Top 30 HARDEST Video Game Bosses of the Century So Far

#30: Ozma Final Fantasy IX (2000)

Superbosses in Final Fantasy games are no joke, but who could have guessed that one of the deadliest among them would be a giant spinning ball pulsating with all the colours of the rainbow? Regardless of its spherical appearance, Ozma is a true monster, one that will have you throwing back Phoenix Downs to stay in the game. Not only will it constantly heal itself, but always target the party with their elemental weaknesses. And if thats not enough, it will unleash everything from Doomsday to Level 5 Death and even Meteor.

#29: Vergil Devil Mary Cry 3: Dantes Awakening (2005)

Dantes demonic twin is a challenge no matter which game he appears in, but his final brawl in the third entry is especially egregious for the unprepared. Vergils speed and ferocity are unmatched, able to deflect all projectiles, while his sword slashes can easily reach you no matter how much you bounce around the arena. Pair that with his Devil Trigger, and the whole ordeal is sure to decimate your motivation. Unless youve mastered the games mechanics to their limits, Vergil is gonna take you out to pasture.

#28: Ozma The First Berserker: Khazan (2025)

The newest Souls-like contender on the block came out swinging with an abundance of bosses with enough difficulty to their names to grind down the willpower of all players, but none more so than its final foe. A former friend of Khazan, Ozma took it upon himself to use the power of chaos to make himself stronger for the cause, which in turn naturally corrupted him into an absolute monster! Across three gruelling phases youll find yourself facing non-stop barrages of elemental AOEs, projectiles from the void, as well as swift strikes with his bone wings, all with minimal windows for countering. Khazan may be a berserker, but besting this forsaken mage requires the patience of a saint!

#27: Super Tyrant Resident Evil 2 (2019)

For the majority of the game, Mr X relentlessly hunts down the likes of Leon and Claire without pause, made all the worse by the fact the fedora-wearing monster appeared to be nigh unkillable no matter how many shotgun shells it took to the face. This all comes to a head during the climax., where Mr X ditches the trench coat for its true guise. While you might think that him having such an obvious weak point would make the encounter easier, youd be dead wrong. Not only is the Tyrant as tanky as ever, but theres also every chance youll be excessively low on ammo by this point. And worst of all, you face him on the tiniest platform imaginable, meaning every swing could be your end.

#26: Nyx Avatar Persona 3 (2006)

When youre tangoing with the final boss of a JRPG, you know the difficulty is going to spike, hard. Even still fourteen phases?! Were still not sure that record has been beaten. As the personification of death, Nyx Avatar is a world-ender that will constantly switch between every tarot card of the major arcana, changing up its strengths, weaknesses and affinities in the process. Unless youve got a Persona for every situation, then at least one of these forms is going to give you a hard time. Given the original Personas fatigue system, its all too easy to be wiped out by this turn-based gauntlet of a boss!

#25: The Burst Furi (2016)

Nothing quite like a sniper to ruin your day. But the Burst goes far beyond just being a sharpshooter tucked away off screen. Not only will she constantly speed away from danger while turning invisible, making close quarters combat exceedingly difficult to pull off, but she has a set of drones on hand to keep piling on the damage. Even when you do corner her, the variety of projectiles she can unleash will force you to dance around constantly to avoid being overwhelmed. She is a one-woman bullet hell.

#24: Galdera, The Fallen Octopath Traveler II (2023)

Somehow, Galdera returned, and now hes twice as dangerous as he used to be. The final boss from the original Octopath Traveller makes an insidious reappearance as an optional superboss at the end of the sequel, where hell swiftly put all your party to shame with the sheer number of abilities its got under its non-existent belt. Repelling damage, nullifying status effects, constant healing, summoning equally dangerous sub-bosses to aid it in battle, augmenting its damage and thats all just phase one! Unless your team has been specifically designed from the ground up to overcome this monster, theres no victory to be found here!

#23: Unidentified Naytiba Stellar Blade (2024)

Eve may be able to slice apart giant, alien entities in her skin-tight attire with zero issues most of the time, but this flying nightmare is a whole other story. The creature that would later be revealed to be Raven is lethal on ground and in the air. When it's not stringing together extensive hard-to-read combos with its talons and dive bombing from above, it's unleashing insta-kill techniques that you have to leap through all kinds of hoops in order to disable. This feathered fiend is a menace through and through, whose antics will have you severely tempted to reach for the difficulty settings.

#22: Erlang, the Sacred Divinity Black Myth Wukong (2024)

Given his grandiose display in the tutorial, it was clear that Wukongs celestial nemesis was a deity who knew how to throw down, making him the ideal candidate for a secret boss. What we didnt expect would be how stratospherically difficult he would prove to be. Even with all of the Destined Ones numerous abilities; Erlang shirks off damage like it's nothing probably because hes the only boss to have an extra defence bar on top of his health. Disabling your transformations, blistering the entire arena with projectiles, summoning his hound to chomp at our ankles, Erlang shows you no mercy here. While his second phase is ironically more manageable despite turning into a giant stone beast, his humanoid form broke many a gamers spirits.

