Top 20 Hidden Bosses in Video Games And How to Find Them

“South Park: The Fractured but Whole” (2017)
He’s played the CEO of Batman’s corporation, 3 Presidents, (one of them real) and even God himself, and now he’s living his lifelong dream of running a small Taco restaurant, seems legit. Triggering the fight is easy as all you need to do is hit Mr. Freeman 3 times, surviving the fight is a whole other challenge though. Freeman’s AOE attacks can deal a heavy amount of damage to your party, and also leave them with the grossed out debuff. He’ll also summon a younger version of himself to fight alongside Freeman, and Jr can be just as dangerous as the real deal. Freeman also has a lot of HP, so make sure you are well prepared before trying to face him.

“Super Smash Bros Melee” (2001)
Bowser’s always been the big main baddie in the Mario world, but somewhere along the way, he lost himself. He became more of a comedic arch-nemesis, rather than a threatening one. All that changed when Giga Bowser appeared in Melee. Shocking gamers, this version of Bowser was a throwback to its original design and stature, pre-Nintendo 64 days. Finishing Adventure mode in under 18 minutes without using any continues will make Giga Bowser reveal himself. Boasting incredible size and strength, he’ll also take a lot more damage before you can finally smash him off the stage.

“Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night” (2019)
This not-so-subtle throwback to the franchise Bloodstained is based on; serves the player by letting them borrow books to boost their stats throughout the game, but he can also serve as a formidable opponent. After beating the main game and uncovering at least 99% of the map, take out the Tome of Conquest and then head to the room 2 doors left from the Glacial Tomb portal room. When you face him, Castlevania fans will notice that he has the same moveset (and voice actor) as Alucard from Symphony of the Night. Making for not only a challenging battle but an awesome throwback to that classic title.

“World of Warcraft: Legion” (2016)
It had taken a while before players realized this boss even existed, and then it again took them a while to comprehend just how hard this boss really was. Discovered in Gnomeregan, Endgineer Omegaplugg can be summoned after defeating Thermaplugg and pressing a hidden button on one of the pillars. It has insane AOE damage and summons a ton of bombs that are capable of one hit kills. You’re going to need a full party with all levels maxed out to even stand a chance against this guy. After taking him down, the party will receive a Vial of Green Goo, which can temporarily turn you into a Leper Gnome, if that’s your thing.

“Persona 4” (2008)
In order to get to this boss, the player has to make a long series of correct choices to trigger the true ending route. Which will eventually lead you to the True Final boos, and she’s push-over. She has two forms, and one is considerably uglier than the other. As the party starts to realize Izanami is impervious to a lot of their attacks, the Orb of Sight begins to quiver, and reveals Izanami’s true form, known as Izanami-no-Okami, and it looks like a monstrosity. It’ll probably take a few tries to beat this boss, as it has a move that instakills anyone with status ailments. Knowing it’s the true final boss will keep you coming back, and the atmosphere and background music will keep you focused. Bring it on.

“Soulcalibur III” (2005)
This walking, hulking combination of flesh and bone that can only communicate with grunts and growls is the secret final boss and the alter-ego of Nightmare, the main antagonist. To face it, You’ll need to play through the story mode choosing the right branching paths, and the route is different for every character. It has a jarring difficulty spike compared to other opponents, as it can’t be interrupted and has abilities that can take out half your life with one hit. You can’t even ring-out the thing, as it just flies back in. Gotta take him down the old fashioned way.

“Dark Souls II” (2014)
In an already extremely difficult franchise busting with epic boss battles, this one takes epic and difficult to new heights. In order to find it, the player must light all three beacons in the Dark Chasm of Old and clear its dungeons, which itself is no easy feat. When actually fighting the creep, it can use swords, spears, beams, meteors, fireballs, and explosions to subdue the player, all of which dealing high amounts of magic damage. Oh, and if that’s not enough, and once you’ve finally beaten it, it can still throw one final attack at you, even with zero health. Ouch.

“Bloodborne” (2015)
While From Software can’t take up all the entries on this list, This one stands out a lot for rewarding players who pay attention to the lore. It’s up to the player to put the pieces together and interpret the situation based on the knowledge they have. Lore wise, The Moon Presence might be a ‘Great One’ that is mentioned throughout the game. To unlock the fight against this optional final boss, you must perform a variety of tasks, such as consuming a certain amount of items and refusing a certain request. To beat him? Well that’s not so easy to explain, watch his pattern carefully and have that dodgeroll handy. And watch out for that tail of his.

“Bayonetta” (2009) & “Bayonetta 2” (2014)
Despite being one of Bayonetta’s closest allies, Rodin appears in both games as a hidden boss. In both appearances, he is unlocked by purchasing a Platinum Ticket that is available for just under ten million halos. Father Rodin, as the boss in the first game is called, is an angelic figure who possesses massive strength and speed. Conversely, Rodin, the Infinite One is a demonic iteration who is just as fast and uses powerful, swift fist attacks. Both times he is incredibly difficult, thanks to the amount of damage he can inflict, so be prepared to see that game over screen a lot.

“Final Fantasy XII” (2006)
Ever since its inception, the Final Fantasy series has always had a true final boss hidden somewhere in their games, often requiring a maxed out party in order to stand a chance. But it’s 12th’s iteration that takes the honors here just for how absurd the battle is. After defeating the Hell Wyrm and completing all the Hunt side quests, head to the Clan Hall in Rabanstre to obtain the contract to fight him at Ridorana Cataract’s Colosseum. What makes this boss so absurd? He has 50 Million HP, and incredibly high defense to boot, meaning this fight alone can last at least 2 hours, even with a maxed out party. So make sure you have plenty of spare time before facing him.

