Doom Eternal Hardest Enemies Ranked

Doom Eternal has a rather different enemy roster, that’s for sure. Many demons from Doom 2016 make a comeback, but id Software has also added some of the enemies originally incorporated in Doom II: Hell on Earth, plus they added a couple of completely new ones that have never been seen in a Doom game until now.

In this article, we’ll be ranking all of Doom Eternal’s enemies, from the weakest ones that can be dispatched with a single shotgun blast or a bullet or two, to the tankiest and most unforgiving monsters that Hell has to offer in this marvelous 2020 gore-fest.

Fodder demons are the absolute weakest enemies that you’ll face and, as the name suggests, they are little more than cannon fodder. Their primary purpose is usually to distract the player and they only pose a threat in large numbers when supporting tougher enemies.

Zombie

These are the first enemies that you’ll encounter in Doom Eternal. They shamble towards the player slowly and can only attack in melee, so they are hardly intimidating combatants. While they can actually cause a decent chunk of damage if the player is not careful, they are extremely easy to avoid and will mainly serve as health and ammo pickups throughout the game.

Lost Soul

The Lost Souls were one of the most annoying enemies in the original Doom and, thankfully, you won’t be seeing a lot of them in Doom Eternal. When you do, it’ll most often be due to the Pain Elementals spawning them and using them as weapons.

Their behavior is quite simple – they charge the player directly and deal explosive damage on hit, but luckily, they hardly have any health and can also be used to your advantage, as they will fly backward and explode on impact when shot, potentially dealing damage to other demons.

Possessed Soldier/Shield Soldier

Armed with blaster rifles, the possessed soldiers will almost constantly be firing at the player, forcing them to stay on the move. However, they move slowly and are easily staggered, plus their bulky frames make them prime targets for the combat shotgun.

The energy shield-equipped variant of the possessed soldier is a bit tougher. Still, their shields are easily bypassed with an explosive weapon, a Blood Punch, or the chainsaw, not to mention that the Plasma Rifle can overcharge the shield and make it explode, thus turning shield soldiers into walking grenades for you to use.

Mecha Zombie

The Mecha Zombie is a variant of the standard zombie that behaves in basically the same way. However, it has a ranged attack that does solid damage, a medium-range flamethrower attack, and it is more resilient than most of the fodder lineup. However, much like the possessed soldier, its slow movement speed makes it easy to outmaneuver and most weapons will make short work of it.

Imp/Gargoyle

While these are two distinct enemies with different models, their behavior is generally the same, so we decided to join them together. Imps and gargoyles are probably the most problematic of fodder demons overall, as they have both long-range and melee attacks and are very mobile.

They usually spawn in groups and will often rush you in melee, so they can easily corner and surprise a careless player. When attacking at range, the imps and the gargoyles will be throwing fireballs and spitting acid your way, respectively. Apart from having a different ranged attack, gargoyles can also fly, but they are actually slightly easier to take out than imps are, as they will often jump into the air and leave themselves open for attack.

In any case, most weapons will easily cut through them like tissue paper, but neither imps nor gargoyles should be underestimated.

Maykr Drone

Maykr Drones only appear towards the end of the game, so you won’t be seeing a lot of them. They have a rudimentary melee attack, but their main attack is a ranged barrage of energy shots that deals quite a bit of damage and can easily kill the player if not avoided.

Moreover, the drones are remarkably resilient and are the toughest of all fodder demons. However, their head is a weak point and is a prime target for the Heavy Cannon. If a headshot kills it, the drone will drop health and ammo as if you had chainsawed them, so that could be helpful in the final few levels.

Heavy demons are less numerous than fodder demons, but they are also much more dangerous. They have more health, deal more damage, and have unique abilities that make them a considerable threat throughout the game.

Pinky/Spectre

Pinkies and Spectres make a return in Doom Eternal, though they are actually easier to dispatch than ever. Heavy bone plates protect them on the front, and the sides and their primary attack is a very dangerous charge, all of which can make them come across as rather intimidating. However, said charge would also leave their weak point – their unarmored backs – wide open to attack.

Now, not only is their charge easier to dodge in Doom Eternal due to the new dodge mechanic, but the Blood Punch can also one-shot them from the front, too, so it’s a very easy way to make short work of both Pinkies and Spectres. If that doesn’t work, explosives can also damage them, and the Ice Grenade will leave them immobilized and allow the player to position themselves for a quick execution.

The Spectre’s behavior is identical to that of the Pinky, although their camouflage can make them harder to spot, especially in crowded arenas.

