Hardest Metal Gear Bosses
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VOICE OVER: Aaron Brown
WRITTEN BY: Aaron Brown
These "Metal Gear" bosses sure no how to keep you on your toes. The "Metal Gear" series is certainly known for its creative bosses and various measures for dealing with them, but some of them still frustrate us no matter what tactic we're trying. Our list includes Liquid Ocelot from "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" (2008), Psycho Mantis from "Metal Gear Solid" (1998)Vamp from "Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty" (2001), and more!
Script written by Aaron Brown
These "Metal Gear" bosses sure no how to keep you on your toes. The "Metal Gear" series is certainly known for its creative bosses and various measures for dealing with them, but some of them still frustrate us no matter what tactic we’re trying. Our list includes Liquid Ocelot from "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" (2008), Psycho Mantis from "Metal Gear Solid" (1998), Vamp from "Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty" (2001), and more! What’s your favorite boss from the Metal Gear series? Which one gave you the most trouble? Let us know down in the comments.
The Metal Gear series is no stranger to epic sniper battles as you’ll see later in the list, but what makes The End stand out is not only how challenging the fight itself is but the myriad of additional ways you can skip out of this incredible battle altogether. If you decide to play the boss fight as intended, Snake must track The End through multiple stages, using heat vision and sound to track the aging sniper down. Once successful, The End will “return to the forest” as he always wanted and open Snake’s path forward in the process. However, given The End’s age, players quickly discovered that by changing the internal clock on your console or simply waiting a few real-life days, The End would simply expire from old age. Or there is an even simpler way to avoid the fight altogether.
The battles against the various Metal Gears throughout the series are the climax each game builds to, and given that the series’ name is derived from these mechanized behemoths, rightly so. The Metal Gear Rex fight will always be a standout for the series, from its buildup, to the reveal, and the dialogue heavy exposition just prior to the fight, everything about the battle is quintessential Metal Gear. The difficulty of the fight comes from the confined space in which to maneuver and the overwhelming firepower of Metal Gear Rex itself. Gray Fox’s quick defeat and eventual sacrifice only solidifies how dangerous Metal Gear Rex can be to even a cyborg ninja. Snake has a very small window in which to line up his shots from the stinger missiles but Metal Gear Rex’s constant barrage of missile attacks definitely keep Snake at arms length right up until he lands the final shot.
The Metal Gear series is no stranger to aerial boss battles, no matter the variation, dating all the way back to the Hind D in Metal Gear Solid. And while most of these are relatively straightforward encounters, more than a couple of them still end up posing a significant challenge. The Mi-24A from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is one of those instances. With a seemingly unending supply of soldiers being dropped who Snake must “liberate”, to the lack of cover, the battle against the Mi-24A can quickly become overwhelming if you go into this battle unprepared. Unbelievably, there is a way in which to complete this battle without any casualties if you feel so inclined. The rest of us are mostly satisfied with swatting this death spewing pest from the skies.
The tension leading up to this boss fight is built up early on as Raiden finds a blood stained corridor and Vamp still feeding on one of the unlucky soldiers who crossed his path. After narrowly being saved by Plisken, players won’t encounter Vamp again for quite a while even though his first impression remained fresh on their minds. Waiting on a pool of water with a bullet hole in his head, Vamp commands the room with his presence and Raiden’s arrogance is soon put to the test. Diving into the tank and just as swiftly walking the catwalks above. Vamp’s speed is what makes this encounter especially difficult with Raiden being unable to match Vamp’s erratic movements. In the end you’re only fighting against Vamp’s overshield and his “defeat” is short-lived until later in the game when you eventually put him down for good. Or so you think.
