It goes without saying that boss fights are some of the toughest challenges in any video game. After all, these highly endurable baddies can take you for a ride as they pummel you into oblivion over and over again, which is not an enticing prospect in the slightest. However, there are times when these bosses can be the least of your worries, with enemies in certain games packing a pretty substantial punch as well.
The following enemies are truly the bane of most players' existences and the very act of facing these tough foes can make any veteran shudder. If you check out any of the games mentioned on this list, then be prepared to be absolutely destroyed by these tough enemies at least once.
10 Basilisk (Dark Souls)
The Basilisk is easily one of the most annoying enemies in the Dark Souls trilogy. In the first game, they ambush you out of nowhere and afflict you with Curse, one of the worse statuses in the game.
The idea of roaming around with half health without any idea of how to fix this status is easily one of the worst things you can go through in Dark Souls. It's a boon that this enemy only appears in a solitary area in the game.
9 Brachiosaur (Final Fantasy 6)
Final Fantasy 6 is full to the brim with a wide array of enemies, but most people might not have encountered the rare and terrifying Brachiosaur. The rewards for beating this enemy are immense... but so are the risks.
The Brachiosaur inflicts a bunch of negative statuses, hits for massive damage, and can even wipe out the entire party with a single cast of Ultima when at low health. It's important to be on your toes for every battle against this enemy, otherwise you might have to look at a game over screen sooner rather than later.
8 Guardian Stalker (The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild)
Breath of the Wild gives an unparalleled level of freedom to players, letting them explore the world to their heart's content. This can be a double-edged sword if you encounter a Guardian Stalker, however.
This enemy relentlessly hounds you and can potentially one-shot Link with their laser attacks. Unless you've explored the game and retrieved a vast horde of powerful equipment, the Guardian Stalker will end your run very swiftly.
7 Multiple Regular Goons (Yakuza 3)
All the Yakuza games have really fun combat that is a blast to play through. The only exception to this rule is Yakuza 3, which is an absolute chore to get through early on.
The random goons in this game attack randomly and never stop blocking. It becomes so challenging that you're better off ignoring these enemies and dealing with the early game bosses instead, which are actually easier to handle!
6 Deathclaw (Fallout)
While the Cazador could've also made this list, the legendary nature of the Deathclaws makes them an easy pick. These enemies have been a constant across most Fallout games and have almost always been the toughest enemies featured.
Facing Deathclaws at a lower level is pretty much a death sentence. You need to get through your respective Fallout games and level up in both experience and equipment before even thinking about dealing with a single one of these Deathclaws.
5 Medusa Head (Castlevania)
At a glance, the Medusa Heads seem like rather normal and weak enemies that don't really pose too much of a threat to you. However, that's before you start platforming across a level full of these heads.
These enemies fly in a rather random pattern and are extremely hard to avoid. It's very much possible that you will be stopped midway in a jump and fall into a stage trap or even just an instant death pit.
4 Honey Badger (Far Cry 4)
These small feral enemies form the major bulk of Far Cry 4's aggressive wildlife. They seem pretty easy at first glance... until you realize just how swift and annoying they can be.
The fact that these enemies bite you for some pretty hefty damage before running away makes them even more of a pain to deal with. The only positive fact about encountering this enemy is the hilarious way NPCs scream out their name whenever they detect them before emptying a full clip and missing each shot.
3 Marauder (Doom Eternal)
Doom Eternal was a sequel that fans were eagerly anticipating, given the massive success of the Doom 2016 reboot. However, there were some people who didn't find Eternal to be all that great, in no small part due to one of the most hated video game enemies of all time.
The Marauder can be a huge pain to deal with, mainly because it forces you to rethink your strategy that was mostly effective against other demons. An enemy that can block attacks with ease is always annoying, but proper strategy and timing will take care of this enemy with ease.
2 The Hunters (Bloodborne)
There are simply too many enemies in Bloodborne that warrant a place on this list. The Winter Lantern and Shark Giants are two great candidates, but the sheer number of hunters present in the game that can be a pain to defeat deserves a spot on this list.
The worst hunter encounter in the game is when you have to fight three of them at once in Yahar'gul. It's a high-octane fight where a single misstep can lead to you being absolutely swarmed and decimated with powerful strikes.
1 Poison Headcrab (Half-Life 2)
Half-Life 2 is full to the brim with sudden and terrifying encounters. However, nothing comes close to the imposing nature of the Poison Headcrabs, who are easily the worst enemies in the game by a country mile.
A single hit from them reduces Gordon's HP down to one, after which he's a sitting duck until his health comes back to normal. Thankfully, these enemies are slow and can be picked off from a distance... although this option isn't really available if you are stuck fighting a mob of varied enemies that include the Poison Headcrab.