The 10 Most Intimidating Dragon Bosses In Video Games

10 Terrifying/Hardest Dragon Bosses

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at the most intimidating dragons we’ve ever gone up against in video games!

King Gleeok

“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)

Like Lynels in its predecessor, the Gleeoks from “Tears of the Kingdom” are definitely enemies you should wait to approach until you’re 100% sure you can handle them. With the combined force of fire, ice, and lightning damage, though, King Gleeok is an extra-nasty variant. The Gleeoks already have frustrating attacks, particularly those that see them rise high outside your range to rain down damage from above. But everything is worse with the King. Progressing through the game means gaining resistance to the elements, whether through meals or armor. But trying to divide those resistances while dealing with the high-damage attacks takes a fair bit of patience and planning. These encounters naturally grow less deadly the more you play. But for a while, they’re a big pain.

Ancient Dragons of Destruction

“Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep” (2013)

The best DLC for “Borderlands 2” was a fantastic D&D parody. So, naturally, it had us fight some dragons. The Ancient Dragons of Destruction are a group of raid bosses that can be pretty annoying for a number of reasons, one being that there are four of them. They each use a different element (shock, slag, incendiary, and corrosive) and have a uniquely problematic ability, too. The shock dragon can heal the others, the slag dragon can raise their levels, the incendiary dragon has a huge AOE attack, and the corrosive dragon can spawn minions. Needless to say, there are a few things that can go wrong in this fight.

Ridley

“Super Metroid” (1994)

Although later fights against Ridley would perhaps grow grander, the fight against him in “Super Metroid” is the hardest. Part of the problem is his arena; a room taller than it is wide that gives the dragon plenty of room to fly around in, shooting fireballs in Samus’ direction. The other major issue is his tail; it’s hard to read just which direction he’ll flick it in, and it can deal a lot of damage really quickly if you’re not careful. Oh, and he can block with it. It’s important to keep your distance best you can, but Ridley isn’t exactly a slow flier. With battles like this, it’s no wonder Nintendo has brought him back, time and time again.

The Archdemon

“Dragon Age: Origins” (2009)

In the first “Dragon Age,” your whole journey culminates in facing the Archdemon, an ancient deity reborn in the form of a dragon that leads the Darkspawn, an army of dangerous monsters. So, yeah, its reputation should precede it. Being the big bad, the Archdemon is resistant to several damage types, including electric and ice, and is immune to many conditions, like knockdown and stun. Having a proper party dynamic is key, but even still, the Archdemon uses some pretty unsavory methods of attack. It can summon plenty of minions with the ability to detonate them near your party, can dole out big AOE attacks, and can stun or knock your characters down to open them up to further damage.

Grim Matchstick

“Cuphead” (2017)

There are obviously a lot of hard bosses in “Cuphead.” But Grim Matchstick is one that stands out. Like others, his first phase covers the stage with hazards like projectiles and his tail that attacks from below. The biggest problem is that it’s an auto-scroller, and you have to keep jumping between the small, constantly moving clouds while he attacks. The second phase brings minions into the mix, but the third is clearly the most challenging. Grim Matchstick grows two extra heads, all of which unleash a swarm of fire-based attacks. There isn’t a lot of room to avoid his attacks, which can lead to more than a few quick deaths.

The Ur-Dragon

“Dragon’s Dogma” (2012)

It may have taken some time for the greatness of “Dragon’s Dogma” to catch on. But for those who played it, and fought this beast online, they know the Ur-Dragon is one nasty piece of work. It's an asynchronous fight, meaning groups of players damage it over time, leading to its eventual death. With up to 3 billion hit points, that can take quite a while. Individual encounters showcase the dragon’s absolute buffet of different attacks. Not only will you need the highest level equipment you can find just to withstand the damage, but if the people you’re playing with don’t fully grasp the ins and outs of combat, that fight will go South quickly.

Dragonlord Placidusax

“Elden Ring” (2022)

FromSoftware knows a thing or two about terrifying dragons, and Placidusax is definitely one of the studio’s most intimidating. The two-headed behemoth is thankfully optional, and will provide a sizable challenge for those who seek him out. As you might expect, there are few places of safety during the fight. Placidusax can hit within a variety of ranges; too close and you’ll get slammed by his wings or tail, too far and you’ll have to contend with lightning bolts or possibly getting burnt to a crisp. Even if you can successfully handle that, his second phase gives him the ability to teleport, and upgrades his fire breath to a beam that can decimate your entire health bar.

Yiazmat

“Final Fantasy XII” (2006)

Yiazmat is one of the most infamous bosses in all of “Final Fantasy,” a legacy it will likely hold for all time. Another optional fight, you need to set aside a significant amount of time if you hope to make it through. It has 50 health bars, all at 1 million hit points each. It obviously comes with detrimental attacks befitting such a large health pool, some of which can hit the entire party. But it also gains extremely frustrating benefits the longer you fight it. The damage Yiazmat takes is reduced by ⅓ once half its health is gone. It deals more damage once it reaches ⅕ of its health. And, at 1/10 of its total health, it will be able to reflect attacks back at you, as well as your healing spells onto it.

Darkeater Midir

“Dark Souls III: The Ringed City” (2017)

With base games that are already incredibly difficult, FromSoftware usually ups the ante for its DLC. “The Ringed City” for “Dark Souls III” is a fan favorite expansion, and features a tough-as-nails dragon fight. Darkeater Midir has a giant health pool and a crystalized body that gives him high defense, meaning you’ll have to be very patient when trying to deal damage. That’s easier said than done, though. The first phase features expected melee attacks, like Midir’s claws and tail. But his bite can deal major critical damage, and his fire breath can be followed by beams that will also suck away your health. The second phase increases his aggression with a few new, high-damage attacks, making him a nightmare to face.

Fatalis

“Monster Hunter World: Iceborne” (2019)

Fatalis is one of the more well-known beasts in the “Monster Hunter” series, having appeared in many entries. However, for “Monster Hunter World,” the dragon was added in the “Iceborne” DLC and was made a huge, frustrating obstacle for players to overcome. Although he has less health if you’re playing solo, the encounter will be hard no matter what. Fatalis is fought across three phases and has several attacks that have large hitboxes and are powerful enough to one-shot you. It also can’t be stunned, so you have to attempt knocking it over with different siege weapons like ballista. However, there’s a strong sense of urgency throughout the fight as it comes with a 30-minute timer that can cause players to make mistakes.

Which almighty video game dragon had you nervous to face it? Let us know in the comments and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!