Even by Metal Gear standards, The Fear is still one of the weirdest bosses you’ll encounter in the entire series. Snake is immediately put at a disadvantage in this fight with The Fear shooting a bolt laced with poison into his leg. If the player doesn’t have the proper medical equipment or fails to tend to the wound, it will continue to eat away at Snake’s health throughout the fight. The Fear uses his camouflage ability to great effect, disappearing into the treeline and attempting to stick Snake with another poison-laced bolt from a distance. If the player equips the infrared goggles, The Fear can easily be spotted and then it’s just a matter of catching him in your bullet’s line of sight. Alternatively, you can pretend to succumb to the poison and when The Fear comes to investigate, quickly incapacitate him and end the fight before it begins.
Like many boss fights in the Metal Gear series, this is a battle that isn’t finished in a single encounter. Sniper Wolf makes her presence known by immediately incapacitating Meryl and using her as bait to lure Snake out into the open. With your tracker jammed, you must hunt down Wolf through the scope of your sniper rifle as you work your way up the long and wide-open corridor. After besting her the first time, she’s back to finish you off in a long-distance sniper battle in the freezing cold. Players once again need to keep their distance and track Wolf down through your scope while searching for her warm breath against the cold air. It can be a harrowing fight especially on higher difficulties, all culminating in one of the sadder encounters in the whole series punctuated by the howls of a wolf pack.
This one was definitely a long time coming and a fitting end to an encounter that started back in Metal Gear Solid all those years ago. Liquid, now in full control of Revolver Ocelot through an arm transplant, (if you know, you know), challenges the aging Snake to one finally bout atop a Metal Gear reminiscent of their first encounter. In a fist fight to determine the future, the two aging combatants square up and fight to the death one last time. Kojima completely switches gameplay here employing mechanics more akin to a 3D fighting game than the series’ traditional action stealth gameplay. Players unprepared for this change are in for an uphill battle as Liquid can easily block or counter many of Snake’s normal CQC moves. Tensions and emotions run high as the final blows are struck, culminating in the end of a battle a decade in the making.
When Solidus warns you at the start of the fight to “Brace yourself”, he isn’t kidding. Shockingly fast and incredibly strong with his Doc Oct-style tentacles, Solidus is a final boss fight in every sense of the term. Rather than a mere hand to hand fight, the player is given a katana to deal with Solidus but seeing as you were given this weapon all of 5 minutes ago, getting your bearings in the middle of the fight more than gives Solidus an advantage. Raiden’s acrobatics are put to the test as Solidus sprays the battlefield with flames and launches missiles in a barrage to keep the player at bay. Solidus’s dual katanas easily blocking Raiden’s attacks and the constant berating Codec calls from “Not Colonel Campbell” mean taking down Solidus is a relief for both Raiden and the player as the “simulation” finally comes to an end.
By far the most memorable encounter in the entire Metal Gear series, Psycho Mantis broke not only the fourth wall but also players’ preconceived notions of a boss fight. If you simply ignored the Colonel’s advice about switching your controller to Port 2, the fight is almost unwinnable. However, believe it or not there is actually a way to defeat Psycho Mantis without changing your controller that is only discovered by ignoring the Colonel’s advice enough times. Scattered around the room are a series of statues which if destroyed can cancel Psycho’s ability to predict Snake’s actions. Shoutout to Screaming Mantis for a similar tactic in which if the player manages to get hold of her Psycho Mantis doll and then attacks the doll instead, she can be dispatched with virtually no effort at all.
The Metal Gear to end all Metal Gears. Ignoring the question of how they could have built a more advanced version of Metal Gear decades before the subsequent versions of Metal Gear, Sahelanthropus is by far the most mobile and intimidating Metal Gear the series has ever seen. After initially narrowly escaping your first encounter in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, players are once again pitted against the bi-pedal monstrosity using any manner of equipment and armaments they have available. The battle is insanely intense with the player constantly on the backfoot, simply trying to stay alive while doing as much damage as possible. Watching the epitome of Metal Gears fall to the ground in a glorious explosion by their hand is by far the biggest sigh of relief gamers felt in a series full of jaw dropping and memorable boss fights.
