Terraria Boss Order: Every Boss and How to Summon It

The usual Terraria boss order is Eye of Cthulhu, Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu, Skeletron and Wall of Flesh before Hardmode. After that come the three mechanical bosses, Plantera, Golem, Lunatic Cultist, the four Celestial Pillars and Moon Lord. King Slime, Queen Bee, Deerclops, Queen Slime, Duke Fishron and Empress of Light are side bosses you can fit in when you are ready.

Last checked: November 9, 2026, for Terraria 1.4.5.8. The Bigger & Boulder update did not change how any boss is summoned.

Terraria boss order at a glance

#	Boss	Stage	Main path or optional	How to summon
1	King Slime	Pre-Hardmode	Optional	Slime Crown, or kill 150 slimes during a Slime Rain
2	Eye of Cthulhu	Pre-Hardmode	Main path	Suspicious Looking Eye at night
3	Eater of Worlds / Brain of Cthulhu	Pre-Hardmode	Main path	Break 3 Shadow Orbs or Crimson Hearts, or use Worm Food / Bloody Spine
4	Queen Bee	Pre-Hardmode	Optional	Break the Larva in an underground Jungle hive, or use an Abeemination
5	Deerclops	Pre-Hardmode	Optional	Deer Thing in the Snow biome, or appears in a blizzard
6	Skeletron	Pre-Hardmode	Main path	Talk to the Old Man at the Dungeon at night and choose Curse
7	Wall of Flesh	Pre-Hardmode	Main path	Drop a Guide Voodoo Doll into lava in the Underworld
8	Queen Slime	Hardmode	Optional	Gelatin Crystal in the Hallow
9	The Destroyer	Hardmode	Main path	Mechanical Worm at night
10	The Twins	Hardmode	Main path	Mechanical Eye at night
11	Skeletron Prime	Hardmode	Main path	Mechanical Skull at night
12	Plantera	Hardmode	Main path	Break a Plantera's Bulb in the underground Jungle
13	Golem	Hardmode	Main path	Lihzahrd Power Cell on the Lihzahrd Altar in the Jungle Temple
14	Duke Fishron	Hardmode	Optional	Fish in the Ocean with a Truffle Worm as bait
15	Empress of Light	Hardmode	Optional	Kill a Prismatic Lacewing in the Hallow at night
16	Lunatic Cultist	Hardmode	Main path	Attack the cultists at the Dungeon entrance after Golem
17	Celestial Pillars	Hardmode	Main path	Appear after the Lunatic Cultist dies
18	Moon Lord	Hardmode	Main path	Destroy all four pillars, or use a Celestial Sigil

The side bosses are optional because nothing locks behind them. They still drop useful gear, so most players fight them when their equipment allows.

Pre-Hardmode bosses

King Slime

King Slime is the easiest boss and a good first fight. Craft a Slime Crown at a Demon or Crimson Altar from a Gold or Platinum Crown and 20 Gel, or kill 150 slimes during a Slime Rain and he shows up by himself.

Eye of Cthulhu

Use a Suspicious Looking Eye at night. You can find one in underground chests or craft it from 6 Lenses at a Demon or Crimson Altar. Once a player has at least 200 max life and 10 defense, the Eye also has a 1 in 3 chance to appear on its own each night until you beat it.

Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu

Your world has one of these, depending on whether it generated with the Corruption (Eater of Worlds) or the Crimson (Brain of Cthulhu). Breaking three Shadow Orbs or Crimson Hearts summons the boss, or you can craft Worm Food or a Bloody Spine. The orbs and hearts sit in caves under the biome's surface, and players often use bombs to reach them early on.

Queen Bee

Find a Bee Hive in the underground Jungle and break the Larva inside, or craft an Abeemination. Be careful around hives: a stray hit or explosion can break the Larva and start the fight before you are ready.

Deerclops

Deerclops comes from the Don't Starve crossover. It can appear in the Snow biome during a blizzard, or you can summon it with a Deer Thing while standing in the Snow biome.

Skeletron

Go to the Dungeon at night, talk to the Old Man at the entrance and choose Curse. The Old Man dies and Skeletron spawns on top of you. Kill it before morning: at daybreak it becomes enraged and can kill you in one hit. Beating Skeletron is what lets you explore the Dungeon safely.

Wall of Flesh

Kill Voodoo Demons in the Underworld until one drops a Guide Voodoo Doll, then drop the doll into the lava there while your Guide is alive. The Guide dies and the Wall of Flesh appears. Build a long, flat bridge of around 1,000 blocks across the Underworld first, because the Wall keeps advancing and you need room to back away while you attack. Beating it turns your world into Hardmode. The Terraria Hardmode guide covers what to do next.

Hardmode bosses

Queen Slime

Use a Gelatin Crystal in the Hallow. The crystals grow in the underground Hallow and, since 1.4.5, glow in the dark, which makes them easier to spot.

