Terraria does not tell you where to go next, but its bosses do. The required ones each unlock something you cannot progress without, and the optional ones give gear that makes the required ones easier. Learn which is which and the whole game becomes a clear route.
The single most important line on that route is the Wall of Flesh: killing it turns the world into Hardmode permanently, with new ores, new enemies and a large jump in difficulty.
Pre-Hardmode boss order
| # | Boss | How to summon | What it unlocks | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King Slime | Slime Crown, or appears during Slime Rain | Early accessories and the Ninja gear | Optional |
| 2 | Eye of Cthulhu | Suspicious Looking Eye at night | Demonite or Crimtane ore for better gear | Optional |
| 3 | Eater of Worlds / Brain of Cthulhu | Worm Food / Bloody Spine, or break 3 Shadow Orbs / Crimson Hearts | Shadow Scales or Tissue Samples — the pickaxe that mines Hellstone | Optional |
| 4 | Queen Bee | Abeemination, or break the larva in a Jungle hive | Bee gear, strong for summoners and early ranged | Optional |
| 5 | Skeletron | Talk to the Old Man at the Dungeon at night | Entry to the Dungeon and the Clothier | Required |
| 6 | Deerclops | Deer Thing in the Snow biome | Unique drops; no progression unlock | Optional |
| 7 | Wall of Flesh | Drop a Guide Voodoo Doll into Underworld lava | Hardmode, the Pwnhammer and new ores | Required |
Only Skeletron and the Wall of Flesh are strictly required before Hardmode. The others are still worth fighting: Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu gives the material for the pickaxe that mines Hellstone, and Hellstone gear is what most players take into the Wall of Flesh.
How to know you are ready for the Wall of Flesh
- You have Hellstone-tier gear (Molten armor and a Hellstone weapon) or equivalent.
- You have built a long, flat bridge across the Underworld, because the Wall pushes you sideways for the whole fight.
- You have healing potions and buff potions, especially Ironskin and Regeneration.
Before you kill it, consider what Hardmode will change: the world gains Hallow and spreading Corruption or Crimson, and harder enemies appear everywhere. If you want to finish pre-Hardmode goals in peace, do them first. For what to do in the first hours after it dies, see the Hardmode Guide.
Hardmode boss order
| # | Boss | How to summon | What it unlocks | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Slime | Gelatin Crystal in the Underground Hallow | A mount and early Hardmode weapons | Optional |
| 2 | The Destroyer | Mechanical Worm at night | Hallowed bars and Souls of Might | Required |
| 3 | The Twins | Mechanical Eye at night | Hallowed bars and Souls of Sight | Required |
| 4 | Skeletron Prime | Mechanical Skull at night | Hallowed bars and Souls of Fright | Required |
| 5 | Plantera | Break a Plantera's Bulb in the Underground Jungle (appears after all three mechs) | Temple Key for the Jungle Temple | Required |
| 6 | Golem | Lihzahrd Power Cell at the altar inside the Jungle Temple | The Picksaw; makes the Lunatic Cultist appear | Required |
| 7 | Duke Fishron | Fish with a Truffle Worm in the Ocean | Strong weapons for every class | Optional |
| 8 | Empress of Light | Kill a Prismatic Lacewing in the Hallow at night | Strong weapons; very hard | Optional |
| 9 | Lunatic Cultist | Kill the cultists at the Dungeon entrance | Starts the Celestial Pillars | Required |
| 10 | Moon Lord | Destroy all four Celestial Pillars (or use a Celestial Sigil) | Luminite and endgame gear | Final boss |
The three mechanical bosses
All three must die before Plantera can appear, but the order is yours. A common plan is the Destroyer first: it is one long chain of segments, so piercing and area-damage weapons hit many at once. Skeletron Prime is often left for last because its arms deal a lot of damage. The Hallowed bars from each kill let you craft better gear for the next — and the Drax or Pickaxe Axe made from them is what mines Chlorophyte.
Each mechanical boss is fought at night and leaves at dawn. Start the fight right after nightfall and build a long platform arena first. Fighting in open terrain is the most common reason these bosses feel impossible.
Plantera to the Moon Lord
Plantera is the second big wall after the Wall of Flesh. Its bulbs only appear once all three mechs are dead, and the fight takes place underground in the Jungle — clear a large arena first. Its Temple Key opens the Jungle Temple, where Golem is summoned with a Lihzahrd Power Cell.
After Golem, the Lunatic Cultist appears at the Dungeon entrance. Beating it starts the Lunar Events: four Celestial Pillars (Solar, Vortex, Nebula, Stardust) spawn across the world, and each must be worn down by killing its enemies before it can be damaged. When the last one falls, the Moon Lord arrives shortly after.
Optional bosses: are they worth it?
| Boss | Worth it? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| King Slime | Yes, early | Quick fight and decent accessories |
| Eye of Cthulhu | Yes | Ore for better early gear; a good first test |
| Eater of Worlds / Brain of Cthulhu | Yes | Leads to the pickaxe that mines Hellstone |
| Queen Bee | Yes for summoners | Bee gear carries summoners and early ranged |
| Deerclops | Optional | Fun drops, no progression |
| Queen Slime | Yes | A mount and solid early-Hardmode weapons |
| Duke Fishron | For strong players | Excellent drops, but hard |
| Empress of Light | For strong players | Excellent drops; in daylight it becomes far deadlier |
Traps that stall progression
- Starting Hardmode too early. Killing the Wall of Flesh with weak gear leaves you in a world full of Hardmode enemies you cannot handle.
- Fighting bosses without an arena. Long platforms with campfires and heart lanterns (for health regeneration) make most bosses dramatically easier.
- Skipping potions. Ironskin, Regeneration and Swiftness are cheap and change fights. Money to fund them is covered in the Money Making Guide.
- Upgrading in every direction. Pick a class and gear it for each boss — see the Class and Build Guide.
For which weapons to be holding at each step of this route, see the Weapon Progression Guide, and for your first hours before the Eye of Cthulhu, the Beginner Guide.
★Honest Take: the route is the game
Terraria's freedom is real, but its bosses are what give that freedom direction. Knowing that Skeletron opens the Dungeon, that the Wall of Flesh changes the world for good, and that the mechs gate Plantera turns "what do I do now?" into a clear next goal at every step. The fights themselves reward preparation more than reflexes: a long arena, the right potions and gear from the previous boss decide most of them.
