Top 10 Longest Video Game Boss Fights EVER
from “Final Fantasy XII” (2006), Dexiduous the Invincible from “Borderlands 2” (2012), Nyx Avatar from “Persona 3” (2007), Yami from “Okami” (2006), and more!
#10: Jergingha
“The Wonderful 101” (2013) The premise of this action game is to add as many powerful superheroes to your squad as you can and use them to smash bosses. And the final obstacle, Jergingha, makes use of every single one of them. Jergingha traveled back in time 1,500 years to squash the Greater Galactic Coalition before it began. Which means he doesn’t go down without a hefty fight, using his entire fortress-sized body to stop you. With his intensely evil motivation and his immense size, Jergingha brings a grueling fight with laser beams, giant tendrils, and pounding fists throughout multiple phases and cutscenes. It’s an epic finale that can last an hour at minimum.
#9: Dexiduous the Invincible
“Borderlands 2” (2012) MMOs are usually the go-to source for raid battles, but “Borderlands 2” took a page out of that genre’s book. Notably, how long a raid boss fight can take. Found in the game’s third DLC, Dexiduous the Invincible is a giant, alien granddaddy long-legs that definitely lives up to its name. Players must face a few waves of tough enemies before Dexiduous even appears, though these fights are cakewalks comparatively. Dexiduous takes reduced damage from elemental weapons, its long legs can cross the arena quickly, and its max health is over 13 billion HP. That’s not to mention its projectiles with high splash damage that will absolutely shred a vault hunter. The first time you face Dexiduous, it’ll be a long fight.
#8: Abyssion
“Tales of Symphonia” (2004) Optional bosses are normally the hardest in any given game, offering tougher experiences for those that seek them out. Abyssion from “Tales of Symphonia” is a perfect example of this. He tricks the player into collecting all the Devil’s Arms, using them at the end of the sidequest to significantly increase his power. And the ensuing battle is a serious test of might. The Devil’s Arms give Abyssion extremely powerful attacks that are both close and long-range, many of which are suped up versions of your own attacks. He’s also scaled to your current level, so there’s really no way to be prepared the first time you fight him. All in all, your first run-in with Abyssion will last at least an hour.
#7: Yami
“Okami” (2006) The final boss in this watercolor-inspired adventure would be annoying on its own. But Yami pulls a cheap trick by forcing you to face harder versions of every previous boss beforehand. That’s a bit much, but Yami then pulls his second cheap trick by stealing Amaterasu’s Celestial Brush, and with it, your ability to use any Divine Instruments. Basically, Yami does everything in his power to make this encounter as difficult as he can. While you do regain your abilities throughout the fight, there are five rounds to go through before it’s finally over. It can take an hour or two to finish. That is, if you can stay alive through the whole thing.
#6: The End
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“Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater” (2004) Don’t be fooled by his old age: this seasoned sniper will make you work for the kill. The End is faced in a dense jungle broken into three sections. He could be hiding anywhere, just waiting to knock you out with a tranquilizer dart to start the whole process over again. Patience is key; you’ll need to utilize all the stealth mechanics you can to get the drop on him. However, actually tracking him down can take an excruciatingly long time. But you can always save in the middle of the encounter and come back at least 8 days later so he’ll have died from old age. Great meta joke, but still a long time to beat a boss.
#5: Adamantoise
“Final Fantasy XV” (2016) “Final Fantasy” has featured more than its fair share of long boss fights. In “Final Fantasy XV,” a post-game gargantuan tortoise named Adamantoise joined the ranks. The sheer size of it would intimidate any player, but so too does its more than 5 million HP. Its attacks are fairly predictable, though getting hit by one of its shockwaves will cause some serious damage. Using different types of attacks on different parts of the boss’s body is key. Magic attacks don’t work on its tail or hind legs and certain attacks of your party members work best on various body parts. Adamantoise is a hefty boss to say the least and you’ll likely be unprepared the first time you face it.
#4: Nyx Avatar
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“Persona 3” (2007) Any being that’s basically the personification of Death trying to end all life is bound to be a bit tough. But if that being is also in an RPG, then best of luck to anyone attempting to fight it. Nyx Avatar from “Persona 3” comes in an infuriating 14 phases, so you better buckle up for a bumpy ride. And while the overall 25,000 HP isn’t as troublesome as some other bosses on this list, Nyx Avatar uses it wisely. The final phase has the ability to deflect any attacks as well as deal out random status effects on your party. And she can charm one of your party members into healing her, which is somehow worse than if she simply healed herself.
#3: Yiazmat
“Final Fantasy XII” (2006) This boss is thankfully optional, or else we never would’ve beaten the game. With 50 health bars at 1 million HP each, it naturally takes a long time. But it’s all of the extra ways it lengthens the battle that earns it a high spot on this list. Halfway through its health, the damage it takes is reduced by a third. At 1/5th health, its damage output increases. And at around 1/10th health, it starts using Reflectga, which could reflect your own healing spell to completely heal itself. Our deepest condolences to any of our viewers who experienced this. That’s not even getting into its attacks, most of which hit all party members and all of which have a chance to instantly kill you. Just…no.
#2: Yggralith Zero
“Xenoblade Chronicles X” (2015) To be fair, this is a bit of a weird one. Yggralith Zero is what “Xenoblade Chronicles X” refers to as a Nemesis: a squad-based superboss with millions of health bars. Yes, millions. Fighting this giant requires work from everyone in their own game. Once a health bar is depleted, it’s up to the next round of players to keep whittling it down. These fights are great for resource farming, but it obviously takes an insanely long time to actually kill Yggralith Zero. And considering the game is a Wii U exclusive with no known plans to port it to Switch, the amount of time it takes to bring the boss down only increases as less people play the game.
#1: Absolute Virtue
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“Final Fantasy XI” (2003) Someone really needs to tell Square Enix to chill out. Although long fights are expected of MMOs, “Final Fantasy XI” has not one, but two lengthy boss battles that had to be scaled back. And while Pandemonium Warden (Xref) causes significant strain to anyone who faces it, it’s the jaw-dropping thirty hours it apparently took for Absolute Virtue that takes the cake. And even those reported 30 hours were before anyone had actually beaten it, or beaten it according to Square Enix’s acceptable means. Even at a measly 100,000 HP, the boss’s vitality, attacks, and tendency to heal a significant portion of health forced Square to vastly decrease its difficulty three years after release just so players could stand a chance.
