Terraria Bosses: Best Ways to Summon and Slay Them All

Terraria, one of the top Metroidvania games of all time, is often compared to Minecraft. That is because it highlights your creativity in crafting the world and dealing with enemies. Fighting Terraria bosses is trickier, though. Apart from having to summon them, the experience is like playing an intense bullet-hell shooter. Moreover, you might have to redesign the whole battle stage and mix and match gear to your advantage.

If you are having a hard time summoning and slaying Terraria bosses, this guide will be of great help to you.

Terraria Bosses Ranked

Whether you are a newbie or not in the game, familiarizing Terraria bosses is the first trick of the trade. You should know the basics. That includes how each enemy looks, their level of difficulty, and the best rewards you can reap from defeating them.

We made everything convenient for you by ranking all the 17 main Terraria bosses based on how many players perceive their difficulty, complete with relevant descriptions. The table below shows the easiest to the hardest ones, from top to bottom.

Who Is the Strongest Terraria Boss

Among all Terraria bosses, Moon Lord is now the ultimate enemy no matter the platform. He no longer shares the title with Ocram because the said predator-looking final boss is no longer in the game. Moon Lord deserves the recognition anyway, for he is the toughest to defeat and has some of the flashiest and strongest moves in Terraria.

Tips for Fighting Terraria Bosses

Now that you have an overview of the main enemies, let us proceed to some general tips for Terraria boss fights. With these and the best strategies, you can be victorious in any battle:

1. Equip Your Best Armor, Weapons, Potions

Gear up for better chances of slaying Terraria bosses. Equipping the best weapon and armor gives you the best offense and defense. Meanwhile, stocking up on potions allows you to quickly replenish your health and mana when heart and star statues are not nearby. In Terraria, top-tier weapons and armor usually come from bosses or traders. Potions are gained from loot or made via recipes, a method similar to Minecraft brewing.

2. Apply Buffs from Items

Buffs increase the potential of your character, stats-wise. These can also let you kill Terraria bosses faster than usual. Some enhance attack, defense, health, and mana regeneration rate, speed, or luck. You can get buffs from items you can find or craft in-game. For example, Heart Lanterns and Crystal Balls give health and mana recovery boosts, respectively. Potions also provide different types of buffs.

3. Modify Your Arena 

The arena is a common term for the area where a boss emerges and fights you. Many Terraria players choose to customize it before each battle to make attack and evasion easier. You are also free to modify an arena to your liking. Place platforms to jump on, carve walls for more space, build barriers to defend yourself, set up statues for instant regeneration, and more.

Best Ways to Summon and Slay terraria Bosses

Terraria indeed gives you the freedom to fight its bosses your way. While strategy preferences vary for everyone, it is good to know what other techniques you can use to improve your gameplay. To help you with that, below are the seven standard Terraria bosses, followed by the hard mode bosses, and the best strategies to summon and slay them all.

1. King Slime

Slimes are often the first and easiest bosses encountered in games. The same is true for Terraria because its most basic boss is none other than King Slime.

King Slime will appear when you defeat 150 slimes during a Slime Rain. Alternatively, you can make a Slime Crown from Gel and a Gold or Platinum Crown for the boss to emerge.

The boss will then try to bounce on you and spawn smaller slimes to deal damage. It may also teleport to where you are. To counter that classic attack, build a barrier for yourself in advance from platforms and blocks. It is better if you can make it into the shape of a box. Also, make sure that there is a small opening for your attacks or escape.

With regards to offense, it is best to strike with long-range and fire-based attacks. If King Slime teleports inside your barrier while being fired at, move out of the enclosure then back inside once it goes out.

2. Eater of Worlds

The Eater of Worlds is one of two worm-like Terraria bosses. It slithers like the real-life creature it mimics, so it can be tricky to hit.

If you are up for the challenge, you can summon the boss by destroying three Shadow Orbs or consuming Worm Food in the Corruption. The former can be mined beneath a chasm, while the latter is made from 30 Vile Powder and 15 Rotten Chunk at a Demon or Crimson Altar.

