In video games, bosses are the most exciting part of progressing through the storyline. There’s no higher sense of success for a gamer than sending the toughest video game bosses to the dark depths from where they arise. When a boss requires more than one attempt to be taken down, sometimes players are frustrated, but without them, the storyline, narrative structure, and emotional angle of the game won’t be experienced properly.
If we are to make a list of the toughest bosses ever made in the gaming world, this is tougher than you can imagine. This vast gaming world has thousands of in-game bosses who require several attempts to be beaten. However, to help you out, we have prepared this list of the top nine bosses who will pose the toughest challenges.
9. Alma (Ninja Gaiden)
If you are a hardcore action-adventure hack-and-slash game fan, you probably have tried Ninja Gaiden, and, in that case, avoiding Alma is impossible. So, let’s begin with her the most challenging video game bosses.
Alma is one of the two antagonists presented in the game, and she differs from other bosses’ players who have fought in the series. She is the toughest adversary in the series because of her agile movement and frequent attacks, which bring players immediately on their toes if they aren’t careful.
The toughest part is that this enemy flies around throughout the arena and launches energy spheres. This creates a chaotic battle where even the most skilled players struggle to find a safe zone. Her attack pattern is completely unpredictable, which makes the fight more challenging.
8. Father Gascoigne (Bloodborne)
If you are a Bloodborne fan and have faced Father Gascoigne, it is impossible that you have forgotten the fight. Though he is a supporting boss in the game, he is the first and mighty enemy to be defeated in the graveyard.
This boss is a fast-moving enemy with two phases of fight. The battle starts with the boss having a gun and an axe in two hands. Notably, these two weapons help him deal with players in both the long and short range. Additionally, the boss moves faster, which doesn’t allow players much time to dodge these attacks.
In the second phase, the boss transforms into a more aggressive beast. Father Gascoigne’s fight basically introduces players to the unforgivable nature of the game by eliminating them numerous times.
7. Sister Friede (Dark Souls 3)
The Dark Souls series has multiple challenging bosses to deal with, and Dark Souls 3 has a few of them, including Sister Friede. This boss is part of the Ashes of Ariandel DLC, one of the most challenging bosses you have ever faced with three distinct phases of the boss fight.
The first and third phases of the boss fight are only her, but in the second phase, Father Ariandel joins her to make the battle more challenging. The most unique part of this fight is when Father Ariandel joins in the second phase; rather than having two different health bars, these two enemies share a single health bar.
During the fight, players will struggle the most in the first phase due to Sister Friede’s ability to become invisible and grab players to deal immense damage. As the fight progresses and enters the third phase, this enemy becomes deadlier, with more catastrophic attacks added to the arsenal.
6. Orphan of Kos (Bloodborne: The Old Hunters)
FromSoftware has designed some of the deadliest video game bosses over the last decade. Whether it is Elden Ring or Bloodborne, the developer company has marked its creativity in every game. Whether you are a Bloodborne fan or not, the Orphan of Kos boss fight is one that players will remember forever.
This skeletal humanoid enemy is the final boss of The Old Hunters expansion. Initially, the boss ignores players and sobs while standing in front of his mother’s corpse. However, as players start approaching it, it will become aggressive and trigger the battle.
This enemy is a perfectly designed final boss with fast and deadly attacks. However, what makes the fight more dreadful is that every attack by the boss is punctuated by a horrifying scream. When the fight enters the final phase, the boss gets wings and starts attacking with blood explosions, and lightning.
5. The Demon of Hatred (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)
Prior to Elden Ring, the in-game world designs never got priorities in the FromSoftware games. The entire focus was to create unforgettable boss fights, and as a consequence, we have received The Demon of Hatred boss fight. Technically, The Demon of Hatred is one of the optional video game bosses, but without him, the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice experience can’t be completed.
Players will meet this boss toward the end of the game, and the most important part is that this boss is unlike the other human-type bosses of the game. Instead, it feels more like a Dark Souls boss made its way to this game. While playing Sekiro, this fight is going to be the ultimate test of your skills.
4. Fatalis (Monster Hunter: World)
Playing a series that is based on beating different monsters, it is expected that players will face challenging dragons and others. However, Fatalis,from Monster Hunter: World stands out above all the rest. This Elder Dragon has three different superpowers, along with multiple movesets. The scariest part is if you get hit by any of these, you will instantly get eliminated.
The best strategy to beat this dragon is to break its head at the very beginning of the third phase. Otherwise, the dragon will come with supercharged fire attacks, which cause loads of damage, even if you have the best equipment attached. During this battle, players need to take advantage of every weapon and ability they have gathered during the gameplay.
3. Malenia, Blade of Miquella (Elden Ring)
While trying to make a list of the toughest video game bosses to encounter, Elden Ring’s Malenia, Blade of Miquella, can’t be ignored. She is an optional enemy whom players can easily skip, but if you are not getting your sleep knowing that she is alive, you must get prepared for multiple deaths.
Malenia is ridiculously hard to beat, and that’s especially because of her long sword and Scarlet Rot status effect. Another stressful part of this fight is that, when players take damage, the boss will get back some HP. This makes the fight further complicated. So, players need to attack her constantly to prevent her from getting back to her health. Well, in the second phase, the boss will get half of her HP back. This is one of the most perfect boss fights.
2. Skolas (Destiny: House of Wolves)
The Destiny series has multiple bosses that are deadly, but none of them are comparable to Skolas. Generally, the Destiny community is a well-knitted community where players help each other to succeed, but when it comes to the final boss of the game’s second expansion, House of Wolves, mostly they are all helpless.
This boss waits in the Prison of Elders. The most troublesome part is that the boss and almost all of his Fallen minions carry arc weapons, which come with the ‘arc burn’ modifiers. The toughest part is to survive this modifier. This Skolas fight often takes hours to be completed, even with the deadliest weapons the game offers.
1. Promised Consort Radahn (Shadow of the Erdtree)
Players who have faced Promised Consort Radahn from Elden Ring’s first major DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, will unanimously agree that he is one of the toughest video game bosses they have ever encountered. While almost all the From Software villains are hard to beat, this final boss of the Elden Ring DLC takes this challenge to the next level.
The first problematic part is that the boss starts attacking players as soon as they enter the battle arena without giving them a chance to summon the Spirit Ash. Additionally, the boss’s moveset is varied and unpredictable, which requires a few tries to understand.
In the second phase, the boss not only gets faster but also casts AoE attacks. This fight was unbelievably tough during the initial days, but later, with a nerf, From Software reduced the difficulty to some extent. Still, if you are going to fight Consort Radahn, get ready for multiple tragic deaths.
If you are eagerly looking for some of the deadliest video game bosses ever made, our list has all the names who will give you a hard time beating them no matter how skilled a player you are.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out the scariest horror game puzzles to make the survival horror journeys more frightening, or, if you keep hearing the name Todd Howard but you’re unsure who he is, well, we have you covered in our exclusive ‘Who is…’ series.
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Antara is a gaming writer with three years of prior experience in gaming news and guide writing. Antara is an avid gamer who finds her passion, leading her to cover everything about games. She thrives on the challenge of transforming ideas into compelling narratives that captivate and inspire. You can mostly find her battling on the fields of Fortnite or COD. When not writing or playing games, she is mostly at the library, buried between the pages of a book.
