The 10 HARDEST RPG Bosses Of All Time

10 Hardest RPG Bosses of All Time

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 10 of the toughest bosses we have ever faced in RPGs!

Nyx Avatar

“Persona 3” (2006)

Like many JRPGs, “Persona 3” features a final boss that will put you through the wringer in the worst ways possible. Hey, you want to say you conquered the game, don’t you? Well, then, toughen up and face the Nyx Avatar head on! What makes the fight grueling is not just the massive health pool it has; the Nyx Avatar can also attack twice per turn! God help you if it manages to exploit a weakness or else you could find your entire party wiped out in a flash. Honestly, it makes us super thankful for the rework in “Persona 3 Reload” where it only attacks once and can no longer use its Almighty attack.

Emil

“NieR: Automata” (2017)

We always had a weird feeling in the pit of our stomachs about Emil. Nothing says “I’m a major threat” like a man with a creepy smiling moon mask! Once you’ve finished the extensive “Emil’s Memories” side quest, you can try to take him on in his own domain. Problem is that his attacks can cover a large portion of the area. Look, it was already bad enough to give him eye lasers and exploding heads - did we really need to fight in the middle of a massive sandstorm, too? Just try to keep your wits about you and pay close attention to his movements.

Redrum

“Xenogears” (1998)

No, we didn’t accidentally mix this up with a video about games making references to “The Shining”. Redrum is the most vicious boss you’ll come across in “Xenogears”! What makes this beast so excruciating to go up against is how he can severely cripple your party in a single turn. For instance, some of his attacks can cause status afflictions to two of your characters simultaneously. Another annoying move of his is Bloody Rain, which can greatly hurt you while healing himself. But the biggest offense he has is straight-up murder. That’s the name of the move: Murder. It is unblockable, and it can one-hit kill your party member and heal Redrum the same amount as his target's max HP. Total B-S.

Giygas

“Earthbound” (1995)

The second the fight starts, Giygas gives off an incredibly intimidating presence. This may be an alien baby, but this alien baby has some insane powers that will bring an end to you and the entire world. With a massive health pool of two thousand, you and your party must utilize the best attacks you have to finish this monstrosity. Keep in mind that Giygas can easily retaliate thanks to his high Speed stat, and all three of his attacks can put party members in critical condition. Be aggressive, but also be mindful of when you should heal.

Lavos

“Chrono Trigger” (1994)

As if his creepy appearance wasn’t bad enough, Lavos is absolutely one of the hardest bosses from the SNES days. First off, this was one of those bosses where you would expect there to be more than one or two phases. This thing’s got ten! The first nine all recycle attacks and patterns from previous boss fights. As for the tenth, Lavos uses its own strategy of attacks that deal extremely high damage. And even if you defeat that tenth form, the fight is STILL not over! You’ll have to go inside of its shell and fight its own body, which can curse your party members’ gear. And guess what - defeating that still doesn’t mean the end! You still have to fight the Core, which has high defense, attacks that can insta-kill certain party members, and one move that straight-up halves all of your party’s HP. Simply put, this fight is going to kick your thyroid into high gear from the frustration.

Penance

“Final Fantasy X” (2001)

When talking about tough “Final Fantasy” bosses, many immediately go to Sephiroth or Kefka. But did folks forget about Penance? You know, the creature with twelve million HP? Just when you thought the Dark Aeons were a pain, this thing appears out of nowhere, and it’s going to put you through hell! The key to defeating Penance is management. You will need to balance how often you’re attacking its arms and which characters take priority in getting healed. You need to keep both arms dead while chipping away at its health because if it has both arms on its turn, there is a good chance it’ll use Judgment Day on you, which can potentially kill your entire party. If you want to stand a chance against this thing, you’re going to need the Celestial Weapons - nothing else is going to help you survive.

Luca Blight

“Suikoden II” (1999)

With “Suikoden II” featuring all kinds of characters for you to recruit, you can swap them in and out and create parties that match your preferred playstyle. However, you may have to find specific party formations if you want to defeat Luca Blight. This guy will quickly prove to be a pain in the ass. High attack power, high defense, a move that can insta-kill a unit. Only thing that’s missing is an absurdly high health pool. Truly the most annoying boss in a tactical RPG, and one we would never want to suffer through again.

Lingering Will

“Kingdom Hearts II” (2005)

The “Kingdom Hearts” games have a pretty notorious lineup of bosses, primarily hidden bosses that you can only take on when you’re at a really high level. Sephiroth was the first to come to mind when we made this list, but the Lingering Will is the hardest boss of any “Kingdom Hearts” encounter. Not only does Lingering Will hit hard, it hits fast, too. And it does not matter if you try to keep it at a distance as it boasts some high-damaging melee and ranged attacks. If you have the time to spare, then get ready to chip away at sixteen entire health bars!

Flowey

“Undertale” (2015)

If you’re wanting to go for the dreaded Genocide run in “Undertale”, you’re choosing to take on the toughest challenge in the entire game. Flowey has been putting on a fake face for you for the entire game, and now, he’s planning to get rid of you so he may become a god. This is when “Undertale” leans heavily into its bullet hell mechanics as Flowey assaults you with all kinds of projectiles. He’ll go so far as to start messing with the game itself, tricking you into thinking you got a game over. Try your best to grab those Fight and Act buttons to keep your health and offense in check.

Demi-Fiend

“Shin Megami Tensei V” (2021)

We started the list with Atlus, and we’re ending the list with Atlus. How appropriate given this studio is notorious for its rough final bosses. The Demi-Fiend may very well be the toughest boss in the “Shin Megami Tensei” series. While he isn’t as volatile as his incarnations in previous games, the Demi-Fiend can still hit your party hard and will often retaliate when certain actions are taken, from landing a Physical attack to simply switching in a new party member. Really, don’t feel upset if you die a couple of times; this fight can get really rough, especially if you don’t have many status-afflicting moves.

What’s the hardest boss you’ve fought in an RPG? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!