The one trait they share is an ability to end your game swiftly.
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We had to, since FromSoftware games somehow keep getting harder.
Bosses were effectively bottlenecks at a time where games were expanding.
What this big-bad revival reminds us is that were better off with bosses in our gaming lives.
Most important, however, was how vividly they lingered in our minds.
A good boss encounter elevates the game its in.
Its not something you easily forget.
100.Bowser
100.
There are a couple of Bowser fights before the games climax, but the third Bowser is the biggie.
Then the boss needs to be tossed into a bomb with unholy precision.
99.Senator Armstrong
99.
Yet the hardest (and final) boss is a spectacled, power-crazed politician named Senator Armstrong.
A caricature of American corruption and excess, Armstrong is also ridiculously strong.
His powerful punches will obliterate your health bar if theyre not blocked or dodged.
Dont forget to hit X for victory (and democracy).
98.Viper
98.
97.Vortex Queen
97.
96.The Prospector
96.
95.The Alien
95.
94.Queen Zeal
94.
But its really the second time battling Queen Zeal that makes her such a nasty boss.
Attacking her hands rewards you with a murderous counterattack that drains either the attackers HP or MP to one.
93.Tabuu
93.
92.Malus
92.
That is, if it’s possible for you to reach him at all.
Once you finally begin your ascent of Malus himself, falling off him is the easiest way to die.
Shadow of the Colossusleft a long shadow on video games.
91.Primagen
91.
In the first phase,Primagenstarts lobbing out nukes and flying mechs, and thats theeasypart.
All the while, hes trying to knock you off the edge of the arena.
Taking down a full-size T-Rex would probably be easier.
90.King Krusha K. Rool
90.
Part of that can be attributed to King Krusha K. Rool, the games final boss.
89.Crawmerax the Invincible
89.
This guy has the subtitle the Invincible, and he earns it.
If you could manage to best him, youll get the best loot in the game.
But thats a big if.
This was the hardest boss yet seen in theBorderlandsseries, and it would set the template for future encounters.
88.Vergil
88.
87.Daud
87.
You just cant run in, sword drawn.
86.Shadow Queen
86.
85.Matriarch Benezia
85.
84.Cyberdemon
84.
It easily annihilates any of your enemies and can make difficult bosses much easier to manage.
83.Shima Sakon
83.
82.Atheon
82.
81.Wiegraf/Velius
81.
If you havent grinded out some levels in random battles, youre done.
After that, Weigraf transforms into the demon Velius.
Your allies will then show up, and so will several other demons to fight alongside Velius.
80.King Bohan
80.
79.Ivaldi
79.
78.Kurt Zisa
78.
77.Guildenstern
77.
76.The Batomys
76.
Its a unique fight for the strategy genre.
75.Mewtwo
75.
Catching Mewtwo was your greatest test as a Pokemon trainer the toughest challenge out there.
74.Baal
74.
Beating him requires preparation, and a character built to survive his onslaught.
73.Hitler
73.
To take him out, first focus on killing the Nazi officers in the room with him.
After dishing out a tremendous amount of damage, youll destroy the armored suit.
Youll need to move to cover faster, as he can still quickly kill you.
But with a cry of Eva,auf wiedersehen!
Hitler eventually goes down in a mess of gore.
This, combined with id Softwares subsequentDoom, essentially created the first-person shooter.
72.Nemesis
72.
The second time, he smashes through a window like a rotting Kool-Aid Man.
He relentlessly pursues the player throughout the entire game, forcing them to waste precious ammo and healing items.
Each time you put him down, you think its the last time.
But, like any good horror-movie villain, he keeps getting back up.
71.Lavos
71.
70.Darksol
70.
But Darksols attack preys upon this strategy.
69.Darklurker
69.
Players looking to defeat her must first join the Pilgrims of Dark covenant and complete its questline.
When she gets to half health, she splits into two.
And thats when things get really serious.
She has two main weaknesses however lightning and fire.
68.Shao Kahn
68.
67.Deathshead
67.
Its worth the trouble, though Deathshead is a real jerk.
66.Rebel Flagship
66.
But the biggest, deadliest threat in the galaxy is undoubtedly the Rebel Flagship.
The flagships hull and systems repair at the end of each stage, and it alters its tactics dramatically.
Fires and breaches are cleared, and it has unlimited ammunition.
Even if you manage to reach this fight, theres a good chance your journey will end here.
65.Seth
65.
Some of his super moves are unblockable, and worst of all, hes boring.
64.Manus, Father of the Abyss
64.
Like manyDark Soulsbosses, Manus is fast and brutal.
There are two ways to make this fight a little easier.
Also, the Silver Pendant, found in a hidden room in Oolacile Township, can deflect Manuss magic.
63.Psycho Mantis
63.
All you have to do is plug the game controller into another port to fool the clairvoyant villain.
But for players who werent in on the joke back in 1998, Psycho Mantis was a nightmare.
He also uses telekinesis to move your controller via the rumble feature.
Its an inventive, if gimmicky, fight thats still memorable over 20 years later.
