When it was originally announced that Mario would collaborate with Ubisoft's Rabbids in a turn-based strategy game, many were skeptical about its premise and concept. Fortunately, Mario and Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is much better than anyone thought it would be.

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After a group of Rabbids accidentally open a portal to the Mushroom Kingdom, you must solve puzzles, look for new party members, and face formidable bosses on your quest to restore peace. Each boss has unique abilities that will test your team's skills and require you to re-think previous strategies to defeat them, but some are more memorable and enjoyable to fight than others.

10 Blizzy & Sandy

Blizzy throws an iceball while Sandy prepares for battle

Blizzy and Sandy appear as the mid-bosses of the second world and are the first (but not last) time that you will need to fight two bosses at once. They are an extremely lethal duo that can easily inflict burn status effects on your party, then attack again once your characters are running around the field. If you don't plan accordingly, they can wipe out your team in just a few turns.

The worst part of this battle is when both Blizzy and Sandy are attacking you simultaneously. It's best to take out Sandy first before he can decimate the field with grenades and then slowly advance on Blizzy while remaining behind cover. It's a tough and overall forgettable battle compared to the rest, but at least you unlock Rabbid Mario after taking these two down.

9 Lava Queen

The Lava Queen sneaks up behind Mario

As Mario and his ragtag team approach the explosive endgame, you will need to defeat a series of bosses at a much faster rate than usual. The final mid-boss before the climactic final battle is easily the most forgettable in the gauntlet and requires back-up from other mid-bosses to even pose a threat to your powerful squad.

The Lava Queen spends most of her time hiding behind cover while Bwario, Bwaluigi, and her other minions attack you instead. Once they are all defeated, the Lava Queen herself doesn't stand much of a chance due to her low damage output and health. It's a strange choice to have her as the penultimate boss in the game, but at least you can catch your breath for a moment before the last showdown.

8 Pirabbid Plant

Pirabbid Plant looks away nervously in a grassy area

After spending the opening moments of the game familiarizing yourself with Mario, Rabbid Peach, and Rabbid Luigi's abilities, it will be time to put all that knowledge to the test with the very first mid-boss. Pirabbid Plant is a fusion between a Rabbid and a Piranha Plant that's fun to fight, but overall not too grueling.

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The Pirabbid Plant uses a fire attack with incredible range to injure your team, so it's best to stay behind the best cover possible while facing it. Spreading your team out is the ideal strategy, so its attack doesn't damage multiple heroes at once. Pirabbid Plant is a great skill check boss that also unlocks Luigi as a party member after you defeat it.

7 Icicle Golem

Icicle Golem holds his shield and breaths ice on its stage

The Icicle Golem is the final boss of Sherbert Desert and can be incredibly difficult to take down. It uses a giant shield for protection and can deal heavy amounts of damage to your team. Its attack can also inflict the freeze status effect, which prevents your heroes from using any of their special techniques.

To make it even more challenging, Princess Peach joins your team right before the battle, and you must learn to use her attacks without any previous experience. While the Icicle Golem can be tough to damage and defeat, using Peach's boomshot and grenades effectively should melt its chances of victory to a puddle.

6 Calavera

Calavera screams at Rabbid Yoshi on a dark night

You will meet Calavera in Spooky Trails and must defeat him to save Rabbid Yoshi. Like the Icicle Golem, Calavera uses the door on its coffin as a shield, making it impossible to deal damage from the front. You'll need to surround him on all sides to eventually send him back to his grave and convince Rabbid Yoshi to join the team.

Calavera has a cool aesthetic, and the battlefield provides plenty of opportunities to sneak behind him to attack. Be careful, though, as he will use Rabbid Yoshi's grenades and Gatling Gun to attack and push your team further away. It's a great battle that helps make Spooky Trails one of the best worlds in the entire game.

5 Mecha Jr.

Mecha Jr. holds Spawny by an active volcano

Throughout your journey in the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser Jr. will frequently swing by to stir up trouble by throwing a boss or new obstacle at you. As Mario slowly begins to approach the endgame, Bowser Jr. decides to handle you himself in a powerful mecha suit capable of dealing massive amounts of damage.

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Like many bosses, it's best to strategically surround him, so he can't attack more than one hero at once. Mecha Jr. uses both a hammer and its giant feet to crush your chances, and can also send sentries out to follow your team and detonate once they are close enough.

4 Bwario & Bwaluigi

Bwario and Bwaluigi

As cool as it would've been to have Wario and Waluigi as party members in Kingdom Battle, the sudden appearance of their Rabbid doppelgangers is one of the best moments in the entire game. The two mischief-makers show up shortly after you defeat Mecha Jr. and appear again to help the Lava Queen later on.

It's best to take out Bwario first before he can deal significant damage to your team, then spread your team out so you can take down Bwaluigi without his counterattack defeating one of your heroes. You'll need to stay on your toes against these two, as one wrong move can easily result in them teaming up to annihilate your heroes.

3 MegaDragonBowser

MegaDragonBowser flies in the air in front of a fiery sky

Bowser doesn't show up in Kingdom Battle until the very last battle, but before he can even do anything, he is possessed by MegaBug. Bowser's newest form is one of his best and strongest, and the climactic final battle between your team and him is absolutely the most difficult in the entire game.

Everything you've learned to this point will be put to the test as MegaDragonBowser and his minions relentlessly attack your heroes. To make things worse, there are three phases to the fight and zero breaks between them. It's an incredibly challenging battle that might force you to use the extra health option so that you can finally roll the credits on this amazing game.

2 Rabbid Kong

Rabbid Kong roars into the sky by some stacked letters

After playing through the first couple of hours of the game, you'll eventually run into Rabbid Kong at the peak of the Ancient Gardens. He's the first true boss of the game and, despite his size, is more fun to fight than actually difficult. It might take a little time to figure out how to defeat him, but once you crack the case you can simply enjoy Rabbid Kong's presence.

Most bosses have huge health bars that you need to reduce over time, but not Rabbid Kong. He can restore all of his health by eating bananas between turns, so instead, you must place a hero or sentry on a pressure plate to drop his delicious snacks. Repeat this cycle three times to take him down, but don't worry, Rabbid Kong reappears in Kingdom Battle's excellent Donkey Kong Adventure DLC for another epic showdown.

1 Phantom

Phantom poses in a frame held by rabbids on a stage

Not only is Phantom the best boss in Kingdom Battle, but he might also be one of the best bosses Mario has ever faced. He introduces himself by singing a song that hilariously mocks Mario before battle and continues to taunt you and your team throughout the fight. Not only is the music and character great, but the fight is really fun also.

Instead of attacking Phantom directly, you must attack the generators powering his spotlights. He is immune until you do so, and figuring out how to get to them is surprisingly entertaining. It would be extraordinary to see Phantom return; he is one of the stars of Kingdom Battle and deserves another chance to shine.

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