These "Metal Gear" bosses sure no how to keep you on your toes. The "Metal Gear" series is certainly known for its creative bosses and various measures for dealing with them, but some of them still frustrate us no matter what tactic we’re trying. Our list includes Liquid Ocelot from "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" (2008), Psycho Mantis from "Metal Gear Solid" (1998), Vamp from "Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty" (2001), and more! What’s your favorite boss from the Metal Gear series? Which one gave you the most trouble? Let us know down in the comments.
The End
“Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater” (2004)The Metal Gear series is no stranger to epic sniper battles as you’ll see later in the list, but what makes The End stand out is not only how challenging the fight itself is but the myriad of additional ways you can skip out of this incredible battle altogether. If you decide to play the boss fight as intended, Snake must track The End through multiple stages, using heat vision and sound to track the aging sniper down. Once successful, The End will “return to the forest” as he always wanted and open Snake’s path forward in the process. However, given The End’s age, players quickly discovered that by changing the internal clock on your console or simply waiting a few real-life days, The End would simply expire from old age. Or there is an even simpler way to avoid the fight altogether.
Metal Gear Rex
“Metal Gear Solid” (1998)The battles against the various Metal Gears throughout the series are the climax each game builds to, and given that the series’ name is derived from these mechanized behemoths, rightly so. The Metal Gear Rex fight will always be a standout for the series, from its buildup, to the reveal, and the dialogue heavy exposition just prior to the fight, everything about the battle is quintessential Metal Gear. The difficulty of the fight comes from the confined space in which to maneuver and the overwhelming firepower of Metal Gear Rex itself. Gray Fox’s quick defeat and eventual sacrifice only solidifies how dangerous Metal Gear Rex can be to even a cyborg ninja. Snake has a very small window in which to line up his shots from the stinger missiles but Metal Gear Rex’s constant barrage of missile attacks definitely keep Snake at arms length right up until he lands the final shot.
Mi-24A
“Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker” (2010)The Metal Gear series is no stranger to aerial boss battles, no matter the variation, dating all the way back to the Hind D in Metal Gear Solid. And while most of these are relatively straightforward encounters, more than a couple of them still end up posing a significant challenge. The Mi-24A from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is one of those instances. With a seemingly unending supply of soldiers being dropped who Snake must “liberate”, to the lack of cover, the battle against the Mi-24A can quickly become overwhelming if you go into this battle unprepared. Unbelievably, there is a way in which to complete this battle without any casualties if you feel so inclined. The rest of us are mostly satisfied with swatting this death spewing pest from the skies.
Vamp
“Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty” (2001)The tension leading up to this boss fight is built up early on as Raiden finds a blood stained corridor and Vamp still feeding on one of the unlucky soldiers who crossed his path. After narrowly being saved by Plisken, players won’t encounter Vamp again for quite a while even though his first impression remained fresh on their minds. Waiting on a pool of water with a bullet hole in his head, Vamp commands the room with his presence and Raiden’s arrogance is soon put to the test. Diving into the tank and just as swiftly walking the catwalks above. Vamp’s speed is what makes this encounter especially difficult with Raiden being unable to match Vamp’s erratic movements. In the end you’re only fighting against Vamp’s overshield and his “defeat” is short-lived until later in the game when you eventually put him down for good. Or so you think.
The Fear
“Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater” (2004)Even by Metal Gear standards, The Fear is still one of the weirdest bosses you’ll encounter in the entire series. Snake is immediately put at a disadvantage in this fight with The Fear shooting a bolt laced with poison into his leg. If the player doesn’t have the proper medical equipment or fails to tend to the wound, it will continue to eat away at Snake’s health throughout the fight. The Fear uses his camouflage ability to great effect, disappearing into the treeline and attempting to stick Snake with another poison-laced bolt from a distance. If the player equips the infrared goggles, The Fear can easily be spotted and then it’s just a matter of catching him in your bullet’s line of sight. Alternatively, you can pretend to succumb to the poison and when The Fear comes to investigate, quickly incapacitate him and end the fight before it begins.
