9 Optional Video Game Boss Fights You Totally Missed
It's crazy how many miss Sekiro's Lady Butterfly. #sekiro #darksouls #fromsoftware
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00:00 We know an RPG is guaranteed to have some kind of must-destroy-the-world confrontation
00:05 at the end of it, but what about the bosses hiding in the wings?
00:09 The ones that, had you just cruised through the story, you'd have missed out on?
00:13 Some optional bosses are neatly tucked away inside missions that you might have skimmed
00:17 by and that's fair enough, yet there are others that require some outlandish means
00:21 of getting to that you wouldn't be blamed for missing.
00:24 I'm Jess from WhatCulture and here are 9 optional video game boss fights you totally
00:29 missed.
00:30 9.
00:31 Illusion of Time/Gaia - Jem the Jeweller Illusion of Time, or Gaia if you're stateside,
00:37 is a game already full of adventure, so what's a little extra in this massive world-spanning
00:42 game?
00:43 From the very start of the game, there's a travelling jeweller named Jem, fittingly,
00:46 who wants you to find and send him 50 red jewels.
00:49 These are scattered across the towns and dungeons and will net you some rewards at certain milestones,
00:54 so you might think bagging all 50 will grant you something nice.
00:58 Apparently seems that way when Jem invites you to his hidden mansion for finding them
01:02 all.
01:03 But that hope turns to fear when it transpires that Jem is actually Solid Arm, aka Metal
01:09 Mantis, from Enix's previous game Soul Blazer.
01:12 You've aided his resurrection unwittingly.
01:15 And he seems so nice.
01:16 Purely an optional boss, you wouldn't have even known he was there if you'd missed
01:19 a couple of gems along the way.
01:22 Probably for the best.
01:23 8.
01:24 Persona 5 - The Twins Persona 5 is already a ridiculously long game,
01:29 packed with enough to keep you going through one playthrough, let alone several.
01:33 So no one can blame you for not immediately jumping into New Game+ mode afterwards.
01:37 But to ignore this mode is to ignore one of the most ingenious boss fights the game has
01:41 to offer.
01:42 Yes, even more ingenious than giving death the flu.
01:45 The Twins, Caroline and Justine, play a substantial role in the main game anyway.
01:50 I'll spare you a recap, but trust me, they're there and they're important.
01:54 You can't square off against them on your first run, no matter how much you try.
01:57 In New Game+, however, you pique their interest by having something early on that makes them
02:02 want to challenge you.
02:04 And challenge they will.
02:05 You have six phases to force the Twins to change phases.
02:08 If you haven't dealt enough damage by then, they'll wipe you out.
02:12 They've also got a nasty habit of reviving each other too, so you'll need to take them
02:16 out in the same turn, lest they pull that one off on you.
02:19 Good luck.
02:20 7.
02:21 Kingdom Hearts - Kurt Zisa
02:23 This one can be easily missed due to its entry requirements.
02:26 Talk to a rug.
02:27 Rugs naturally not being known for their conversational skills.
02:30 However, fortune favours the curious Disney fam this time around, as chatting to Aladdin's
02:35 weaved wonder in the Agrabah level will take you to one of Kingdom Hearts' difficult
02:40 optional bosses.
02:41 Much like Sephiroth and the Phantom, Kurt Zisa is no joke.
02:45 He's got six arms, two of which are wielding very large blades, and he will use them.
02:50 A lot.
02:51 Not only is Zisa large and very much in charge with his strength and magic, he also has the
02:55 power to knock out your magic usage too.
02:58 Thankfully, by the time you're able to access this boss, you should be at a decent enough
03:02 level to take him on.
03:03 And much like the aforementioned bosses, the fight against Zisa isn't a quick one either.
03:08 You'll need to be prepared for a long one, as he has three different phases to get through.
03:12 Be full of heart.
03:13 Or something.
03:14 Isn't that a motto in these games?
03:16 6.
03:17 Dark Souls 3 - The Nameless King
03:19 It just wouldn't be a list about optional bosses without a healthy dose of FromSoftware
03:23 on hand, now would it?
03:24 Dark Souls 3 is no different, but The Nameless King is certainly one of the easily missed
03:29 bosses.
03:30 It's easy to miss because its entry requirements are something Dark Souls players aren't used
03:34 to doing.
03:35 That is, sitting still.
03:37 Specifically, sitting still in a gesture found at another location, and coming back to a
03:42 particular spot to do it.
03:44 How many people thought to do that instinctively?
03:46 Archdragon Peak, the location you're whisked away to, is no slouch.
03:50 It's a veritable gauntlet of tough enemies, as well as a massive dragon with an exploitable
03:55 weakness to defeat.
03:56 It's when you reach the top that you're in for a fun time.
03:59 Well, fun by Dark Souls standards with quotation marks.
04:03 You know the kind of fun.
04:04 The Nameless King is no joke, as he swoops in on a Wyvern for the battle's first phase.
04:09 And when that's grounded, the King is just as deadly on his feet.
04:12 It is worth it if you like a challenge, though, but many do miss it on their first blind run
04:16 through the game.
04:17 5.
04:18 Super Mario RPG - The Legend of the Seven Stars - Kulex
04:22 The Super Mario RPG was, to put it lightly, a surprise when it came out.