Carcass

The Carcass is a support demon that, while it’s not too big of a threat on its own, can cause quite a headache if supporting other demons. It randomly spawns energy shields in front of the player to protect other demons, and while these can be overloaded with the Plasma Rifle and used to your advantage, they can pose a real problem if you have limited maneuvering space to work with.

Apart from that, a Carcass can deal some good damage on its own when threatened, using energy waves to attack at range simple melee attacks at short range. Still, it can be easily dispatched using virtually any weapon.

Cacodemon

The Cacodemon is something of a mascot of the Doom series, and no Doom game would be complete without it. These floating red blobs are filled with teeth and will move towards the player, showering them with energy blasts while attempting to close in and deal massive melee damage with their bites.

They move faster than in Doom 2016 and have a ton of health, so they are nothing to scoff at. Fortunately, they are vulnerable to the Combat Shotgun’s sticky grenades and can also be taken down quickly with the Ballista or the Chaingun.

Hell Knight

The Hell Knights are fairly straightforward enemies that will simply charge you and attack you in melee with several types of heavy-hitting attacks. They have a hefty health pool, too, and no overt weakness like the Cacodemons, but are easy enough to handle once you unlock some of the game’s more powerful weapons such as the Chaingun and the Super Shotgun.

Dread Knight

The Dread Knight is a variant of the Hell Knight that moves faster, is more aggressive, and has some extra attacks up its sleeve. Most notably, they can fire ranged energy waves, and their ground attack will coat the area with energy that deals damage to the player if they stay inside it. Luckily, Dread Knights are about as resilient as regular Hell Knights, so they aren’t able to take too much punishment before going down.

Revenant

Revenants are highly mobile demons that come equipped with a jetpack and two rocket turrets. A Revenant doesn’t have as much health as many of the other heavy demons, but its mobility makes it hard to hit, not to mention that its missile volleys and homing rockets can spell a lot of trouble.

Disabling the turrets will essentially turn the Revenant into a simple melee combatant that doesn’t pose much of a threat, though actually hitting the turrets is usually more trouble than it’s worth, especially since you won’t have much trouble simply killing them after you get your hands on some stronger weapons.

Prowler

The Prowler is the imp’s bigger and badder cousin. Much like the imp, they move fast and can either attack at range with fast-moving purple fireballs or rush the player in melee. However, they have significantly more health than imps and can teleport around the arena, making it hard to pin them down.

That said, it’s a good idea to immobilize prowlers with ice grenades before taking care of them, though the Meat Hook is also often a good way to close in for an easy kill.

Arachnotron

The Arachnotron is an enemy that will be giving you hell in the early game, no pun intended. They are highly mobile, have a lot of health, and can deal a ton of damage with their plasma turret if it’s not disabled.

Granted, they become easier to deal with once you acquire some heavier weapons, but until you do, disabling their turret with the Heavy Cannon or the Sticky Bombs is a must, as they simply pack a lot more firepower than the Doom Slayer does in the early game.

Mancubus

The Mancubus is a massive demon with a ton of health that will continuously spew volleys of fireballs at the player using its hand cannons. All the while it can use a flamethrower if the player gets in close, either targeting the player or engulfing the area around it in flames to create a defensive buffer and force the player to remain at range.

Thankfully, its cannons are weak points, and they are fairly easy to destroy due to their bulk. When a Mancubus loses its cannons, it also loses its flamethrower attack, and its regular ranged attacks also become less effective.

Whiplash

Much like the Prowler, Whiplash is a tough, fast enemy designed to keep the player on the move. While it can’t teleport, it has more dangerous melee and ranged attacks, plus its erratic movements and slim frame can make it difficult to hit.

That said, the Ice Grenade and the Meat Hook are your best friends when it comes to dealing with Whiplashes, though their hefty health pool makes them viable targets for the Rocket Launcher’s Lock-on Burst, too. 

Pain Elemental

The Pain Elemental might look like just a tougher version of the Cacodemon, but they behave in a very different way. Namely, the Pain Elemental will try to stay away from the player while attacking at range, spitting fireballs, throwing Lost Souls, or spawning Lost Souls that will hover around them and protect them should the player try to close in.

That said, they are formidable ranged combatants, it can be dangerous to get up close and personal with them, and they have a ton of health with no distinct weaknesses to boot. The name doesn’t lie – they really are a pain to deal with. They’re one of the spongiest enemy types in the game, and it’s usually a good idea to soften them up with the Ballista or the Rocket Launcher before using the Super Shotgun’s Meat Hook to close in for a finishing blow.