Once the Eater of Worlds shows up, it will slip in and out of the arena to attack you. The key to defeating it is to modify the area to limit and predict its movement, which you can do before the fight. Build two high walls at the center of the arena. Add platforms between those.

When the arena is ready, stand in the middle of the walls. The summoned boss will have no choice but to approach from the top or bottom of the screen. You can then hit it with an effective weapon, such as the Mace, Grenade, or Vilethorn while jumping up and down the platforms.

Note that attacking the Eater of Worlds will split it into segments. When that happens, aim for the head because it is the boss’s weakness. Destroy the rest of the parts afterward.

3.Brain of Cthulhu

The Brain of Cthulhu seems dangerous, but you can outsmart it easily in battle.

Call it into the battlefield first. Destroy three Crimson Hearts in a Crimson environment or use a Crimson Spine for the boss to emerge. Crimson Hearts can be found in the said area, while the Spine is crafted from 15 Vertebrae and 30 Vicious Powder on a Crimson Altar.

When the Brain of Cthulhu appears, it will summon its creepers. Strike those minions first because you cannot damage the boss yet. Use piercing weapons for those are very effective.

The boss will enter its second phase once the creepers are gone. It will transform into a brain with a heart that persistently charges toward you. When that happens, dodge then strike with a weapon that has knockback buffs.

4. Eye of Cthulhu

Out of all Terraria bosses, only The Eye of Cthulhu can find you on its own. All you have to do is reach 200 HP and 10 Defense, then have at least three NPCs in your base for the boss to show up.

Once engaged in battle, the Eye of Cthulhu will fly fast and charge toward you. It becomes more agile during the second and third phases of the fight. Given that, you need to distance yourself as far and as quickly as you can from the boss to win.

As for the arena, one long suspended platform is already good enough. You can jump to it and back to the ground to switch sides while dodging. In terms of attack, it is best to use ranged weapons and speed buffs. You can get the latter from a Sunflower.

5. Queen Bee

Summoning Queen Bee is just like how you annoy a queen bee in the real world. Wreak havoc in her territory, the Underground Jungle. To elaborate, you need to break larva encasements inside beehives. Alternatively, you can consume an Abeemenation you made from five Honey Blocks, five Hives, a Stinger, and Bottled Honey.

The boss will spawn in the hive instantly and charge at you, occasionally shooting stingers and calling on a bee swarm. For defense, you can make one long horizontal platform beforehand. Also, add some vertical barriers to block the poisonous stingers. You have to jump to the platform and back to the pool of honey below to dodge and regain some health, respectively. For attack, it is best to hit Queen Bee when she calls on her bee servants. She freezes for a few seconds in that scenario, making her susceptible to ranged and melee weapons.

6. Skeletron

Skeletron is not a complete skeleton, but can seriously harm you with just two limbs. You will experience that after cursing an elder at the Dungeon to summon the boss. Do that at night because it is the best time to challenge the boss.

In battle, Skeletron will have its hands waving around its skull. It is ready to slow down your movement and deal critical damage. To avoid it, you need to design a big arena in advance. Carve through walls and add platforms. Use a Yo-yo during the fight because it can damage the hands multiple times as it gets caught up in those. Once the limbs are gone, target the skull for direct damage.

7. Wall of Flesh

The Wall of Flesh is the wall you have to break for the game to activate hard mode. It is also the toughest out of all standard Terraria bosses.

To make the boss come out, throw a Voodoo Doll into the Underworld lava. The item is dropped as loot when you slay flying demons.

The Wall of Flesh will then close in on you from one side of the screen, attempting to kill you with its hands and mouth. To take down the boss with ease, you should prepare one horizontal platform that stretches from end to end of the arena. The stage should also cover the lava pools you might accidentally fall into.

Use the platform to move away from the boss in the opposite direction. While doing so, shoot at its hands first, then the eyes and mouth. Use long-range weapons you got from Queen Bee, for those are the most effective to use against the Wall of Flesh.

