Highlights

  • Boss battles are a staple in gaming, creating memorable moments and iconic challenges.
  • Final bosses can have deep connections to the protagonist or provide abstract but impactful endings.
  • Some notable final bosses include Raven Beak in Metroid Dread, The Ender Dragon in Minecraft, and Baldur in God of War.

Bosses are one of those staple things in gaming that's been around from the beginning. The big bad that's usually the final challenge that's halting your progress in your journey, bosses make some of the most iconic moments in gaming.

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Considering how classic a staple they are, there are quite a few to choose from, new and old. Sometimes the best battles are against someone who has a deep connection to the protagonist, or maybe you're just the only person who can put an end to them. Sometimes it can even be more abstract, but what matters most is how memorable they are.

Updated January 19, 2023 by Hilton Webster: After a long road, reaching the end of a game can be a form of catharsis. Perhaps the journey has been too long; maybe you don't quite want it to end just yet. All stories must, however, and that is why the final boss serves as the capstone to any good adventure. We've added a few more iconic bosses as well as some helpful pieces of info to get you to that ending.

30 Pyre - Oralech

Cover art for Pyre featuring the cast of the game

Pyre often goes unrecognised as one of Supergiant's greatest games. It's not simply their best game, but one of the best games ever. It really is a testament to gaming as an art form where every choice and every character is organic yet feeds into itself. This highlights itself tremendously through Oralech, the otherwise invisible antagonist, until the game's waning hours.

Betrayed by the people he wished to help, he became a vengeful demon wandering the Downside. With heightened stakes, the final match against him is as much an intentional choice as it is your own ability. Will you lose to set him free and doom your own people to the Downside? Or keep him locked away for your own freedom, reducing the chance of a bloodless revolution?

29 Tears Of The Kingdom - The Demon King

the legend of zelda tears of the kingdom ganondorf and a geurdo army from the gerudo assault dragon tear memory

After a long break since the days of Twilight Princess, Ganondorf finally made his triumphant return in Tears of the Kingdom, full-bodied and hydrated enough to quench your thirst. For the majority of the game, he is more of an ominous presence, his crippled body ascended to areas unknown. The visions of the past make up the most of his appearances.

This changes once you hit the end. Ganondorf rejuvenates himself, fighting you one-on-one in the deepest Depths of Hyrule. Ah, but one stage is not enough. He awakens his latent power, summoning phantoms to keep you at bay. Yet even more power is needed. The Secret Stone is consumed, and he becomes the Demon Dragon. A dance across the skies of Hyrule finally spells the end of the Demon King's rule.

  • Ganondorf has three stages in this final showdown, with the second having a health bar so long that it almost stretches off the screen.

28 Metroid Dread - Raven Beak

Raven Beak stands with his wings spread wide
Metroid Dread

Franchise
Metroid
Platform(s)
Switch
Genre(s)
Action , Adventure , Metroidvania

With the proliferation of the Metroidvania genre, it's hard to say exactly what defines a Metroid game anymore. In many ways, Metroid Dread played to the tried-and-true strengths of previous games, but played enough with mobility and storytelling to carve out its own new direction, something we attest to in our own review. And while Metroid games have never faltered in bosses, Dread takes them to the next level.

The fight against Raven Beak is potent. You can anticipate from the very beginning that he will be your final encounter, but that doesn't take away from its power. He has multiple stages, each testing your skills. Massive lasers, cinematic camera angles, dynamic backgrounds, all of it keeping Samus on the move. And it all culminates in a moment that sets new implications for Samus as a character.

27 Resident Evil 5 - The Boulder (And Wesker)

Resident Evil 5 final boss fight against Wesker. Chris Redfield punches boulder
Resident Evil 5

Franchise
Resident Evil
Platform(s)
PS3 , PS4 , Xbox 360 , Xbox One , PC , Switch
Genre(s)
Survival Horror

Unlike many of the other entries in this list, Resident Evil isn't a series renowned for its boss fights. Sure, there are some fun or inventive ones every now and then, but plenty of them devolve into 'shoot the glowing spot,' making most regular enemies a more thrilling encounter. With Resident Evil 5 though, the series effectively became a full action game.

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It also released around the height of quick time events. Now, Resident Evil 5 has quite a lot of flaws, but you can't deny it's cultural impact. Battling in a massive volcano, traversing gaps to avoid a superheated death, all to encounter your true rival, one only Chris Redfield could defeat - The Boulder. Yet with effective QTEs, Chris demolishes the boulder to dust. Wesker is there too, somewhere.

Fun fact, despite the game being built around co-op, the final battle is much more difficult with a friend because of how much harder the QTEs are made. Yes, even the boulder.

