The 10 HARDEST Bosses in Dragon Quest Games

10 Hardest Bosses in Dragon Quest

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at the 10 toughest bosses we’ve ever endured across the “Dragon Quest” franchise!

Goresby-Purrvis

“Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies” (2010)

Normally, a cat with a giant sword would be the most adorable thing we’ve seen (next to Slimes, of course). On the contrary, he’s a flippin’ nightmare! Thing about Goresby-Purrvis is that he loves to spam Hatchet Man. For those who may have forgotten, this skill functions similarly to the Executioner skill, which gives the user a fifty-fifty chance in landing a critical hit or whiff completely. Your only hope is to either farm a crazy ton of XP to mitigate the damage or find the Secrets of the Shield scroll to equip onto one of your party members. Either way, you’re going to have to suffer through not just one, but two fights with Goresby-Purrvis. Prepare to sweat.

Estark

“Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride” (2009)

Though Estark has appeared in a handful of “Dragon Quest” games, the fight against him in “Dragon Quest V” is the one that’s forever burned into our brains. The Lord of the Underworld is not one to take a breather, not to buff his abilities nor to heal himself. Sounds like he should be easier than we’re making it sound, but therein lies the problem with Estark: he’s nothing but offense! In addition to getting two actions per turn, Estark only has a thirty-three percent chance of succumbing to Kasnooze or any sort of stun attacks. Even if you do land it, he’s only down for one turn. The best advice we can offer is to heal almost every single turn.

Psaro the Manslayer

“Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen” (1992)

You know the meme where a final boss says “This isn’t even my final form” several times in the same fight? Well, you can thank Psaro the Manslayer for that. As the final boss of “Dragon Quest IV”, Psaro subjects you to a whopping seven different forms, each one changing his patterns and strategies. Thankfully, many of the tactics he uses come from bosses you fought way earlier in the game. The only difference here is that he hits harder than they did, and he boasts way more HP than they did. That said, make sure you’re wearing the best armor possible before you go bringing down this monster.

Darksteel Dragon

“Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King” (2004)

Expect to see more Superbosses as we progress further into the list. And while the Darksteel Dragon may not be as tough as our impending entries, he’s still incredibly difficult. Much like the fight against Psaro, this whole boss battle will be a test of endurance more than anything else. See, the big issue with the Darksteel Dragon is that he is resistant to almost every attack you can throw at him. Your best options in trying to deal with him quickly are to take your chances with critical attacks like Hatchet Man/Executioner and give your party as many Evasion bonuses as possible. Don’t even waste your time buffing every other turn - Disruptive Wave will nullify all of that.

Nokturnus

“Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies” (2010)

Of all of the Legacy Bosses you can face against in “Dragon Quest IX”, Nokturnus will be the ultimate challenge for you. And if you struggled fighting him in “Dragon Quest VI”, well, you may find yourself with a shorter fuse here. Not only does he come with the annoying Disruptive Wave and Hatchet Man attacks to spam, he can also recover all of his MP in a single move and still take two additional actions per turn! And if you have to revive someone at any given point, consider the fight over as Nokturnus will become enraged whenever you revive one of your party members. Yeah, it’s a whole fight built on total B-S.

Aamon

“Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation” (2011)

Oh, look, everyone - it’s another boss with multiple annoying forms! In all honesty, Aamon isn’t irritating to deal with because of his attacks. Sure, he carries the infuriating stuff like Disruptive Wave, Lullab-eye, and an ever-changing list of elemental spells to use every form. However, much of the frustration is how he’ll almost randomly take two actions every turn while each form nets him a higher health pool, stronger defense, and even stronger offense. Basically, it’s another test of endurance that will most likely see you with very few items remaining by the time you reach his fourth phase.

Malroth

“Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line” (1990)

It was only a matter of time before the god of destruction appeared on our list. Although, it isn’t just the original NES version that will give you a hard time. Though Malroth is a challenge in the original game, the remakes of “Dragon Quest II” made him grueling to fight. Fullheal, Kasap, and Kabuff will make him a true force to be reckoned with, and worse, he has an infinite supply of MP! It makes sense with him being a god and all, but as a boss in a video game, it’s an agonizing battle from the very second it begins.

The King of Calamity

“Dragon Quest X: Rise of the Five Tribes Online” (2012)

Say, this guy looks familiar… Is this just Estark with a more menacing appearance? No, this guy is much, much worse. The King of Calamity boasts an intimidating arsenal of spells and attacks like Lightning Storm, Total War Cry, Eldritch Eclipse, and many more. And that isn’t even the least of your troubles! Just like a few of our previous entries, the King of Calamity has another phase. Good news - his second phase is also his last! Bad news - his HP, offense, and defense stats get a major increase. And if you somehow manage to reach that final phase, beware of King’s Combo as it could potentially end your game.

The End of Time

“Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age” (2018)

“Dragon Quest XI” may be the best game in the franchise, but it is also the hardest game in the franchise, especially if you first played the game on the Nintendo 3DS. Case in point, the End of Time. Once a boss exclusive to the 3DS version, End of Time comes packing with many spells you may not have much experience with. Steal Time, Final Flame, Flames of Darkness, and Party Pooper can make quick work of your party members if you’re not careful. Adding to the frustration is how End of Time takes three whole actions per turn! And yet, somehow, despite all of the nonsense he’s packing here, there is one other boss way more difficult than one called “End of Time”.

Timewyrm

“Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition” (2019)

The only way you can encounter Timewyrm is if you surpass End of Time while playing the definitive edition of “Dragon Quest XI”. Timewyrm is essentially two Superbosses in one as you have to attack both its head and its tail, both boasting their own obscenely high stats and both able to take two actions in a single turn EACH. Whereas most of the bosses on our list do have a cheese method you can exploit with Yggdrasil’s Blessing, there is no cheese strategy for Timewyrm. You have to fight him to the best of your ability while making sure you aren’t wasting mana when he doubles your MP cost. With “Dragon Quest XII” on the way, we have to wonder how the developers will top this absurdly high challenge of a Superboss.

What’s the hardest “Dragon Quest” boss fight you’ve endured? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!