No matter your favorite video game genre, every gamer has a title that sticks in their mind, often evoking fond memories. The best games need great music as much as they need interesting visuals and fun gameplay. Epic boss battles also will keep players talking for years beyond a game’s release.
The elements of music and memorable conflicts combine at certain points in the game. The buildup before a boss battle is usually intense, and the tone of the fight can either be helped or harmed by the music of choice. A good song can motivate you, scare you, or keep you on your toes. Here are some of our favorite boss battle themes.
Updated by Gabrielle Huston on September 20, 2022: Music can make or break a mediocre video game. Some of the worst games have the best soundtracks, and vice versa. When you're fighting an epic boss, you might have to hear that music over and over again as you try to defeat them; it's important to get it right.
12 Undertale: Megolovania
- Composer: Toby Fox
Undertale has three basic endings: the one you get if you don't kill anyone or anything, the one you get if you killed a few things, and the one you get if you went out of your way to kill anything you interacted with.
The iconic song Megolovania is only heard if you kill everything - known as taking the Genocide Route - and are forced to fight Sans at the end of the game. It's a brutally challenging mission, but the music is totally worth it. ...Or, you could just look it up on Spotify. Either way, we salute you.
11 Bloodborne: Ludwig, The Accursed And Holy Blade
- Composers: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Tsukasa Saitoh, Yuka Kitamura
Ludwig is a favorite boss of Bloodborne fans for his backstory. At first, he appears to be another grotesque monster that must be stopped. However, like many good boss fights, this one has two parts and by the second, it’s made clear that Ludwig has some humanity in him. He used to be a man, but he was cursed to become a beast.
The music that plays as you fight Ludwig in his first form is a complex dark orchestra. By the second part of the battle, the music gets lighter and sounds almost angelic. The boss theme strongly emphasizes that by his second form, Ludwig is more human, and yet you still must fight him.
10 Persona 5: Blooming Villain
- Composers: Shoji Meguro
Persona 5 is one of the most popular games from the RPG series. It's the latest main Persona game and has a shorter sequel, Personal 5 Strikers, that came out in 2020. Persona fans love simply how fun the battles against villains and unique monsters are in this creative series.
Persona 5 has a widely popular boss battle song in Blooming Villain. This theme plays at multiple points throughout the game, and it can constantly keep you motivated. Blooming Villain has rock elements in the song and sounds like it’s giving the protagonists the courage to win a fight.
9 Portal 2: Bombs For Throwing At You
- Composer: Mike Morasky
Sci-fi and puzzle game fans alike enjoy the series Portal for its futuristic aesthetic and its fun yet challenging puzzle-based gameplay. In Portal 2, the game shows you what becomes of the protagonist, Chell. Portal 2 also explores the morality of the games iconic robot characters and challenges what the audience thought they knew from the original.
The final boss song, Bombs For Throwing At You, plays while Chell makes her final escape from Aperture Science Laboratories. The song sounds unpleasant at times with its glitching, pinging, and computer sound effects scattered throughout it. The song is perfect for a sci-fi game.
8 Doom Eternal: Final Sin
- Composer: Mick Gordon
The first Doom game came out in 1993. While the game's aesthetic has changed rather drastically over the past few decades, Doom has kept the same spirit. Doom is a series where killing terrifying demons from Hell is always the focal point.
In the latest Doom game of 2020, Doom Eternal, the final battle is a fight against the Icon of Sin. The series is known for being over the top, and this finale is no exception. The music that plays as you dodge fire shot from the Icon of Sin is both loud and bold. It sets the mood for an epic finale to an incredible game.
7 Mass Effect 2: Suicide Mission
- Composer: Jack Wall
The first Mass Effect undoubtedly had potential, but it was held back by its repetitive, clunky gameplay and some admittedly boring politics breaking up the otherwise excellent story. Mass Effect 2 showed everyone what the series could really do.
Suicide Mission is the name of the song that plays during the literal suicide mission at the end of Mass Effect 2. While this music doesn't exactly play while you fight a boss, it does serenade you during the end of the game and one of the most stressful segments in video gaming history.
6 Nier: The Dark Colossus Destroys All
- Composer: Keiichi Okabe
Nier is the first game in a two-part series that follows a protagonist in an apocalyptic world. Not only is the protagonist trying to find a cure for his sick sister, but he also must fight off monsters. In a world full of monsters, of course, there will be plenty of dramatic battles.
The first Nier game plays The Dark Colossus Destroys All when the player faces the Jack of Hearts. There is a remix of this boss music in the sequel, but many Nier fans prefer the original. The song features a chorus chanting along with the intense instrumentals. It has the right mix of suspense and action to prepare you to fight.
5 Deltarune: Big Shot
- Composer: Toby Fox
Indie game developer Toby Fox is known for really getting creative with his games. Fans first fell in love with Undertale, then, more recently, Deltarune, and there are some amazing songs throughout both these games.
Fans of Deltarune often agree that Spamton Neo is the most challenging boss in the game. The song during the battle is fast-paced and catchy. Spamton Neo’s theme shares a lot of elements with Spamton’s original theme, but it has much more flair. This reflects how the second battle against Spamton is more difficult and intense.
4 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask: Majora's Wrath Battle
- Composer: Koji Kondo
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask embraced the trope of a boss with multiple forms in many games. Majora has three forms, and the final one is the most intense. For a Nintendo game, Majora’s Mask is rather dark. The final form of Majora is a creepy, fleshy monster with the mask as its torso.
All three of Majora’s themes are worth listening to. The first theme is a slower tune, the second one is very chaotic, and the third one is the creepiest. Majora’s Wrath is the final battle in the entire game, and the tense music is fitting when the stakes are so high.
3 Cuphead: Floral Fury
- Composer: Kristofer Maddigan
Cuphead is a game with a unique cartoon art style, and this helped it gain popularity. The characters are based on the “rubber hose” style that was popular in 1920s animation. Cuphead fully embraces that with its colorful and fun character design and its bouncy lively animation.
The music in Cuphead perfectly complements its art style and also has a retro feel. In the boss battle against Cagney Carnation, players will hear a fast-paced tune with lots of horns in this garden setting. The song is surprisingly uplifting, but it keeps you on your toes while you’re fighting.
2 Super Mario 64: Bowser In The Dark World
- Composer: Koji Kondo
To this day, Super Mario 64 is often thought of as the best Mario game in the series. The game holds up decades later for just being good plain fun. In Super Mario 64, there are three different boss battles against the classic Mario villain, Bowser. Although all of these fights have amazing themes to accompany them, our favorite is Bowser In The Dark World.
Bowser In The Dark World is such a popular boss theme that it’s often just referred to as “Bowser’s theme.” This song is from the first boss battle against Bowser. It sounds heavy and dramatic which is perfect for the first time you will encounter him in the game.
1 Hollow Knight: Hornet
- Composer: Christopher Larkin
Hollow Knight is a platformer that is loved by most indie game fanatics. It has an art style and storyline that are both beautiful and a little eerie, and the gameplay is tricky enough to keep your interest.
Most of the soundtrack in Hollow Knight is somber and elegant. The battle against the boss Hornet is so iconic because players eventually learn that Hornet is more important to the plot of Hollow Knight than she first seems. The music sets the mood for the mystery of Hornet and suspense of the battle.