydra lurks beyond... Be watchful."- Pawn Chatter
A much rarer counterpart to the Hydra found only in the Everfall and Bitterblack Isle. It has white scales, a resistance to Holy magicks and higher attack power, but is otherwise identical to a regular Hydra.
- Battle Theme Music: Snow Scaled.
- Bright Is Not Good: Despite their bright white scales, they are more dangerous than regular Hydras.
Griffin family
Griffin
- "Strike, afore it flies higher!"- Pawn Chatter
Large flying monsters resembling a cross between a bald eagle and a lion. They are considered noble beings in comparison to most beasts, leading them to serve as imagery for knightly emblems. Their wings generate lightning as they soar through the air, which they can use to take down their prey.
- Advancing Boss of Doom: The Griffin in the story-related "Griffin's Bane" quest has a scripted sequence where it chases you on the borders of the Bluemoon Tower, and you are forced to run forward until you enter a safe spot. This happens right before you properly fight it again for the last time.
- Attack Its Weak Point: They take extra damage to the head.
- Battle Theme Music: Griffin's Bane.
- "Get Back Here!" Boss: The Griffin who serves as the target of the "Griffin's Bane" quest will flee combat when first encountered, forcing the player to track it down to the Bluemoon Tower to finish it off. It is possible to kill it before it flees, but that requires a very high-leveled party (easily done in New Game Plus). Doing so nets you some special dialog from Mercedes.
- Kill It with Fire: Fire deals extra damage to Griffins, and will also set their wings ablaze, knocking them out of the sky.
- Mix-and-Match Critters: It has the front half of a bad eagle and a hind half of a lion.
- Our Gryphons Are Different: They resemble the classical depiction of the creatures, being eagle-lion hybrids. They are noted to be more intelligent than other monsters and to have a fondness for shiny objects.
- Shock and Awe: Their wing beats generate Lightning, which they can launch at the player and their Pawns during combat.
Cockatrice
- "It bears the head of a cock!"- Pawn Chatter
A hideous beast resembling an enormous cross between a rooster and some form of feline. While similar to a Griffin in physiology, Cockatrices are distinct for their venomous talons and their breath attacks, which can turn their enemies into stone.
- Attack Its Weak Point: They take extra damage to the head.
- While they are preparing their breath, a powerful blow to their throat sacs will knock the monster down and negate the attack.
- Basilisk and Cockatrice: In this game, a Cockatrice is a giant quadrupedal mix of a rooster and some sort of cat, serving as an Underground Monkey for the Griffin.
- Battle Theme Music: Jet Black Wings.
- Breath Weapon: It takes the form of a brown mist that inflicts Petrification. They can either do it in one continuous stream or as multiple projectiles.
- Mighty Roar: They can let out a roar that inflicts Torpor and Silence on any enemies within close range.
- Mix-and-Match Critters: Half-rooster, half-unidentified feline.
- Poisonous Person: Their talons are venomous and their swipes inflict Poison.
- Taken for Granite: The mist which they spew from their beaks inflicts the Petrification debilitation, being a sure death to anyone not packing appropriate curatives.
Evil Eye family
Evil Eye
- "We'll not break its barrier while the eye is open!"- Pawn Chatter
A creature resembling a giant floating eyeball covered in toothy tentacles. These monsters are created when a dragon is slain and focuses the last of its energies into its own eyeball, turning them animated. It has formidable power over magick and a barrier that protects it from all harm.
- Attack Its Weak Point: The eye, of course.
- Barrier Warrior: The Evil Eye is normally surrounded by a barrier which grants it Nigh-Invulnerability. It briefly goes down during certain attacks or if you sever every single tentacle.
- Battle Theme Music: Lure of the Abyss.
- Beef Gate: In the Post-Game, an Evil Eye must be defeated before the rest of the Everfall can be explored.
- Draconic Abomination: A very interesting (and disturbing) take on this trope. While it's by no means shaped like a dragon, it's formed when a defeated dragon injects the last of its magical energies into its eye. Everything about the Evil Eye is based on its original components when it was just a part of a greater beast; the mouth was the eyelid, the teeth were eyelashes, and the tentacles were the optical nerves.