04:27 People were unsure of it, but it went on to pave the way for the likes of Paper Mario's
04:31 battle system and early style.
04:33 This is largely in part to Square Enix, formerly Squaresoft, lending their knowledge and craft
04:38 to it.
04:39 And what better way to pay respect than to have a boss that looks and plays like a Final
04:43 Fantasy number?
04:44 Kulex, a Dark Knight from the dimension of Vanda, is Squaresoft's way of paying homage
04:49 to its mainline RPG series.
04:51 It's also really easy to miss Kulex if you're not paying attention.
04:55 The entry requirements aren't genius-level difficult, as it's a small monetary fetch
05:00 quest, yet it can be passed by if you're not in the exploring mood.
05:03 But why wouldn't you want to see Squaresoft's worthy tribute to where it came from?
05:08 4.
05:09 Katana Zero - The Psychiatrist
05:11 I'm no expert, but I'm fairly certain that psychiatrists are meant to be in positions
05:15 of aid or relief, or at least help you with therapy.
05:19 Fairly sure they're not meant to lose their sh*t, shoot themselves up with a drug that
05:22 gives them psychic powers, and get vengeance on their patients.
05:25 Well, you'd hope not, given how much they charge.
05:28 Yet the man tasked with dosing up Zero, as well as handling his missions and dossiers,
05:32 can only take so much.
05:34 If you're playing as the good Zero, this one will pass you by.
05:38 However, if you constantly cut off, interrupt, and wind the psychiatrist up enough, he'll
05:42 lose it big time.
05:44 Suffering Zero no longer, he loads himself up with another kind of drug and becomes a
05:48 formidable floating foe, one with crazy psychic powers and grabby arms.
05:53 But that's only the first stage.
05:55 Stage two has him going full Tetsuo, transforming into a screen-filling blob that, amongst other
06:01 things, fires syringes at you.
06:03 It's a tense battle, as Katana Zero is a one-hit-death kind of game.
06:07 Annoy him at your own peril.
06:09 3.
06:10 Final Fantasy X - Penance You'd be forgiven for missing out on Penance,
06:14 because damn is it a tough one to get to.
06:16 None of this "I accidentally wandered into this cave" nonsense here.
06:20 No, you have to have defeated the eight Dark Aeons first, which are already tough boss
06:25 fights if you're not prepared for them.
06:27 These in-and-of themselves form the brunt of this optional boss, as they're the ones
06:31 you won't accidentally stumble upon.
06:33 Only then, after all eight are dealt with, will Penance appear on the world map.
06:38 Selecting him as a destination will see you and your team fighting him on the bow of your
06:42 ship.
06:43 He's big, and he hits very hard, and he'll regenerate his arms after a time, too.
06:48 You'll need to bring your A-game, trust me.
06:50 Fully stocked, best equipped and battle-planned for this one.
06:53 Or you could just go and use your Jimbo.
06:56 2.
06:57 Mirrorworld - Essiege Remedy's Men in Black/Twin Peaks/X-Files
07:01 adventure game has many an odd boss, including a massive mould and a giant anchor.
07:06 But none are as weird as a literal battle against a mirrored version of yourself, complete
07:11 with a reflected name - Essiege, which is Jesse backwards.
07:14 It's not the most intricate of hidden boss fights, but if you're not paying attention
07:18 to your mission list, it can be easily missed.
07:21 But pay attention to the self-reflection questline, and you'll be taken to the Mirrorworld, a
07:26 darker reflection of your own.
07:27 The fight against Essiege is pretty evenly matched, because she's, well, you.
07:32 Same gun, same powers, she's literally your equal, but, you know, darker.
07:36 Don't let that put you off though, as trying to outwit someone that has the same moveset
07:40 as you is actually quite fun.
07:43 Control is a game that encourages exploration, and takes you to some super weird places.
07:47 So is it really surprising there's a portal into a mirrored world?
07:51 Absolutely not.
07:52 1.
07:53 Sekiro - Lady Butterfly Seriously, this list alone could have been
07:56 entirely from software entries, but we've tried to pare it down.
08:00 Now I'm sure you purists out there won't see this as an optional boss, but you'd be surprised
08:04 how many can miss it.
08:06 The parts that allow you to travel to the past are integral to Sekiro's different endings,
08:10 but the means to get there isn't immediately spelled out for you.
08:13 It's quite hard to miss the little old lady holding the necessary bell, after all.
08:17 Speaking of little old ladies, Lady Butterfly is no pushover.
08:21 Neither is getting to her either, as you'll have to battle a sub-boss en route.
08:25 The thing is, you need to take out this former ally if you want the true ending.
08:29 Whilst events play out differently the second time you come back, if you haven't taken her
08:33 out, you're blocked off from doing so.
08:35 Whilst not as bad as the other boss you fight in this location, the Madam Butterfly can
08:40 mess you up big time at early levels.
08:42 She's a classic case of "just because you can come here early on, doesn't mean you should."
08:47 That's the end of our list, but let me know down in the comments if you can think of any
08:51 other optional video game boss fights you totally missed.
08:55 As always, I've been Jess from WhatCulture, thank you so much for hanging out with me.
08:58 If you like you can come say hi to me on my Twitter account where I'm @JessMcDonald, but
09:03 make sure you stay tuned to us here for plenty more great gaming lists.