Top 10 Hardest Final Bosses in Video Games

“Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time” (2020)

“Crash Bandicoot” games have some brutally difficult platforming, and the boss fights are no exception. The final confrontation with Crash’s mad scientist nemesis Dr. Neo Cortex sees the villain take all your Quantum Mask power ups and use them against you. You must jump between disappearing platforms, leap or duck over/under lasers, and throw his own assistants back at him. Oh, and you have to do all this while dealing with the effects of the masks, which include turning your world upside down! The doctor may be trying to change the past, but there’s no way to undo our many failures in this fight!

“Punch-Out!!” (1987)

The game may label this battle “the Dream Fight,” but getting into the ring with Kid Dynamite in this old school NES game feels like a straight up nightmare! Mike Tyson is the last bout in “Punch-Out!!” and it’s a good thing too, since anything tougher than this would have us swearing off the game for good! The fictional version of the real-world boxer will uppercut you so hard you’ll be knocked out instantly if you’re not blocking! Add in some rapid fire punches, and you’ve got a recipe for a classic boss fight that still gives gamers PTSD! Your best bet, besides a lot of trial and error, is to hit Tyson while he’s blinking.

“Final Fantasy IX” (2000)

The embodiment of dread and death, Necron can be one of the most difficult boss fights in any “Final Fantasy” game - since it lives up to its reputation. Really, it just comes down to luck and what you have equipped. This is due to its wide variety of high damaging moves, as well as Grand Cross, which can have a random effect on your whole party. Abilities that protect you from statuses can help, as can auto abilities, since they provide passive buffs. Necron may be as inevitable as death, but that doesn’t mean you have to fear it!

“Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” (2013)

This boss battle may be packed with more memes than you can shake a nanomachine at, but it’s also punishingly difficult! The warmongering senator will throw a Metal Gear at you before taking you on with his own enhanced body in a fight that lasts several phases. The timing to parry his attacks can be tricky to get down, but if you’re patient, you can master it. Dodging certainly helps too. Given enough effort, you may get your chance to slice and dice the ripped politician and ensure he never holds office (or anything else) ever again!

“Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening” (2005)

Dante’s brother is devilishly difficult whenever you encounter him, but the final battle of “DMC3” is arguably the hardest, and a serious contender for the most difficult in the series. Vergil can teleport, which is never not annoying in a boss, deflect your bullets, and swing his sword faster than you can blink! And then he has his own Devil Trigger form, which you should avoid like the plague! However, after he uses his, you can use yours to get in a good counterattack. In fact, countering is pretty much the name of the game here. Time to get motivated.

“Mega Man 7” (1995)

Dr. Wily really outdid himself this time! This floating vehicle is infamous for a number of reasons. It can disappear and reappear in various positions across the screen, which can make hitting it difficult. Not only that, but it's one weakness, Spring Man’s weapon, Wild Coil, is hard to hit with and barely does any damage! Honestly, you’re better off using Freeze Man’s weapon, since at least you can shoot that diagonally to hit the capsule up in the corners. Lastly, its attacks are fast, hard to dodge, and can freeze or burn you! Given how tough it is, we have to wonder why Wily bothers with Robot Masters at all!

“Hollow Knight” (2017)

“Hollow Knight”’s pantheon of bosses are absolutely brutal, and they saved the hardest for last. The Radiance is a luminous moth that may look heavenly, but she’ll put you through hell! She’ll rain attacks on you from nearly every direction, so keeping on your toes is essential. Unfortunately, she generally stays so high up, that it’s hard to hit the Radiance consistently. Made all the worse by the fact that should she smite you, you’re going to have to fight your way through the Hollow Knight in order to reach her again!

“Undertale” (2015)

You’re gonna’ have a bad time with this boss fight. Sans is the infamous final boss of the Genocide Run of “Undertale.” While killing most monsters in this run is fairly easy, Sans unleashes a devastating opening salvo that will obliterate you if you aren’t expecting it! Then, he’ll dodge nearly every attack you throw at him and force you through brutal platforming segments. The onslaught of attacks never lets up, and Sans will even attack you while you use the menu! It’s a good thing his song is such a banger, because you’ll be hearing it for as long as it takes for you to master this sinfully challenging fight.

“Elden Ring” (2022)

It was only a matter of time before we got to a FromSoftware game. The enormously popular “Elden Ring” also has an enormously difficult final boss. Radagon has a wide variety of deadly and unpredictable moves at his disposal. Dodging is absolutely your best strategy in this fight, although bringing protection against Radagon’s holy attacks and using fire, one of his only weaknesses, certainly don’t hurt either. And just when you’ve finally beaten him, you have to fight the Elden Beast immediately afterwards, who is no slouch in the difficulty department!

“Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” (2019)

Oh, you thought we were done with FromSoftware? Not on your life! Right off the bat, the fact that you must fight Isshin directly after another boss, Genichiro, sets the bar high on difficulty. But the swordmaster himself is no walk through a field, even if you have to fight him in one. Isshin has three surprisingly long phases, a ton of moves that are hard to anticipate, AOE techniques, and other changes to his fighting style as it goes on. Defeating the Sword Saint requires saintly patience and dedication, and rest assured, he will break you!