These bosses are some of the toughest in video game history. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most challenging boss battles over the last twenty-five years! Keep in mind we will be including DLCs as their own entry if necessary.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most challenging boss
00:16battles over the last 25 years. Keep in mind, we will be including DLCs as
00:21their own entry, if necessary.
00:39In the pantheon of super bosses found across the Final Fantasy franchise, few fill us with
00:44as much dread as this blinding ball of difficulty. Should you manage to navigate the hefty prerequisites,
00:50you'll find yourself given the chance to take on Ozma. And trust us, it's not going to make
00:55things easy for you. Not only does it have some absurd attacks under its non-existent belt,
01:00such as Meteor and Level 5 Death, but it will never use an elemental attack that
01:05can be absorbed or negated. Best stack up on those Phoenix Downs. A lot of them.
01:10Omega, Dead or Alive 3
01:28Early fighting game bosses are known for their cheapness, and tendency to abuse the limits of
01:32what the player character can do. Omega easily slips into that bracket. First things first,
01:38what is up with this camera angle? You're liable to get disorientated by the sudden shift in view
01:43before Omega cheapshots you from afar. And yes, he does have projectiles. From fire to lightning
01:49to shockwaves, unless you're quick to roll your fighter out of the way, you can easily find
01:54yourself knocked to the floor, primed for a follow-up attack. It's a cycle of punishment
01:59that Omega loves to exploit. Sephiroth, Kingdom Hearts
02:19Leaping out of Final Fantasy and into the role of secret boss,
02:23the one-winged angel is waiting for those who dare to try and best the Olympic Coliseum's
02:27platinum match. As expected, Sephiroth is a beast, carrying over his moveset from the beloved JRPG
02:34into the hack and slash medium. Aside from having immense reach with his sword and being able to
02:39summon his signature supernova on the fly, the real danger stems from his heartless angel technique,
02:46which can instantly reduce Sora's HP and MP to their minimum. Not even Disney can
02:51quell Sephiroth's propensity for slaughter. Darth Malak
03:13Whether you follow the path of the Jedi or wholly embrace the dark side,
03:17this Sith Lord is still going to cause you no end of trouble. Malak's attack and defence are
03:22the highest in the game, and depending on your stats, will be able to devastate you with his
03:26flurries. Along with his force immunity and lightning, he also has 8 captive Jedi that
03:31he can use to replenish himself. Unless you're quick to save or kill them yourself,
03:36then this duel of the fates is one you are destined to lose.
03:48The End Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater
03:52This ancient sniper is perpetually a step away from death's door,
04:05not that it will stop him from riddling you with bullets. Able to camouflage himself and seemingly
04:10shoot Snake down from any angle, locating The End's hiding spot is just as much of a challenge
04:15as getting in a shot of your own. It's a meticulous and borderline arduous process
04:19that will force you to play by his rules, as opposed to running and gunning your way to
04:24victory. That is of course if you didn't take the coward's way out of pre-emptively shooting
04:29The End in an earlier level, or changing your game console's internal clock to kill the geezer
04:34via old age. Vergil Devil May Cry 3 Dante's Awakening
04:49Dante's brother is a lot of things. Effortlessly cool, callous and cynical,
05:01and possibly the hardest boss of his generation. The speed at which he can deal damage is insane,
05:08made all the worse by his ability to parry, counter and bust out his own devil trigger
05:12as swiftly as his sibling. Just when you might think you've finally worn him down and got to
05:17grits with his attack patterns, he'll ramp everything up to 11 and fill the screen with
05:21his judgement cuts. Like with anything Vergil related, it is all too easy to be overwhelmed.
05:27Nick's Avatar Persona 3
05:4714 phases, 14! In the long history of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei bosses,
05:54few struck fear into the hearts of players quite like this nightmarish end-bringer.
05:59Just when you might think you've got a read on its weaknesses and strengths,
06:02it will shift to a new tarot card and switch it all up, forcing you to readjust your tactics on
06:07the fly, made all the worse by Persona 3's brutal fatigue system. Unless you've prepared
06:13beforehand, this boss is going to be an unforgiving gauntlet.
06:17Zeus, God of War 2
06:34The God of Thunder takes no prisoners. After Kratos fights through time and fate to take
06:39another crack at eliminating his father, the Kingpin of Olympus demonstrates why he's the
06:44top of the pantheon. First, he grows to the size of a mountain, sending out bolts and shockwaves,
06:49all the while summoning a horde of sirens for you to contend with. Things arguably get even
06:54more difficult when Zeus returns to normal size, since he's either going to beat your
06:59Spartan ass all around the arena with fisticuffs, or steal the blade of Olympus for himself.
07:04The Hunter, Dead Space
07:21A derelict spaceship filled with mutated creatures made from corpses was hellish enough,
07:26but then along came this unkillable monster to further ruin Isaac Clarke's day.
07:31An entity crafted by the zealous unitologists, the Hunter is essentially a super necromorph.