8. Queen Slime

If King Slime was easy for you, Queen Slime might not be the same. She gets wings midway through the battle, unlike her royal partner that is only ground-based.

To fight Queen Slime, summon her first by consuming a Gelatin Crystal in the Hallow. You can get the item from a PearlStone in the same area.

Queen Slime will then attack you the same way King Slime does, so the King Slime strategy should also work on her. Unfortunately, you have to change the game plan when she enters her second phase and grows wings. When that happens, it is best to attack her mid-air because it is difficult to aim at her from the ground. Equip wings and ranged weapons so you can perform aerial attacks.

9. The Destroyer

The Destroyer looks like the Eater of Worlds but is mechanical and stronger. To experience it first-hand, call it by using a Mechanical Worm. The Worm can be crafted from six Rotten Chunks or Vertebra, five iron bars, and six Soul of the Night.

To win the fight hassle-free, the Daedalus Stormbow is what many players recommend using. That is because it can fire multiple Holy Arrows from the sky down to the surface. There is no escape for The Destroyer, no matter where it slithers.

You can get the Daedalus Stormbow by killing Hallowed Mimics and make a Holy arrow from three Pixie Dust and one Unicorn Horn. Use those to shoot the head first, the weakest part of the boss.

10. The Twins

Double the eyes, double the trouble. You will feel like facing two Eyes of Cthulhu when you battle The Twins.

The conjoined Terraria bosses appear when you use a Mechanical Eye. The item can be created through a Mythril or Orichalcum anvil when you have three lenses, five iron bars, and six Soul of Light.

For the fight, it is best to make a high and long platform in advance. Use it to back away while firing a gun at The Twins. Sever and destroy the eye that shoots a laser beam before the one that emits a flame because you do not want its long-range attack to get boosted during the battle’s second phase. Moreover, the latter one is easier to defeat even after it evolves.

With regards to weapons, Megashark is the gun recommended by many players. That is because it shoots bullets fast and has a 50 percent chance of not consuming ammo. To obtain the weapon, buy a Minishark from the Arms Trader and improve it using Illegal Gun Parts, five Shark Fins, and 20 Soul of Might at an anvil.

11. Skeletron Prime

Skeletron Prime is a mightier Skeletron because it has four limbs instead of two. Moreover, each limb attacks in a different way.

You can summon the boss by using a Mechanical Skull but only at night. To make the item, combine 30 Bones, five iron bars, three Soul of the Light, and three Soul of the Night.

Because Skeletron Prime is based on Skeletron, you can use the same strategy that we recommended for the latter. Make sure you attack the hands in the correct order, though. Break the limbs with long-range attacks first, then the melee ones, and then the head.

12. Plantera

Plantera is one of the few Terraria bosses that require you to take down specific bosses first. Only after you eliminate The Destroyer, The Twins, Skeletron Prime, and Plantera’s Underground Jungle bulbs will you be able to make the flower bud-like boss appear.

Exterminating Plantera is not as easy as how zombies kill plants in Plants Vs. Zombies. You have to dodge its bullet seeds and tentacles while attacking. The fight turns into an intense bullet-hell game when the boss enters its second phase, transforming into a carnivorous-looking plant and moving faster than before.

The best strategy against Plantera is making a rectangular arena before the fight begins. Add box-shaped barriers on both ends of the area. The stage should have teleporters to transport you to one end in an instant. There must be small openings as well for your bullets to pass through.

Once the battle starts, the boss will follow you to one end of the arena. Shoot it with a gun then use the teleporter to go to the opposite side of the stage every time it draws near.

13. Golem

Golem is as tough as a boulder. If you want to go head-to-head against it, you should offer a Lihzahrd Power Cell at the Lihzahrd Altar. The item can be made from 10 Solar Tablet Fragments and five Essence of Sunlight combined at a Mythril or Orichalcum anvil. Note that defeating Plantera is a prerequisite for you to access the said altar.

Before the fight, do not forget to make a barrier made of blocks to separate you and the boss. It should almost be closed, with small spaces for your attacks to get through.

