The 10 SCARIEST Bosses in Non-Horror Games

10 Scariest Bosses in Non-Horror Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 10 frightening bosses we’ve encountered in games that weren’t horror or horror-adjacent.

Ancient Sirehound

“Pikmin 4” (2023)

Aside from the Dandori battles, “Pikmin 4” evokes much of the peaceful, calming moods of previous games. Some boss battles will spike your stress levels a bit, but the real terror comes in the form of one giant puppo known as the Ancient Sirehound. Despite his shaggy dog appearance, the Sirehound’s piercing red eyes indicate a more violent demeanor is about to unfold. The beastly canine utilizes some fierce elemental attacks and will give you little time to react and counter his abilities. Hope you’ve refined your Dandori skills enough!

The Crawler

“Fable III” (2010)

Not to get too real, but we’ve all been through at least one situation where someone you knew becomes a completely different person. That’s exactly why fighting the Crawler was way more terrifying than it seems on the surface. Not only do you have moments where the Crawler is saying horrible things in Walter’s voice, but you also hear Walter’s cries for help as you’re trying to defend yourself from his possessed attacks. It honestly makes “Fable III’s” final moments kind of emotional.

Shadow Teddie

“Persona 4” (2008)

There was already something off about Teddie when we first met him in the Midnight Channel. Though he is a good egg, his shadow counterpart may as well be a demon straight out of Hell…or “Five Nights at Freddy’s”! In addition to the hateful things he says, Shadow Teddie has a traumatizing appearance with his shattered face, hollow stare, and roars. Even after emerging from this battle okay, this darker version of Teddie has forever burned itself into our minds.

Jacques

“Spyro the Dragon” (1998)

When we first played “Spyro”, we thought Gnasty Gnorc would be the most terrifying boss in the game. Naw, he’s dumb and pathetic. Doctor Shemp is scarier than him. But Jacques is the boss that has effectively managed to live rent-free in our heads since 1998. The whole clown schtick was bad enough - did he really need to have a creepy smile and sharp teeth, too? Maybe it’s the PS1’s visuals that are making him scarier than he actually is… Nope, we take it back. Jacques is just as frightening in the remake!

Mimi

“Super Paper Mario” (2007)

If body horror and spiders aren’t your speed, then you might want to look away for this one. The “Paper Mario” games have taken some creepy turns in other games, but nothing disturbed us more than Mimi. Until the boss fight against her, Mimi has put on this “troublesome little girl” persona. But when she finally decides to try and stop Mario, everything turns garish quick! Only way this could have gotten worse is if she started skittering around at top speed. For some of us, that head turn was enough to turn the Wii off for a few hours.

Monster Ock

“Spider-Man” (2000)

When playing a “Spider-Man” game, one would imagine the scariest possible thing would be, you know, Venom or maybe Carnage. No, as soon as you see something like Monster Ock, nothing in Spidey history will ever come this close to being complete nightmare fuel. We know this is just Carnage with Doc Ock’s body and tentacles, but the noises this thing makes is haunting! What’s worse is that you have very little breathing room to run away from him, and none of the barricades do anything to hinder him. Yeah, this was enough to keep us up at night when we were kids.

Queen Vanessa

“A Hat in Time” (2017)

Though Shadow Teddie managed to instill fear with his chilling gaze, “A Hat in Time” takes that stare a step further with Queen Vanessa. As you explore the manor, Queen Vanessa’s ghostly shadow will stalk the halls and rooms, searching for you as you attempt to escape. It isn’t enough to just avoid whatever room she’s in; some interactions will alert her and cause her to head straight for the room you’re hiding in! Your only means of defense is to hide or run away. Either way, this whole section was a complete left turn from “A Hat in Time’s” overall lighthearted nature.

Vortex Queen

“Ecco the Dolphin” (1992)

“Oh, look at this game with its cute dolphin and pretty ocean graphics! This should be a fun game to play!” That’s what you all thought back in your cozy SEGA Genesis days, wasn’t it? You poor, naive fools! The lot of you! “Ecco the Dolphin” hides a sinister and menacing boss fight that feels like it was ripped straight out of a Ridley Scott movie! Look at the Vortex Queen without Ecco in the frame. Tell us, what part of this monstrosity says that this would be perfect for a game about a cute dolphin saving his home, hm? We can wait.

Giygas

“Earthbound” (1995)

If you have ever heard of “Earthbound”, you almost immediately think of the popular fan theory about Giygas being an unborn fetus because of the background during his boss fight. Thing is that isn’t exactly the reason why he’s so terrifying. Be afraid of the Rorschach test on display all you want, but the real terror is in how Giygas doesn’t exactly have a character model. The repeated tile pattern on display sort of indicates he’s practically an alien entity more than anything else, a being greater than anything beyond our comprehension. A truly unexpected sight in a game about kids fighting dogs, robots, and sentient semi trucks.

Every Villain in the Franchise

“Kirby” series (1992-)

We’re not quite sure what Sakurai and his successors have been smoking, but every single “Kirby” game ends with some of the most disturbing boss fights imaginable. Since 1992, every single Kirby game has ended with a literal nightmare with villains like Marx, Zero, Dark Nebula, Void Termina, and many, many more. For a cutesy franchise such as this, these final bosses have often taken the franchise into a sudden, darker direction. Admittedly, it does help every “Kirby” game stand on its own in presentation and impact. So, maybe going this hard is for the best?

What’s the scariest boss you’ve faced in a non-horror game? Did it make our list? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!