Cyber Mancubus

The Cyber Mancubus is essentially just a Mancubus turned into a walking tank with heavy armor that uses acid instead of fire as its primary means of dealing damage. The acid attacks generate pools on the ground that will damage the player if they set foot in it, so Cyber Mancubi can severely inhibit the player’s ability to move around the arena if given enough time.

The armor makes them extremely resilient, too, though it can be instantly destroyed with the Blood Punch. Of course, this means getting into melee range, which is a risky move considering the Cyber Mancubus’ AoE acid attacks. Alternatively, explosives and rockets will take care of the armor, though the Blood Punch is by far the most effective way of getting past it.

Finally, we get to the third category, which is comprised of the toughest and deadliest demons that the game will throw at you. These essentially function as a sort of mini-bosses that you’ll be encountering throughout the campaign.

Baron of Hell

Barons make a return in Doom Eternal, albeit they went through something of a redesign. Essentially, they are just beefed-up versions of the Dread Knight this time around i.e., they attack in melee and at range using energy blades that deal a lot of damage, but they can also soak up an ungodly amount of damage themselves.

While they definitely are intimidating, once you get the hang of their attack patterns, they become easy to dodge, and the Chaingun is the best way to take them down, at least if you’re trying to save Crucible charges and BFG ammo.

Doom Hunter

First introduced as a boss, the Doom Hunter returns multiple times throughout the campaign as a regular enemy, but it does not become less dangerous. It is equipped with a floating sled that provides it with powerful long-range attacks and a regenerating energy shield.

Destroying the sled should always be your first order of business, as it will make the Doom Hunter less aggressive, less threatening, and more vulnerable since its energy shield would be permanently disabled.

Thankfully, the sled can be disabled fairly easily using the Rocket Launcher, the Super Shotgun, or the Blood Punch. However, even without its sled, the Doom Hunter is still a formidable opponent, as it will become more mobile and will still be able to take a fair amount of damage while executing quick hit-and-run attacks.

Arch-Vile

One of the most reviled enemies from Doom II (pun intended this time), the Arch-Vile makes a return in Doom Eternal and is a bigger nuisance to deal with than ever before.

Namely, it will continuously spawn new enemies into the arena, all the while buffing all the demons present. It can teleport and shield itself to avoid damage, all the while its flame attacks can be dangerous, too, not to mention that it has a hefty health pool on top of all that.

That said, the Arch-Vile is nothing to laugh at, and it should always be your priority target as soon as it appears. The Super Shotgun at close range is probably the best way to deal with it if you don’t want to use a Crucible charge, although a BFG shot might also be a good idea if the Arch-Vile managed to spawn a lot of demons.

Cyberdemon (Tyrant)

The Cyberdemon – or rather, the Tyrant, as it is called in Doom Eternal – is by far the spongiest demon in the game that can take unrivaled amounts of punishment, all the while it can also dish out a ton of damage with several different attacks. It’s a walking powerhouse, and the only upside is that fighting it is very straightforward, as there are no specific flaws that need to be exploited in specific ways.

Along with the Arch-Vile, the Tyrant is probably the best way to spend you Crucible charges, as fighting it with conventional weapons can take some time and be very challenging in some of the arenas where it has a horde of fodder and heavies supporting it.

Marauder

And now, we get to the Marauder, which is Doom Eternal’s most infamous new addition to the enemy roster. While most enemies have weaknesses that can be exploited if the player wants to dispatch them more efficiently, the Marauder has a single weakness that must be exploited, as it is the only way to defeat him.

Namely, the Marauder blocks all attacks using an energy shield that also inexplicably protects him from all explosives and super weapons. That said, he is quite literally invulnerable except during a brief window when he prepares to execute a medium-range melee attack that the player can interrupt.

Because of this, the Marauder feels largely like a gimmick rather than a proper enemy. Since there is only one way to take a Marauder down, every fight with one will play out the same way. As a result, fighting them will get repetitive very quickly, not to mention what kind of nuisance they can be when they spawn in arenas with other demons.

In any case, while we do feel that the Marauder is a poorly-designed enemy, his invulnerability, high damage, and the fact that you can’t take a “shortcut” through him using the Crucible or the BFG, all makes him the most problematic enemy to deal with, even if it is for the wrong reasons.

And that’s how we would rank all of Doom Eternal’s enemies! Of course, the list is based on our own personal experience playing the game, so depending on your playstyle, the difficulty you’re playing at, and how well you take to the new formula, you could have an entirely different experience dealing with some of these enemies.

Let us know which of these you hated the most, but also mention your second most-hated one if the number one spot is occupied by the Marauder.