Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure is an RPG-fitness game that largely revolves around the villain known as Dragaux. This beast exists as a narrative focal point, a nefarious counterpart to Ring, and a point of motivation for the player to press on and fight. The unnamed hero must confront the prideful, muscular dragon on several occasions, initiating some of the toughest endurance fights throughout this marathon adventure.
While just about every clash with Dragaux proves difficult on some level, there are a number of sweat-inducing showdowns against this boss that truly test the strength and the mettle of players.
World Three: A Shining Jewel From The Heavens
Being the first Dragaux fight, it's easy to see why this one would be relatively simple. Still, this tangle can be deceptively tough if the player isn't thoroughly prepared.
Midway through the fight, Dragaux blindsides the player with a crate-heaving move, which is countered by aiming and squeezing the Ring-Con in a one-on-one first-person shooting minigame. Being able to collect some hearts from a few broken crates does help matters, but this can still be jarring given how different it is from most of the combat.
Added to this is Dragaux's relatively frequent attacks, which must be absorbed via Ab Guards. These can be tough to weather in this early stage of the game if the defense isn't up to par, as players will only have a few hearts. Regardless, his relatively low health and lack of moves makes this fight quite manageable with a bit of grinding and smoothie preparation beforehand.
World Five: Dragaux Vs. The Four Masters
Despite being the third of the Dragaux fights, this one resides over the second fight in of simplicity. This is largely thanks to the greater opportunities for healing—achieved by smashing incoming boulders he tosses at the player.
One key addition that can be tough to deal with is Dragaux's band of Manta Rays which resemble yoga mats. These mat-like creatures will often slide underneath the boss and heal him, which tends to draw out this fight quite a bit. Targetting these pests early on—particularly with multi-target moves like Bow Pull—will delete them fairly quickly and make the fight far easier. While the battle may take a while, fighting the solitary Dragaux is very doable, and it definitely helps that he wastes a few turns working out.
World Four: The Nation Of Sporta
In this clash, Dragaux brings a duo of Manta Ray companions, both of which will heal the hobbled dragon fairly often. They should be dealt with early on, so efforts can be entirely focused on the tough beast himself.
This one can be somewhat tricky in that most players still won't have many hearts by this point, making each of Dragaux's attacks all the more impactful. Each hit will likely remove roughly one heart, which means players have to make successful of Ab Guards and liberal use of healing essential. Then there's the addition of a laser blast, which can be tough to weather. Dragaux's "workout" breaks offer some respite, but it can still be tricky staying on the healing while whittling away the vast health bar of this boss.
World Ten: Grandminion Gauntlet
By world ten, Dragaux has a few new tricks up his sleeve. He'll now punch with two hands at once, which can be devastating if not guarded—and can still eat away ample hearts if Ab Guard is used.
He also balances on a blue Puffersquish. This can be both beneficial and detrimental to the player. He'll sometimes lose his balance, causing him to be idle more than he normally would. At the same time, though, the Puffersquish will initiate moves of its own, forcing an extended Ab Guard to counter it. Yet, between the idle moves, Rush Attack opportunities, and lack of minions, this one can be fairly easy considering how deep in the game it resides.
World Thirteen: El Dorago
Given the ominous look of Dragaux's El Dorago, most would expect the boss fight of this to be trickier than it is. Dragaux's power is somewhat mitigated by his somewhat frequent skipped turns, though he can still pack quite a punch if players aren't prepared.
As is the case with Grandminion Gauntlet, this one emphasizes those ab-working guards, which makes for a more low-key battle overall. Dragaux also resorts to his crate-tossing, which presents the opportunity to recover those lost hearts from his various attacks.
World Nine: Flex Dojo
Trekking across the obstacle course to reach Dragaux can be brutal as it is, without even participating in the 25-minute marathon fight itself. In this battle, Dragaux is in usual super-powered form, only this time he unleashes a fireball-spitting barrage into the mix.
The stream of fireballs can be extinguished using the Ring-Con, though this proves pretty difficult given the swiftness and accuracy required to take them out. Larger boulders are also thrown into the mix, which brings back the handy ability to regain hearts. But this can be a challenge too, as the massive boulders take multiple hits to break.
World Seventeen: The Boy Who Howled Wolf
In this grueling battle, Dragaux will take on a blue form—so the seat-inducing leg exercises will be most needed against him. These can be tough, but it's advised to generally stick to these, as they'll inflict more damage and make the fight quite a bit simpler.
He'll also have a couple of those pesky Manta Rays to back him up, including a "Dark" variant which can be tougher to take down. Added to this is Dragaux's extended leg kick, which demands a lengthy Overhead Squat move to absorb. This one is simply designed to wear down the player—and it often succeeds.
World Fifteen: Quizton
In this inquisitive world, players must answer a series of health and fitness-related questions to progress to the boss. Once Dragaux is reached at Stumper Tower, it's time for another grueling fight of strength and endurance. This time, the boss takes on the unique appearance of a yellow dragon, meaning it's time to really work those abs.
Though dealing extra damage which matching colors is always handy, this boss can be particularly tough for a couple of reasons. Dragaux fights alongside two bird-like minions for extra firepower—and comes equipped with loads of health to boot. While players will typically have ample health by this point, Dragaux and his minions often use buffs and debuffs, which can change the momentum pretty decisively.
World Nineteen: Getting Rusty
In this fight, Dragaux will sport an intimidating red body, which means that players should opt for the often-grueling arm exercises. But even with the boost in strength these moves yield, Dragaux's health will take a long time to whittle down. This is thanks in part to the band of Megaphaunas and Manta Rays that accompany him.
Staving off the various attacks from both Dragaux and the other baddies can quickly drain the health of the player. Be sure to emphasize attacks that hit multiple targets, as this will essentially be required to have a fighting chance.
Finalia: Dark Dragaux
The ominous Dark Dragaux—the final boss in the game—marks the hardest fight and one of the hardes challenges this expansive RPG has to offer. After fighting through an obstacle course of foes, including a laser-shooting Dragaux statue, players will finally face off with the fitness-obsessed dragon himself.
This beast of a boss unleashes a slew of powerful moves, including claw slashes and fire-breathing barrages. Not only this, but he also has a whopping three health bars this time, each representing a different set of skills. Players should be sure to mix up their skills to include abs, legs, and arms in order to inflict the most damage—but even then he'll likely take a while to minutes to defeat.