62.Ultimecia
62.
It gets crazier from there, to a level of spectacle thats still rarely seen today.
61.Spider Mastermind
61.
60.Enchantress
60.
59.Ginso Tree
59.
But the Ginso Tree escape battle doesnt have any checkpoints.
58.Giygas
58.
EarthBound(1995; Game Boy Advance, SNES)
EarthBoundis pretty weird, as far as RPGs go.
So its only fitting that its main antagonist, Giygas, also veers into the bizarre.
The bosss final stage is only weak to Paulas heretofore mostly useless Pray ability.
Oh, and you have to do it nine times.
57.Yuki-Onna
57.
56.Silver Knight & Laser Eye
56.
Laser Eye is, well, exactly what it sounds like: a giant eye that shoots a laser.
55.Liquid Snake
55.
54.Jinpachi
54.
Although important in the grand, ridiculous story ofTekken, Jinpachi would only return for two more games.
53.The Wither
53.
Whats important is that these versions, though largely the same, feature some key differences.
One of those differences is the difficulty of the boss known as the Wither.
52.Wood Man
52.
Wood Man is one of the the series worst.
But if you dont know to get Atomic Fire first, may the forest gods help you.
51.Maneater
51.
While flying, it shoots soul arrows at the player.
At the one-minute mark, a second Maneater joins the fray.
Cheesy, but effective.
50.Dirge
50.
Colossus 10, or Dirge, is one of the most difficult bosses inShadow of the Colossus.
Fighting this giant sandworm requires excellent endurance, patience, technical skill, and timing.
49.General Raam
49.
Good luck doing that without getting shredded by turret fire.
If you could, do this fight in co-op.
That way you’re able to use your friend as a distraction.
48.Spider Guardian
48.
Its not tough in a this horrifying boss will crush you kind of way.
47.High Dragon
47.
46.Dooms Bride
46.
Dooms Bride is the epitome of the chase boss: an adrenaline-filled nightmare.
45.Grim Reaper
45.
Memorizing enemy patterns is a requirement.
The controls are punishing to the imprecise (you cant, for instance, change direction while jumping).
And timing your whip hits, which means anticipating the slight delay before you make contact, takes practice.
Hell toss hard-to-see sickles, which you have to deflect with your whip while moving slowly around the stage.
44.The Warden
44.
Players have to sneak around to avoid summoning it, and one or two slipups can spell your doom.
Its a truly scary foe.
43.Artorias
43.
42.Culex
42.
41.Death
41.
InCastlevania III,it ends up working out, because Death is much harder to beat than Drac himself.
40.The Reaper
40.
Something feels off, though.
Theres a whisper: It must be Death!
The Reaper appears randomly throughoutPersona 3, ready to wipe out hours of dungeon-crawling progress in one battle.
39.Terramorphous the Invincible
39.
The initial level cap inBorderlands 2was level 50.
This guy is 52.
Bring friends and your best guns, and keep your distance.
38.Moon Lord
38.
Lovecraft horror story (and indeed, it is explicitly inspired by Cthulhu).
Moon Lord is the games final boss and requiresTerrariaplayers to progress far past the initial stages of idyllic gameplay.
His arrival is preceded by the message Impending doom approaches … for crying out loud.
Once summoned, Moon Lord is easily the most challenging fight in the game, especially on higher difficulties.
37.Death Egg Robot
37.
36.Tyrant
36.
Even moreso if youre not prepared and havent properly conserved your strongest ammo throughout the game: the anti-B.O.W.
35.Omega Weapon
35.
The hardest bosses inFinal Fantasygames are never the main antagonists, a tradition that carried intoFinal Fantasy VIII.
Omega Weapon has over a million HP, and beating it requires masterful use ofFFVIIIs Junction system.
Otherwise your party is going to be faced with attacks that cause automatic knockouts and one-hit kills.
34.Dark Link
34.
Fighting yourself was stupidly tough but extremely inventive.
33.Ornstein and Smough
33.
A Laurel-and-Hardy duo, Ornstein carries a huge spear while Smough waddles around with a massive hammer.
32.The Nameless King
32.
And when you finally defeat him, jokes on you; A second phase begins thats even more demanding.
31.The End
31.
30.Extreme Behemoth
30.
Its a vicious cycle.
It is, as the bosss name implies, quite extreme.
29.Ludwig, the Accursed
29.
Hes far too aggressive for that.
Not a fun guy, that Ludwig.
At least the musics real good.
28.Crota
28.
27.Dracula
27.
Dracula is a recurring villain in the long-runningCastlevaniaseries, and the master vampire usually puts up a good fight.
It all started with 1986sCastlevaniafor Nintendo, a game that required alotof trial and error throughout.
26.Isshin, Sword Saint
26.
This fight is tough as nails.
25.Goro
25.
Then there was Goro, the games penultimate boss and by far the hardest in the game.
Goro has four arms and a fondness for anabolic steroids.
Get in close and his four fists will put you down in just a few hits.
To beat him, wait for him to approach and then high-kick in.
