There’s nothing that can give a gamer a greater sense of accomplishment than sending the game’s boss back to the shadowy depths from whence the came. At the same time, there’s nothing that can leave a gamer wanting to smash their controller more than a boss that simply won’t accept defeat.
Bosses have been a part of video gaming since the very beginning. After all, what would a Zelda game be without taking down Ganondorf? How about a Mario game without squaring off against Bowser? Defeating these bosses gives a finite end to the hero’s quest. Bosses can also help establish the end of a level — signifying that the player has earned the right to move on to the next chapter of the story.
For a while there, it seemed like video game bosses were quickly becoming a thing of the past. The surge in online multiplayer games meant that players no longer needed to beat an intimidating NPC to feel a sense of accomplishment — not with an endless supply of other gamers that they could triumph over instead. In recent years, RPGs have seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to franchises like Dark Souls, God of War, and The Elder Scrolls. The difficulty and in-depth nature of these game have created a community all of their own. Players now take to the web to share strategies on how to take down these franchises' most formidable foes.
Let's countdown the 20 Hardest Video Game Bosses Ever (And Exactly How To Beat Them).
20. M. Bison — Street Fighter II
Making his debut in 1991's Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, M. Bison serves as the final opponent for the player to square off against — provided they can make it through Sagat in one piece.
M. Bison is a relentless fighter, whose moves are fast and far more powerful than any other competitor in the game. Even just getting tossed by the criminal overlord can eat away a third of the player’s vitality, meaning that keeping your distance throughout a majority of the fight is a must. Using a character with projectile attacks can give the player a slight advantage during this fight, but victory over M. Bison will ultimately come down to lots of trial and error.
19. Dark Link — Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link may be one of the most maligned installments of this high fantasy series, but it also has one of the most competitive boss battles. Here, Dark Link serves as the final foe of the 1988 NES game, where he has the exact same speed and moves as the Hylian Hero. Since the blocks and attacks come at the player almost as quickly as they’re dealt out, this boss fight is all about spot-on reflexes — and a little luck certainly doesn’t hurt.
Dark Link has since become a recurring enemy in the series, though the fight against him in Zelda II is easily the most challenging. That is, unless you just want to take the easy way out by crouching in the corner and endlessly stabbing your sword in Dark Link's direction.
18. Dracula — Castlevania
With no shortage of YouTube videos and messaging boards to sift through, Dracula isn’t nearly as hard to defeat today as he once was. When the game was first released, players had to figure out how to take down this Castlevania boss all on their own. That meant playing through the game all over again to try and implement a new tactic, only to have it fail and have to start all the way back at the beginning.
Since the player takes four times more damage than Dracula, going into the battle with a surplus of hearts is a must. Using Holy Water can also help stop Dracula’s projectiles, making them easier to jump over. Holy Water can also stall Dracula in his final form, making the second stage of this boss fight actually easier than the first.
17. Sinistar — Sinistar
Known for being relentlessly difficult, Sinistar is a multi-directional shooter which was released in arcades back in 1983. The game finds the player piloting a lone spaceship, which they use to dodge planetoids and enemy ships that whip across the screen in headache-inducing patterns.
Shooting the planetoids releases crystals, which the player needs to create Sinibombs. You need 13 Sinibombs to defeat Sinistar, the game's final boss. However, the enemy ships are also on the hunt for crystals, which they use to construct Sinistar throughout the game. Outside of sheer skill, the only real trick here is to slowly chip away at the planetoids to better the chances of gathering crystals. Otherwise, these planetoids will simply be destroyed without giving the player any assets.
16. Wizpig — Diddy Kong Racing
The primary antagonist of Diddy Kong Racing, Wizpig is an intergalactic pig-wizard who takes over Timber’s Island and lays claim to the land’s racetracks. The player must beat Wizpig twice throughout the Nintendo 64 game — once on land, and once in space — but it’s actually the first race that presents the real challenge for racers.
While Wizpig will inevitably take an early lead in the one-on-one race, the player can make up ground throughout the track’s three laps. The key is to hit as many of the track's zippers as possible — which will give the racer a temporary boost in speed. Hitting these zippers alone isn’t enough-- you need to be pointing in the perfect direction to reap the full benefits of these boosts to stand any chance of staying ahead of Wizpig.
15. Emerald Weapon —Final Fantasy VII
Emerald Weapon may not be the final boss of Final Fantasy VII, but this battle is easily the game’s most challenging. The aquatic enemy is an optional superboss, which requires the player to get in a submarine and venture beneath the seas. The first challenge of taking down Emerald Weapon is the 20-minute time limit, which means the player must continuously be on the offense throughout the fight. Add to that an enemy HP of one million, and Emerald Weapon seems almost undefeatable.
However, the time limit can actually be avoided by acquiring the Underwater Materia elsewhere in the game. It may be a lengthy process, but it will take a lot of pressure out of the fight. From there, it’s just a matter of memorizing Emerald Weapon's attack pattern and reacting accordingly.
14. Ornstein and Smough — Dark Souls
If you thought taking on one Dark Souls boss at a time was already hard enough, try squaring off against two at once. This is what makes defeating Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough one of the most challenging boss battles in the entire series. If you want to make things easier on yourself, summoning another player is always an easy out.
After one of the enemies is defeat, the other will absorb the powers of the fallen foe. Therefore, focusing on one at a time is a must. Ornstein is likely the easiest to defeat first since he’s the hardest to distance yourself from. Using some lightening resistant-armor and fire-based weaponry will also give you a slight edge up during this brutal and unforgiving fight.
13. Alma — Ninja Gaiden
The 2004 installment of this action-adventure series, Ninja Gaiden was originally released for the Xbox, where the game become notorious amongst players for its punishing boss fights. Squaring off against Alma is largely considered the most difficult fight in the game, as the Great Fiend both has immense power and speed on her side. On top of her rapid-fire projectile attacks, Alma can also rush up on the player in an instant, giving them very little time to react.
Like so many challenging boss battles, defeating Alma is all about precision timing. Due to her impressive speed, it might be tempting to try and rush the fight through. Being patient and waiting for the ideal opening will ultimately reap the better outcome.
12. Mike Tyson — Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!
Even if the player managed to make it to the Dream Fight of this 1987 fighting game, taking down Mike Tyson is no easy feat. The opponent towers over the player’s Little Mac, who has a much smaller arsenal of moves which also deal out a lot less damage.
There is a set strategy for defeating the world-class boxer. First and foremost, you need to dodge Tyson’s punches precisely and free yourself up to counterpunch as soon as possible. You’ll also want to try and hit Tyson on the opposite side that he is currently facing — which will deal out almost double the damage. The key of the entire fight is to only react. Don't try to predict Tyson's next move, because dodging when you don't need to will result in being knocked out in no time.
11. C’Thun — World of Warcraft
C’Thun is an ancient god who first appeared in the Temple of Ahn-Qiraj in World of Warcraft. The enemy is gigantic eyeball surrounded by a mass of tentacles, who inspires insanity in anyone who lingerings in its presence.
C’Thun has a wide range of attacks, including everything from an eyeball beam to a stomach full of acid that will quickly eat away at the player’s health should they find themselves swallowed by the monstrous beast. Staying on the outside of this fight is of the utmost importance. Defeating C’Thun has also become increasingly easy over the years thanks to a number of patches, but the original incarnation of the character was nearly unbeatable, even to the most seasoned WoW player.