These secret boss fights are sure to test your skills. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for boss fights off the beaten path that players should only seek out if they want a brutal challenge.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Hardest Secret
00:12Bosses in Video Games.
00:24For this list, we'll be looking at gaming's most challenging optional bosses found off
00:28the beaten path.
00:30Have you vanquished any of these foes?
00:32Which did you find to be the hardest?
00:34Let us know in the comments.
00:37Number 20.
00:38Inner Agent 3 – Splatoon 2
00:43For the most part, you'll have a much easier time dealing with the single-player mode of
00:46Splatoon 2 than attempting its breakneck speed multiplayer.
00:50That is, until you reach the end of its DLC, the Octo Expansion.
00:54To even reach this hidden boss, you have to collect all 80 mem cakes, which obviously
00:58takes quite a bit of time.
00:59Inner Agent 3 is a nightmare, utilizing ridiculously high accuracy with a variety of weapons across
01:04five phases.
01:05They also have high maneuverability, meaning it's a lot easier for them to dodge your
01:09attacks than the other way around.
01:11Needless to say, you'll go splat at least a few times.
01:17Number 19.
01:18Balos – Cave Story
01:24True to the Metroidvania genre, Cave Story gets pretty tough.
01:28This is especially the case in its hidden final level, the appropriately-named Bloodstained
01:31Sanctuary.
01:32You'll need a few secret items to get inside, and at the end of a brutal gauntlet, you'll
01:36be met by Balos.
01:37He brings the pain across four phases.
01:39His first uses deadly lightning attacks and dashes around with alarming speed, his second
01:43requires hitting him in the eyes as he bounces around to squash you, and the third comes
01:47in two parts, sending out multiple flying eyeballs to annihilate poor Quote.
01:50If you want the game's best ending, you better be prepared to fight for it.
01:58Number 18.
01:59Joe and So Amon – Yakuza 0
02:05The dual protagonists of Yakuza 0 each have a secret boss that becomes unlocked once you've
02:10completed all of their sidequests.
02:11Both of them have a multitude of health bars and can be pretty annoying.
02:15Goro faces off against Joe, who can put harmful items in your empty inventory slots that frustratingly
02:20look like helpful ones.
02:21All of his combos are deadly, but he pulls out a dagger at half health and gains access
02:25to one that can destroy your entire health bar.
02:28Kazuma faces off against So, who uses guns, including a laser that'll put you down in
02:32a couple of shots.
02:33His second phase features a helicopter that drops furniture, which stuns you, and medicine
02:37that can make either of you briefly invincible.
02:43Number 17.
02:45Morgan Freeman – South Park – The Fractured But Whole
02:52In The Fractured But Whole, Morgan Freeman puts up a surprisingly tough fight.
02:56To access the fight, all you have to do is visit his taco shop, go behind the counter,
03:00and punch him three times.
03:02But you should only do so if you're high-level and have a ton of resources, because you're
03:06going to need them.
03:07He has the highest health of any boss in the game at 9,999, and has big AOE attacks that
03:12can hit multiple party members.
03:14One of his attacks is a devastating fart that can even knock out a party member instantly.
03:18Oh, and his second phase gives him twice the amount of moves, while the third phase sees
03:22him charm your party members.
03:28Number 16.
03:29Demon of Hatred – Sekiro – Shadows Die Twice
03:37FromSoftware's main bosses are known for their brutality, so you can imagine how infuriating
03:41the studio's secret ones can be.
03:43After defeating the Divine Dragon in Sekiro, players can face off against the Demon of
03:46Hatred back in the Ashina outskirts.
03:49Its posture bar is basically as long as its health bar, meaning you can't rely on the
03:53game's signature posture break mechanic to save you.
03:55Across three phases, the demon will utilize a plethora of fire-based attacks, both ranged
03:59and melee.
04:00And some of his others are even unblockable.
04:02With this much damage to go around, Demon of Hatred is an accurate name.
04:12Number 15.
04:13Galdera – Octopath Traveler 2
04:19He may have been the standard final boss in the first game, but Galdera's secret battle
04:23in Octopath Traveler 2 shows he was holding back.
04:26Players can face him after completing a couple of lengthy side quests, and no matter what,
04:30he'll make you feel underleveled and unprepared.
04:32You have to use all eight party members, splitting them across two phases, meaning you can't
04:36just pick and choose your favorites, leveling them up and giving them the best gear.
04:40During phase one, he uses three souls that can act as guards and can deal deadly counter-attacks
04:44if hit by damage they aren't vulnerable to.
04:47Phase two is the true test, as each section of its body has its own health bar and overpowered
04:51attacks to contend with.
05:00Number 14.
05:01Absolute Radiance – Hollow Knight
05:09The Radiance already offered a sizable challenge as the final boss of Hollow Knight, but Absolute
05:13Radiance at the end of the Godmaster DLC?
05:15That thing is on a whole other level.
