Nothing quite leaves a solid opening impression in a video game than the first boss fight. After all, what better way exists to conclusively cap off a game’s prologue tutorial and ensure you’ve got the skills needed to win than a fearsome first opponent? Here are my ten favorites!
10) Toriel ~ Undertale
Toriel isn’t the most mechanically difficult boss of all time (those she’s certainly a step up from the other mooks in the prologue area), but she is the perfect encapsulation of what Undertale is all about. She’s barring your way not out of malicious intent, but because she’s trying to protect you from the dangers of the outside world, and this shines through in that she will stop attacking you if you’re low on health. Like all encounters in Undertale, she can be both murdered and spared, and either outcome will have ramifications on the future of your playthrough.
9) Mafia Boss ~ A Hat in Time
This is your typical first boss of a 2D platformer, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a lot of fun. Dodge his spinning and counter, jumping and duck through his plasma spark attack, and carefully maneuver around the gigantic and comical “mafia ball” technique. You can choose to either utilize your jumps, umbrella thwacks, or even the witch hat to deal damage, and his multiple openings allow for speedy victories. It’s a nice touch that he breaks the “3 hit rule” too, and his theme song is pretty rocking.
8) Big Top Bop ~ Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
You know who has an even MORE rocking theme song though? This guy! Though functionally quite similar to the Mafia Boss, this murderous seal cranks the intensity to dizzying heights for a first boss fight, requiring the player to hop and bop their way to victory through all 9 hits required to win. The boss progressively becomes faster and more vicious as the fight drags on, and your openings grow slim. You can make excellent use of your partners and their special talents to win in unique ways, though, like turning the minions to bonus hearts, or ignoring spike damage to hit the boss in his horned helm.
7) Iudex Gundyr ~ Dark Souls 3
After the relatively disappointing showings by Asylum Demon (DS1) and the Last Giant (DS2), this armor-clad warrior comes storming through to deliver one heck of an unforgettable first boss. He is the embodiment of everything that Dark Souls stands for, representing the series’ trademark “tough but fair” philosophy. His attacks don’t hurt too much, and are easy to predict, helping new players to learn the timing of dodging, parrying, and blocking. Still, you can’t get sloppy, especially as he morphs into a mutated blob creature for phase two. Stay calm, and your first DS3 hurdle will be overcome! Also, that soundtrack is divine!
6) Mezuki ~ Nioh 2
Nioh is a series that doesn’t pull any punches, even more so than the Dark Souls series that inspired it. Nioh games will cut you down after a single mistake, and this first boss is no exception. You’ve got to use all of the tools of the trade that you’ve learned thus far, and show this disgusting horse beast who the real master is! Evade it’s gigantic swings, utilize your burst counter when it flashes red, and shift into your feral Yokai form for phase two. It’s a thrilling showdown, and the moment where everything just clicks in your mind.
5) Kerthunk ~ Iconoclasts
By their very nature, 2D platformers are a simple genre, and there is only so much that you can do. That’s why, when a platformer comes along that manages to present something wholly unique, it always catches my eye. This first boss is a thrilling tag-team fight against an imposing military mech, and handedly utilizes your blaster and grenades to devastating effect. What really blows my mind is when you use your wrench (your character is a mechanic) to tear apart the robot while your partner blows it to pieces with her shotgun. This fight even has escalating stages of craziness, and a bumping soundtrack to boot!
4) Father Gascoigne ~ Bloodborne
Father Gascoigne is the first boss of Bloodborne (not counting the optional Cleric Beast, who I actually missed on my first playthrough). He’s also the most difficult first boss on this entire list by a mile, and a true showcase of what Bloodborne is going to demand from you. However, like all bosses from the creator’s of Dark Souls, once you recognize the rhythm to his fight, it all clicks into place. You can bait him around the gravestones, douse him with firebombs, distract him with a music box, and parry his leaping strikes for huge counters. Just make sure to keep your heartbeat in check during this pulse-pounding battle of the ages!
3) Great Jaggi ~ Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
A Monster Hunter fan always remembers their first large monster hunt, and for me it was the Great Jaggi. This humble velociraptor-adjacent beastie is honestly nothing special, and a seasoned hunter could down him in under a minute. It took me nearly thirty, but oh, if it wasn’t glorious! It can be hard to describe what makes Monster Hunter such an addicting series, and it’s often something you just have to experience for yourself. That intense, back and forth struggle between hunter and monster. Both sides growing more tired and desperate as the battle wages. And that final victory, where you conquer the beast and use its resources to strengthen your gear. So much fun!
2) Hooktail ~ Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
There’s no question that the Paper Mario series is an absolute blast, but it’s honestly shocking just how incredible of a first boss Hooktail is. Hooktail has an impressive 20 points of health, but also a point of defense, severely limiting your offensive options against her. Her attack stat is also massive, easily able to end you in a few hits. Persisting through this struggle is a feat onto itself, but if you explored thoroughly in the preceding dungeon, you can find an item that weakens Hooktail, cutting her attack in half and dropping her defense to zero. Even still, she’ll try to sway you with promises of rare items and coins, and just when it looks like you’ve won, she eats half of the audience and gains her health back. The battle moves to the gallery for the final phase, and I’ll tell you, my jaw was on the floor by this point of my first playthrough. Genuinely, Hooktail is one of this game’s best bosses, and she’s the very first one!
1) Lord Ghirahim ~ Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
However, only one first boss could be good enough to claim the number one spot, and provide a fight that brings together all of the elements of a solid first boss mentioned throughout this list, presenting a perfect display of skill and challenge. If you can best this boss, you can handle anything.
After an excellent introductory cutscene to this game’s main antagonist, the fight begins. Skyward Sword uses an innovative style of weapon gameplay that relies heavily on the Wii-Motion Plus controller. It can take a while to come to grips with this gameplay, but Ghirahim serves as a forceful barrier ensuring you’ve mastered these controls. I’m serious about this too. You CANNOT win by swinging your sword around like a lunatic, and Ghirahim will also kill you in about five hits, noticeably limiting your room for error. On a first playthrough, this fight is decisively not easy…which is a great thing!
Even as invigorating as it already is, Ghirahim takes things to the next level. His fight is divided into two phases, and the wide array of his attacks and your options for countering them is staggering. You can keep him busy with sword slashes, shield bash his lunging rush, and redirect his energy projectiles back into him. You can also fake him out by attacking in multiple directions in quick succession, while making sure to be aware of his own counter techniques. It may go without saying, but his theme song is also brilliant.
A standout boss fight in every single area, and one of the Zelda series’ best showdowns!
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 