Terraria: Complete Boss Order, How to Summon Each One and What to Bring (Version 1.4.5)

The recommended order of bosses in Terraria is: King Slime, Eye of Cthulhu, Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu, Queen Bee, Skeletron, and Wall of Flesh in normal mode; and then, in Hardmode, Queen Slime, the three mechanical bosses, Plantera, Golem, the Lunatic Cultist, and the Moon Lord. In this guide, you have the bosses in order, how to summon each one, what equipment to wear, what they drop, and the events that occur in between. It has been revised for version 1.4.5 "Bigger & Boulder", which was released on January 27, 2026: it does not add new bosses, but it does add new music for many of them and changes in crafting.

How progression works in Terraria

Terraria has two large halves:

• Pre-Hardmode (normal mode): from the beginning until you defeat the Wall of Flesh.
• Hardmode (hard mode): it is activated when you defeat the Wall of Flesh. New minerals appear, biomes that expand on their own (the Corruption or the Crimson, and the Hallow), and much stronger enemies.

Each boss drops materials or keys for the next step. Some are optional, but their items make the rest much easier. You don't have to defeat them in strict order, except for those that unlock areas (Skeletron, the Wall of Flesh, Plantera, Golem).

Before the first boss: get ready

• Build houses for NPCs (non-player characters): each house needs background walls, a table, a chair, a light source, and a door. NPCs sell key items: the nurse heals, the arms dealer sells bullets...
• Increase your life with life crystals (red hearts that are underground): each one gives 20 life, up to 400.
• Improve your weapons and armor with minerals: copper or tin, iron or lead, silver or tungsten, gold or platinum.
• Craft an arena for combat: one or several long platforms in the air, with campfires and heart lanterns to regenerate life.
• Potions: regeneration, iron skin (defense), and swiftness help a lot.

Pre-Hardmode bosses in order

1. King Slime

• How to summon it: with a slime crown (gel and a gold or platinum crown), or by defeating many slimes during a slime rain.
• Recommended equipment: silver or gold armor, mid-level bow or sword.
• Tip: constantly jump and attack from a distance. It's the easiest boss.
• Drops: ninja items (like the hook and ninja gear) and gel.

2. Eye of Cthulhu

• How to summon it: with the suspicious eye (6 lenses on a demonic or crimson altar). It can also appear on its own at night if you already have 200 life, more than 10 defense, and at least 3 NPCs.
• Recommended equipment: gold or platinum armor and a bow or sword with good range.
• Tip: in its second phase, it charges much faster. Run horizontally along a long platform.
• Drops: demonite or crimson ore (depending on your world) and corruption or crimson seeds.

3. Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu

It depends on whether your world has Corruption (purple) or Crimson (red):

• Eater of Worlds: a giant worm that splits into pieces when hit. Weapons that hit multiple pieces (like drilling weapons) are ideal.
• Brain of Cthulhu: first destroy its "creepers" and then attack the brain, which teleports.

How to summon them: break 3 shadow orbs or crimson hearts within their biome (with a powerful hammer or explosives), or use the worm food or bloody spine in their biome.

Drops: shadow scales or tissue samples, for the best armor of this moment and for the nightmare pickaxe or the crimson pickaxe, which mine hellstone.

Note: when you break the first orb or heart, a meteorite will fall in your world and you will be attacked by the goblin army at some point.

4. Queen Bee

• How to summon it: break the larva that is inside a beehive in the underground jungle, or use the abeemination outside of it.
• Recommended equipment: demonite/crimson or jungle armor and ranged weapons.
• Tip: don't stay in a straight line with her when she charges.
• Drops: bee weapons like the Bee Keeper sword, the Bees Knees bow, or the Bee Gun, as well as materials for bee armor and honey.

5. Skeletron

• How to summon it: at night, speak to the old man at the entrance of the dungeon and accept the curse.
• Recommended equipment: the best armor you have, a lot of health (300 or more) and ranged weapons.
• Tip: destroy the hands first or go straight to the head, dodging horizontally. If it's still alive during the day, it becomes invincible.
• Drops: unlocks the dungeon (with weapons like the Water Bolt spell or the Muramasa sword, keys, and books) and frees the Tailor.

6. Deerclops (optional)

A snow biome boss that arrived in update 1.4.3, inspired by the game Don't Starve. It appears in worlds with snow during blizzards or is summoned with its own item. It's not necessary to progress, but it drops useful weapons and accessories.

7. Wall of Flesh

• How to summon it: throw the guide voodoo doll into the lava of the Underworld (obtained by killing demons that carry it). The guide will die, but will reappear.
• Preparation: build a very long bridge (from one side of the map to the other, or at least hundreds of blocks) in the Underworld, because the wall keeps moving and you can't dodge it by jumping.
• Recommended equipment: hellstone armor (smelted) or bee armor, and ranged weapons like the Molten Fury bow or the Flower of Fire tome.
• Tip: shoot at the eyes and run in the opposite direction without stopping.
• Drops: a trophy (warrior, shooter, wizard, or summoner) and the Pwnhammer, which breaks demon altars. And most importantly: starts Hardmode.

