The Fallingstar Beast is a boss encountered in a few different places throughout the game. It’s fast, has a wide variety of attacks, and hits hard. However, once you learn the boss’s moves, it’s not too tough to take down. In this guide, we’ll give general tips as well as specific strategies for defeating the Fallingstar Beast.
General Tips
Summons that last a long time, such as the Skeletal Militiaman or the Demi-Human ashes, are decent choices for this fight. You can also use a ranged summon like Latenna, but if the boss targets them a few times they’ll probably die.
The boss often idles at mid-range (walks slowly instead of attacking or closing the distance) — this is a perfect time to heal or cast spells.
The boss can be staggered, offering a chance to critically strike it between its pinchers (although if you’re fighting on horseback this is unlikely to occur).
[When fought outside ]This fight is generally easier while mounted, although if you have trouble controlling Torrent it’s also doable on foot.
[When fought outside] Switch the horizontal direction you’re riding after each part of the charge attack.
Strategy
When Encountered Indoors
If you’re struggling to defeat the Fallingstar Beast, consider using a 100% Physical Defense shield and focus on blocking/rolling until you’re able to survive for a decent amount of time against the boss. Only once you’re comfortable dodging and blocking its attacks should you start attacking yourself. Note that you’ll only be able to block one of the boss’s attacks before running out of stamina, so let go of block after blocking a big hit to let your stamina regen (you’ll have to roll if the boss attacks again).
You can block all of the single-strike attacks, but you’ll need to dodge the rest with positioning/rolling. As with most large enemies, rolling diagonally past the boss is generally safer than rolling backwards. Try to use jumping heavy attacks, and be aggressive — if you dodge the first attack in a series and you get very close to or behind the boss, you can often do an immediate jumping heavy and still avoid the boss’s next attack.
If you hug the boss’s stomach, you can avoid lots of attacks without having to block or roll. This can make it hard to tell what’s happening, so only use this tactic if you’re comfortable reaction-rolling the boss’s attacks. Moving to the right also lets you avoid some of the tail attacks.
One of the tougher attacks to dodge when fighting this boss indoors is the Lightning Strikes (see moveset below), but if you stay aware of your surroundings and make sure you’re running in a straight line, this attack should miss.
Your best window to attack the boss is after the Lightning Storm or the Rolling Slam — both moves are easily identified and have a long recovery period. Ranged characters can start attacking during the Lightning Storm once they’re out of its AOE.
When Encountered Outdoors
You’ll want to be mounted for this fight (unless you really hate riding Torrent). Summon your spirit(s) before you approach the crater the boss spawns in, and then stand near the praying enemy so that the boss’s first charge takes him out. This charge attack is the boss’s opener every time, and is also the most dangerous move. To avoid it, simply continue riding horizontally until the boss’s first charge misses, and then switch horizontal directions while the boss turns around to charge again. It’ll charge three times, with the third charge including an attempt at flipping its target into the air.
The rest of the boss’s attacks are best avoided by tapping the sprint button (to make Torrent gallop) when the boss starts an attack animation. If you’re certain it’s a melee/tail attack, ride directly away. Otherwise, ride diagonally (to avoid a potential Rock Fling) until you’re out of range, and then in a circle (all the boss’s ranged attacks can be avoided by riding in a circle around the boss).
For ranged characters, this fight is pretty easy. The boss will often idle between attacks, giving you ample opportunity to attack from max range. Don’t be greedy, and only attack when the boss is idle, or while it’s finishing an attack and you’re safely out of range.
Melee characters will have it a little tougher, but once you learn the boss’s various attacks and combos, you’ll be able to find plenty of openings to do damage. Generally, stay just out of range of the boss’s tail and ride in a circle. Get close enough for it to start an attack, then ride out of range, and then quickly go in as soon as the attack is ending and get some damage in before riding away.
