Vanguard is a towering demon enemy in Demon's Souls, serving as one of the game's early boss encounters. He appears as a massive, heavily armored brute armed with a huge weapon, designed to test the player's basic combat skills and awareness. In the game's lore, Vanguard is one of the powerful demons that have emerged after the Old One's awakening, embodying the destructive force spreading across Boletaria. He functions primarily as an intimidating obstacle and a tutorial-like boss, establishing the game's bleak tone and punishing difficulty.