The 20 HARDEST Bosses of the 2020's So Far

Typhon & Cronos

“Hades II” (2025)

The nice thing about “Hades II” is that, just like its predecessor, through practice, perseverance, and many, many deaths, you eventually become skilled enough to turn a once-challenging boss into a chump. Still, each fight gets significantly harder in their Unrivaled forms with more power, new attacks, or, in the case of the final boss, Typhon, a team-up. The Father of All Monsters enlists Cronos, the Titan of Time, to help him here. Each is intimidating on their own, but with Cronos’ ability to freeze you in place and Typhon’s ability to cover the arena in hazards, it’s a true test of skill. Adding to the strain is the fact that you have to defeat Unrivaled forms for the previous three bosses on the Surface to even get here.

Raven Beak

“Metroid Dread” (2021)

“Dread” brought the “Metroid” name back in glorious fashion. Part of that meant delivering a pretty tough game, which Nintendo and MercurySteam definitely did, and which climaxed with one of the hardest bosses in the franchise. Raven Beak comes in multiple phases, each of which has the ferocity to rip Samus to pieces in mere moments. Slicing across the area with deadly claws and talons, firing different kinds of annoying projectiles, confronting you with attacks you must either counter or suffer through; needless to say, you get very comfortable with Samus’ death animation. But it makes it all the more satisfying when you finally bring him down. Although Sylux also made reaching the end of “Metroid Prime 4” a pain, Raven Beak racked up a higher death count from us.

Gná

“God of War Ragnarök” (2022)

Sigrun from the 2018 game will always be a legendary boss encounter. But for bosses of the 2020s, her successor as Odin’s Valkyrie Queen more than lives up to the legacy. As a post-game boss, Gná isn’t too thrilled about the fall of Asgard, and takes great pleasure in making you pay for it. She’s somehow more aggressive than Sigrun, and even though some of her attacks are similar, their impressive speed and power almost makes your familiarity insignificant. Plus, the bifrost status effect she utilizes through multiple attacks can be extremely deadly, making her already-infuriating move set all the more vital to avoid. And she only gets more pissed off the longer the fight goes.

Demon of Obsession

“Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” (2025)

As is the case with nearly every Soulslike, the title of hardest boss in “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” is debatable. The Bo Sorcerer, with her swift, detrimental attacks from above? Yeah, pretty maddening. But for us, the Demon of Obsession stands above everything else. This boss knows how to make the arena as oppressive as possible, no matter how much distance you try to keep between you. Stay far away? Well, then you have to worry about teleportation, a bow that can stun you, and giant waves and beams of damage. Want to get up close and personal? Then you have to contend with electrified fists, a red mist the Demon exudes to deal instant damage, shockwaves, or, if they’re feeling less flashy, a good ol’fashioned greatsword or spear to do the trick.

Elegy of the Soul

“Metaphor: ReFantazio” (2024)

As expected, the optional bosses in “Metaphor: ReFantazio” are pretty tough. But for its ability to constantly change its damage and weakness types, Elegy of the Soul has a significant edge. Taking on the form of your shadowy self, it has access to the same Archetypes, meaning it can adapt to both boost its offense and defense, and target the weaknesses of your party members. And if you try to get around this, by equipping something that repels or nullifies certain damage types, he’ll just instantly kill you…which he also has a chance of doing after reaching ¼ health if you don’t defeat him fast enough. The whole fight makes it difficult to strategize, while forcing you to quickly adapt to the changes the boss makes.

Two Queens of the Dead

“Marvel Rivals” (2024)

“Marvel Rivals” got its first PvE event in 2025, with the Zombies mode. Coming in seven difficulty levels, the spike for the final one, Nightmare IV, is absolutely hellish. If you and your allies can make it through 19 rounds, you’re confronted by two giant, zombified Scarlet Witches. Not only do they have an ungodly amount of health, but they can stunlock you and instantly kill you if you aren’t careful; either them or one of the ultra-powered zombies that accompanies their horde. Even if you get one of them into their final phase, if you don’t defeat her quickly enough, she unleashes a team wipe, of which there is no reviving from. You can spend an hour struggling through zombie swarms, carefully selecting your upgrade cards for more health and damage, and still have it not be enough.