#21: Rodin Bayonetta (2009)

Between heaven and hell, he alone is the honoured onehonoured to beat the tar out of you for daring to take on his might. Resident gunsmith Rodin has always acted as Bayonettas go to weaponeer and informant, but hes also made a name for himself as the hardest boss in every single game in the franchise so far. Of the three, his debut in the first Bayonetta as the angelic Father Rodin was by far the most daunting. The infinite one is so relentless that not even the game can properly follow the speed of his punches. Your only hope is to remain mobile, not get caught, avoid his homing attacks like the plague, and be as precise as you can be when choosing to land your attacks. Get tripped up once, and its over.

#20: Maneater

Demons Souls (2009) Bringing in a second boss while youre in the middle of fighting the first one is a surefire way to spike the difficulty. Most bosses found in FromSoftwares games are going to be a challenge, and Maneater easily takes the top spot for Demons Souls. Not only does it come with the necessary power to do its studio proud, but its 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 bosss health bar drops to ¼ full, it will summon a pal to help do you in, doubling your workload. #19: Laxasia the Complete Lies of P (2023) While wed be remiss not to mention the Nameless Puppet who almost made this list, its Laxasia the Complete who reigns supreme within Krat. With her electric affinity Great Sword, shell 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, shell use a huge damage dealing AOE electrical blast. Laxasias move pool is also full of faints, and she constantly circles around you, meaning youll have to pay close attention to everything she does. #18: Alma 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 wasnt bad enough, you also have to contend with a very hard to control camera! #17: IB-01: CEL 240 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, were 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. Youll 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! #16: Demi-fiend Shin Megami Tensei V (2021) Considering all the powerful demons Demi-fiend conquered in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne its 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 youll 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. Its highly recommended that you go into this fight with your team at the max level of 99, otherwise youre in for a very, very long fight. #15: Ballos

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, youre 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 thats nothing compared to his second form, which takes the stomping to another level. The final form is just cruel, and honestly youre best off firing everything you have at him in the hopes that you get lucky. Worst of all, its very hard to learn his patterns, as each time you lose the battle you start from the beginning of the sanctuary meaning youll likely have forgotten everything you learned by the time you reach him again #14: C'Thun 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 CThun 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, its an encounter theyll certainly never forget! #13: Sister Friede & Father Ariandel 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, shell revive herself and ring forth Father Ariandel into the battle. Now youd 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 thats even worse than the previous two parts of this fight! Be sure to use your Estus Flasks wisely during this long drawn out battle. #12: Raven Beak

Metroid Dread (2021) Like those that came before it, Metroid Dread upholds the high difficulty the series is known for. And Nintendo couldnt 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 youre right next to him or on the other side of the arena, it doesnt 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. #11: Gna

God of War Ragnarok (2022) And here we thought Sigrun was bad. The Valkyrie Queen of 2018s 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 bangif 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. Thats not to mention two unblockable grabs, which are far more infuriating than any of her other attacks. #10: Absolute Radiance

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 its 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. #9: Yozora 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 thatll 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 youll be hearing the low health beeping noise throughout most of this fight! #8: Fatalis 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 thatll guarantee youll get carted if youre 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, youll 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! #7: Dr. Kahls Robot

Cuphead (2017) While Chef Saltbaker of the DLC came close to matching it, theres just no topping the frustration that comes from fighting Dr. Kahls 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 wont have nearly enough firepower to make it balanced. #6: Sans

Undertale (2015) If you choose to go down the Genocide Route, meaning youve 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. Youll 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. #5: Orphan of Kos

Bloodborne (2015) Were not sure whats 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, its just as oppressive with its deadly leaps, if not more so. If youre caught by one, say goodbye to a major portion of health. Thankfully, it doesnt 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. #4: Absolute Virtue

Final Fantasy XI (2002) Well admit this one should come with an asterisk. Found in one of the franchises MMO installments, Absolute Virtue was designed by Square Enix to be unbeatable, at least by the studios 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 didnt 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. #3: Malenia, Blade of Miquella

Elden Ring (2022) In any other game, a boss declaring theyve 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. Theres no shame in summoning some allies for this one. #2: Isshin, the Sword Saint

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019) Unfortunately, you cant summon friends in Sekiro. So when it comes to the final boss, youll just have to hope your skills are up to snuff. It wouldnt feel right placing anything other than a FromSoftware boss in the top spot. And Isshin, the Sword Saint certainly deserves it. Youll already be on edge having fought Genichiro directly before this. Even if that wasnt the case, Isshins 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 whats coming next. Its an incredibly satisfying victory, but one thats definitely not earned easily. #1: Consort Radahn 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 Radahns aspects. But for those of you who managed to conquer the original version, we salute you!

Which of these bosses proved to be too much for you? Let us know in the comments!

Trivia -

Which of these characters uses the weapon Beowulf? OzmaVergil (Correct) GalderaThe Burst

To unlock Rodins fight, you have to pay 9999 coins. False