26 The Wonderful 101 - Jergingha

Planet-Destroyer Form Jergingha posing in The Wonderful 101

You might have noticed at this stage that PlatinumGames has quite a few entries in this list. In their defence, it's hard not to make a standout final boss when your combat system is already so rewarding by merit of its systems, and Platinum are masters at that. The Wonderful 101 was a game that missed many people due to its initial Wii U exclusivity and isometric camera in a character-action game.

The thing is though, the Wonderful 101 is one of the most joyous, unique games out there. Every battle is a pure spectacle, but the grand finale against Jergingha is something to remember. It's packed to the brim with minigames, slapstick dialogue, mechs, QTEs and just about anything else you could think of cramming into it. It's the pinnacle of hype gaming moments, and one that never takes itself too seriously either.

The Wonderful 101 is part of Kamiya's 'Superhero trilogy', also featuring Viewtiful Joe and Project GG.

25 Mario - Bowser

Super Mario Odyssey

Franchise
Super Mario Bros.
Platform(s)
Switch
Genre(s)
Platformer

For as much as Mario's smug face deserves to be pummeled, he is sadly the protagonist of the self-serving franchise after which he is named. Mario has an unsettling large media empire that spans so many mediums, but it always comes back around to his rivalry with Bowser.

It's a wonderful trifecta — Mario, in love with Peach and saving her. Bowser, also in love with Peach so much he kidnaps her. And Peach, who simply wants to be left alone. So for as much as Mario and Bowser end up fighting at the end of most games, they really should just kiss and make up.

24 Minecraft - The Ender Dragon

Game art from Minecraft.
Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition

Franchise
Minecraft
Genre(s)
Survival , Sandbox

Minecraft came from wonderfully humble beginnings, a simple pleasure of surviving the night and building whatever your mind could imagine. Such a game getting a story was far from the first thing one would've expected for it, and yet it has since spawned multiple media projects that, yep, sure do have a story.

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Well, the game has a (admittedly simple) story of its own, too, that culminates in a humourously good final boss. After travelling to the aptly named End, you are met across the void with the Ender Dragon. After a climatic battle against the giant beast, she drops an egg and you get to see the credits. And people say Minecraft is endless.

23 Dragon's Dogma - Grigori And The Seneschal

Dragon's Dogma the Seneschal walking in a misty area while glowing, and Grigori with his wings outstretched and roaring
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Platform(s)
PS4 , PS3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , Switch , PC
Genre(s)
Action RPG

Dragon's Dogma is truly a one-of-a-kind experience, blending character action game elements with RPGs and a good ol' tabletop party system unique to every player. All of that combined means no player has the same playthrough, and also that every fight is a tactile feast.

After chasing down the titular dragon, Grigori, he offers many revelations about the world (such as who you're in love with). Taking him down is no easy feat, taking place across a massive, constantly shifting arena. Yet it doesn't end there, as Grigori's defeat leads to a post-game story that results in you fighting the Seneschal, caretaker of the world. This is a great experience in and of itself, but it's actually in a new game plus when the Seneschal is another player (or even you yourself) that the thematic weight truly hits.

  • The battle against Grigori is more of a cinematic showdown than a true challenge. Much the same is true of the Seneschal, though it is important to keep in mind that during a New Game Plus cycle, the Seneschal and their pawn will have a different vocation depending on your own during your initial playthrough.

Unless you're satisfied with the blacksmith as your one true love, you should check out our favourite romances in Dragon's Dogma before Grigori decides for you.

22 Fallout - The Master

Fallout talking to the Master.

Fallout is pretty hard to divorce from its modern vision now, a cynical icon turned into a piece of merchandise and a mascot that likely doesn't quite understand its own themes and aesthetics, but the original set a standard. Released back in 1997, the original Fallout was isometric and jam-packed with writing that was more than a bit critical of its many inspirations.

Of course, it was also the game that helped revive RPGs in the West, and it exemplified that with its final Boss, The Master. Calling them a boss is interesting because it almost implies you have to fight them. That's an option, sure, but you can just as easily use your silver tongue to simply convince them that their whole plan is wrong, actually, and doomed to fail. And really, when was the last time a game gave you the option to talk a boss to death?

  • The Master has over 500 HP and can continually summon Mutants to help him, so your best bet really would be talking him to death.
  • In this case, you will need at least 7 Intelligence and have read Vree's Autopsy Report in advance.

