Video games use their introductory moments to ease players into these respective experiences. After all, without adequate direction, some video games could stand to lose their player base, who might get frustrated after getting stuck early on in this experience. Even the first boss that you might encounter in these games doesn't tend to be all that challenging and focus more on making players learn the basics instead of actually posing a serious challenge.

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Some game developers choose violence, as the meme saying goes, with punishing first bosses who will either teach you the basics nigh-sadistically, or aren't even necessarily there to do anything but give you a hard time. These are ten of the toughest.

Updated November 30, 2023 by Quinton O'Connor: Have we added a couple of new bosses? We sure have. Have we given several of them memorable quotes? We sure have. Why haven't we given them all memorable quotes? Because good luck getting a Kayran to speak!

10 Lawrence Barrett - Deus Ex: Human Revolution

When I find you, I'm gonna teach you a little something about pain.

Lawrence Barrett in Deus Ex Human Revolution Cropped

The boss fights of Deus Ex: Human Revolution are often considered the worst part of the game, completely discarding the idea of player freedom in these encounters. The first boss, Barrett, is easily the worst one of the lot and is a great example of why players hate bullet sponges.

It takes a ton of firepower to take this enemy down, while a few shots or a single takedown from him will be enough to decimate your health bar. It's a frustrating encounter, and you won't be shamed for turning the difficulty down just to remove this annoying roadblock in an otherwise stellar experience.

9 Asylum Demon - Dark Souls

Dark Souls: The asylum demon blocking the exit to the asylum

Soulsborne games have a habit of making their first bosses as hard as possible. Such is the case with the Asylum Demon, which is totally impossible to fight if players encounter it with a broken sword.

You need to run over to a small doorway and get your first proper weapon before trying on this boss once again. Even with the enhanced attack, this battle is anything but easy and will force you to learn how to measure your strikes and dodge when required.

8 Minotaur - Shin Megami Tensei 4

I will dine on your blood that wishes to mingle with the Unclean.

The Minotaur in Shin Megami Tensei 4

The main Shin Megami Tensei series has some of the hardest JRPGs ever made. If you like the Persona series and want to see what its parent franchise is like, then be prepared for a rude awakening.

No other moment personifies Shin Megami Tensei's approach to difficulty more than the Minotaur in the fourth game. This first boss hits like an absolute truck and will decimate players who don't prepare thoroughly before taking on this powerful foe.

7 Phrike - Returnal

Phrike boss in Returnal

One of the best AAA roguelike games, Returnal is a game pretty much everyone must've heard of at this point. This third-person bullet-hell extravaganza is one of the best titles on the PS5, with both its story and combat being an absolute treat.

The latter can be really challenging at times, especially when you encounter the first boss of this sublime game. Phrike is a pretty hard-hitting boss, and you'll need to improve everything from reaction times to DPS if you wish to stand a chance against this powerful foe.

6 The Kayran - The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings

The Witcher 2 Geralt fighting the Kayran.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a pretty challenging game, and one of the toughest encounters is indeed its first boss: the Kayran. If looks could kill, you'd be in for an automatic game over. But skill can still slay, and this creature has it in spades.

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Bring the Silver Sword, bring the Yrden sign, and for Geralt's sake, dodge those massive tendrils like your life depends on it. His surely does.

5 Vanguard - Demon's Souls

Vanguard Demon's Souls PS5

While the Asylum Demon is a fairly challenging boss, he is definitely beatable after you get a proper weapon. The same can't be said about the Vanguard, which is a much more challenging encounter.

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It doesn't help that dying to this boss sends you to a completely different area with no hope of trying out this encounter again until a fair way into the game. A single hit can down a player, leading to many players believing that Vanguard is simply too unfair.

4 Ninja Gaiden - Murai

Someday you will come to understand the pursuit of power. Perhaps beginning with your training here...

Murai First Boss Fight in Ninja Gaiden

The first Ninja Gaiden for Xbox was brutal all-around, and is commonly held as one of the hardest action games of the past few console generations. Murai, the game's first major encounter, is more monster than man; get in close, and he'll punish you accordingly.

Smartly-timed dodging and long-ranged assaults are your best bets. Only on replays, once the latter bosses have effectively forced you to master the controls, should you dare to approach Murai on more even terms.

3 Father Gascoigne - Bloodborne

Father Gascoigne

"Beasts all over the shop... you'll be one of them... sooner or later..."

Most people consider the Cleric Beast to be the first boss of Bloodborne, but most players don't realize that this encounter is completely optional. Instead, the real challenge of the game comes when players have to fight the game's first mandatory boss, Father Gascoigne.

If you understand the mechanics of Bloodborne's combat system, then you should be able to get through this fight with no problems. However, players and beginners who use the Dark Souls mindset to tackle this boss will be unpleasantly surprised at just how fast and aggressive this boss is, leading to a You Died coming more often than not.

2 Fajar The Botanist - Sifu

sifu fajar the botanist

Sifu is a game where repetition is key to success. Players need to master the intricate combat system of this game and improve their reflexes if they wish to stand a chance against the many powerful foes in this game.

The first boss in this game, Fajar the Botanist, serves as the truest test of your skills. He won't shy away from beating you down over and over again until you finally understand his moveset and counter his attacks accordingly.

1 Mr. Shakedown - Yakuza 0

One day I'm going to stand at the apex of all organisms.

Mr. Shakedown from Yakuza 0

While the boss fight in Yakuza 0 is a duel with Kuze, most players will encounter another powerful enemy that will completely wallop them into oblivion. This fight happens with Mr. Shakedown, one of the most infamous enemies in Yakuza 0.

Early on, Mr. Shakedown is nigh impossible to beat and will require you to upgrade the movesets of both Kiryu and Majima before standing a chance against this foe. Watching Mr. Shakedown turn from an imposing foe into a source of cash is one of the most satisfying moments in Yakuza 0, and it definitely requires a lot of work before players reach this phase too!

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