The 10 guardians of Door Knight, door by door

Every Door Knight world is ten doors long. At door 5, a mini-boss; at door 10, the world's guardian. Each has its own attacks (charges, rains of projectiles, summons) and beating it for the first time gives a chest of gold and potions. After the tenth guardian, Circle II restarts the ten worlds, deadlier, and changes the mood (day, dusk, night, blood moon).

The rules that work against all ten

• Read the ground. Like monsters, guardians announce their attacks with zones on the ground. A charge can be seen coming; so can a rain of projectiles. Get out first, strike second.
• Summons first. When a guardian calls monsters, they announce their spells too. An area spell (Mage, Knight's Whirlwind, Archer's Volley) clears the summons before they surround you.
• Projectiles are a resource for the Knight. It reflects them. Against a guardian that sprays, it is the class that suffers least.
• One weapon rank before retrying. Every rank raises your attack. If the fight drags on too long, the problem is often there, not in your positioning.
• Mini-boss potions are for guardians. The door-5 mini-boss gives you what you need to hold on at door 10.

The ten, in their own words

Every guardian introduces itself before the fight, out loud. Here is its line and its mini-boss's.

Door 10 · Slime King (Mistwood Forest)

"Nobody crosses my slimy kingdom. Bow before your king!" Its mini-boss, the Troll Chief: "Nobody crosses my forest… The mist will swallow your bones!" The game's first test: this is where you learn to leave the zones.

Door 20 · Bone Lord (Echo Caves)

"Your bones will join my collection. I was just missing a hero." Before it, the Skeleton Captain: "Listen to the echo, mortal… it is the last sound you will hear."

Door 30 · Mother of Toads (Putrid Swamp)

"My children are hungry… and you smell like a feast." The swamp is the world of poison: keep a potion. Mini-boss, the Swamp Witch: "Heh heh… another hero for my cauldron. The swamp never forgets!"

Door 40 · Cursed Pharaoh (Amber Desert)

"My tomb opens only once. You will not come out." Mini-boss, the Anubis Guardian: "The sand has weighed your heart. It is too light to pass this door."

Door 50 · Colossus of the Peaks (Frozen Peaks)

"The mountain backs down from no one. You will be buried!" The Frozen Peaks are the world of slow: a slowed hero inside a ground zone doesn't get out. Mini-boss, the Alpha Wolf: "Grrr… The pack is hungry. And ice keeps the meat well."

Door 60 · Lava Minotaur (Volcanic Forge)

"My lava has forged weapons harder than you. On your knees!" Mini-boss, the Magma Colossus: "The forge thirsts for steel. Your armor will melt like wax!" The world of burn.

Door 70 · Abyssal Kraken (Sunken City)

"The tide is rising, little hero… Nobody comes back up from the abyss." Mini-boss, the Black Siren: "Come closer… Listen to my song. The abyss awaits you."

Door 80 · Black Knight (Haunted Castle)

"I have guarded this castle for a thousand years. Cross swords, if you dare." A duel: the guardian closest to a player-versus-player fight. Mini-boss, the Ancient Gargoyle: "A thousand years of stone… and I wake only for you."

Door 90 · Thunder Griffin (Storm Skies)

"The sky rumbles for you… Lightning will be your last light." Mini-boss, the Fallen Queen: "I lost my crown in the storm… I will take your head instead."

Door 100 · Ancestral Dragon (Dragon's Lair)

"A hundred doors… and you think you can challenge me? Burn, mortal!" The last guardian of Circle I. Mini-boss, the Scarlet Drake: "Feel that heat? My master sleeps further in… you will not reach him." After it, Circle II begins: the same ten worlds, deadlier, without end.