- Eating the Enemy: They occasionally attempt to devour their enemies. Players or Pawns caught by them must wiggle free while the Evil Eye chews on them.
- Elemental Powers: The tentacles can cast Ingle, icicle spears and Levin.
- Eye Beams: It can launch a powerful beam from the eye which can inflict several different delibitations (one of which is Petrification), as well as disable any active buffs on the character.
- Eye Scream: The only way to kill the monster is to hit it in the eye until it drops dead.
- Final Boss Preview: Downplayed in that they are not the final boss, but during the quest "Lure of the Abyss", Evil Eye tentacles attack the party, but the main body of the monster is nowhere to be found (meaning it can't be killed). Actual Evil Eyes can only be found in the Post-Game.
- Healing Factor: It can regrow severed tentacles indefinitely, though severing every single one will knock it down momentarily.
- Holy Burns Evil: They are weakest to the Holy element.
- No-Sell: While their barriers are up, Evil Eyes are completely invulnerable. They will even shrug off the Maker's Finger!
- Number of the Beast: It has 66,666 HP.
- Oculothorax: They are giant floating eyes and little else.
- Power Floats: They move about by floating.
- Squishy Wizard: While it sports both formidable magick and a respectable HP pool, it is very weak to attack in the moments it's vulnerable, meaning you'll be burning through its health bars fairly quickly.
Vile Eye
- "Draw other beasts before the eye's glare!"- Pawn Chatter
A much smaller counterpart to the Evil Eye, resembling a small floating eyeball with no tentacles. They are no less adept at magick than their larger cousins.
- Barrier Warrior: Like the Evil Eye, they are surrounded by a barrier that protects them from harm. It goes down whenever they cast a spell, and unlike the Evil Eye, attacking the barrier with spells will eventually break it.
- Elemental Powers: Theu can cast Ingle, Frigor and Levin.
- Holy Burns Evil: They are weakest to the Holy element.
- Mini Mook: To the Evil Eye.
- Taken for Granite: Their eye beam can cause Petrification. This can be turned against them, however; grabbing a knocked down Vile Eye allows you to use the beam on other enemies.
- Teleport Spam: They cover ground quickly by teleporting around.
Gazer
- "'Tis absolutely enormous!"- Pawn Chatter
A gargantuan, distorted Evil Eye who inhabit Bitterblack Isle's Shrine of Futile Truths. It serves as the first major boss of Dark Arisen.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: It is much larger than a common Evil Eye, and is easily one of the largest enemies in the whole game.
- Battle Theme Music: Shrine of Futile Truths.
- Beef Gate: The Gazer must be defeated in order to progress past the first third of Bitterblack Isle.
- Contractual Boss Immunity: The Gazer is one of the only enemies who cannot be killed instantly by the Maker's Finger; rather than a One-Hit Kill, the attack will only take out one of its health bars.
- Elemental Powers: Its tentacles can cast Ingle, icicle spears and Levin.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: In two major ways:
- One of its attacks is to summon a massive tentacle from under the Arisen. The player can move under the Gazer and make it strike its own eye with the tentacle, causing it to collapse.
- Four tentacles will occasionally attempt to create an evil version of Holy Cannon. Taking them out causes the Gazer to collapse and to the Holy Cannon to be usable by the player, allowing them to use it against the boss for very heavy damage.
- Holy Burns Evil: It is weakest to the Holy element.
- Super Spit: The tentacles can spit at enemies, causing the Drenched or Lowered Defense debuffs.
Wight family
Wight
- "From death comes peace!"- Wight
Powerful undead sorcerers who, in pursuit of immortality, subjected their own bodies to forbidden magicks and are cursed to live even in death. While they are now mere skeletons, they retain their intellects and power over magick, making them formidable opponents.
- Achilles' Heel: Inflicting Silence on them makes them completely harmless, as they have no attacks that aren't spells.
- Battle Theme Music: Grotesque Magician, which it shares with the Lich. It's also used in the fights with Salomet and Balsac during their quests, making it more of a widespread "evil spellcaster" boss theme.