05:18Reaching it is already a pain, since it sits at the end of a long boss rush you'll have
05:21to make it through without dying.
05:23Most of the attacks can also be found in the original fight.
05:25It's just that they're faster, stronger, and, in the case of ranged moves, feature
05:29a larger number of projectiles.
05:31Across six phases, Absolute Radiance will do its best to squash our little hero like
05:35the bug he is, and reaching the end is a Herculean task.
05:42Number 13.
05:43Emerald Weapon – Final Fantasy VII
05:49While some would claim Ruby Weapon is the tougher of the two hidden super-bosses in
05:52this RPG classic, we believe the Emerald Weapon beats it just by a hair.
05:57You'll find it at the bottom of the sea via submarine, though it's not something we personally
06:00like to seek out.
06:02Much of the stress of the fight comes from the 20 minute time limit, but even without
06:05it, the boss has some dangerous attacks.
06:07Each of them deals several thousand points worth of damage, some even hitting the entire
06:11party at once.
06:12That means you'll have to spend a lot of time healing with either items or spells.
06:16That's not even taking its own defense and health into account, which is understandably
06:19hefty.
06:26Number 12.
06:27Emile – Nier Automata
06:36You wouldn't expect a little robot merchant to have much fight in him, but Emile packs
06:40a lot of power.
06:41In order to face him, you must have completed the lengthy side quest, Emile's Memories.
06:45On a second playthrough, you'll then be able to find his home where a level 99 boss fight
06:50awaits you.
06:57It doesn't help that the room is pitch black, but Emile would still be a force to be reckoned
07:00with in the light.
07:02As one of the highest level bosses in the game, every attack is deadly, especially his
07:06spinning lasers and exploding copies of his own head.
07:14He also offers a second fight later, which is just as big of a pain as this one is.
07:19Number 11.
07:20Sans – Undertale
07:25To unlock the hardest fight in Undertale, and one of the hardest in any indie game,
07:29you have to follow the Genocide route.
07:31That means killing every monster in every single area to the point where they stop spawning.
07:35Sans will make you pay for your bloodlust.
07:37His attacks come quicker than most players' reaction time will be able to handle.
07:41The little heart that represents you is sure to get obliterated as his attacks come at
07:44lightning speed.
07:45Truly, there's no way to make it through without a lot of trial and error, and it can
07:49be utterly maddening.
07:50Who'd have thought this goofy skeleton could throw down so hard?
08:02Number 10.
08:03Gna – God of War Ragnarok
08:11Step aside, Sigrun.
08:13The real Valkyrie Queen is here.
08:15After putting an end to the vile Odin in God of War Ragnarok, you can take on the optional
08:19task of cleaning up his remaining supporters.
08:22That includes Gna, leader of the Allfather's most capable warriors.
08:34As we'd come to learn, Gna puts even Thor to shame in her lust for blood, as evidenced
08:39by a tough-as-nails brawl.
08:40Similar to the 2018 game's secret fight, you'll be met with unbelievable strength and speed
08:45befitting the highest of enemy levels.
08:48Her elemental attacks deal a lot of damage, she's hard to predict, and her unblockable
08:52grabs are infuriating.
08:54She's a fitting final obstacle for the God of War.
09:06Number 9.
09:07Rodan – Bayonetta Series
09:14The Umbrian Witch has had to face a lot of challenging foes over the years, but most
09:18can't hold a candle to Rodan.
09:20Thankfully, the Weaponsmith is usually an ally to Bayonetta, but he's there for players
09:24who want the game's ultimate challenge.
09:33His fight in the original game is unlocked after collecting 10 million halos.
09:36He moves with incredible grace and speed, as he easily pummels you into submission.
09:41He's impossible to stun, and his dangerous combos can knock off gigantic chunks of health
09:45at a time.
09:46Meanwhile, he has multiple health bars to work through.
09:49He's kept up this legacy by appearing as a secret boss in the sequels.
10:02Number 8.
10:03Lavenza – Persona 5 Royal
10:11The optional fight against Justine and Caroline in Persona 5 is certainly worth mentioning,
10:15but in the updated version Royal, the two reform as Lavenza, and she is far worse.
10:21She can only be fought on a new game plus towards the end of the story.
10:24She can remove your party's buffs, and her debuffs and features four phases, the first
10:27three of which require you to deal 5,000 damage within 9 turns.
10:31Each phase also has a specific gimmick, forcing you to adapt with different personas.
10:35You'll have to deal technical damage during the second, and land a critical hit at least
10:39once per turn during the third.
10:41If you fail to adhere to these rules, she can end the fight immediately.
10:49Number 7.
10:50Kulix – Super Mario RPG – Legend of the Seven Stars
11:03It may be a Mario game, but it's also from the studio behind Final Fantasy.
11:08Super Mario RPG is a beloved blend of Nintendo's mascot and Square's mechanics and design.
