Every Resident Evil 4 Remake Boss Fight Ranked

Undeniably horrific and intense, the fight against the Garrador in Resident Evil 4 can easily be cheesed if you approach the encounter slow and steady. With the numerous chains hanging from the ceiling, as long as Leon remains crouched and silent, it’s fairly easy to take down the Garrador with nary a scratch. The second encounter is far more harrowing however and not just because there’s two of them to contend with. The Garradors will remain chained to the wall until enough noise awakens them which is surely going to happen as you deal with the many zealots slowly encroaching on Leon as soon as he enters the room. Dealing with the waves of fodder enemies can be difficult enough but then turning around and coming face to face with one or both of the Garradors is sure to keep players on the edge of their seats.

One of the most iconic and for those unaware, unexpected boss fights in the game, Del Lago interrupts what should have been one of the more calm and serene moments in RE4. Trapped in his little boat after the motor goes out, the giant Salamander sees Leon as easy prey and quickly attempts to pull our dashing hero beneath the waves. The battle can get relatively intense quickly as Leon is unwillingly dragged around the lake, his only defense an unending supply of harpoons, the battle is epic for its cinematic nature but compared to the many other boss encounters in the game, it’s fairly straightforward with very little strategy involved.

What’s worse than one chainsaw wielding maniac? Two chainsaw wielding maniacs! After cutting their way in and reclaiming their handle, Leon is beset upon by the pair and all the Ganados who were seemingly waiting for their moment to strike. What makes this fight so intense is the overwhelming, unending stream of enemies pouring into the house all while trying to maintain your distance from the chainsaws themselves. Thankfully Leon can escape outside but that won’t stop any of them from pursuing you. While the sisters will unintentionally take out many of the Ganados in their attempts to strike Leon, players will find themselves constantly on the backfoot as Leon is attacked from all sides in addition to the fact the sisters are somehow even more resistant than the Doctor Salvador players are already familiar with.

They do like to come in pairs don’t they? As if Leon’s first encounter with El Gigante wasn’t enough, this time he’s faced with two of them, one of which is heavily armored and you don’t even have the dog to help you this time. Sure Luis is there but still. While the fight is relatively short, the intensity of the encounter makes it feel like an eternity as Leon must drop them one by one into the convenient lava pit below but tricking them into remaining on the platform while it slowly charges up to open is nerve wracking to say the least. Once one is already in the hole, dealing with the second is a matter of outrunning them until Luis comes through with a random collection of explosives to break through the remaining Gigante’s armor and wearing it down. Lead it into the lava pit or hack its weak point to pieces - up to you!

The early game’s version of the Boogeyman, Mendez is able to somehow sneak up on Leon multiple times and even infect him with the Las Plagas virus. By the time his and Leon’s game of cat and mouse reaches its conclusion, their rivalry has certainly become extremely heated. Mendez’s new mutated form can easily snatch Leon from a distance and the small combat area gives players very little room to escape his swipes and grabs. Even when it seems like the fight is over, Mendez manages to mutate even further and takes to the rafters, hurling flaming debris at Leon while easily bobbing and weaving between Leon’s shots and using his new massive scorpion claws to eat away at Leon’s health. In the end the battle with Mendez taught Leon to always keep an eye out.

The big bad and mastermind of Leon and Ashley’s entire adventure, Saddler won’t let them go without a classic and massive RE style mutation. What initially seems similar to Mendez’s mutation, quickly becomes so, so much more as he becomes one with the Las Plagas and mutates into a mass of tentacles and eyeballs. While his numerous eyeballs make for clear targets, hitting them is easier said than done as Saddler is surprisingly mobile and has a ridiculous reach in addition to summoning the annoying bugs to keep Leon distracted while knocking out parts of the arena. And finally, just like every major RE boss, the end is not the end and Saddler’s mutation wholly consumes him and it’s only with the aid of Ada’s special red rocket that Leon gives Saddler the religious experience he so desperately craved.

Salazar’s right hand, Verdugo ruthlessly and relentlessly hunts Leon through the darkened corridors of the murky sewers and would give the Xenomorph from Alien a run for its money with its stalking abilities. Verdugo will strike at Leon through the many air vents it uses to chase its prey before confronting Leon head-on. An absolute bullet sponge, there is no direct way to kill Verdugo outright and Leon must hit the numerous buttons scattered around the many hallways to trigger liquid nitrogen to freeze Verdugo in place and subsequently unload Leon’s entire arsenal into the beast before retreating. While you technically can end this encounter without killing Verdugo by retreating to the elevator, true RE4 veterans won’t leave until the job is done and they can wave goodbye to Salazar’s right hand.

The tiny tyrant himself, this mini mouth might never know when to shut up, but he finally ends up backing up all that talk as Leon attempts to leave his castle. Emerging from the depths as a toothy acid spitting squid, Salazar’s speed makes him one of the most relentless boss encounters in the entire game. Using his tendrils to latch onto the environment and swing himself around, Salazar continues to mock Leon throughout their entire encounter. Navigating the numerous staircases to keep up with Salazar’s unpredictable movements keeps the player constantly on the move and although his attacks are few and far between early on, poking at Salazar’s eye will send him into a frenzy and his attacks become far more frequent and intense. The puny pipsqueak might have been a terrible Lord, but he at least put up an incredible fight.

Krauser is the ultimate test of Leon and the player’s abilities in the RE4 Remake. Infected with the Las Plagas, Krauser is faster, stronger and more bloodthirsty than any of the other infected Leon had encountered, and their history makes their fights all the more personal. The two battle with only their combat knives -so you better have nailed down the parry system- before their battle becomes a game of cat and mouse leading up to their inevitable and final confrontation. Krauser’s mutation allows him to block most of Leon’s shots as well as grab or slice at him with incredible speed as he nimbly jumps around the arena even employing ground slam attacks to knock Leon off his feet. The student becomes the master as both Leon and the player’s skills are put to the test as they do what they have to do and put down their former comrade.