You've probably been there. You walk into that arena, the music shifts to something frantic, and suddenly this absolute tank of a boss is barreling toward you with a sound that’s less of a roar and more of a mechanical screech. It's frustrating. Honestly, the Roaring Knight is one of those skill checks that makes people want to put their controller through the drywall. But here's the thing: most players lose because they're trying to out-aggro a boss that literally feeds on aggression. You can't just mash buttons and hope for a stagger. It won't happen.
The Roaring Knight is a masterclass in rhythm disruption. If you’ve played games like Elden Ring or Lies of P, you know the type. He has these delayed swings that are specifically designed to catch your panic roll. You see the arm go up, you dodge, and then—BAM—the hammer comes down right when your invincibility frames end. It’s mean. It’s calculated. And if you want to win, you have to stop playing his game and start making him play yours.
👉 See also: A Minecraft Movie: What Really Happened With the Release Date
Understanding the Roaring Knight's Mechanics
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the gear, we need to talk about why you’re actually dying. It’s usually the "Roar" mechanic itself. When that meter fills up, your character stumbles, your stamina recovery hits rock bottom, and you’re basically a sitting duck for his overhead slam.
Most people ignore the sound cues. Don't do that. When the Knight’s chest plate begins to glow a dull orange, he’s priming a sonic burst. This isn't just flavor text; it’s a physical projectile. If you're standing directly in front of him, you’re going to take massive posture damage. The trick is to dodge through the sound wave, not away from it. It sounds counterintuitive, I know. But the active frames of the roar are actually quite short. If you time your dodge forward, you end up right at his feet while he’s still recovering from the animation.
The Gear Check
You don't need the most "meta" build to win, but you do need to be smart. Heavy armor is a trap here. I’ve seen so many players load up on the thickest plate they can find, thinking they can tank the hits. You can't. The Knight’s physical damage is high, sure, but his poise-breaking potential is higher. If you’re mid-rolling or fat-rolling, you are dead. Period.
Go for a medium weight. You want those fast recovery frames.
As for weapons, fast hitting is usually better than heavy hitting. Why? Because the Roaring Knight has a "revenge" counter. If you hit him with a heavy attack that doesn't stagger him, he has a high probability of instantly transitioning into a horizontal sweep that comes out faster than your recovery animation. If you use something like a thrusting sword or a fast axe, you can get two pokes in and still have time to raise a shield or parry.
How to Fight the Roaring Knight Without Losing Your Mind
Let's break down the phases, because the fight changes drastically once he hits 50% health.
In Phase 1, he’s predictable. He usually leads with a three-hit combo: a diagonal slash, a backhand, and an overhead slam. The overhead slam is your golden ticket. It has a long recovery time where the hammer actually gets stuck in the ground for about 1.5 seconds. That is your window. Don't waste it trying to heal; use it to apply status effects. Bleed or Frost work wonders here because his resistances are surprisingly low for a guy covered in metal.
👉 See also: March 19 NYT Connections Hints: Why Today Is A Total Head-Scratcher
Then comes Phase 2. This is where people tilt.
At half health, the Knight rips off his cape and his movements get erratic. He starts using the "Leaping Roar." He’ll jump across the entire arena, and if he lands on you, it’s a one-shot for most builds. The key here is to keep your camera unlocked. I know that sounds like heresy to some players, but the lock-on camera struggles when he goes vertical. By unlocking, you can sprint to the side and keep him in your peripheral vision, making it much easier to judge the landing spot.
The Secret of the Pillars
Look around the arena. Notice those crumbling stone pillars? They aren't just there for decoration. They are your only real cover against his "Scream" attack. When he stands in the center and starts vibrating, he’s about to let out a room-wide AOE. You cannot dodge this with a standard roll unless your timing is frame-perfect.
Instead, get a pillar between you and him. The pillar will take the hit and shatter, but you'll remain unscathed. You only get four of these, though. Think of them as lives in a platformer. If you waste them early in the fight, you're going to have a very bad time during the final 10% of his health bar.
Advanced Tactics: The Parrying Risk
Can you parry the Roaring Knight? Yes. Should you? Probably not unless you’re a god at the game. His timing varies based on his "Rage" level. The more hits he takes, the faster his swing speed becomes. This means the parry window you learned at the start of the fight is no longer valid by the end.
🔗 Read more: Why New Super Mario Bros. 2 for Nintendo 3DS is Still the Weirdest Mario Game Ever Made
However, if you're feeling brave, his "Running Charge" is the easiest move to deflect. When he lowers his shoulder and starts sprinting, wait until he’s about two body lengths away, then hit your parry button. It yields a massive window for a critical hit. Just don't miss. If you miss, you’re taking a shoulder to the face and a follow-up hammer strike.
Common Misconceptions
- "I should stay far away." Wrong. If you stay far away, he spams his sonic projectiles and leaping attacks. Both are harder to dodge than his melee swings. Stay at mid-range—close enough to bait a swing, far enough to see it coming.
- "Magic makes this easy." Sorta. Glintstone-style sorcery does decent damage, but he has high magic resistance in his second phase. If you're a caster, switch to gravity spells or physical-scaling sorceries. He’s heavy; gravity hurts him more.
- "Summons are a must." Actually, summons can make this harder. They increase his total HP pool and make his AI target switches unpredictable. You might think you're safe, then he suddenly pivots 180 degrees mid-swing to crush you because your mimic tear poked him.
Breaking Down the AI Loops
The Roaring Knight operates on a "Distance + Health" logic tree. If you're low on health and try to back away to drink a potion, his AI is programmed to trigger a "Heal Punish." Usually, this is a fast projectile or a gap-closer.
To heal safely, you actually want to dodge toward him during a slow attack, get behind him, and then heal while he’s finishing his animation. It feels terrifying to heal while you're inches away from a boss, but in this case, it's the safest place to be.
Moving Forward and Winning
If you've hit a wall, stop. Take a breath. The Roaring Knight is designed to exploit frustration. When you’re frustrated, you get greedy. When you get greedy, you die.
Try a "scout run." Go into the boss room with no intention of winning. Don't even attack. Just see how long you can stay alive by only dodging and blocking. You'll start to see the gaps in his armor—literally. You’ll notice the way his left leg drags before he does the sweep. You'll hear the specific pitch of the roar before the shockwave. Once you "see the code," the intimidation factor vanishes.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Attempt:
- Strip down to a medium roll. If you’re heavy, change your armor right now. That extra defense isn't saving you; it’s making you a target.
- Equip a weapon with fast recovery. Even if it does less damage per hit, the ability to dodge out of a whiffed attack is priceless here.
- Save the pillars. Do not hide behind them in Phase 1. Save them for the Phase 2 scream attacks. They are a limited resource.
- Watch the chest, not the hammer. The hammer is a distraction. The glow on his chest plate tells you when the real danger—the roar—is coming.
- Stop backing away. Use your dodges to get behind him or to his sides. The "danger zone" is a 120-degree cone directly in front of him. Avoid it.
You've got this. The Roaring Knight is a bully, and like every bully, he folds once you stop being afraid of him and start exploitng his predictable patterns. Good luck.