Top 20 Hardest Video Game Bosses of the Century (So Far)

“Demon’s Souls” (2009)

Bringing in a second boss while you’re in the middle of fighting the first one is a surefire way to spike the difficulty. Most bosses found in FromSoftware’s games are going to be a challenge, and Maneater easily takes the top spot for “Demon’s Souls.” Not only does it come with the necessary power to do its studio proud, but it’s also fought on a rather narrow bridge. Having less room to maneuver and attack in is a pain, but not as much as a second Maneater. After enough time has passed, or if the boss’s health bar drops to ¼ full, it will summon a pal to help do you in, doubling your workload.

“Lies of P” (2023)

While we’d be remiss not to mention the Nameless Puppet who almost made this list, it’s Laxasia the Complete who reigns supreme within Krat. With her electric affinity Great Sword, she’ll first start off this boss battle with slow bruiser-like techniques. However, once you reach her second phase, the difficulty spikes up as she drops her armor and proceeds to strike you down with her super fast attacks and lightning projectiles. If you get too close to her, she’ll use a huge damage dealing AOE electrical blast. Laxasia’s move pool is also full of faints, and she constantly circles around you, meaning you’ll have to pay close attention to everything she does.

“Ninja Gaiden” (2004)

Alma is not your typical boss encounter in Ninja Gaiden. She stands as one of the toughest adversaries in the series due to her agile movements and powerful attacks that keep players constantly on their toes. Her ability to fly around the arena while launching energy spheres creates a chaotic battle where even seasoned gamers struggle to find safe ground. Timing your dodges perfectly while landing precise hits is crucial but easier said than done when facing her unpredictable patterns. And if that wasn’t bad enough, you also have to contend with a very hard to control camera!

“Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon” (2023)

While you could easily argue that Balteus or even the true final Boss ALLMIND should be in this spot, we’re going to have to give it to this frightfully fast mecha. Not only does it have a design very reminiscent of Qubeley from the Gundam franchise, but it also functions like it too with its powerful long range funnel-like laser beams that can hit you from many different angles. You’ll have to have excellent reaction times in order to survive its onslaught and get some of your own damage in. And if you manage to down it, it'll come straight back up again for round two!

“Shin Megami Tensei V” (2021)

Considering all the powerful demons Demi-fiend conquered in “Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne” it’s absolutely no surprise that this encounter is a complete battle of survival. Not only is Demi-Fiends stats all completely maxed, but he will resist all elements and status ailments. He comes equipped with a plethora of powerful skills that you’ll all remember using from his debut game such as Freikugel. Much like Nahobino themself, the protagonist turned DLC boss will summon his very own demons to back him up, replacing them when defeated. It’s highly recommended that you go into this fight with your team at the max level of 99, otherwise you’re in for a very, very long fight.

“Cave Story” (2004)

For most of its play time, Cave Story is a challenging but fairly conquerable game. But if you want to get the true ending to this beloved indie adventure, you’re going to get the rug pulled from under your feet. The Blood Stained Sanctuary is an absolutely brutal final level and waiting for you at the end of it is Ballos. This guy does not give you a break, flying around, summoning lighting, and trying to stomp your skull. But that’s nothing compared to his second form, which takes the stomping to another level. The final form is just cruel, and honestly you’re best off firing everything you have at him in the hopes that you get lucky. Worst of all, it’s very hard to learn his patterns, as each time you lose the battle you start from the beginning of the sanctuary meaning you’ll likely have forgotten everything you learned by the time you reach him again…

“World of Warcraft” (2004)

C'Thun is one of World of Warcraft's most iconic and challenging raid bosses. With its devastating eye beams, tentacles and his ability to consume players, defeating C'Thun requires precise execution and perfect timing from every member of your party. So why does this battle make it on this list? Well due to a bug C’Thun was impossible to defeat for quite a long time after he was added into the game. Of course Blizzard would end up patching it later down the line, allowing for people to finally defeat this Old God. But for anyone who battled against its original form back in the day, it’s an encounter they’ll certainly never forget!