The Destroyer, The Twins and Skeletron Prime

The three mechanical bosses can be fought in any order, each at night with its own summon: Mechanical Worm (The Destroyer), Mechanical Eye (The Twins) and Mechanical Skull (Skeletron Prime). Once a Demon or Crimson Altar has been smashed, each one also has a chance to appear on its own at night until it has been beaten. Many players take The Destroyer first because piercing and multi-hit weapons shred its long body. They drop Hallowed Bars, the material for Hallowed armor.

Plantera

Plantera's Bulbs start growing in the underground Jungle only after all three mechanical bosses are dead. Break one to start the fight, ideally after clearing an open arena around it. Plantera drops the Temple Key, which opens the Jungle Temple.

Golem

Fight your way through the Jungle Temple to the Lihzahrd Altar and use it while you carry a Lihzahrd Power Cell. Power Cells drop from enemies inside the temple.

Duke Fishron

Catch a Truffle Worm with a Bug Net in an underground Glowing Mushroom biome, then use it as bait while fishing in the Ocean. Stay in the Ocean for the fight; Duke Fishron becomes far deadlier if you leave.

Empress of Light

After Plantera, kill a Prismatic Lacewing in the Hallow at night. The Lacewings only show up after Plantera is dead.

Lunatic Cultist and the Celestial Pillars

After Golem, cultists gather at the Dungeon entrance. Attack them to start the fight with the Lunatic Cultist. When it dies, the Solar, Vortex, Nebula and Stardust Pillars appear across the world. Each one is shielded and surrounded by its own enemies. Kill enough of them and the shield drops, so you can destroy the pillar.

Moon Lord

Moon Lord arrives shortly after the fourth pillar falls. In later fights you can call him with a Celestial Sigil. He is the final boss, and his drops include some of the strongest weapons in the game.

Event bosses and minibosses

Events have their own bosses, and none of them block progress:

Event	How to start it	Toughest enemy
Old One's Army	Eternia Crystal on its stand, both sold by the Tavernkeep	Betsy
Pirate Invasion	Pirate Map, dropped by enemies near the Ocean in Hardmode	Flying Dutchman
Solar Eclipse	Solar Tablet, or at random after a mechanical boss	Mothron
Pumpkin Moon	Pumpkin Medallion at night	Pumpking
Frost Moon	Naughty Present at night	Ice Queen
Martian Madness	A Martian Probe escapes after Golem	Martian Saucer

The Dreadnautilus is another Hardmode miniboss: fish during a Blood Moon and it can appear. In 1.4.5, the Martian Saucer is no longer listed as a boss in the Bestiary.

What changed for bosses in 1.4.5

Bigger & Boulder left the boss order alone but changed how fights feel:

Boss music: eight new tracks mean every boss now has its own theme.
Damage tracker: type /bossdamage in chat to see how much damage each player dealt.
Pylons in fights: you can now teleport with Pylons during boss fights and invasions.
Villager bonuses: each boss you beat gives your villagers a 1.5% attack speed bonus, and King Slime, Deerclops and Duke Fishron now count towards villager stat bonuses too.
Boss bags: treasure bags now show on the minimap.
Fight tweaks: King Slime and Queen Slime can now teleport onto platforms, and you can dash through Deerclops' legs with a Shield of Cthulhu or Solar armor.

Gear for each step

Every boss is a gear check. Our Terraria loadout builder names its stages after the next boss you need to beat, so pick your class and your next boss to see the recommended weapons, armor and accessories. If you play with friends, the Terraria multiplayer guide explains hosting and joining.

Frequently asked questions

What is the correct boss order in Terraria?

The main path is Eye of Cthulhu, Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu, Skeletron and Wall of Flesh, then the three mechanical bosses, Plantera, Golem, Lunatic Cultist, the Celestial Pillars and Moon Lord. King Slime, Queen Bee, Deerclops, Queen Slime, Duke Fishron and Empress of Light are optional and can be slotted in when your gear is ready.

What is the first boss in Terraria?

Most players fight King Slime or the Eye of Cthulhu first. King Slime is the easier of the two, while the Eye of Cthulhu can come for you on its own at night once you have 200 max life and 10 defense.

How do you get to Hardmode in Terraria?

Defeat the Wall of Flesh. Get a Guide Voodoo Doll from a Voodoo Demon in the Underworld and drop it into the lava there while your Guide is alive.

Which mechanical boss should I fight first?

You can fight them in any order. Many players start with The Destroyer, because weapons that pierce or hit several times deal heavy damage to its long body.

What is the final boss in Terraria?

Moon Lord. He appears after you destroy all four Celestial Pillars, which spawn once you defeat the Lunatic Cultist.

Did Terraria 1.4.5 add new bosses?

The 1.4.5 changelog lists no new bosses or changes to boss summons. It added new boss music, a damage tracker and several fight tweaks, and Re-Logic says some content was left out of the notes on purpose for players to discover.