If he blocks the high kick, uppercut and then hope you get away clean.
But its entirely possible you wont.
23.Jaws
23.
In fact, the entire game is about taking down the titular great white.
Its a game that takes either years or 20 minutes to beat, depending on how good you are.
22.Valkyrie Sigrun
22.
That culminated with the final of the optional Valkyrie fights, the Valkyrie Queen Sigrun.
21.Fume Knight
21.
Ive fought tons of these.
This will be fine.How wrong you are.
Fond of his signature Psycho Crusher move, hell mop the floor with you and make it look easy.
19.Radagon and the Elden Beast
19.
Radagon, a bona fide god, would be manageable on his own.
The Elden Beast is another story, though.
18.Absolute Radiance
18.
17.Alma
17.
Nowhere was this clearer than the games seventh boss, the winged Alma.
There are no good options when fighting her.
attempt to gain some distance and Alma unleashes a barrage of homing projectiles.
Your best hope is dodging her attacks and then rushing in for the few seconds shes vulnerable.
16.Lingering Will
16.
Why cant anyone elses do that, Lingering Will?
15.Pandemonium Warden
15.
About 36 members of a linkshell (a.k.a.
guild) called Beyond the Limitation squared off with the boss over an 18-hour period in 2008.
Some of them reportedly became physically ill, passing out or vomiting during the marathon battle.
So why was the Pandemonium Warden so tough?
It also added a two-hour time limit.
Seven months later, a linkshell called Shard of Apathy finally killed the Warden with five minutes to spare.
14.Mike Tyson
14.
(1984; Arcade, NES)
Punch Outis a game first and foremost about rhythm.
Its fights are dances; juke left, juke right, dont forget to stay light on your feet.
Not that hell give you many.
Wilys Yellow Devil
13.
Mega Man(1987; NES)
Talk about your nightmare fights.
And he splits apart, with huge chunks of his body flying at you.
12.Sephiroth
12.
InKingdom Hearts II, where he appears as an optional boss fight, its a different story entirely.
Moving from the turn-based battles ofFFVIIto the action-orientedKingdom Heartsshowed just how brutal Sephiroth could be.
11.Demon of Hatred
11.
With no shields and few extraneous abilities to choose from,Sekirodemands nothing short of mastery from its players.
Since the game never got any DLC, this is the ultimate test of your ability.
10.Kerafyrm (a.k.a.
the Sleeper)
10.
Each server that triggered the event failed to slay the dragon.
The story line demanded they fail.
Everyone believed the Sleeper was indestructible.
After intense backlash from its player base, SOE apologized and respawned the dragon.
Rallos Zek gathered nearly 200 players to make a second attempt.
Kerafyrms attacks killed dozens of players at a time.
Back and forth it went until, about four hours later, the unkillable Sleeper finally died.
Over a decade later, the incident remains one of the MMO genres biggest controversies.
9.King Dice
9.
King Dice isntCupheads final boss, but he is its most difficult.
After defeating the devils right-hand henchman, the devil himself is practically a gimme.
8.Orphan of Kos
8.
When you first encounter it on the shore of a fishing hamlet, it ignores you.
Standing next to the corpse of its mother, it sobs and stares at the moon.
The battle begins once you approach.
The Orphans attacks are fast and brutal, and each one is punctuated by a horrifying scream.
Oh, and its alsosuper pissed.
Once its dead, youve really conqueredBloodborne.
And you earned it.
7.Chef Saltbaker
7.
With four distinct phases, Saltbaker is a true gauntlet of skill for even the most seasonedCupheadplayers.
6.Yozora
6.
His attacks are difficult to predict and often unblockable.
He even steals your health and items!
via a ruinous grab attack.
Defeating Yozora means you have truly mastered everything that Kingdom Hearts combat has to offer.
5.Sister Friede
5.
However, the dragonrider was quickly supplanted by Sister Friede, the boss of the games Painted World expansion.
Friede is a grueling three-phase fight.
First, you have to combat her ability to turn invisible and grab you, inflicting massive damage.
With her health bar depleted once, a hulking monster named Father Ariandel gets added to the mix.
Surely thats the end, right?
4.Emerald Weapon
4.
3.Malenia, Blade of Miquella
3.
Case in point: Malenia, Blade of Miquella.
Once you reach her, youll be tempted to turn around and climb back to the top.
Her attacks are quick, unpredictable, and relentless.
Her second phase is even worse, adding several new attacks and a dangerous health-sapping status effect.
2.CThun
2.
He ate some ofWoWs hardiest guilds for lunch literally.
During the fight, CThun periodically swallowed random players and slowly digested them in his stomach.
His green eye beam insta-killed anyone caught in it.
He also spawned tentacles that could make short work of a 40-man raid group if they werent handled efficiently.
It was an impossible, infuriating battle that stretched many ofWoWs finest guilds to their breaking point.
Once developer Blizzard realized the encounter was broken, it stepped in and nerfed CThun in a patch.
A European guild called Nihilum took him down that same day, and other guilds shortly followed suit.
1.Skolas
1.
