To make progress in Terraria, you have to fight bosses. Everything that you do in the game will lead you to a fight with the boss on that level.
But if you haven’t progressed much in the game, you might be wondering about the order in which to fight bosses in Terraria. So, who comes first and how many bosses are there in the game?
To help you understand, we’ll list down the bosses in order of difficulty and explain how to summon them. You’ll also learn the best weapons you should use to fight them.
Note: You don’t have to fight all bosses in the game. But avoiding some bosses can make the game harder as you progress. This is because there are drops that you get from defeating certain bosses that are extremely useful in the next stages of the game.
How to summon bosses in Terraria
Before you start going after the bosses in Terraria, make sure to get:
- 400 max health
- Platinum or gold armor
- Craft an iron skin potion and regeneration potion using 1 iron ore, mushroom, 2 daybloo, and 2 bottled water.
The above items will help you survive and eventually win your earlier fights.
Now, to fight the bosses in Terraria, you can either attack them as they spawn randomly in your world (usually when night falls and your character/world attains certain requirements) or use a summon item to get the boss where and when you want.
This gives you a slight edge in the fight and boosts your chances of winning. For the summon to work, you must wait until night falls.
List of bosses in Terraria from the easiest to the hardest to fight
Here is a list of the bosses from the easiest to fight to the hardest.
1. The Eye of Cthulhu
This is the first boss you’ll deal with when you start a world. It can spawn in two main ways. The first one happens naturally (every three days) when you reach 200 HP and have 10+ Defense and 3 or more housed NPCs.
Secondly, you must kill Demon eyes, collect their lenses, take them to a Demon Altar, make a suspicious-looking eye then wait for the eye of Cthulhu to spawn at night.
This boss will attack you while flying around and it gets dangerous once you bring it down to 50% health.
The best tip to use is to make sure you get a gravitational potion when the game starts. Use it to fly to a floating island and get Starfury. It is the best sword to use to defeat the Eye of Cthulhu.
Rewards
The rewards for defeating the Eye of Cthulhu are 30-87 Demonite ore/Crimnate ore (depending on your world), 4 gold coins, and a chance to get a trophy. You can use the Demonite ore and Crimnate ore to make a quality pickaxe and armor set. In addition to defeating the Brain of Cthulhu (Crimson world) or Eater of Worlds (Corruption world).
If you’re in expert mode, you’ll get all the above and the shield of Cthulhu that enables you to dash forward and cause damage.
2. King Slime
To summon King Slime, make a gold or platinum crown then combine it with gel at a Demon Altar. Also, when you slaughter 150 or more slime in the slime rain event, it will spawn.
When it comes to fighting, King Slime mainly jumps up and down and can teleport too. It only has one phase.
You can easily defeat it by putting a rope high in the air, then sitting up there with a gun or bow. This is strategic because the boss won’t notice you. So, it’s easy to shoot it immediately it appears.
Rewards
In normal mode, you’ll get the following when you defeat King Slime:
- Shirt.
- Ninja Hood.
- Pants.
- Slimy Saddle.
- Solidifier.
- Slimy Gun.
- Slimy Hook.
- Trophy.
In expert mode, you’ll get the Royal Gel. It makes all the Slimes in your world passive.
3. The Brain of Cthulhu
This boss will spawn when you break every third crimson heart and you can summon it throughout the day using a bloody spine. It comes in two forms and one of them makes it immune to damage until any surrounding creepers are destroyed.
This means that you can only get to it after killing all the creepers. Now, considering the high number of creepers that the Brain Cthulhu brings to a fight, you should consider fighting in an open area to get adequate room to manoeuvre.
Rewards
When you win, this boss drops Crimtane which helps to make Crimson gear, weapons, and other tools.
4. Eater of Worlds
The Eater of Worlds boss spawns in corruption biomes when you destroy 2 shadow orbs. It’s quite easy to defeat it. But, you can’t use platforms because this boss won’t travel through them.
Rewards
When you kill it, the Eater of worlds drops shadow scales that are good for armor and can be sold for gold. Also, you’ll get the precious Demonite ore.
4. Skeletron
Next, you need to go to the dungeon, talk to the Old man at the entrance to spawn the Skeletron. Ask him (the Old man) about his curse at night time. The boss will appear on either the left or right side of the map close to the ocean biome. At first glance, this skeleton boss looks terrifying and intimidating. It doesn’t help that it’s fast and comes with lots of HP.
However, with the following tips and tricks, you should defeat it easily.
- First, you should set up a good fighting arena.
- Watch out for its spinning head attack.
- You must have good armor and a ranged weapon (Magic would do if you’re using a mage build). But, a space gun is perfect for those with good aim.
- Throw spiky balls in the fighting arena. They help to destroy the Skeletron slowly as you fight.
- You should target and defeat the hands first.
If you fail to defeat the Skeletron boss before the night ends, it will despawn and show up again the next day.
Rewards
On the other hand, a successful defeat enables you to access and explore the dungeon for a wide range of resources.
