The conclusion of the “Boss Fight” trilogy of articles, at long last! This list will be looking at my favorite boss fights in gaming, and specifically those that are neither First Bosses nor Final Bosses (since those categories have already been covered). Without further ado, let’s jump into it!
10) Kasha ~ Nioh 2
The Nioh series is anchored in Japanese Yokai mythology, so it’s no surprise that a fair few boss fights are the epitome of exciting ridiculousness. In my opinion, Kasha, the roller-skating, fire-whipping cat demoness, takes the cake. It’s not the most challenging fight in the game, but Kasha’s constant barrage of fiery trails and explosions cannot be taken lightly. You and her have to run (or skate) circles around each other to get the upper hand, and you can even take out her wheels to temporarily disable her greatest asset. The hype soundtrack is nothing to sneeze at either. This is my favorite fight from the Nioh franchise!
9) Baba Yaga ~ Rise of the Tomb Raider
Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider is a series that doesn’t exactly have the strongest boss fights, which is all the more reason why this showdown with the infamous wicked witch is so memorable. The hallucinatory mist you’ve been dealing with for the past few hours is still in effect, lending this challenging and surprisingly lengthy encounter a level of unpredictable insanity. The music is great, the escalating stakes of the fight are super cool, and the unique ways in which you have to damage Baba Yaga herself really cement this boss as a standout moment in a nearly perfect game.
8) Biolizard ~ Sonic Adventure 2
This boss holds a special place in my heart, if only because it was the younger me’s wake-up call about difficulty in video games. Here was me, thinking a fun little Sonic game for kids wouldn’t be hard, and then this boss slaps me upside the head for over an hour. It isn’t as terrible nowadays (though still a significant challenge), but the lengthy and heart-racing showdown against the Biolizard is one of the Sonic series’ best. The great lyrical music track and oppressive atmosphere are the icing on the top of the cake.
7) Zant ~ Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Thanks to a late game twist (curtesy of a certain redheaded demon king), Zant ends up as the second-to-last boss faced in this Zelda masterpiece. Still, the hardly dampens the excitement of finally taking down the seemingly invincible foe who has been hounding you all game long. The fight is about six or seven phases long, shifting between corrupted versions of previous boss encounters. The music is frenetic, the skills required of you vast, and the sense of catharsis when you finally land the killing blow is unmatched. Zant represents everything awesome about Zelda bosses, but jacked up to eleven!
6) Zu Pharg ~ Xenoblade Chronicles X
“Massive” doesn’t even begin to do the Zu Pharg justice. The colossal scale of this boss fight is something extraordinarily rare in video games, particularly because you play such an active role in taking this behemoth down. Instead of flashy, quick-time-event cutscenes, you fully control your Skell (giant mech) and fly around the mechanical monstrosity, taking it apart piece by piece. You blow up its joints, disable its legs, and tear apart its freakishly humanoid upper half, all in a desperate bid to stop its rampage towards the last human settlement. The incredible soundtrack gives you all the boost you’ll need to topple this unforgettable doomsday titan!
5) Jevil ~ Deltarune
Toby Fox (the creator of Undertale and Deltarune) is no stranger to hiding extremely difficult secret bosses in his games. In my opinion, Jevil from the first chapter of Deltarune is the cream of the crop of these challenging and engaging showdowns (sorry, Sans). The requirements for unlocking this fight aren’t too difficult to achieve, but you might wish you stayed far away as this psychotic clown mercilessly unleashes on rapid-fire string of attacks after the other. His music is manic and infinitely catchy, and I love that you can still take him down both pacifistically and violently. This is a long fight, but an incredible one.
4) Lady Maria ~ Bloodborne
Lady Maria was the most prominently featured character in both the marketing and in-game lore of this phenomenal Bloodborne DLC. It is no surprise, then, that when you are finally able to come to blows with this misguided protector of nightmares, that her fight is one of the most frantic, challenging, and incredibly fair battles in all of the Soulsborne series. Being a human opponent, Maria is light on her feet and strikes like lightning, but can be both staggered and parried. The battle becomes a twisting dance of dodges and counters, and Maria’s bloody and fiery desperation (literally, in both cases) pairs in tandem with the booming wails of the choir. You fought magnificently, Lady Maria!
3) Ahtal-Ka ~ Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
The typical late game showdown in most Monster Hunter titles is that of a giant dragon or ancient god-like being. Imagine my surprise when the best Monster Hunter title of all instead presented its concluding multiplayer battle as a fight against a mantis/spider queen and her massive construct beast. Using sticky webs, Ahtal-Ka is able to pull off a dizzying array of tricks across this four-phase fight, including lobbing giant stone pillars at you, weaving spiked traps across the floor, careening around the arena attached to a giant wheel (which is equally hilarious and deadly), and finally pull together a giant mechanical amalgamation you must climb atop and break apart piece-by-piece. It’s 100% crazy, and 100% awesome, and the main music theme remix in the final phase is amazing!
2) The Conductor/DJ Grooves ~ A Hat in Time
My love for A Hat in Time has come up in quite a few places across this blog by this point, but nowhere is my adoration for this game as fully accentuated as in this one boss showdown. Everything great about this game is on display here. The entirety of Chapter Two has built to this fight, both the Conductor and DJ Grooves continue to be hilarious voice-acted throughout, all of their attacks involve props and references to the previous levels in the chapter, the music is very catchy hardcore rock that switches to jazz by the end, it’s a long and challenging but fair ordeal, the stakes escalate to absurd degrees, and the fight retains the core gameplay’s extremely intuitive and responsive controls. This is definitely the best boss fight I’ve ever experienced in a 3D platformer, and one of the greats just in general!
1) Champion Iris ~ Pokémon Black/White 2
There’s nothing quite like reaching the champion in a Pokémon game. Even if you know that there might be more (and in Black/White 2, there is SO much more to do after this), the champion title is what you’ve had your eyes set on ever since your journey began. You’ve assembled a team of your favorite Pokémon, you’ve shown the Elite Four that you’re capable of tackling any challenge, and it finally comes down to Champion Iris to decide if you truly are the very best, like no one ever was.
After the gorgeous and dynamic splash screen appears (pictured below, and very visually impressive for the DS), the extremely memorable and hype music kicks in and the battle is on! Iris puts on one heck of a fight, utilizing a balanced team of bulky and fierce Pokémon that will fully put you and your chosen team to the test. Still, with the right blend of strategy and skill, and the correct tactical decisions, you’ll triumph over Iris and be granted the most inscrutable of prizes in the Pokémon universe: the title of Champion.
For those who have never played a Pokémon game, it’s hard to describe the feeling of facing down the Champion at the end of a very long journey. For those that DO understand that feeling, I think you’ll totally understand why I placed Champion Iris in this #1 spot. As far as video games go, it’s a genuinely unforgettable moment.
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 