07:36You can shoot off its limbs, you can freeze it in place, but it will always regrow when
07:41it's lost and resume the chase. It's not until the final stages of the game that you'll have
07:45the chance to incinerate it, but even that's far easier said than done.
07:49Rodan, Bayonetta
08:07Between heaven and hell, there's no greater weaponsmith than Rodan. Supplying Bayonetta
08:12with armaments and cheesy dialogue, he's one of the Umbra Witch's most trusted confidants.
08:17He's also a hidden boss that can be fought across all three games in the series.
08:22In his first incarnation, Rodan takes on an angelic guise,
08:26which is fitting because this man dishes out divine punishment like nobody else.
08:31His main attack may just consist of dashes and punches, but getting hit even once can spell your
08:37doom. Best dodge like your life depends on it, because Father Rodan doesn't believe in
08:41turning the other cheek. Zeus, God of War 3
09:03That's right, he's back, and now he's hitting harder than ever.
09:07The final clash between father and son amidst the ruins of Olympus is pure hype.
09:12Despite players being armed with an outrageous assortment of godly weaponry,
09:16Zeus is still the biggest challenge of the original trilogy.
09:19The first phase of the fight acts as a borderline 2D beat-em-up,
09:23with Zeus lashing out with lightning, teleportation, and some lethal haymakers to knock Kratos down for
09:28the count. This eventually shifts to the inside of the Titan Gaia. While you certainly have more
09:33room to move here, Zeus will also clone himself. Lag your attacks for too long,
09:38and he'll smite you where you stand. Ornstein and Smough, Dark Souls
09:57As you might have guessed, there's going to be a lot of bosses related to the Souls series
10:02among this collection, starting with what might just be the franchise's most iconic duo.
10:07Attacking in unison, both the Executioner and Dragonslayer offer two distinct yet
10:12equally grueling challenges. While one will use their size and scale to crush you,
10:17the other is faster and can unleash lightning from afar. Of course, even after you cut down
10:21one of them, the trouble is just beginning, on account that the other will take the
10:25Fallen's power for themselves. There's no easy choice here, only pain and persistence.
10:38Manus, Father of the Abyss, Dark Souls, Artorias of the Abyss
10:43We told you, the Souls train isn't stopping anytime soon. Dark Souls' first ever DLC took
10:57everyone's chosen undead into the heart of its corrupted world, presenting them with
11:01its greatest hero and villain. The latter of which just happens to be the hardest boss in
11:06the original game, bar none. Manus is a towering foe who deals immense physical and magical
11:12damage in equal measure. This would go on to become something of a trend in Souls games going
11:17forward. DLC bosses are a whole different breed and not to be messed with.
11:29Senator Armstrong, Metal Gear Rising Revengeance
11:33He's the ultimate American, and for the sake of rebuilding the nation,
11:43he's going to lay the smackdown on Raiden and anyone else who gets in his way.
11:48Not only is Armstrong the meme that keeps on giving, but his battle is one of Metal Gear's
11:53most demanding. Even with Raiden's sword skills and speed, Armstrong's blows are devastating.
11:59Unless you're adept with parries and dodges, he's going to beat the nanomachines out of you
12:04each and every time. He can shave off attacks like they're nothing,
12:08has crazy health and played college ball. Best watch out.
12:11Fume Knight, Dark Souls 2, Crown of the Old Iron King
12:30Fans certainly had their issues when it came to this sequel, but everyone was in agreement that
12:35this DLC boss was the most lethal of the bunch. While you might not think much of yet another
12:40Armored Knight in a Souls game, it's when this corrupted warrior goes all out with his
12:45Ultra Greatsword that things get gnarly. Given the range of the lethal smog it exudes and the
12:50skewness of its hitbox, the Fume Knight proved to be unexpectedly punishing.
13:00Orphan of Kos, Bloodborne, The Old Hunters
13:14It says a lot when a DLC as packed with insanely difficult bosses as this still has one that
13:20definitively overshadows all others. And that would be this monstrosity, born of the dead
13:25remnants of an eldritch god. Wielding its own placenta like a club, the Orphan is about as
13:31unrelenting as they come, able to pile on crazy amounts of damage in a flash.
13:36And that's all before you really piss it off and it starts bombarding the shoreline with projectiles,
13:41lightning and unholy explosions aflenty. All these years later and it still finds a way to inspire
13:48fear. Nameless King, Dark Souls 3
14:07The discovery of Archdragon Peak already had fans beyond excited.
14:11What could be lurking within such a well hidden area?
14:14The answer turned out to be a boss fight that broke everyone. The Nameless King not only proved
14:19to be a pinnacle piece of Laura's Gwyn's forsaken son, but also a boss battle that put all others in
14:25the base game to shame. Atop his wyvern, he can blanket the arena in flame. But it's when he
14:31decides to settle things mano-y-mano that the difficulty really spikes. The askew timings of
14:37his strikes and swings, the AOE lightning attacks get caught by any one of these and it's likely
14:42the battle's already over. Dark Eater Medea, Dark Souls 3 The Ringed City
15:04The conclusion to the original Dark Souls saga was right with some of the most formidable foes
15:09ever conjured. But none could hold a candle to what just might be the singularly most difficult
15:15dragon boss in all of gaming. It's teeth, claws and tail alone can tear through an ash of one's
15:21health in no time at all. But when you pair that with it's sheer amount of health, the scope of
15:27it's flame breath and it's abyssal projectiles, Medea proved itself a mountain of an obstacle
15:33to overcome. Absolute Radiance, Hollow Knight, God Master Upon it's debut, this hidden final
15:52boss put everyone through their paces thanks to a combination of intense platforming,
15:56minimal attack windows and spamming abilities that would fill the screen at any given moment.