Oggdo Bogdo and Spawn of Oggdo

“Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” (2023)

It may sound ridiculous, given that “Star Wars” is home to some of the most powerful characters in fiction, and that these two just look like big goofy toads. But this is, without a doubt, the hardest boss encounter in either “Star Wars Jedi” game. And go figure, it’s completely optional. Either boss is brutal on their own, but having to contend with both of them is near-insurmountable for most players. Their arena-spanning leaps and dashes make it hard to ever feel safe. And whether you’re crushed underneath, or fall victim to a multi-bite combo, each attack takes an absurd amount of your health off. This duo really hammers in the lesson that you should never judge a book by their cover.

Sephiroth Reborn

“Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” (2024)

What a shock; the hardest boss fight in the second chapter of the “Final Fantasy VII” remake trilogy is the villain of the original game. Although it’s to be expected, the power of Sephiroth Reborn is no joke. With the party separated across timelines, the fight encompasses several skirmishes with different incarnations of Sephiroth. While Cloud’s solo portion isn’t too bad, if not still worthy of caution, the fight spikes with Barrett and co. Dealing with Sephiroth’s wings is a huge chore, since they’re immune to different types of magic. The final portion with Cloud and Aerith is the most devastating, since Sephiroth unleashes his most mighty attacks, including one that brings them down to 1 HP.

Ozma

“The First Berserker: Khazan” (2025)

The final boss of a Soulslike? You’re damn right it’s tough. Bosses in Ozma’s position tend to act like one big knowledge check, and are often appropriately vicious to match their placement. Known as the Master of Chaos, Ozma is fought across three phases, each of which it should come as no shock to see has a gigantic health bar and varied moveset. But there are so many different attacks to look out for that it can be hard to get your bearings, no matter the phase you’re in. There is some equipment that grants resistance to Ozma’s chaos-based attacks. But even still, that only helps so much when you fall prey to an onslaught.

Eigong

“Nine Sols” (2024)

The final boss of this Metroidvania is hard enough on her own to earn a mention. But her real fight, holding an additional phase and guarding the True Ending, is another matter entirely. She’s already able to deftly dance across the screen, using her skills in fencing to slash you to ribbons. She can teleport, hurl projectiles, and has a grab attack that is positively rage-inducing whenever it connects. That third, hidden phase, though, makes the previous two look like easy work. Eigong’s speed and attack range is so insane that you’ll be shaking and mashing buttons from the stress not long after the phase begins. We hope your blocking and dodging skills are up to the task.

Erlang, The Sacred Divinity

“Black Myth: Wukong” (2024)

“Black Myth” prides itself on its boss fights. And as it often goes with games like these, the secret final boss is a soul-crushing test of your skills. From a defensive standpoint, he has a shield bar you have to chip through first in order to reach his health bar. If you can land your attacks, that is, since this gives him ample time to go on the offensive, and unleash huge attacks on you. Whether it’s a bombardment of projectiles or the swing of a mighty axe, Erlang packs a hefty punch. And it’s all made further annoying with an ability to negate your transformations.

Galdera, The Fallen

“Octopath Traveler II” (2023)

JRPGs love to bring back bosses from previous games, and give them all the overpowered tools they need to pummel you into the dirt. Galdera is the main villain of the original “Octopath Traveler,” and shows up as a secret boss in the sequel. Just like the genre’s many optional superbosses before him, it’s a pretty rough time. You must use all eight members of your party, divided between two phases; already a little tricky since you can’t solely rely on your favorites. During Phase One, he’s got minions that deal huge counter attacks if you hit them with the wrong damage types. During Phase Two, his body parts get their own health bars, and are so strong, it’s difficult to know which one to focus first.

Takezo the Unrivaled

“Ghost of Yōtei” (2025)

A few fights in “Ghost of Yōtei” can be tricky. But there is nothing even close to the same level as Takezo the Unrivaled. An optional fight that requires quite a bit of sidequesting to reach, it’s meant for those who have truly mastered “Yōtei’s” combat. Takezo’s reaction time is god-like. He combos with his dual katanas at lightning speed, with an unblockable, unparryable attack often thrown in the middle to trip you up. He can just as easily deflect your attacks as disarm you, a moment that causes immediate panic. And of course, any attack that lands removes a huge chunk of HP. That’s not to mention the blizzard that blows in after he takes enough damage, which continuously shortens your health bar as you keep fighting. With everything else, that seems a bit unnecessary.