“Dark Souls III” (2016)

While both the Nameless King and Slave Knight Gael are both worthy candidates for this list, we have to acknowledge the brutality that is the Sister Friede boss fight. Equipped with a long-range giant scythe, this battle is a crazy test of endurance right from the get go. If you manage to defeat her first form, she’ll revive herself and ring forth Father Ariandel into the battle. Now you’d think dealing with their fire and ice combo attacks would be the worst of this battle, but Sister Friede actually has a third Blackflame form that’s even worse than the previous two parts of this fight! Be sure to use your Estus Flasks wisely during this long drawn out battle.

“Metroid Dread” (2021)

Like those that came before it, “Metroid Dread” upholds the high difficulty the series is known for. And Nintendo couldn’t have included a better boss to make us feel actual dread than Raven Beak. In three brutal phases, the Chozo warrior demands extremely fast reaction time unless you want your health quickly depleted to zero. Whether you’re right next to him or on the other side of the arena, it doesn’t matter. He can blast you apart just as easily as rip you to shreds with his claws. His agility and strength is unmatched by anything “Metroid” gave us this century. In the ultra-hard Dread Mode, he may be the toughest in the whole series.

“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

And here we thought Sigrun was bad. The Valkyrie Queen of 2018’s “God of War” provided a taxing battle, to be sure. But Sony Santa Monica outdid themselves with Gna. As the final big post-game mission, “Ragnarok” goes out with a bang…if you can get through it. She naturally has the highest power level of any enemy at 9. So even if you drop the difficulty level all the way down, her hits will do major damage. Most of her attacks are hard to predict and if they connect, they can drain your health bar in a matter of moments. That’s not to mention two unblockable grabs, which are far more infuriating than any of her other attacks.

“Hollow Knight” (2017)

The final boss of “Hollow Knight” is a tough challenge to overcome. But with the “Godmaster” expansion, developer Team Cherry made it even harder. Absolute Radiance is a mix of undeniable power and an ungodly speed at which it can unleash it. Most of its attacks have either been increased in strength or, in terms of its projectile-based attacks, in capacity. Thankfully, your little knight should be well powered-up by the time you face it. And since it’s an enhanced version of a boss fought previously, you should know what to do even if actually doing it is a hassle. Fought across 6 phases, Absolute Radiance is the peak of what “Hollow Knight” can offer.

“Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind” (2020)

Despite being games based around Disney franchises, the Kingdom Hearts series is no stranger to brutally hard boss fights that would leave any adult weeping. The DLC for the latest main entry however, outdid everything before it with Yozora. This mysterious character will hit you with a barrage of attacks that’ll quickly take all of your HP as he teleports around the arena. He also has the ability to decrease your max HP, as well as steal your Keyblade, which stops you from being able to attack, guard and use magic. Trust us when we say you’ll be hearing the low health beeping noise throughout most of this fight!

“Monster Hunter: World” (2018)

In a game series where the main objective is to fight monsters in tough boss fights, Fatalis stands out above all the rest. This Elder Dragon wields an extremely dangerous moveset with three different super attacks that’ll guarantee you’ll get carted if you’re hit by just one. If you and your team mates fail to break its head by the start of the third phase, Fatalis will become supercharged, with all of its fire attacks turning blue and causing even more damage. Even if you have the strongest gear available, you’ll need to take advantage of everything the game offers you during this battle, such as siege weapons, mantles and wallbangs. And worst of all is you only have 30 minutes to defeat it!

“Cuphead” (2017)

While Chef Saltbaker of the DLC came close to matching it, there’s just no topping the frustration that comes from fighting Dr. Kahl’s Robot. “Cuphead” mostly consists of boss fights, the majority of which can easily wallop the player. But this one really tested our dedication in reaching the ending. The first phase sees the robot utilizing a variety of projectiles while you blast apart the three pieces. But with each piece destroyed, more attacks are added. Phase 2 has hombing bombs to look out for, while Phase 3 gives you more projectiles to dodge along with electrified walls. The whole ordeal is a literal bullet hell and you won’t have nearly enough firepower to make it balanced.

