The Blood-Starved Beast is an optional boss in Bloodborne found in Old Yharnam. The boss is quite challenging owing to its breakneck attack speed and the ability to passively build up poison. Many new players have quit the game because of this dreaded boss but you don’t have to.
The bosses in Bloodborne are not easy if you are new to the game. Every single boss has a weakness in something, and it is up to you to find and exploit that weakness. You could also just push through the fight without learning the weakness, but that just makes the fight harder.
Related: Ranking the Bloodborne Bosses by Difficulty
For that reason, we have made a short and easy guide on how to defeat this evil monster.
Fighting Blood-Starved Beast
Blood-Starved Beast is a menace! She has a lean physique and uses that to her benefit with her flurry of swift slashing attacks. The skin flaps near her face aren’t just extremely vile-looking but confuse you with their erratic movements.
Speaking of erratic movement, the boss is all about fluctuating attacks. One moment, she is slowly walking, sizing you up, and in the next movement, she comes out at blazing speeds with a barrage of wild swings ready to shred you into pieces and then goes back to her slow walk. It is very hard to predict this boss.
Not to mention, the poisonous attacks in the later stages of the fight and the aura of poison in the last phase make this fight even more challenging to manage.
Here are some tips you can use when facing Blood-Starved Beast in Bloodborne:
- Like any other Beast, this boss is extremely susceptible to fire damage. Constantly buffing your weapon with the Fire Paper is highly advised. Molotovs will have a hard time connecting to the boss because of her speed so best to ignore them.
- You can parry single attacks and the last of the combos easily.
- Alfred can be summoned for this fight. He will help manage the boss and take some pressure off you.
- Forget about Bolt Paper.
- Keep as many Antidotes on you as possible and equip them to your quick slots. Use them ASAP when she goes poison crazy. You can find some behind the statue at the far end of the arena as well.
- The Pungent Blood co*cktail can be thrown to the sides and while she is distracted, you can continue attacking her.
- An armor set with adequate slow poison resistance is good.
- The Flamesprayer is a formidable firearm to bring to this fight.
Strategy
The boss technically has 3 phases but they are generally the same since she doesn’t go through a drastic transformation.
The only difference is that few attacks are added in the second phase and her attacks cause poison build-up. Additionally, in the third phase, she emits a small radius of Slow Poison whereby standing near her builds it up.
The best strategy is to apply Fire Paper as you enter the arena and lob a Pungent Blood co*cktail to the side. You must carry the maximum number of this item. When she investigates that area, move behind her and perform a fully charged R2 attack. This will break her poise and she will be open to a Visceral Attack.
Keep throwing the Blood co*cktail and repeating the heavy attack pattern and she’ll soon be removed from existence.
If you want to face her head-on then keep in mind most of her attacks are front-focused. She has no side-swipes. Stay to her side and you will be safer. In the later stages, her long slashing combos will keep on going straight even if you move to the side. Use this time to stick behind her and attack while her animation plays out.
Sticking to your left side will ensure most of her attacks to completely whiff. Her attacks have long wind-ups and thus can be parried easily. So if you are confident, take every opportunity you get to parry her and the subsequent Visceral Attacks will make quick work of her.
Moveset
Here are all the attacks you have to look out for:
- Swipes: Swipes her claws after a small wind-up. She can chain several swipes so be careful.
- Reaction: Parry this attack or dodge to the left side. Stay away from her since she can continue swiping.
- Lunge: Draws her hand backward and thrusts herself towards you with a claw swipe, covering a greater distance.
- Reaction: Dodge to the side.
- Grab: Lunges forward after a bit of pause. If she grabs you, she will perform a grab attack which builds poison.
- Reaction: Spot the pause before the attack and prepare to dodge to the side.
- Crazy Slashes: A series of wild slashes that goes on for a longer duration. Each slash thrusts her forward.
- Reaction: This can be parried if you time it right. Or start dodging to the side and try to move in behind her to deal some damage.
- Poison AOE: When she transitions into her third phase, she rears up and an explosion occurs around her which sends you flying all the while building up poison.
- Reaction: If you can dodge at the right time, then start attacking her while she is stuck in the animation. If you can not guess the timing then it is best to stay away.
Rewards for Defeating Blood-Starved Beast
After beating the Blood-Starved Beast in Bloodborne, you will be rewarded with the Pthumeru Chalice. You can use it to gain access to the Pthumeru Dungeon from the Hunter’s Dream.
You will also unlock a shortcut door in the Cathedral Ward that will lead you to the Healing Church Workshop. (The door is to the right of the lamp).