16:02It was the truest test for those dead set on getting the best ending. And then along came
16:07the God Master DLC, where they decided to give the Radiance the most intense of glow ups.
16:13The platforming? Even more treacherous. It's attacks? Twice as many, twice as fast.
16:18Openings to counter? Ha! What openings? Don't be shocked if this heavenly moth
16:23makes you see the light, and subsequently break your controller.
16:43Mastering Sekiro's style of combat and navigating it's pool of bosses is one thing,
16:48trying to square off against the likes of Isshin in his prime is another matter entirely.
16:53Thanks to the dying wishes of his grandson combined with the Black Mortal Blade,
16:57Isshin is resurrected, now at his apex. What follows is several stages of gamer grief,
17:03as the sword saint won't only test your parry skills to their maximum, but will quite literally
17:08bring the thunder thanks to dual wielding a spear in his second phase that can catch lightning.
17:13It's still up for debate who truly is the most challenging boss FromSoft has developed,
17:17but Isshin at the very least is in the conversation for Top Dog.
17:232. Resident Evil 2
17:40Nothing filled players with dread quite like the approaching footsteps of Mr. X.
17:45This walking weapon was unstoppable, hunting down Leon and Claire all throughout the majority of
17:50the game, only able to be stunned with a shotgun blast to the face. This all comes to a head during
17:56the final portion of Leon's side of the campaign, where Mr. X has swapped the trenchcoat out for a
18:01vicious evolution, complete with a mutated flaw and a serious amount of aggression.
18:07What truly ups the difficulty here is the layout of the fight. You're stuck on a descending platform
18:12with barely any space between Leon and the super tyrant. Throw in a tiny weak spot and limited
18:18ammo on hand, and this encounter has the odds stacked against you from the get go.
18:223. Ravenbeak Metroid Dread
18:41Samus has vanquished all manner of alien scourge in her time as the galaxy's greatest bounty hunter,
18:46but who would have guessed her ultimate challenge would have been her dear old dad?
18:50After manipulating her journey from the start, Ravenbeak makes himself known,
18:55and plans to use Samus for his own nefarious gains. He's also the furthest thing from all bark and no
19:00bite, as this mechanical chozo is a walking armory with no end of weaponry to his name.
19:06From launching giant energy waves to miniature suns,
19:09Ravenbeak leaves no margin for error, and no room to breathe.
19:162. Millenia Blade of Michala Elden Ring
19:34She has never known defeat, but she sure as hell knows how to dish it out.
19:39Every tarnished worthless soul was trepidatious when rumours began to circulate of this demigod.
19:45As we all learned first hand, Millenia was a million times more dangerous than we could
19:49ever imagine. Every strike not only did a serious amount of damage, but also healed her.
19:55And that's to say nothing of her now infamous waterfowl dance.
19:58Keep in mind this is all phase 1. After she unleashes her true strength as the goddess of
20:03rot, she not only has all her previous skills at her disposal, but can unleash waves of scarlet rot.
20:09Millenia is just built different.
20:123. Laxasia the Complete Lies of Pith
20:31Standing on the shoulders of souls born giants, this brutally brilliant take on the classic
20:35Pinocchio tale left us with no shortage of fearsome foes to best. Though none could compare
20:41to the brutality of this particular puppet. Able to swing her towering sword with shocking ease,
20:47Laxasia's rampages can only be survived if you're a beast with a parry mechanic,
20:51or get the hell out of dodge. Though not even that will save you when she loses the armour
20:56in exchange for acting as a lightning rod, able to send out as many thunderbolts as she
21:00does impeding status effects.
21:034. Elden Ring Shadow of the Urn Tree
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21:335. From Software
21:38As if From Software wouldn't find a way to repeat history, delivering on to us a DLC
21:44boss of such magnitude and ridiculous difficulty that many are still yet to conquer it.
21:50Radam's return isn't only epic in terms of presentation and lore, but it also proved
21:54that just when we thought we had a grasp on how trying a Souls boss can be, along comes
21:59this ungodly warrior ready to rip us into pieces. His sword slashes are as fast as they
22:05are hefty, he's got blood and gravity magic on standby, he's built like a tank, while
22:10phase 2 also adds lasers to literally everything. Plus, an insta-kill move courtesy of Mikula,
22:16just for good measure. We have no doubt they'll accomplish it, but we have no idea how you top this.
22:29Which of these bosses proved to be the bane of your existence? Let us know in the comments.