What to do when starting Hardmode

1. Break demon altars with the Pwnhammer: each broken altar adds new minerals to the world (cobalt or palladium, mithril or orichalcum, adamantite or titanium).
2. Craft the new mineral armor mineral by mineral. Hardmode minerals only smelt in the adamantite or titanium forge.
3. Stop Corruption, Crimson, and Hallow: they spread across the world. Surround your base with trenches or blocks that don't spread.
4. Get wings to move better in combat.

Hardmode bosses in order

8. Queen Slime — optional but recommended

• How to summon it: with a slime crystal, which appears in the Hallow underground.
• Drops: useful items like the slime hook and the slime mount.

9-11. The mechanical bosses

The three can be defeated in any order, but all three are necessary for Plantera to appear. They are summoned at night with items crafted at the mithril or orichalcum anvil:

Drops: holy bars, for the holy armor (one of the best at this stage) and for the Pickaxe Axe or the Drax, which mine chlorophyte, and power, sight, and fear souls to craft weapons.

12. Plantera

• How to summon it: after defeating the three mechanical bosses, Plantera's pink bulbs appear in the underground jungle. Break one.
• Preparation: dig a long arena in the underground jungle (if it leaves the jungle, it gets angry). Use chlorophyte or holy armor.
• Tip: in its second phase, it launches tentacles and moves faster. Keep moving with a good hook.
• Drops: the temple key to open the Lihzahrd Temple in the jungle. Additionally, advanced Hardmode events begin.

13. Golem

• How to summon it: inside the Lihzahrd Temple, place a Lihzahrd power cell on the altar. The cells are found in the temple chests.
• Tip: beware of the traps in the temple. Destroy the fists first and then the head.
• Drops: weapons and the Picksaw, and unlocks the next step: cultists appear at the entrance of the dungeon.

14. Duke Fishron — optional

• How to summon it: fish in the ocean using a truffle worm as bait (caught in the glowing mushroom biome in Hardmode).
• Watch out: it's one of the toughest bosses. If it leaves the ocean, it becomes much more aggressive.
• Drops: very powerful weapons, such as the Razorblade Typhoon, the Tsunami, and Fishron wings.

15. Empress of Light (Emperatriz de la luz) — optional

• How to summon her: after Plantera, kill a prismatically colored insect (shiny insect) in the Hallow at night.
• Beware: if you summon her during the day, any hit will kill you instantly.
• Drops: spectacular weapons and wings.

16. Lunatic Cultist

• How to summon him: after defeating Golem, cultists appear in front of the dungeon. Kill the ones praying.
• Tip: be careful with their clones: if you attack a fake one, a phantom dragon appears. Keep your distance and dodge their fireballs and lightning bolts.
• After defeating him, the Celestial Pillars begin.

17. The Celestial Pillars

Four pillars appear in the world:

• Solar (melee).
• Vortex (ranged).
• Nebula (magic).
• Stardust (summoning).

Kill the enemies surrounding each pillar to break its shield and then destroy it. Each one drops fragments for the final weapons and armor of its style.

18. Moon Lord (Señor de la luna) — the final boss

• How to summon him: appears when destroying the four pillars, or with the Celestial Sigil.
• Preparation: the most difficult fight in the game. Use the best armor, the best potions, a huge arena with platforms, and a fast mount or good wings.
• Tip: destroy the eyes on the hands first and then the forehead and heart (core). His death ray deals massive damage: move horizontally without stopping.
• Drops: Luminite, the material for the best equipment in the game (like the Meowmere, the Terrarian yo-yo, or the Last Prism), and the base to craft the Zenith, the ultimate sword.

Terraria Events

Golden Tips for All Bosses

1. Build arenas with several long horizontal platforms: you can cross them up and down.
2. Campfires, Heart Lanterns, and Honey: three free regeneration sources near your arena.
3. Drink potions: regeneration, iron skin, speed, and fury or wrath for more damage.
4. Reforge your equipment with the Goblin Tinkerer: look for the "Legendary" prefix in weapons and, in accessories, those that give defense (Warding) or damage (Menacing).
5. Use a good hook: it gets you out of any trouble.
6. Play in Expert or Master mode only when you know the game: bosses drop Treasure Bags with exclusive items, but they are much harder.
7. If a boss is too hard, go back to mining, craft better equipment, and try a different type of weapon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the order of Terraria bosses? Pre-Hardmode: King Slime, Eye of Cthulhu, Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu, Queen Bee, Skeletron (Deerclops optional), and Wall of Flesh. Hardmode: Queen Slime, the three mechanical bosses, Plantera, Golem, Duke Fishron, and Empress of Light (optional), Lunatic Cultist, the Celestial Pillars, and the Moon Lord.

Does the 1.4.5 update add new bosses? No. The "Bigger & Boulder" update (January 27, 2026) adds new music for many bosses, crafting changes, and new content, but no new bosses.

Which boss activates Hardmode? The Wall of Flesh, in the Underworld.

How do you summon Plantera? Defeat the three mechanical bosses and break a pink bulb in the underground jungle.

What is the final boss of Terraria? The Moon Lord, who appears after destroying the four Celestial Pillars.

Sources: official Terraria wiki and notes from the 1.4.5 update by Re-Logic collected by Shockbyte, Nodecraft, and Gameluster.