Sanjuro: That thing
is the Sheriff actually. In his Zulo form. :-) You get to fight him if you choose to side with the Camarilla, IIRC.
I've beaten the game as Tremere, had more trouble fighting the gargoyle than fending off the zombies (although the gates got half-broken, but still held). Might one day replay it as a Malkavian.
Never said otherwise, just wanted to minimize spoilerization. You fight him if you side
against the Camarilla. He is the Prince's bodyguard, after all. Unless perhaps you go to the Tremere primogen and complain about what a bad boy the Prince has been - or so I would think, I haven't tried that.
I found the gargoyle rather easy with both the Tremere and the Gangrel. It was faster with the Gangrel, but I also died a few times, while the Tremere chipped him to death from afar.
I actually started the game as a Malkavian. I went with the Ultima-style character creation, as I wanted to see the questions, got a Malkavian, and then I just couldn't stop playing. Finished Santa Monica, and only then restarted.
In retrospect, the dialogue as a Malkavian is brilliant. Not only is it appropriately loopy, but they actually worked in that "insight of the insane" thing in places. My only complaint is the somewhat difficult to read font.