“Kingdom Hearts 2.5: ReMIX” (2014)
The “Kingdom Hearts” franchise has many optional bosses that can be battled against, but we elected to include this one. An animate suit of armor brought to life by someone’s leftover thoughts and feelings (you know, standard “Kingdom Hearts” mumbo jumbo), Lingering Will may not have much of a personality of its own, but it more than makes up for it in difficulty. To battle it, first you have to complete all the worlds and finish the game and then go to the Keyblade Graveyard. Lingering Will proves to be a lightning fast opponent, who can also disable some of your abilities; making for a very trying fight.

“Star Fox” (1993)
The original Super Nintendo “Star Fox” game has a few hidden levels, but only one has this unique hidden boss. First, the player must get to the asteroid level on the hard path and shoot a particular asteroid until a bird abducts them, which will unlock the hidden level, Out of This Dimension. In this bizarre level, the player fights against a giant slot machine. The only way to defeat it is to line up three “7s” in a row. However, even defeating it won’t end the level - you’re still stuck in a level that is in constant, wavy motion, is filled with paper airplanes, and plays what sounds like a version of “When the Saints Go Marching In!”

“Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars” (1996)
Although everyone’s favorite plumber is no stranger to RPGs these days, Mario’s first outing into the genre was in collaboration with Squaresoft, the folks behind “Final Fantasy.” To that end, the hidden boss in this game takes heavy inspiration from that series. Culex is a purple, otherworldly being completely unlike anything else in the game. His fight is arguably harder than the final boss, as he is surrounded by crystals that use some of the most powerful spells in the game and he’s no slouch either! At least you get to enjoy battle music from “Final Fantasy” while you fight them!

“God of War” (2018)
This celebrated action game actually features several optional bosses, including 8 Valkyries, whom you can battle throughout the game. However, it’s the Valkyrie Queen who stands above them all. Upon defeating the rest of the already difficult mythic female warriors, assembling their helmets at the Council of the Valkyries will summon Sigrun, their queen. Possessing most of the abilities of the others and enough strength to kill you in one hit, depending on the difficulty, Sigrun is an unpredictable opponent that will test Kratos and son’s abilities, and those of the player, to their limits.

“Diablo II” (2000)
The “Diablo” series features some terrifying demonic entities that the player has to face, but it also has…cows. If the player has completed the game on Normal, they can transmute several items together in the Rogue Encampment to access a Secret Cow Level. Seriously, that’s what it’s called. Within this area are hordes, or rather herds, of hellish bovines who will assault you with polearms. However, hidden among these regular enemies is the Cow King. Although not visually different from other demonic cows, the Cow King is immune to lightning, and defeating it will prevent the portal to the Secret Cow Level from being opened on the same difficulty.

“Mortal Kombat II” (1993)
The “Mortal Kombat” series is famous for its hidden bosses, and while we were tempted to choose the original with Reptile, we instead opted for one from “Mortal Kombat II.” If the player is good enough to win 50 matches in a row, or just 25 on home releases, the game unlocks Noob Saibot. A black, shadowy figure in the silhouette of one of the ninjas, Noob Saibot can use all of Sub-Zero’s moves, although he can also use Scorpion’s spear. Later in the series, he’s revealed to have been the former Sub-Zero, though we doubt that was the intention from the start.

“Trials of Mana” (1995/2020)
Don’t let the cute and cuddly appearance of this boss fool you – it’s one of the most powerful enemies in the entire “Mana” franchise! In the original, he’s only accessible if you have Angela or Duran as your main character, located in a hidden passage of the Dragon’s Hole. In the 2020 remake, he can be found in any storyline; by returning to the Dragonsmaw, Mirage Palace or Dark Castle after you’ve cleared it. No matter which version you play though, The Black Rabite will whoop your ass if you’re unprepared. He has a ton of HP, can summon high level demons, and has extremely powerful spells at his disposal! Where’s a holy hand grenade when you need one?

“Undertale” (2015)
Created as a result of a Kickstarter buy-in, So Sorry is a creature who can be encountered in the Art Club Room in Hotland if your computer or system has been turned to October 10th between 8-9pm. So Sorry will then rush in and apologize for being late, inadvertently attacking the player with crumpled bits of paper and doodles. Whether you kill him or not is up to you – art is subjective, after all. While some may argue this spot should be for Sans, we would like to remind you: This is for hidden boss fights. Sans is the final boss of one of the popular branching paths. Hope you didn’t forget that.

“Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker” (2010)
“Monster Hunter” has crossed over with seemingly everything, and its collaboration with “Metal Gear” leads to some interesting hidden boss fights. In order to find them, first you must listen to all of Chico’s briefings. Next do the Item Capture mission in Extra Ops. During this mission, you can find; Trenya, a Felyne (or talking cat) from the “Monster Hunter” series who will give you a series of missions. These missions involve battling creatures from the “Monster Hunter” series, including mainstays like Rathalos and Tigrex, as well as the Metal Gear inspired Gear Rex.

“Super Street Fighter II Turbo” (1994)
Arguably the most popular fighting game of all time also has one of the most popular hidden bosses too. The series’ first hidden boss, Akuma bursts onto the stage and takes M. Bison down like nothing. The demonic looking fighter’s speed and multiple aerial projectiles are hard to handle. Almost as difficult is reaching him at all, as you need to defeat all your opponents without using a continue and either get a high score or beat them in less than 25 minutes. Akuma’s legendary status has helped him become a mainstay in the franchise and it began with this boss fight.