Every Resident Evil 4 Boss RANKED

And you thought the Chainsaw Man was bad. Found in the Barrier area of the village, the Chainsaw Sisters are tough, fast, and hard to defeat. Their weapon of choice should be fairly obvious, and these sisters have the capability to one-shot the player with a swift swipe from their blades. But these two are even harder than the Chainsaw Man. For one thing, there’s two of them. Two is always harder than one! For another, their swings are much faster, giving players a lot less time to shoot, defend, or run away. But the increased difficulty makes the eventual defeat so much sweeter.

The Garradors are easily some of the most unique bosses in the game, both in terms of physical appearance and gameplay. Looking like some type of warped Wolverine, Garrador has massive steel claws attached to its forearms and its eyelids are nastily stitched together. Just looking at this thing strikes fear into the hearts of players everywhere. Furthermore, the gameplay that they provide offers some welcome variety. The Garrador attacks are based solely on sound, and their heavy armor forces the player to attack from behind. Both of these elements force the player to utilize a different strategy, and it helps the Garrador fights stand out from the rest.

The leader of Los Iluminados, Lord Saddler is the primary antagonist of the game, and he is given a suitably epic farewell. Saddler is the final boss, having turned into a massive tentacled creature with numerous eyeballs. The design of the Saddler monster is simply extraordinary. It’s horrifying, it’s imaginative, and it is pure “Resident Evil.” The fight itself is also enormous in scope, taking place on an expansive steel tower and utilizing quick time events, environmental interaction, and even an RPG. Plus, it has the age-honored “shoot the glowing orb” mechanic that is seen in pretty much every “Resident Evil” game, and who doesn’t love that?

Salazar's bodyguards make for quite the formidable opponents. Then again, we suppose that’s the entire point of a bodyguard. Leon is forced to fight a Verdugo in the sewers underneath Salazar Castle, and it makes for one of the most distinctive sections in the game. It reminds players of old school “Resident Evil,” as a highly dangerous and terrifying creature stalks them through an ominous setting. The fight itself is also highly gratifying. Players have the option to avoid Verdugo entirely, but should they face it head on, they are given plenty of canisters to shoot and freeze the monster. It combines to create a terrific boss encounter that remains highly memorable all these years later.

This monster is lovingly dubbed “It” by Osmund Saddler, and yeah, that pretty much sums it up. The U-3 is a horrifying creation that blends various elements of insect, reptile, and human. It’s another wonderfully imaginative enemy that showcases the boundless creativity of the Capcom team. Luckily, the gameplay is just as memorable as the design. The fight offers a ton of variety, like shooting explosive canisters, dodging attacks through quick time events, and performing some light puzzle solving. The setting is also magnificent, with the tight, maze-like corridors offering up claustrophobic creepiness. Few boss fights make us sweat like this…

It’s amazing that in a game full of nightmarish monsters, a mere human proves to be the most challenging enemy. Well, as human as Jack Krauser is, anyway. Krauser is quite different from the other bosses, as you’re not really supposed to fight him. Rather, you’re supposed to just, sort of, avoid him. Krauser is super resilient, and the complex level design allows the player plenty of room to get creative with their running and dodging. The final phase is both diverse and rewarding. Players are forced to shoot Krauser, avoid his attacks, beat a timer, and escape before said timer runs out. It’s a very well designed fight that offers a good challenge and plenty of fun.

There have been a ton of classic villains throughout the “Resident Evil” franchise, and Salazar is undoubtedly among them. An over-the-top bad guy gets an over-the-top boss fight when he turns into a grotesque monster plastered to the wall. The design is once again impeccable, forcing players to shoot a humongous fly-like head with a glowing eyeball. After doing this enough times, the shield surrounding Salazar is retracted, allowing the player to finish him off with a well-timed and well-aimed shot. It’s not a particularly difficult boss fight, but the design makes it an undeniable winner.

This is a perfect example of less is more. As its name suggests, El Gigante is a giant troll-like beast with unbelievable strength and stamina. It also towers over twenty feet into the air, making it one of the most physically imposing bosses in the entire game. El Gigante also comes with a ton of enjoyable movesets, like hurling boulders at the player and uprooting heavy trees to use as clubs. Avoiding these types of makeshift weapons is exhilarating, as is climbing the El Gigante to hack and slash at its exposed Plaga. This is one of the first bosses that Leon will encounter, and also one of the best.

The Mendez boss fight is straight out of a “Resident Evil” fan dream. The physical design of the monster is second to none, and it represents everything that makes the franchise so fun and imaginative. It’s revolting, it’s scary, and it’s certainly eye-catching. Of course, there’s also the entertaining gameplay. Players can take advantage of multiple levels to get the high ground on Mendez, and things get really enjoyable (and petrifying) when he starts swinging from the rafters via his back tentacles. It’s a shame that Mendez comes so early in the game, because this boss fight is hard to measure up against.

This battle has it all - great design, a memorable setting, and some special gameplay elements that are unique to the specific fight. Essentially a mutated salamander, Del Lago takes Leon for a ride on the lake. Getting dragged along and hurling harpoons into Del Lago’s open mouth is terrific, and the enclosed boat setting makes the fight terrifically tense. The open water also makes for a great one-off location, with the gray water and surroundings offering an oppressive atmosphere. Plus, who can forget the iconic “Do Not Shoot The Water!” achievement? That’s the stuff of gaming history, and anyone who has tried it remembers the near heart attack that they suffered as a result. This is “Resident Evil” perfection.