11:13Part of that design is including an absurdly hard secret boss that'll make you question
11:17how good you are at the game.
11:19Kulix comes from an alternate dimension in search of strong fighters.
11:22In the battle, you'll also have to contend with four crystals, all of which use different
11:26elemental attacks.
11:33They collectively have over 12,000 HP.
11:36And while you can just go for Kulix, the impressive amount of damage that comes from all five
11:40combatants makes that a poor choice.
11:49Number 6.
11:50Lingering Will – Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix
11:52Found only in the Final Mix version of the game, Lingering Will is one of the toughest
11:55boss fights Kingdom Hearts has to offer.
12:07You can face this optional baddie after beating the game and completing All Worlds, which
12:11opens a portal in Disney Castle.
12:13The boss wastes no time mounting an offensive of intimidating attacks with ferocious speed.
12:25The possessed armor can also change its keyblade shape for different types of attacks.
12:29And if he isn't bad enough to deal with, there are his supporter drones that chase
12:33you around, firing lasers.
12:35This fight requires you to perfect the timing of your most powerful attacks, which must
12:39be done in small windows when the Lingering Will isn't hurling damage your way.
12:49Number 5.
12:50Nameless King – Dark Souls 3
12:58Of the many spirit-crushing fights players can find in the Dark Souls series, the Nameless
13:02King is one of the greatest sources of rage.
13:04After ringing the bell of the Great Belfry, you can square off against him at the Archdragon
13:08Peak.
13:09He'll choose not to fight fair during his first phase, riding his pet wyvern around.
13:17Naturally, the beast has some heavy attacks to watch out for, but the rider is who you
13:25should really fear.
13:27He's much faster and stronger than the average boss from the series, and his lightning attacks
13:31can be a particular pain.
13:32Both the pet and the master also like to attack from above, so it's a fight that constantly
13:37has you on your toes.
13:46Number 4.
13:47Ozma – Final Fantasy IX
13:56The Final Fantasy series has clearly known its fair share of well-hidden and ridiculously
14:00powerful optional foes, fittingly dubbed Superbosses.
14:04Which of these fights is the hardest varies from player to player, but Ozma is certainly
14:07a piece of work.
14:09Players face it in a Chocobo's Air Garden after the longest side quest in the game and
14:13should expect a high level of frustration.
14:22It knows Curse, which can inflict multiple status effects at once to all party members,
14:27and Meteor, which does a random amount of damage up to 9,999.
14:31It can also absorb your party's MP and heal as a counterattack, which it will probably
14:36do when it's close to death.
14:45Number 3.
14:46Yozora – Kingdom Hearts 3
14:49To reach this secret boss in Kingdom Hearts 3 Remind DLC, you'll first need to deal with
14:53a boss rush featuring 13 different fights, and Yozora is certainly a discouraging prize
14:58for your efforts.
14:59He's incredibly fast normally, but can also teleport for good measure, making the fight
15:03hard to get a grip on.
15:04His attacks also come in a variety of ranges and combos, most of which can deal heavy damage,
15:08and his own durability makes dealing damage a tedious process.
15:12As if that wasn't bad enough, he can also possibly steal your health and items.
15:16The only way to claim victory is patience and the acceptance of many, many deaths.
15:23Number 2.
15:25Millenia – Blade of Mycala – Elden Ring
15:34FromSoftware has crafted a reputation for delivering the most challenging bosses in
15:37gaming.
15:38So, when Elden Ring released in 2022, fans everywhere made it their mission to track
15:42down the most demanding enemy within.
15:45Who they found, and were likely promptly destroyed by, was Millenia – Blade of Mycala.
15:58Fought at the end of an optional dungeon, the demigod can easily close the distance
16:02between you and unleash a flurry attack that will quickly and drastically drop your HP.
16:07During her second phase, her attacks gain the Scarlet Roth status effect, which deals
16:11damage over time.
16:12That's not to mention the fact that every hit she lands heals her, which only adds to
16:16the stress.
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16:43Number 1 – Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series
16:54After playing the role of protagonist in Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne, the Demi-Fiend
16:58went on to become the hardest optional boss in the series and all of gaming.
17:03He has appeared in several entries and will prove an insurmountable challenge to most
17:06players.
17:07For starters, any party members with moves that counter his abilities will be insta-killed
17:11at the start of the fight.
17:20He has no weaknesses himself, he'll constantly cycle through minions to keep fighting you,
17:24and he'll fully heal himself once he reaches half of his 60,000 HP.
17:28That's not even going into his attacks, all of which deal major damage and one of which
17:32has a chance to insta-kill and targets the whole party.
18:021.
18:03Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series
18:041.
18:05Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 2.
18:06Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 3.
18:07Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 4.
18:08Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 5.
18:09Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 6.
18:10Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 7.
18:11Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 8.
18:12Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 9.
18:13Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 10.
18:14Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 11.
18:15Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 12.
18:16Demi-Fiend – Megami Tensei Series 13.