Sniper Wolf
“Metal Gear Solid” (1998)Like many boss fights in the Metal Gear series, this is a battle that isn’t finished in a single encounter. Sniper Wolf makes her presence known by immediately incapacitating Meryl and using her as bait to lure Snake out into the open. With your tracker jammed, you must hunt down Wolf through the scope of your sniper rifle as you work your way up the long and wide-open corridor. After besting her the first time, she’s back to finish you off in a long-distance sniper battle in the freezing cold. Players once again need to keep their distance and track Wolf down through your scope while searching for her warm breath against the cold air. It can be a harrowing fight especially on higher difficulties, all culminating in one of the sadder encounters in the whole series punctuated by the howls of a wolf pack.
Liquid Ocelot
“Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots” (2008)This one was definitely a long time coming and a fitting end to an encounter that started back in Metal Gear Solid all those years ago. Liquid, now in full control of Revolver Ocelot through an arm transplant, (if you know, you know), challenges the aging Snake to one finally bout atop a Metal Gear reminiscent of their first encounter. In a fist fight to determine the future, the two aging combatants square up and fight to the death one last time. Kojima completely switches gameplay here employing mechanics more akin to a 3D fighting game than the series’ traditional action stealth gameplay. Players unprepared for this change are in for an uphill battle as Liquid can easily block or counter many of Snake’s normal CQC moves. Tensions and emotions run high as the final blows are struck, culminating in the end of a battle a decade in the making.
Solidus Snake
“Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty” (2001)When Solidus warns you at the start of the fight to “Brace yourself”, he isn’t kidding. Shockingly fast and incredibly strong with his Doc Oct-style tentacles, Solidus is a final boss fight in every sense of the term. Rather than a mere hand to hand fight, the player is given a katana to deal with Solidus but seeing as you were given this weapon all of 5 minutes ago, getting your bearings in the middle of the fight more than gives Solidus an advantage. Raiden’s acrobatics are put to the test as Solidus sprays the battlefield with flames and launches missiles in a barrage to keep the player at bay. Solidus’s dual katanas easily blocking Raiden’s attacks and the constant berating Codec calls from “Not Colonel Campbell” mean taking down Solidus is a relief for both Raiden and the player as the “simulation” finally comes to an end.
Psycho Mantis
“Metal Gear Solid” (1998)By far the most memorable encounter in the entire Metal Gear series, Psycho Mantis broke not only the fourth wall but also players’ preconceived notions of a boss fight. If you simply ignored the Colonel’s advice about switching your controller to Port 2, the fight is almost unwinnable. However, believe it or not there is actually a way to defeat Psycho Mantis without changing your controller that is only discovered by ignoring the Colonel’s advice enough times. Scattered around the room are a series of statues which if destroyed can cancel Psycho’s ability to predict Snake’s actions. Shoutout to Screaming Mantis for a similar tactic in which if the player manages to get hold of her Psycho Mantis doll and then attacks the doll instead, she can be dispatched with virtually no effort at all.
Sahelanthropus
“Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” (2015)The Metal Gear to end all Metal Gears. Ignoring the question of how they could have built a more advanced version of Metal Gear decades before the subsequent versions of Metal Gear, Sahelanthropus is by far the most mobile and intimidating Metal Gear the series has ever seen. After initially narrowly escaping your first encounter in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, players are once again pitted against the bi-pedal monstrosity using any manner of equipment and armaments they have available. The battle is insanely intense with the player constantly on the backfoot, simply trying to stay alive while doing as much damage as possible. Watching the epitome of Metal Gears fall to the ground in a glorious explosion by their hand is by far the biggest sigh of relief gamers felt in a series full of jaw dropping and memorable boss fights.