Some of them include a trophy, a book of skulls, and a Skeletron hand and mask. In Expert Mode, it’ll drop a bone glove.
5. Queen Bee
After conquering the dungeon, it’s time to move to the jungle and tackle the Queen Bee boss. You need to search the jungle biome and find the beehive. Go inside the beehive, get the larva then break it with your sword to summon this boss. Also, you can use Abeemination to spawn the bee.
After spawning, the Queen Bee flies through walls while shooting stingers at you. It then spawns other tiny bees that distract and annoy you. To kill the bee, you should use your space gun. Make a bridge over the honey in the beehive so that you don’t get stuck.
Rewards
Your gains for defeating this boss are:
- Bee Gun.
- BeeKeeper.
- Trophy.
- Honeyed Goggles.
- Bee Outfit.
- The Bee’s Knees
In Expert Mode, you will receive A Hive Pack that can boost your Bee weapons and equipables by 30%.
You could repeat this boss fight several times to get more of the drops listed above.
6. Wall of Flesh
This is the last boss you’ll face in pre-hardmode. Just as its name suggests, the Wall of Flesh boss is a towering mass of flesh. To summon it, you need to kill a Guide Voodoo Doll by throwing it in Lava.
While fighting this boss, watch out for the lasers it shoots and the little worms it sends your way. The two can cause heavy damage that could kill your character. The best tips you can use to win the battle include:
- Make Phoenix Blaster from Hellstone and use Meteor Bullets to cause maximum damage.
- Building a bridge across the underworld or using an Obsidian Skin potion and Feather Fall potion will help you manoeuver with ease.
Rewards
When defeated, this boss will drop eight coins and the following items:
- Laser rifle.
- 4 different emblems.
- Clockwork Assault rifle.
- Pwnhammer.
- Breaker blade.
- Trophy.
- Mask.
- Healing potion.
In Expert Mode, you’ll get a Demon Heart. This could give your character an additional equip slot.
NOTE: After defeating the Wall of Flesh Boss, the world switches to Hardmode instantly. From this point, you can’t spawn the pre-hardmode bosses again. So, try and defeat all of them before progressing.
7. The Destroyer
The Destroyer is a mechanical version of the Eater of Worlds. You can summon it using a mechanical worm together with a boss summoning tool that’s crafted by combining 6 souls of night, 5 iron/lead bars, and 6 rotten chunks/vertebrae from monsters at a Mythril/Orichalcum Anvil.
However, you must be alert immediately you enter the hardmode because the mechanical bosses are known to attack at any time in the evening.
Its lethal weapon is the laser that can cause significant damage to your character. On the other hand, you can defeat it easily using the Daedalus Stormbow.
Rewards
When you manage to kill the Destroyer boss you will earn 12 dropped coins, plus the following items:
- 25-40 souls of might.
- 15-30 hallowed bar.
- 5-15 greater healing potions.
- Destroyer trophy.
- Destroyer mask.
In Expert Mode, you’ll get a Mechanical wagon piece that you can transform into a mechanical cart later.
You should fight and defeat the Destroyer severally to get enough of the drops that will be useful as you progress.
8. Skeletron Prime
If you had a hard time killing the Destroyer then prepare for an even tougher battle with the Skeletron Prime boss. Unlike the Skeletron, it has four arms and can access a broad range of weapons. Not to mention its head can be used as a weapon too.
You should arm yourself with a Megashark, Skybridge, decent armor, and patience to go against this boss and win. Try and kill the arms first so that he can’t cover his head and fire simultaneously from 4 different weapons.
Rewards
The rewards you get after killing Skeletron prime are:
- 12 coins.
- 25-40 soul of fright.
- 15-30 hallowed bar.
- 5-15 greater healing potions.
- Skeletron prime trophy.
- Skeletron prime mask.
If you’re in Expert Mode, you’ll get a mechanical battery piece that can make a mechanical cart.
9. The Twins
These are the last mechanical bosses to fight in Terraria. They are improved versions of the Eye of Cthulhu—hence the double eyes. You can summon them using a mechanical eye in the evening. But, only do that after gearing up properly. You’ll need a skybridge, minecart track, megashark, and cursed/Ichor bullets.
Next, you must incorporate more skill and tactics in your fighting. For instance, always fire while they enter their second phase because it stops them from moving for a few seconds. As a result, you get the chance to inflict damage on their health. This makes it easy to fight them in their second phase.
Focus on matching Spazmatizm’s speed and try to take it out first. Be careful because its cursed flame projectile in the second phase is deadly. You can take cover in your minecart. Keep an eye on Retinazer in case it’s falling too far behind. Switch directions to ensure it’s within distance, and won’t despawn when you kill Spazmatizm.
Rewards
The rewards for defeating these two bosses include:
- 12 coins.
- 25-40 Souls of Sight
- 15-30 Hallowed Bar.
- 5-15 Greater Healing Potion.
- Twin Mask.
In Expert Mode, you’ll receive a mechanical wheel piece.
10. Plantera
After defeating the three mechanical bosses, you can summon the Plantera by destroying one of its bulbs in the underground jungle using a pickaxe. It will show up and start moving all over the place with its vines while shooting seeds at you. This makes it hard to build a fighting arena.