- Blow You Away: Dangerously, they have access to the Maelstrom spell, creating a tornado that will both deliver heavy damage and a great dosage of Interface Screw if you get hit by it.
- Combat Medic: They can cast an evil version of Anodyte in order to heal themselves or their summons.
- Dem Bones: A close inspection reveals they are nothing but skeletons under the robes.
- Dual Boss: The final confrontation in the quest "Deny Salvation" has the player face off against two Wights.
- Elemental Powers: They have access to High Frigor and High Levin.
- Enemy Chatter: They occasionally utter taunts at the player when casting spells.
- Enemy Summoner: Wights can summon various forms of Undead and Skeleton mooks in order to aid them in combat.
- Evil Sorcerer: Evil sorcerers who became undead due to the use of forbidden magicks.
- Holy Burns Evil: They are weakest to Holy damage.
- Our Wights Are Different: Floating skeleton wizards who became undead due to using forbidden magicks, who unlike other undead, retain their minds and skills.
- Poisonous Person: They can cast High Miasma in order to poison you and your Pawns.
- Power Floats: They move around by floating far beyond the reach of melee weapons. Dealing enough damage can knock them down into the ground for a moment.
- Squishy Wizard: These undead wizards have fairly low health for boss monsters, making them easy prey if the player can reach them or have ranged attacks.
Lich
- "'Tis a ghoul sorcerer, and powerful!"- Pawn Chatter
A more powerful counterpart to the Wight, who has retained his flesh and has access to even deadlier spells.
- Elemental Powers: On top of the Wight's spells, the Lich can use Comestion and Bolide.
- Enemy Summoner: Shares the Wight's summons, while also including the ability to summon Hellhounds.
- Holy Burns Evil: They are weakest to Holy damage.
- One-Hit Kill: One of their spells is Exequy, which will kill any player or Pawn instantly if they don't stay out of the circle.
- Our Liches Are Different: Liches are more powerful versions of Wights, resembling tall, zombified wizards. Unlike many other liches, they have no known equivalent to phylacteries and simply die when slain.
- Taken for Granite: They can create a field that causes Petrification on anyone staying within it.
The Dark Bishop
- "No doubt the Maker's turned His back on this one long ago, so what infernal deity might grant his boons? Mayhap the bishop's god is the master of this wretched place. Mayhap it's aught worse."- Barroch's notes
Once a man of the faith who ventured into Bitterblack Isle, this bishop eventually fell to death and corruption, but his faith proved to be powerful enough that he retains his link to the holy light even in undeath. Now he is a guardian of the deadly island alongside a draconic puppet, serving as the second major boss of Dark Arisen.
- Allergic to Evil: He is weak to Dark, befitting a holy monster.
- Battle Theme Music: Puppet & Master.
- Beef Gate: The player can't progress into the final parts of Bitterblack Isle before going past the Dark Bishop.
- Demonic Possession: The Dark Bishop will occasionally possess the dragon's body, causing it to grow stronger and gain the ability to cast extremely powerful spells like High Maelstrom and Grand Exequy. Killing the dragon will throw the Bishop out and leave him temporarily stunned.
- Dual Boss: The Dark Bishop is accompanied by a Cursed Dragon. This dragon is significantly weaker than others, having much less health and not requiring blows to the heart to take damage, but the Dark Bishop can bring it back to unlife as many times as needed.
- Light Is Not Good: Despite holding power over Holy light, this bishop is one of the most dangerous monsters of Bitterblack Isle.
- Sinister Minister: This bishop is trouble, to say the least.
Dragonkin
Drake, Wyvern and Wyrm
- "A strange trick of fate...to meet a fellow countryman. So be it, mayhap there is a new truth to be found in dragon's form... 'Tis the will of the world... Stand against me!"- Wyrm
Smaller counterparts to the Dragon, still much larger than a man. These deadly creatures come in three flavors; Drakes are imposing brawlers with a fire breath, Wyverns are agile fliers with lightning powers, and Wyrms are adept spellcasters with ice magicks.
Dark Arisen introduced a more powerful version of each Dragonkin in the form of the Firedrake, Thunderwyvern and Frostwyrm. They are identical to their common counterparts outside of being stronger.
