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Boss progression18
All 18 Terraria bosses in the order most players fight them, with classic mode stats and their best drops. Every boss links to a full drop table with exact rates from the 1.4.5 game data.
why the order matters
Terraria gates nearly everything behind a boss kill. A new ore, a new vendor, a new tier of enemy: each one opens up when something large dies. The list below runs roughly in the order you meet them, split at the point where the world flips into Hardmode. Two of the early entries are mutually exclusive, since a world grows either Corruption or Crimson and each evil has its own body to kill.
summoning them, and losing them
Most have a summon item you craft or find, which lets you pick the moment and build the arena first. A few also turn up on their own once your health and defense cross a threshold, which is how a lot of first runs meet Eye of Cthulhu at a terrible time. The other half of the rule is that they leave. Night fights flee at dawn and come back at full health, Eater of Worlds burrows away if you drag it clear of the Corruption, and Plantera does not chase you home so much as get much stronger the second you step out of the jungle.
event bosses are a different thing
Some entries here are not fought once. Event bosses appear inside the Pumpkin Moon, Frost Moon, Pirate Invasion and Old One's Army, can show up several times in one night, and unlock nothing. Treat them as farm targets rather than milestones.
- 1. King Slime
- 2. Eye of Cthulhu
- 3. Eater of Worlds
- 4. Brain of Cthulhu
- 5. Queen Bee
- 6. Skeletron
- 7. Deerclops
- 8. Wall of Flesh
- 9. Queen Slime
- 10. The Twins
- 11. The Destroyer
- 12. Skeletron Prime
- 13. Plantera
- 14. Golem
- 15. Duke Fishron
- 16. Empress of Light
- 17. Lunatic Cultist
- 18. Moon Lord
Pre-hardmode bosses
King Slime
A huge slime that spawns smaller slimes and shrinks as it takes damage. Summon it with a Slime Crown, or finish a Slime Rain event and it drops in on its own. The easiest first kill in the game and the source of the Slimy Saddle mount.
Eye of Cthulhu
Usually the first boss a new character fights. It can turn up on its own at night once you have 200 life, or you can summon it with a Suspicious Looking Eye. Below half life it sheds its iris and switches to fast chain charges.
Eater of Worlds
A giant worm summoned in the Corruption by smashing three Shadow Orbs or using Worm Food. Killing a middle segment splits it into two shorter worms, and every segment drops loot. Farm it for the Shadow Scales and Demonite Ore behind the first big armor upgrade.
Brain of Cthulhu
The Crimson counterpart of the Eater of Worlds, summoned by smashing three Crimson Hearts or using a Bloody Spine. The brain stays invulnerable until you clear the Creepers circling it, then it starts teleporting around you. It drops the Tissue Samples and Crimtane Ore for the crimson gear tier.
Queen Bee
Summoned by breaking the Larva inside a jungle Hive or using an Abeemination anywhere in the Jungle. She alternates between straight-line charges and hovering while firing stingers and spawning bees. Her drops include the Bee Gun, the Bee Keeper and the Hive Pack.
Skeletron
Guards the Dungeon and has to die before you can explore it. Talk to the Old Man at the entrance at night to start the fight, kill the hands, then dodge the spinning head. Enter the Dungeon early and Dungeon Guardians kill you in one hit.
Deerclops
A crossover boss from Don't Starve. Summon it with a Deer Thing in the Snow biome, or let it appear on its own during a Blizzard at midnight. It never despawns, so you can wear it down across several attempts.
Wall of Flesh
The last pre-hardmode boss and the gate to hardmode. Throw a Guide Voodoo Doll into lava in the Underworld, then outrun the wall while breaking down its eyes and mouth. Killing it flips the world to hardmode and drops a class emblem plus the Pwnhammer.
Hardmode bosses
Queen Slime
An early hardmode boss summoned with a Gelatin Crystal from the Underground Hallow. She fights on the ground first, then takes flight for her second phase. Worth beating early for the Gelatinous Pillion, a flying mount that carries you through the mech fights.
The Twins
Two mechanical eyes on one summon, the Mechanical Eye, used at night. Retinazer hangs back with lasers while Spazmatism chases you with cursed flames, and each transforms into a nastier second form at half life. They drop the Souls of Sight behind Hallowed gear and the Optic Staff.
The Destroyer
A mechanical Eater of Worlds summoned with a Mechanical Worm at night. It never splits; instead the body releases Probes that fire lasers and drop hearts. Piercing weapons hit many segments at once, which makes it the easiest mech for most builds.
Skeletron Prime
The mechanical Skeletron, summoned with a Mechanical Skull at night. Four arms guard the head: a saw, a vice, a cannon and a laser, each with its own life bar. The head gains huge defense while it spins, so land your damage between spins.
Plantera
Unlocked after all three mechanical bosses are down, when pink bulbs start growing in the Underground Jungle; break one to start the fight. She fires seeds and spiky balls from range, then chases with biting tentacles below half life. Killing her drops the Temple Key and halves the spread of the evil biomes.
Golem
A stone guardian fought inside the Jungle Temple by using a Lihzahrd Power Cell on the altar. Its fists punch on chains and its head detaches to fire lasers in the second phase. Drops include the Picksaw, the Sun Stone and a rotating pool of strong weapons.
Duke Fishron
An optional ocean boss summoned by fishing with a Truffle Worm as bait. He cycles between charges, detonating bubbles and sharknado spawns, and gets much faster in his later phases. His drops, like Fishron Wings and the Tsunami, beat most gear from his tier.
Empress of Light
Summoned by killing a Prismatic Lacewing in the Hallow at night. The whole fight is a dodging test built on dense, telegraphed projectile patterns. Fight her during the day and every hit she lands kills you instantly, but the reward is the Terraprisma.
Lunatic Cultist
Appears at the Dungeon entrance after Golem dies; kill the four cultists there to start the fight. He mirrors himself, and hitting a copy summons a Phantasm Dragon, so track the real one carefully. His death starts the Lunar Events and raises the four Celestial Pillars.
Moon Lord
The final boss, arriving one minute after the last Celestial Pillar falls, or summoned directly with a Celestial Sigil. Break the eyes on his hands and forehead to expose the core, and keep moving to dodge the Phantasmal Deathray. He drops Luminite and one weapon from the strongest pool in the game.
