Metroid is often known for its tight pacing, challenging gameplay, and exceptional boss encounters, and Dread delivers on all of those aspects effortlessly. Metroid Dread's smooth, fast-paced action translates exceptionally well in boss fights and makes for some of the best in the series.
From familiar faces to entirely new nightmares, Samus gets pushed to her limit in Metroid Dread and will have you on the edge of your seat throughout her entire journey. There are eleven main bosses in Metroid Dread, all of which offer a unique challenge and intricate attack patterns you must study and adapt to feel like an incredible return to familiarity in the series.
11 Twin Robot Chozo Soldiers
On the surface, the battle between the Twin Robot Chozo Soldiers and Samus should be a thrilling one that pushes her to her limits. Unfortunately, that isn't the case, and each time you encounter the dual Chozo Soldiers, the encounter falls flat.
By simply using Samus' Storm Missiles, you will quickly terminate the Twin Robot Chozo Soldiers in a matter of minutes. Neither encounter of them feels satisfying, challenging, or even remotely interesting.
10 Chozo Soldier
While not the best boss fight by any means, the many encounters you will have between solo Chozo Soldiers are always a highlight. The only downside here is each Chozo Soldier uses roughly the same attack pattern, meaning once you've done it once, you pretty much know what to expect going in.
However, utilizing Samus' Flash Shift, Parry, and a handful of Beam and Missile attacks makes each encounter enjoyable and adrenaline pumping. The Chozo Soldiers are also nothing to take lightly, which is what makes each battle feel like they have stakes.
9 Robot Chozo Soldier
The Robot Chozo Soldier is very similar to the standard Chozo Soldier above but has ranged attacks that allow it to close the gap on you. One of the best aspects of this boss fight is focusing on incoming projectiles while also keeping an eye on the Robot Chozo Soldier itself.
This boss encounter is fun, and while it only shows up a couple of times, it always felt rewarding and exhilarating. Additionally, using Samus' Flash Shift to dodge projectiles and slashes from the boss' sword just looks and feels fantastic.
8 Elite Chozo Soldier
Although it may look roughly the same as the other Chozo Soldiers before it, the Elite Chozo Soldier encounters are the best of the batch due to the fast-paced action they can bring to the table. Unlike the standard Chozo Soldiers, the Elite members wield a shield or heavy armor in addition to their Spear.
The shield brings an incredible obstacle into the mix for Samus to deal with, making her either try to get shots on the Chozo's behind or try to break the shield with Missiles. While maintaining the same basic pattern as the other Chozo's, the Elite Soldier does mix in a few new attacks of its own, making it a much more enjoyable encounter than the rest.
7 Golzuna
With the Chozo Soldiers finally behind us, the Golzuna kicks off the mainline bosses with a bang. While the Golzuna isn't the flashiest fight in Metroid Dread, it's enjoyable for what it is and poses a decent challenge, but it isn't overbearing by any means.
The Golzuna requires Samus to slide underneath its large beetle-like body and shoot it in the rear with missiles to defeat it. And, yes, that's a pretty simple boss design overall, but the Golzuna will mess you up with just a few hits if it can land them. Furthermore, the Golzuna will also summon telegraphed bombs in unique patterns in the air that you have to avoid from time to time, which is a fun mix-up once you think you have things figured out. Overall, this fight is pretty solid from start to finish.
6 Corpious
The first boss you will likely encounter in Metroid Dread, save for a potential sequence break, is Corpious. Corpious is a giant lizard-esque boss with a scorpion's tail that can disrupt Samus' attacks from a pretty substantial range.
This epic battle is an incredible showcase of what to expect moving forward in the game and a great way to convey just how cold Samus can be. She's unphased by pretty much everything that happens in this encounter and is the definition of cool, calm, and collected.
5 Escue
One of the more unique bosses in Metroid Dread is against the Escue, an aerial-based enemy. There aren't many boss encounters that have you go against an enemy that can fly perpetually, having you try to find clever ways to avoid its attacks while also landing hits of your own on it.
What makes the Escue fight standout is it essentially turns into a bullet hell, with you shooting a mix of Beam Shots and Missiles at it while also avoiding its barrage of projectiles it relentlessly launches at you. This encounter is phenomenal and surprisingly fast-paced, and the pure chaos makes it one of the best in Metroid Dread.
4 Drogyga
Even with the last boss's unique fighting style, the Drogyga takes it a step further and takes its battle underwater. With multiple phases and a small "puzzle" portion, this encounter is incredible from start to finish and only gets better as you start to put together what you need to do to take it down.
Having to shoot the illuminating tentacle while dodging projectiles and other loose tentacles is exhilarating on its own, but then having to power up generators to take a platform to the other side of the Drogyga is a clever way to keep players on their toes. This boss encounter has everything a significant Metroid boss fight needs and then some.
3 Experiment No. Z-57
This spider-like abomination is found deep in the area of Cataris and is known as Experiment No. Z-57. Samus will have to dodge large laser attacks, wide-reaching slash attacks, and multiple projectiles in this encounter. Z-57 hardly gives you any time to rest or think about your next move, which is half why it is such a great fight.
The way Samus conducts herself in this encounter is awe-inspiring as she scales the monster's appendages with incredible speed to get clear and concise shots directly in its face. Furthermore, the way you have to dodge its attacks is heart-pumping and will surely have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
2 Kraid
One of the largest enemies Samus has ever faced off against returns in Metroid Dread and delivers one of the best encounters in the entire game. The scale of the battle alone is enough to place it high in the rankings. However, it doesn't stop there.
As Samus unwaveringly stares at the enormous green reptile as it roars into her face, you know she's plotting on how to take him down yet again from the moment she lays her eyes on him. Learning Kraid's patterns is a joy in this encounter, and having to dodge incoming projectiles while also shooting him in the stomach is a classic yet fundamentally sound callback. The energy Samus gives in this fight is beyond badass, and she's genuinely ready to take care of unfinished business.
1 Raven Beak
Samus' battle against Raven Beak is an instant classic and will require every ounce of your energy and attention to overcome. This encounter will throw everything at you, having Samus dig into her entire arsenal to overcome seemingly impossible odds.
Everything you have learned and used up to this point is helpful - and borderline mandatory - in the Raven Beak encounter, almost begging you to use every button on the Switch controller. You will use Samus' parry, Power Bombs, Missiles, and Beam shots to take down Raven Beak.
While this comparison warrants eye-rolls, understandably so, this boss fight is almost on the level of the last boss encounter in FromSoftware's Sekiro: Shadow's Die Twice. While not nearly as intense or complex, it still requires you to use everything you have at your disposal and have learned throughout the game, which is why it is the best overall boss in all of Metroid Dread.