- An Ice Person: The Wyrm and Frostwyrm.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Their glowing hearts. Its location is different for each monster; the chest for the Drake, the back for the Wyvern and the stomach for the Wyrm.
- Battle Theme Music: Impulse for the regular versions, and its remix for the Dark Arisen ones.
- Berserk Button: Breaking their horns or wings causes them to immediately let out their Mighty Roar, as noted below.
- Beef Gate: Very early in the game, you can easily wander to the west side of the map while exploring and end up in a place called Devilfire Grove. There's a Drake there. It will kill you. You probably don't want to engage that thing at any point before the final few quests before Grigori.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Not the Dragonkin themselves, but rather they can cause this on Pawns; if they grab one, they will impose their will on them, causing the Possession debilitation. This can be avoided by hitting the dragon's hand until they release the captive Pawn.
- Evil Counterpart: According to the Design Works, the lesser dragons serve as antagonistic counterparts to the three starting classes for the Arisen and Pawns. The Drake is a Fighter, getting up close and personal to do harm; the Wyrm is a Mage, using magic to devastate opponents; finally, the Wyvern is a Strider, attacking at a distance where others can't easily reach it.
- Fighter, Mage, Thief: All the Dragonkin represent a different vocation class, with the Drake, Wyrm, and Wyvern representing the Fighter, Mage, and Strider respectively. This makes sense, given the fact they were once Arisen themselves, and thus these were their classes before turning into a dragon.
- Foreshadowing: Their dialog may seem somewhat nonsensical at first, but it actually references the cycle of Arisen and Seneschal, which is only shown outright at the end of the game.
- Lightning Bruiser: Drakes are not just the toughest and hardest-hitting Dragonkin, but also by far the fastest, and will rapidly close any gaps you may try to establish with them.
- Magically Inept Fighter: The Drake is the most physical of the dragons and the toughest, but is the only one with no access to spells.
- Mighty Roar: These dragons can let out an angered roar which causes Skill Stifling on the player and instantly knocks out their Pawns.
- One-Hit Kill:
- Their Mighty Roar is this to Pawns, knocking them out no matter their current health.
- The Wyrm can cast Exequy, which will kill any Pawn and Arisen instantly if they don't avoid its radius.
- Our Dragons Are Different: These lesser dragons are much smaller than Grigori, but possess a similar physiology. The Drake has a more rounded appearance, while the Wyvern has much larger wings, and the Wyrm has tiny ones in comparison. Like Grigori, they are implied to be fallen Arisen.
- Playing with Fire: The Drake and Firedrake.
- Shock and Awe: The Wyvern and Thunderwyvern.
- Squishy Wizard: The Wyrm uses powerful spells but has the lowest defense of the Dragonkin, being rather vulnerable to physical attacks.
- Was Once a Man: They are strongly implied to be fallen Arisen, with each type of dragon reflecting on the vocation they were as human. The Wyrm in the Watergod's Altar even calls the player Arisen a "fellow countryman", and comments about its own dragon form as if it didn't use to be one. Furthermore, they can impose their will on Pawns, which is something reserved for Arisen.
Cursed Dragon
- "Not even these stray wyrms are free from the pestilence of this accursed place. I've seen that putrid breath drive Pawns mad and reduce Arisen to foul puddles, armor and all...never thought I'd miss the flame."- Barroch's notes
Undead dragons introduced in Dark Arisen, who haunt the halls of Bitterblack Isle. Reduced to putrid walking corpses, these corrupted Dragonkin have lost their former powers, now being only able to spew out a poisonous gas that rots anything that comes in contact with it.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Their weak spot is the crystal growth coming out of their chests, which serves as their equivalent of a heart.
- Battle Theme Music: Necrophagous Beasts, which it shares with the Garm and Elder Ogre.
- Dracolich: These dragons have become undead thanks to the corruption of Bitterblack Isle.
- Giant Space Flea from Nowhere: They are part of the 'necrophagous' class of bosses, who can appear out of nowhere after enough regular enemies have been slain in a single area, or if the player intentionally attracts them with the Rancid Bait Meat item.
- Holy Burns Evil: They are vulnerable to the Holy element.
