Top 10 HARDEST Final Bosses of The Decade So Far (2020 - 2025)

- RenoirClair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025)
- Sephiroth RebornFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024)
- Raven BeakMetroid Dread (2021)
- HadesHades (2020)
- Radagon & the Elden BeastElden Ring (2022)
- OzmaThe First Berserker: Khazan (2025)
- Nameless PuppetLies of P (2023)
- ALLMINDArmored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (2023)
- GloctopussExit the Gungeon (2020)
- LouisMetaphor: ReFantazio (2024)
#10: RenoirClair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 just came out but it quickly became an instant classic, solidifying itself as one of the greatest turn-based RPGs of all time. This is thanks in part to its unique and brutally difficult boss fights. Were going to overlook the fact that Maelle can deal literally millions of damage with the right build, but even then some bosses take real effort. The final boss Renoir is no exception. He hits like a truck, and if you deal enough damage, the Axons you fought previously heal him fully and give shields. His second form has him summon his family Canvas, powering himself up and dealing massive damage to your party.
#9: Sephiroth RebornFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024)
The final boss in the second of the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy is quite the spectacle, and also quite the challenge. When you reach Sephiroth in the Forgotten Capital, some big stuff goes down that we wont talk about here, but if you know you know. And at this point, how do you not know? Anyway, it leads to Cloud and the gang facing off against the white-haired heartthrob for the umpteenth time, fighting through multiple forms in increasingly impressive cinematic encounters. The Sephiroth Reborn section sees Cloud taking him on one on one, which is where the real challenge begins. This massive forms attacks take up most of the screen, so youll have to do your best to dodge and block strategically to get a chance in to hit.
#8: Raven BeakMetroid Dread (2021)
Metroid Dread was in development hell for years, but we were finally treated to the newest 2D entry in the beloved series in 2021. The Nintendo Switch exclusive is one of the most challenging in the entire series, with borderline horror elements as Samus scrambles to escape the terrifying EMMI robots. The final boss fight with Raven Beak, however, is easily the hardest part of the game. Reminiscent of the Sigma fight at the end of Mega Man X, fighting Raven Beak is the ultimate test of your skills and reflexes. He moves fast and packs a punch, and his patterns can become somewhat unpredictable as you whittle away his health. In his final form, Samus fuses with a Metroid for an epic final confrontation.
#7: HadesHades (2020)
The literal big daddy at the end of Hades is Hades himself. This groundbreaking Roguelike features a ton of difficult boss battles youll encounter throughout countless runs, but protagonist Zagreuss father is the toughest of the bunch, especially as you complete more and more runs and increase Heat. The god of the Underworld can cover the whole screen with massive area of effect attacks, testing your dodging prowess and reflexes. He also shoots seemingly endless projectiles and attacks with his spear in a sweeping circle, making it almost impossible to get in close to land your own attacks. Youll be dashing and blocking for almost the entire fight. With the right build on later runs, youll come out on top a bit easier, but that initial fight is hard as hell. Pun intended.
#6: Radagon & the Elden BeastElden Ring (2022)
We all know by now that the most popular and iconic boss from FromSoftwares masterpiece Elden Ring is Malenia, Blade of Miquella, but the final main boss Radagon (and the subsequent Elden Beast) are nothing to scoff at. The fight with Radagon is a tough duel where your dodge and parry skills will be put to the test. The second phase of this fight is against the Elden Beast, a monstrous Eldritch horror that moves quickly and attacks with heavy swings of its sword. Dodging is tough, as itll both dive under the water and fly above you, so knowing how to maneuver around the arena is the key to victory.
#5: OzmaThe First Berserker: Khazan (2025)
Ozma, the Master of Chaos is a powerful mage and an old friend of our titular hero Khazan. In this Sekiro-inspired Soulslike, the boss fights throughout are as brutal as youd expect, and the final encounter against Ozma is the toughest of them all. The fight is broken up into three grueling phases, each giving their own unique mechanics and attack patterns. The third phase sees Ozma fully transform into his demonic appearance, flying around the arena and attacking you with his massive sword. This will likely take you a few tries to beat, but once you do, you get to enjoy an extremely satisfying ending cutscene thats well worth your trouble.
#4: Nameless PuppetLies of P (2023)
The true final boss of the Pinocchio Soulslike Lies of P is one of the toughest boss battles of all time, let alone of the 2020s. To fight it, simply refuse to give Geppetto your heart at the end of the game. The first phase is relatively tame, but its when you finish this part that the Nameless Puppet breaks free of his strings and is let loose to take you on at full power. Now dual-wielding swords, he moves and attacks significantly faster, easily covers more distance, and deals incredibly high damage with a single hit. In typical Soulslike fashion, youll have to dodge and parry strategically to survive.
#3: ALLMINDArmored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (2023)
The second FromSoftware game on this list, 2023s Armored Core 6 is one of the hardest entries in the franchise thanks to its bosses, and the Allmind fight at the end of the game will definitely give you hand cramps. To experience the true Allmind boss fight, you have to get the other two endings and finish New Game ++. Once you do, youre in for the hardest fight in the game. Allmind comes at you with an overwhelming arsenal of lasers and missiles, moves extremely fast, and dodges your attacks with ease. You eventually get an ally in the fight in Ayre, but even then beating this boss is hands-down one of the hardest bosses of the decade.
#2: GloctopussExit the Gungeon (2020)
To fight the Gloctopuss in Exit the Gungeon, youll first have to complete two runs with different Gungeoneers, which is a challenge in itself. Once you do, a bounty appears in the Keep of the Lead Lord, allowing you to face this eight-legged big bad. The fight itself will overwhelm you fast, as the boss lives by its namesake quite literally: each of its eight tentacles is holding, you guessed it, a gun, and itll fire at your nonstop. Being able to dodge and jump at the right time is crucial for surviving its onslaught of bullets, ricocheting skulls, and missiles.
#1: LouisMetaphor: ReFantazio (2024)
The final encounter against Louis in Metaphor: ReFantazio can be a lot less difficult with dozens of hours of grinding and building out your Archetypes accordingly, but in an already 120+ hour game, we wouldnt fault you for just trying to get through it. The overall fight is spread over multiple forms with narrative dumps sprinkled in between encounters, and if you die youll have to do all of this over again. The clever mechanic of targeting a specific mask with the required element during the Destroyer Charadrius portion makes it crucial for the player to understand the ins and outs of the games battle system, and will likely be where youll meet your demise. Once you beat it, sit back and enjoy the ending - youve definitely earned it.
Which final bosses gave you the most trouble in the last 5 years? Let us know in the comments below.