21 Okami - Yami

Okami Yami Final Boss As A Ball with red lines Cropped
Okami

Platform(s)
PS4 , PS3 , PS2 , Xbox One , Switch , Wii , PC
Genre(s)
Action , Adventure

Have you ever thought about the fact that there are so few games that have actually attempted to recreate a Zelda-like experience, and how even fewer have succeeded? Okami is the answer to that, paying great homage to its inspirations while blazing a gorgeous trail of its own. The beautiful art of the game is enough to immortalize its legacy.

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The final boss feels like the perfect way of showing it all. Unlike most other bosses in the game, they're more technological than folkloric, yet all the more threatening. Yami, in terms of pure mechanics, isn't actually the greatest boss in the game. It's how the whole world rallies around you in defeating them, how it demands you use all your powers, the same powers that are strengthened by the very people who praise you. It even manages to make Issun likable for a single scene.

20 Mortal Kombat - Shao Kahn

Mortal Kombat 11

Franchise
Mortal Kombat
Platform(s)
Stadia , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X , PC , Switch
Genre(s)
Fighting

Mortal Kombat, despite being one of the goriest games ever in its earlier entries and leading to mass controversies, is also one of the most successful fighting games ever. It's a massive franchise with storytelling that's probably a lot better than you give it credit for. Yet most of the games share one common factor.

Shao Kahn. Despite only being introduced in the second game and serving as the final boss only periodically, he's practically the face of the series. He has appeared as the final boss more than any other character and is known for being absurdly brutal. It was and still is a massive achievement to beat him, considering he spends any moment where he's not attacking you, ridiculing you instead.

  • Shao Kahn is infamously difficult. There's no real saving yourself here other than being genuinely good at the game or finding a character who can cheese him. Good luck!

19 Hades - Hades

Hades Lord Hades sitting at his desk
Hades

Platform(s)
PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Switch , PC
Genre(s)
Action RPG

Roguelikes and roguelites have been around since, well, after the release of Rogue in 1980. The premise is simple but demanding: you lose portions of your progress, or all of it, upon death. It's a genre that's given birth to plenty of difficult games, but Supergiant wove the genre into an incredible storytelling tool.

Hades has plenty to love, from the too-attractive gods, to the seemingly endless dialogue. No game like this is complete without some good bosses to test your build and skills, and fighting actual Hades at the end feels great. Sometimes he'll fall to your abilities with ease, other times he'll have you thrown back down the Styx. He's always a welcome challenge.

18 Metroid - Mother Brain

Super Metroid screenshot showing Samus shooting Mother Brain with a Hyper Beam
Metroid

Franchise
Metroid
Platform(s)
nes
Genre(s)
Platformer

Metroid is a funny franchise, having begun back in 1986, yet some of its side-scrolling entries are soft reboots and remakes of the very first game. It's a testament to a strong foundation but also the endless allure of the open-ended nature of the games.

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With most of the games sharing so much, one then must acknowledge that the final boss is typically the same too: Mother Brain. In the original, Mother Brain is fought in a contained room with very accurate lasers, and then in Super Metroid gains a new form that is defeated with the help of the Baby Metroid. They feel like family with how much you have to see them, but at least it all ends with a good ol' timed base escape.

If you want to know more about the Metroids and why exactly the Space Pirates want them so badly, you can check out our Explainer on them!

17 Hollow Knight - The Hollow Knight And The Radiance

Radiance towering above the Knight in their cloud arena
Hollow Knight

Franchise
Hollow Knight
Platform(s)
PC , Switch , PS4 , Xbox One , macOS , Linux
Genre(s)
Metroidvania

Hollow Knight took the world by storm upon its release. It has fantastic hand-drawn art, a fantastical melodious soundtrack, and a truly endearing set of characters. It's styled like a Metroidvania and brings plenty of new aspects to the genre too. It's also noted, however, for its challenging combat.

While many called Hollow Knight a Soulslike for that difficulty, the comparison truly shows in how it develops its world. For example, the final fight against the Hollow Knight is incredible, but the true grief of the battle only shows through understanding. Better yet, that understanding is what can lead you to the true final boss: The Radiance. They're no bonus reward, but a truly terrifying final encounter unlike anything else in the game.

  • There is no save point between the Hollow Knight and The Radiance, so keep this in mind so you're not reckless during the first phase of the two bosses.
  • For a little extra help against the absurdly tough Radiance, we have a guide for that.

16 Bayonetta - Jubileus

Jubileus awakening in Bayonetta
Bayonetta

Franchise
Bayonetta
Platform(s)
PS4 , PS3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , Switch , Wii U , PC
Genre(s)
Action

Character action games have always had a penchant for flashy battles. The early beginnings in Devil May Cry and its iconic bosses like Phantom, the pantheon of God of War, and of course the many gigantic angels of Bayonetta. Bayonetta in particular loves being more than a bit over-the-top, and its final boss lives up to the reputation.