- Lightning Bruiser: These dragons are both extremely tough and easily able to close their distance either by flight or by rushing at their prey with their jaws.
- Kill It with Fire: They are as weak to Fire as they are to Holy.
- Mighty Roar: Different from other Dragonkin in that it doesn't kill Pawns, but outright possesses them instantly.
- Piñata Enemy: Cursed Dragons have the highest rate of Dragonforging of any dragon enemy that can be reasonably fought over and over, making them the best targets for such activity. They also drop a substantial amount of Rift Crystals and can drop Lv.3 Bitterblack items.
- Poisonous Person: Their breath attack causes both Poison and Torpor, and will also cause perishable items not protected in an Airtight Flask to instantly turn rotten.
Other Dark Arisen monsters
Corrupted Pawns
Corrupted Pawn
- "To be... by your side once more, Arisen..."- Corrupted Pawns
Pawns who have lost their Arisen in the depths of Bitterblack Isle. Isolated in such evil darkness, they slowly lose their minds until they become hostile to all life, violently attacking even the Arisen they so desperately want to serve. There is no way to save these Pawns; one can only put them out of their misery.
They come in Fighter, Strider, Mage, Warrior, Ranger, Sorcerer and Magick Archer versions.
- Bald of Evil: Those with exposed heads tend to be bald.
- Driven to Madness: Losing their Arisen in the corrupted depths of Bitterblack Isle has taken a heavy toll on these Pawns, turning them insane and hostile even to the player Arisen.
- Enemy Chatter: When aggroed, they desperately call for the Arisen, begging to be at their side, only to attack them in their maddened state.
- Evil Counterpart: To your own Pawns.
- Shoot the Medic First: The Mages should be focused quickly, as they can cast Anodyte on their allies.
- Underground Monkey: Functionally, they serve as Bitterblack Isle's version of bandits, though the context is entirely different from the original enemy.
- Unusable Enemy Equipment: A variation; Corrupted Pawns can be Magick Archers, a vocation which is unavailable for playable Pawns.
Maneaters
Maneater
- "Be wary! There are beasts that dwell within such chests."- Pawn Chatter
Giant worm-like monsters found in Bitterblack Isle, who hide inside chests and proceed to devour any would-be treasure hunters as soon as they are opened.
- Allergic to Evil: They are weakest to the Dark element.
- Chest Monster: Maneaters hide inside treasure chests and attack immediately when they're opened. These chests are identical to others and the Maneater can't be triggered without opening them, making your safest choice to try and goad your Pawns to open them for you, so you can free them rather than relying on them freeing you.
- Contractual Boss Immunity: They are immune to all debilitations except Burning and Frozen.
- One-Hit Kill: They can cast Exequy. Make sure to get out of the circle!
- Swallowed Whole: They attempt this against anyone who opens their chests, dealing continuous damage until you either wiggle free from their grasp or the Maneater is staggered by damage.
- Taken for Granite: They can spit out a venom that causes Petrification.
Eliminators
Eliminator
- "It stands firm... does it feel no pain?!"- Pawn Chatter
Hulking undead warriors who guard the labyrinthian depths of Bitterblack Isle, wearing horned masks resembling the heads of bulls and carrying massive hammers which they use with both immense strength and speed.
- Attack Its Weak Point: They take extra damage to the head. Also counts as Armor Is Useless, as the head is their only body part covered in any true armor.
- Cool Mask: They wear intimidating bull masks. Lucky players can get them for themselves as rare drops from these monsters.
- Foe-Tossing Charge: They tend to close the distance by charging head-first into you or your Pawns, following with a massive hammer swing.
- Lightning Bruiser: They are among the toughest foes in Bitterblack Isle, and once they start swinging those hammers, it's difficult for them to stop. In fact, their foot pin and stomp attack is widely believed to be the strongest single attack in the entire game, dealing about 35,000 damage if it hits.
- Our Minotaurs Are Different: Played with; Eliminators are not actually minotaurs, but are clearly meant to invoke the imagery of them, being large humanoids wearing bull masks and serving as guardians for what is essentially a massive labyrinth.
- Punny Name: Eliminator. Eliminotaur.
