The Old Hero boss in Demon’s Souls is interesting because he’s blind, meaning he won’t know where you are if you stand still. Staying still isn’t practical though, since you have to move to take him down. You’ll need to be careful because he is extremely powerful and can take you out in one hit. Considering how far back the previous Archstone is, attempting to defeat the Old Hero can be a chore. Fortunately, we’ve got a cheese method for you to try in this guide, along with a couple of other strategies you might find useful.
Poisonous Cheese
Do not underestimate the Old Hero. If he hits you with his massive sword, you probably won’t stand a chance. You can absolutely take him down as aggressively as possible, but doing so is risky. Instead, why not cheese him? The easiest and most surefire way to defeat him is to use the Poison Cloud spell on him. To acquire this spell, trade Sage Freke a Wriggling Demon’s Soul, which is obtained by defeating the Leechmonger in 5-1.
You’ll also want to come equipped with lots of MP restoration items and the Thief’s Ring. Since the boss is blind, he must rely on hearing to find you. If you wear the Thief’s Ring, however, you can run around as much as you’d like (while in Soul form) and he won’t hear you.
The strategy is to walk up behind him, use the Poison Cloud spell, and then back away. This will slowly (very slowly) chip away at his health. Once the cloud goes away, repeat the process and continue to do so until he’s dead. Now, this will take a long time, so be prepared if you’re going to utilize this method. For us, it took around 15 minutes.
You can mix and match this method with other strategies. For example, as he’s being poisoned, you can also fire projectiles at him like Magic, bows, or other long range items. Keep in mind, even if you’re wearing the Thief’s Ring when attacking him normally, he will come running towards you after a certain point. So if you want to use projectiles, make sure you shoot just a couple and then take cover behind the stairs on the right.
Hack ‘n Slash
The other method is to use your melee weapon to strike him from behind. Make sure you have the Thief’s Ring equipped so you can walk up behind him with ease. Get a few two-handed slashes in, and run away behind the stairs mentioned above. You’ll see him let out a massive yell, indicating he will be charging. Stay away while he’s doing this. Then, run back up after he’s calmed down, get a few more hits in, and repeat.
You can combine this method with poisoning him so he goes down quicker. Always attack him from behind, never the front. And as with most boss fights in Demon’s Souls, don’t get greedy. It’s very easy to get taken out by the Old Hero, which means you’ll have to make the long journey back from the last Archstone again.