When it gets to 50% health, its speed and damage double. You will know it has entered the second phase when its mouth opens more and the speed increases.
Some of the tips you can use to fight bosses in Terraria include opening a big fight area so that you can move around easily. Second, throw spiky balls around the place to cause extra damage. Third, use a gun or a bow with meteor bullets so that you can fight from a safe distance.
Rewards
These are what you get after defeating the Plantera boss in Terraria
- Grenade launcher.
- Temple key that allows you to fight Golem in the temple.
- Leaf blower
- Venus magnum
- Wasp gun.
- Flower pow.
- 5-15 Greater healing potion
- A Plantera Trophy.
- A Plantera mask.
- Thorn hook.
In Expert Mode, you’ll get a spore sac. It spawns pores that end up causing maximum damage to enemies.
11. Golem
Once you get the temple key, make your way to the jungle temple, Go inside and stop when you reach the end. Look for batteries (Lihzahrd power cells) in the chests. Take the batteries then go and activate them in the altar to spawn Golem.
During its first phase, Golem uses its fist to punch you. Now, when you defeat the hands, it enters the second phase where the head pops off and starts shooting lasers at you.
You must move quickly to escape the punches and lasers. Then you can get poisoned bullets and a good weapon to fire them at the Golem. This will cause enough damage to this boss.
Rewards
Your rewards for beating Golem are:
- 15 coins.
- Golem Trophy.
- Golem Mask.
- Staff of Earth.
- Golem Fist.
- Heat Ray.
- Eye of the Golem.
- Sun Stone.
- Possessed Hatchet.
- 4-8 Beetle Husk that’s used to make strong armor.
- Stynger.
In Expert Mode, you’ll get a shiny stone that fastens health regeneration whenever you’re immobile.
12. Lunatic Cultist
The Lunatic Cultist boss spawns almost immediately you defeat the Golem boss. To initiate the fight, kill all the non-aggressive cultists that spawn in front of the giant gold sphere. Be ready for either one or three deadly attacks from this boss.
First, it will throw fireballs or big chunks of ice at you. Next, bolts of lightning will be shot at your character. And, finally, it will summon its duplicates to fight you. If you kill a duplicate, a Wyven spawns and makes the fight even harder. The Lunatic Cultist will cycle through these attacks until you manage to kill it.
Your best bet in this fight is to get a good gun with chlorophyte bullets. Also, you must know how to differentiate between the doppelgangers and the real boss.
Rewards
Defeating the Lunatic cultists trigger the lunar events and the following rewards:
- 10 Coins.
- Ancient Manipulator.
- 5-15 Greater Healing Potion.
- Lunatic Cultist Mask.
- Lunatic Cultist Trophy.
13. The Moon Lord
Finally, the lunar events will lead you to the last and toughest boss in Terraria—The Moon Lord. To summon it, you must have killed the Lunatic Cultists then proceed to beat the 4 Celestial towers. Most importantly, you must be prepared.
Unlike the other bosses you’ll fight in Terraria, it has a wide range of attacking points. From its chest, hands, forehead, eyes, you name it. Not to mention it shoots lasers, throws little green balls that cause extra damage.
Every hit causes severe damage that could lead to your death. You must get good armor to shield yourself then look for a flying mount and a good gun with chlorophyte bullets.
Rewards
A win against this boss will earn you the following:
- 70-100 Luminite.
- 5-15 Super Healing Potions.
- 5-15 Greater Healing Potions.
- Last prism.
- Terrarian.
- S.D.M.G.
- Portal gun.
- Meowmere Minecraft
- Moon Lord Trophy.
- Moon Lord Mask.
- Star Wrath.
- Rainbow Crystal Staff.
In Expert Mode, you’ll get a suspicious-looking tentacle (a pet) and a Gravity Globe (unlimited gravitation potion).
Hardmode Bosses
The hardmode bosses are a little tougher and smarter. Before you start to fight these bosses in Terraria (any of them), collect as many useful resources as you can. From hardmode ores, leaf wings, to mimics.
The top three hardmode bosses you’ll fight in Terraria are collectively known as mechanical bosses. They are:
- The Destroyer
- Skeletron
- The Twins
What boss should I fight first in Terraria?
The Eye of Cthulhu. Why? Because it’s the first one to spawn, easy to defeat, and you’ll earn useful rewards for your next boss fight.
What is the easiest boss in Terraria?
The easiest boss to defeat in Terraria will be the first one—the Eye of Cthulhu. You don’t need a lot of weapons or tactics to defeat it.
Which Terraria Boss is the hardest?
The hardest boss to defeat in Terraria will be the Moon Lord. It comes with complex and devastating fighting tactics. No wonder it’s the last boss in Terraria.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide helps you to fight and defeat all the bosses in Terraria so that you can advance. When you get to the end, you could try out Expert mode or fight the other bosses that were not mandatory. These include Empress of Light, Queen Slime, Pumpkin moon, among others.