If you’ve got enough HP and flasks, be greedy and get a few hits in, otherwise attack once and then immediately ride away. A notable attack window is during the boss’s Lighting Strike: you can freely attack the boss while riding in a circle for the first few strikes, then tap sprint and ride away from the boss as it begins the fourth attack, then go back in for more damage while it roars.
If you really find yourself struggling on Torrent, try the fight a few times on foot — you may find it easier!
Moveset
Melee/Close Range Attacks
Triple Charge – The boss lowers its horns and charges at its target three times. The third time, it also flips its target into the air and does some AOE around its head in the process.
Earthquake Stomp – The boss’s pinchers start to glow purple — then, it raises its front legs in the air and slams then down, while purple lightning appears on the ground around the boss. After a brief delay, the ground near the lightning erupts, damaging and knocking into the air anything standing in the area of effect.
Double Pincher Slashes – The boss brings its pinchers together and over its right shoulder, then slashes horizontally from (its) right to left, then left to right. The boss’s pinchers spark when it’s winding up this attack.
Pincher Slashes – The boss brings its head horizontally backwards to its left, then swings it from (its) left to right.
Diagonal Pincher Slash – The boss leaps towards its target, bringing its head back over its shoulder, then lands and swings its pinchers towards its target.
Pincher Uppercut – The boss rears onto its hind legs and opens its pinchers wide, then puts its feet down and charges forward a few feet and attempts to flip its target into the air.
Stomp – The boss rears onto its back legs, then stomps its front legs down, doing some AOE around the area of impact.
Rear Stomp – The boss lifts its back legs, then slams them down, doing some AOE around the area of impact
Rolling Slam – The steps back a few paces, then leaps into the air and curls into a ball. It travels forward and towards its target, then slams down, damaging anything near its landing zone.
Ranged Attacks
Lightning Strikes – The boss’s pinchers glow, and it starts to trot slowly while flipping its head into the air like a model flipping their hair. While the boss’s head is down, the ground beneath its target will glow with purple lightning — when the boss flips its head up, the ground where the purple lightning was erupts. This happens four times, but the fourth eruption is a large AOE instead of a single spot. If the boss is targeting you, ride in a straight line to avoid getting hit by this.
Lightning Storm – The boss’s pinchers glow and it briefly raises its front legs. Purple lightning glows on the ground around the boss — after a delay, the ground where the lightning is erupts.
Tail Slam – The boss’s leaps straight up into the air, with its tail curled towards its target, then lands and brings its tail down. After a brief delay, it rips its tail out of the ground, damaging anything near it.
Tail Whip Scratch – The boss curls its tail backwards behind it, then whips it towards its target. This attack does bleed damage, and — until they patch the issue with bleed — will inflict blood loss and chunk your HP bar pretty badly.
Tail Whip Spin – The boss jumps 180° (to face away from its target), then whips its tail at its target and into the ground. After a brief delay, it rips its tail out of the ground, doing some AOE and another sweeping attack in the process.
Tail Whip Swipe – The boss turns sideways relative to its target and curls its tail behind it, then swipes in a huge arc in front of it.
Rock Fling – The boss turns sideways relative to its target, closes its pinchers, and sticks its head into the ground. It then quickly rips its head out of the ground and flings a rock at its target. As long as you’re riding in a circle around the boss, this should miss.
Unabashed FromSoftware fanboy still learning to take his time with games (and everything else, really). The time he doesn't spend on games is spent on music, books, or occasionally going outside.
On foot I just used demi-human ashes (level 5) and spammed sacred blade with my dismounter (level 14), it was actually easy compared to my first run through, it took me a while to beat him then. This time I got it first try, sacred blade is way underrated for melee I believe, it let’s me have my strength stats but have a nice mid range attack that’s really powerful
7,600
On foot I just used demi-human ashes (level 5) and spammed sacred blade with my dismounter (level 14), it was actually easy compared to my first run through, it took me a while to beat him then. This time I got it first try, sacred blade is way underrated for melee I believe, it let’s me have my strength stats but have a nice mid range attack that’s really powerful