Have you ever navigated through a swamp only to be interrupted by an irritating hissing sound? If so, it’s likely that you’ve fallen prey to a classic status effect in a Soulsborne game: poison! Unfortunately, even the most durable boots cannot shield you from this ailment.
Status effects are a crucial element across all Soulsborne titles, offering both players and enemies a range of strategic advantages. However, when utilized against you, they can become exceedingly frustrating.
It’s disheartening to perish due to a secondary effect rather than the main onslaught from a boss. Or perhaps you experienced the agony of succumbing to poison just as you approached a bonfire. Back to the depths of Blighttown you go!
This article highlights some of the most maddening status effects in the Soulsborne world. Take note, especially if you’re planning on diving into your next playthrough soon!
10 Poison
Don’t Trust The Green Goop
As we’ve established, poison can be quite a nuisance due to its prolonged duration and prevalence in various environments.
Fortunately, although it lingers, the damage it inflicts is fairly minimal, and by the time you encounter it, you should have items on hand to mitigate its effects.
If you’ve traversed any Soulsborne environment, you’re well-acquainted with Poisonous Swamps—think Blighttown, Farron Keep, or the Valley of Defilement.
Despite the annoyance of wading through the mire, you’ll eventually become adept at avoiding the pitfalls of these areas. Just remember to keep some moss clumps handy and don’t roll in the mud!
9 Bleed
I Have A Plaster For That
As you explore a new area, dread sets in as you notice your health depleting rapidly due to a mysterious source of bleed damage. Was it the maggots? Who knows.
Whether from leech-infested foes, vicious insects, or humanoid enemies wielding sharp weapons, bleed can accumulate quickly, compounding your damage intake.
If you’ve engaged in PvP in Dark Souls 3, you’re likely familiar with players wielding the Carthus Curved Sword, notorious for their bleed build-ups. If you can’t outmatch them, perhaps it’s time to adopt their strategies.
8 Egghead
Something On Your Mind?
When was the last time you encountered a giant egg affixed to your character’s head? It’s quite the experience! Despite what Einygi might claim about health benefits, the downsides are substantial.
While this peculiar effect may drain half of your souls and impede your ability to don a helmet, you do gain a unique kick animation! Not a fair trade, perhaps?
Once afflicted, consuming an egg vermifuge will quickly alleviate your plight, so keep an eye out for those parasitic foes next time.
7 Frostbite
I Can’t Feel My Toes…
Frostbite proves to be particularly troublesome due to its prevalence across many Soulsborne environments, including frigid areas like Irithyll and Elden Ring’s mountainous regions.
Bosses also employ frosty attacks, rendering you immobile with ease.
This status effect significantly reduces your HP and hampers stamina regeneration, while also increasing vulnerability to enemy strikes. Bosses such as Sister Friede, the Death Rite Bird, and the Divine Beast Dancing Dragon capitalize on this mechanic, so prepare for battle with frost resistance items, or at least a warm coat!
6 Petrification/Terror/Deathblight
Death by Status Bar
What could be more terrifying than a status effect that outright ends your life? Deathblight, alongside petrification and terror, does just that.
As the status bar begins to fill, panic sets in. If you’re caught, it’s a swift goodbye, as once it’s full, it’s game over! This effect is all too common in the Souls universe and often feels like an unfair mechanic.
Couldn’t they have implemented something more creative? Perhaps petrification should hinder mobility, or terror could debilitate attack and defense instead of simply causing untimely death?
5 Madness
May Chaos Take The World
Madness may not inflict direct damage like others, but its staggering effects can be infuriating. Players grappling with Midra in the Elden Ring DLC can surely relate.
The brief, yet agonizing impact of stagger can feel interminable while you wait to regain control in a fast-paced environment.
This status effect can escalate quickly, especially near madness-infested settings like the tower close to the Grand Lift of Dectus, where you’ll encounter this disruptive status firsthand.
Add to the frustration that madness effects don’t significantly bolster your own strategies. Stay alert, Tarnished! Those ominous yellow eyes are not your friends.
4 Enfeeble
There Goes My Back Again
Is there a worse feeling than realizing the inevitable onset of age affecting your gameplay? Enfeeble, exclusive to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, delivers that harsh reality with a significant drop in vitality and movement ability.
Your attack power plummets, and the inability to resurrect intensifies the agony of this status effect. If you find yourself enfeebled, your best bet is to wait it out or take down your assailant before retreating.
3 Toxic
If You Thought Poison Was Bad…
Toxic is the next level of annoyance stemming from poison. Take Dark Souls, for example, where toxic’s effects can turn the tide of battle significantly.
Inflicted primarily by dart-blowing foes in Blighttown, this status will have you exhaustively chugging flasks while wandering aimlessly.
Unlike standard poison, dealing with toxic is far trickier. You require blooming moss clumps—rare resources—or divine blessings, which are limited. Even if you succeed in curing yourself, the odds are you’ll be afflicted again. Best to sprint to the nearest bonfire before the toxic takes hold.
2 Frenzy
The Eyes… They Stare Into My Soul
Imagine losing 70% of your Max HP in one fell swoop! While instant death might sound worse, frenzy in Bloodborne accompanies an unparalleled level of frustration.
This status effect doesn’t require an enemy to land a blow; it builds up as you accumulate damage. The frantic scramble to avoid the gaze of the Brain of Mensis is all too familiar.
Keep a cache of sedatives handy because without them, you’re in for a rough patch. The thematic brilliance of frenzy—as it correlates with the lore of Bloodborne—makes it even more compelling, despite its annoyances. The more insight you gain, the quicker you may succumb to madness in this dark world.
1 Curse
My HP! Where Did It Go?
Without a doubt, the most frustrating status effect is curse. This infamous ailment from Dark Souls 1 is etched in many players’ memories, particularly as it cruelly persists even after death.
Imagine yourself entirely new to the Souls level of difficulty. You accidentally descend into a treacherous sewer. While navigating a labyrinth of tight passages and battling oversized rats, disaster strikes as you tumble down a drain.
Suddenly, you are besieged by monstrous creatures with bulging eyes that release toxic gas. After a fierce struggle, you realize too late that you’ve been cursed.
Upon respawning, you’re left with a diminished health bar and no knowledge of how to reverse the effect. This experience, which I once mistook for a game flaw, can leave players feeling hopeless.
Of course, seasoned players will come prepared with purging stones to counteract this ailment, but that isn’t immediately evident to newcomers. On the plus side, being cursed does allow you to eliminate those pesky ghosts in New Londo—so it’s not all grim.
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