Jubileus, the Creator is gargantuan, a deity befitting her stature. Her fight is no simple act of beating away at her face and limbs while standing on a single platform like many others would do it. Instead, you're trapped inside a great dome, dashing about onto changing chunks of land while beating away at Jubileus. It actually makes her feel to scale, like her size actually matters.

15 Final Fantasy 6 - Kefka

Kefka Final Fantasy 6 faces off against the party one last time

Though Final Fantasy 7 is often remembered as the most successful of the Final Fantasy series, bringing the series to 3D, FF6 was the pinnacle of their pixel art. Having multiple prior entries behind them, Square Enix knew what they were doing and created a masterpiece and one of their most memorable villains.

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Kefka is a terrifying monster. Not born but created, Kefka yearned for nothing more than pure chaos and did it all in an unsettlingly whimsical manner. Seeking to destroy creation itself, his amazing theme of "Dancing Mad" feels fitting. Every part of him is a threat, from the music to the battlefield, and it's all the more uncomfortable by his pure glee.

14 Bloodborne - Moon Presence

Moon Presence reaching towards the player with the red moon in the background
Bloodborne

Platform(s)
PS4
Genre(s)
Action , RPG

FromSoftware may have gained their most recent fame from the Souls games and their distinct combat, but the apex of their work is Bloodborne. It's such a haunting world that feels like every aspect of it is built with the music, the weapons and the enemies all in mind. It's not always a perfectly balanced experience, but one that feels so well-realised.

That's why its final boss is so distinct. To even fight them in the first place, you need to find three obscure umbilical cords and eat them, and defeat the already incredible boss fight that is Gehrman. Then, you can face the very embodiment of the moon. They're quite an easy boss actually, despite being able to drain your health to a single point. They inspire such awe and dread, which feels fitting for an eldritch horror.

  • Moon Presence has a pretty terrifying grab move that can reduce your max HP for the duration of the battle. Other than this, Moon Presence is relatively trivial.

13 Twilight Princess - Ganondorf

Link and Ganondorf facing each other with their swords drawn at night in Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Platform(s)
GameCube , Wii
Genre(s)
Action , Adventure

The Legend of Zelda laid the foundations for so many of the great aspects in gaming and even revolutionized them again with Breath of the Wild. After Ocarina of Time's darker story and the more light-hearted nature of Wind Waker, people were ready for something grittier again, and Twilight Princess gave them everything they wanted.

Much of the game centers around the Twilight Realm, of Midna and Zant and the darkness seeping into Hyrule. Ganondorf is never far behind, though, and is revealed to be the true orchestrator of events. The final battle on horseback across Hyrule Field, culminating in a one-on-one battle against the Dark Lord, is a moment few can forget.

12 Kingdom Hearts 2 - Xemnas

Xemnas in his zebra-pattern coat with electricity in both hands in Kingdom Hearts 2

Kingdom Hearts is one of those series that is incredibly daunting to get into, even if every game is actually quite easily accessible now. That said, it relies so heavily on nostalgia, both on our childhood and also the love of older Disney works. It starts drifting from that pretty quickly with the sequel, but Sora always feels at heart like the childhood you remember.

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The final battle of Kingdom Hearts 2 feels like something almost thought up by a child as some epic final showdown. You jump across skyscrapers, cut them in two, duel against Xemnas with lightsabers, deflect millions of lasers at once, fly all over the place and defeat giant monsters. And in the end, you defeat him with the power of friendship.

11 Pokemon - Cynthia

Pokemon Diamond Cynthia Battle
Pokémon Pearl

Franchise
Pokemon
Platform(s)
Nintendo DS
Genre(s)
RPG

Everyone has their own memories of Pokemon, whether they began way back with Gen One, or only started with the latest entries. The one generation that holds a special place in many people's hearts is Gen Four, Platinum in particular. Beautiful music, iconic Pokemon, and gorgeous areas. Perhaps most memorable though, is Cynthia.

In typical Pokemon fashion, you meet her plenty of times before she reveals herself as champion, though it's not much of a surprise. To this day though, she is remembered as one of the most difficult. Her theme is heart-pumping, her Garchomp the destroyer of many teams. She even appears in other games too, in case you thought you could escape her.

  • We have a full guide on beating Cynthia, but in short, you'll need some varied Pokemon types, including fairy, grass, ice, and fire, to effectively take her down.
  • Garchomp especially is a major threat, but ironically enough a Garchomp of your own can be an effective Pokemon to take them down.