During the battle, Golem will fire laser beams from its head. Shoot back at the boss through the gaps of your barrier to defeat it fast.

14. Lunatic Cultist

The Lunatic Cultist, although one of the Terraria bosses in hard mode, can be slaughtered quickly. Note that you should face him only if you want to take on the final boss soon. That is because the Lunatic Cultist’s death will start the event where you can summon Moon Lord.

If you are ready for Moon Lord anyway, make the Lunatic Cultist appear by slaying all cultists that block your way out of Golem’s Dungeon.

Once the Lunatic Cultist shows up, he will summon his doppelgangers to attack you. The best way to get back at him is by flying and attacking the true Lunatic Cultist. The real one has a yellow vertical stripe on the hood and a white gleam on the eye. A word of warning, though. If you miss the true boss, a Phantasm Dragon will appear and make the battle harder for you.

15. Duke Fishron

Duke Fishron might look like a shark with a bat’s wings and a pig’s head, but you can still hook him like an ordinary fish. All you need is to bait the boss with a Truffle Worm that lives in the Glowing Mushroom areas.

Once summoned, Duke Fishron will charge at you regardless if you are in the water, land, or air. He will then unleash his Sharkrons and Sharknadoes during his second or third phase. The best strategy to finish the boss quickly is to fly around the place with wings and shoot him with a gun, preferably the Megashark. Be careful not to fall to the sea because Duke Fishron is stronger underwater.

16. Empress of Light

If Plantera already made you suffer from bullet hell madness, you will find the Empress of Light even more challenging.

You can summon her by slaying a Prismatic Lacewing in the Hallow area. Do that at night because the Empress of Light can finish you with a single hit during the day. If you want the coveted Terraprisma Sword from her, it is mandatory to face her once the sun is up, for the weapon only drops at that time.

In the battle, you will notice that the Empress of Light has a broader attack range than Plantera. She will charge at you, disperse petal beams, and fire flower projectiles that can cover almost the entire screen. To evade and go to any part of the arena, you should build many platforms in advance.

To attack with the best efficiency, fly using wings, then hit the boss via a long-range weapon. The Tsunami bow is highly recommended by players, for it can automatically shoot multiple Ichor or Shadow Arrows at once. Unfortunately, melee weapons are not that effective.

17. Moon Lord

Ready for the ultimate boss? If yes, nothing is stopping you now from facing the Moon Lord.

You will successfully summon him by slaying the Lunatic Cultist to start the Lunar Event. Destroy the Nebular, Solar, Stardust, and Vortex Pillars, or use a Celestial Sigil afterward. The Sigil can be crafted from 20 Lunar Fragments.

During his first phase, Moon Lord will either fire a Phantasmal Deathray from the eye on its forehead or Phantasmal Spheres from the eyes on its hands. If you are a long-range specialist, dodge his rays and discs by flying or by backtracking sideways on a long platform. If you are a melee fighter, stay inside an enclosure with a nurse NPC at the center of the arena. Note that the platform and enclosure should be made before the boss encounter.

In terms of attack, using a ranged Lunar weapon or a melee Solar Eruption Sword is best. The former is among the strongest in the game while the latter can hyperextend beyond your enclosure’s blocks. Also, fire at or strike the eye on the forehead first before the ones on the hands.

During the next phase triggered when the eyes are gone, Moon Lord will spawn three True Eyes of Cthulhu. Those flying eyes will attack you with Phantasmal Deathrays, Bolts, and Spheres. Moon Lord will also grapple you with a wire to sap health. You can avoid the True Eyes by continuing the defensive strategy from the first phase. You can also break free from the wire and prevent boss health regeneration by shooting the glowing part of the cord.

The True Eyes of Cthulhu are nearly impossible to destroy for players. That means your best chance to slay Moon Lord is by attacking his chest core.

Be the Boss in Terraria Now

By learning the best ways to summon and slay all Terraria bosses, you will finish the game in no time. You can even become like a boss yourself because no enemy can defeat you now.

Want more boss fights? Check out our list of best open-world games to experience new challenging battles.