“Undertale” (2015)

If you choose to go down the Genocide Route, meaning you’ve killed every single monster you can come across instead of sparing them, Sans will be waiting for you. And honestly? You probably deserve his wrath. By far the hardest challenge “Undertale” has to offer by a mile, the fight against Sans completely clashes with his good vibes persona. You’ll approach the fight like many others, dodging attacks with your little heart. But most of these attacks are impossible to see coming and lightning fast. There is no making it through without a lot of trial and error, which means a lot of deaths at the hands of this dopey skeleton. It takes the utmost determination.

“Bloodborne” (2015)

We’re not sure what’s more disturbing about this thing: its fleshy weapon or its tendency to shriek when it lunges at you. The Orphan of Kos serves as the final boss in “The Old Hunters” DLC and, in typical FromSoftware fashion, is an absolute monster to fight. Despite being much smaller than many other bosses in the game, it’s just as oppressive with its deadly leaps, if not more so. If you’re caught by one, say goodbye to a major portion of health. Thankfully, it doesn’t transform into something more unsettling for its second phase. It just gets a lot faster and more aggressive, which is saying quite a bit considering its first phase.

“Final Fantasy XI” (2002)

We’ll admit this one should come with an asterisk. Found in one of the franchise’s MMO installments, Absolute Virtue was designed by Square Enix to be unbeatable, at least by the studio’s terms. This was due to an enormous health pool, a tendency to auto-heal each turn, and its use of the Benediction spell, a full heal that also cured status effects. The problem was the studio didn’t reveal this, prompting teams of players to spend literal hours fighting it only for naught. Some were still able to do it, but Square Enix retaliated by removing any methods used to beat it from the game. Only after a wave of backlash was Absolute Virtue finally nerfed, making him tough but at least beatable.

“Elden Ring” (2022)

In any other game, a boss declaring they’ve never known defeat would make us eager to give them a rude awakening. But in a FromSoftware game? We knew we had a lot of deaths in our future. Malenia quickly gained a well-earned reputation for being the holy grail of painfully hard boss fights in “Elden Ring.” Avoiding her is extremely hard due to her long sword and multi-hit flurry attack. And taking damage will stress you out more than normal as doing so will heal her, even if you block. Phase 2 refills almost her entire health bar while adding Scarlet Rot to her attacks, a status effect that deals damage over time. There’s no shame in summoning some allies for this one.

“Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” (2019)

Unfortunately, you can’t summon friends in “Sekiro.” So when it comes to the final boss, you’ll just have to hope your skills are up to snuff. It wouldn’t feel right placing anything other than a FromSoftware boss in the top spot. And Isshin, the Sword Saint certainly deserves it. You’ll already be on edge having fought Genichiro directly before this. Even if that wasn’t the case, Isshin’s three drawn out phases will make you feel painfully outclassed. His sword slashes have surprising range and will catch you off-guard, as will his AOE attacks. His patterns grow more random with each phase, making it hard to get a read on what’s coming next. It’s an incredibly satisfying victory, but one that’s definitely not earned easily.

“Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree” (2024)

Another entry for “Elden Ring” you ask? Well this final boss fight from the DLC “Shadow of the Erdtree” is here for a very good reason! As soon as you enter through the fog, Radahn immediately leaps towards you, giving you no time at all to summon your spirit ashes. His relentless move pool will require many tries for you to memorize them all. It gets even worse when you enter his second phase, as not only is he even faster, but will start to cast even wider AoE attacks. This boss fight was so ridiculous that FromSoftware released a patch almost three months later, nerfing a lot of Radahn’s aspects. But for those of you who managed to conquer the original version, we salute you!

Is there a boss from this century that made you want to pull your hair out? Let us know about them in the comments!