Yozora

“Kingdom Hearts III: Re Mind” (2020)

Just barely making the cutoff, as the “Re Mind” DLC was released in January of 2020, we have Yozora, one of the hardest bosses in the entire “Kingdom Hearts” series. It’s another fight against an incredibly quick foe, as Yozora’s speed is alarming and he can even teleport. His attacks have a lot of variety when it comes to range and the combination in which he unleashes them. But perhaps the most irritating thing about Yozora is his ability to survive. Getting hit by him might not matter as much if not for his own durability, and a move that can steal both your health and items. It’s no wonder this fight is unlocked after a boss rush.

Arlecchino the Blood Artist

“Lies of P: Overture” (2025)

Even though you get an ally in Lea, Arlecchino still provides one of the most frustrating Soulslike fights in recent memory. The final boss of the “Lies of P” DLC takes his title very seriously, as evidenced by how much blood he likes removing from our bodies. His attacks hit with such intimidating force, it won’t be long before Lea goes down and you have to frantically try to revive her lest you want to quickly follow her into the afterlife. The second phase is particularly nasty, when Arlecchino gains moves with increased range and damage. And as if the fight wasn’t bad enough, you can also leave Lea on the sidelines for a 1v1 which, unsurprisingly, is a nightmare.

Roaring Knight

“Deltarune Chapter 3” (2025)

The Roaring Knight is the secret final boss of “Deltarune’s” third chapter, but you don’t have to beat them to reach the ending. If you choose to try though, you’re likely to wind up spending at least a few hours knowing nothing but defeat. They cycle through five different attacks, which start off bonkers hard to deal with, and only grow deadlier as the fight continues. It’s hard to describe how intense it is, with each barrage flying at you, at a speed higher than you’re able to move. Only with perfect reaction time can you make it through to deal your paltry damage, surviving for long enough until the boss drops their guard after a super attack. Even still, every single hit you take deals such high damage numbers that finally making it out alive feels like a genuine miracle.

Demi-Fiend

“Shin Megami Tensei V” (2021)

Another fun boss archetype of the JRPG is having you face your former playable self. Although, in the case of the Demi-Fiend, maybe fun isn’t the right word. The protagonist of “Shin Megami Tensei III” has appeared as a boss in several other games. As far as this decade is concerned, he kicked a whole lot of ass in the fifth entry. With resistance to most damage types and the ability to summon minions right after you defeat them, the Demi-Fiend is a typical optional boss best avoided until you’re max level. Even then, it isn’t just high defense you need to worry about. He can hit the entire party at once, dealing heavy damage, possibly heal himself to max health, and can outright insta-kill you if certain conditions aren’t met.

Lost Lace

“Hollow Knight: Silksong” (2025)

With as hard as the bosses in the original “Hollow Knight” were, we weren’t surprised to find more than a few in “Silksong” that completely wrecked us. Of course, it’s the secret final boss, Lost Lace, we owe for our truest misery. Her four phases are packed with varied attacks that come from different directions. Meaning, from the moment it starts, you’re constantly diving and dodging while looking for any small window to try and land your own attacks. If she doesn’t corner you, being another highly agile boss with the ability to teleport, then she’s got giant tendrils ripping from the earth or literal waves of damage to do you in.

Simon, the Divergent Star

“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” (2025)

As if the base game’s version of Simon wasn’t bad enough, which, trust us, he was, the developers behind “Clair Obscur” created an even harder version for its free ‘Thank You’ update. Like the original fight, Simon’s attack patterns are not only very long, but hard to react to in time. That’s still true here. The more pressing concern is how Simon immediately stacks the cards against you. First, there’s his ability to instantly lower your party members to 1 HP, with nothing you can do about it. Then, there’s the final hit of his longer combo, which, if not dodged or parried, removes your party from play. He’ll also remove them during his second phase, forcing you to play as your back-ups. On top of an ability that can steal your shields and a staggering amount of health, Simon quickly makes you feel like you're backed into a corner.

Promised Consort Radahn

“Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree” (2024)

FromSoftware is obviously the king when it comes to difficult boss fights, and the studio has certainly shown up this decade. Several bosses in “Nightreign” gave us trouble, and we can’t forget about the cultural significance and high death toll of Malenia in the base “Elden Ring.” But let’s be real: Promised Consort Radahn deserves the spot. His first phase is like a suped-up version of his already-tough original fight, which means his attacks are a lot faster and stronger. But the second phase will have you praying to all the gods for mercy. With Miquella showing up to offer assistance, Radahn gains a slew of new, terrifying attacks, some of which have huge AOEs and one of which can instantly kill you. In fact, the fight was so hard that Radahan had to be nerfed a few months after launch.

Did we leave off a boss that brought you misery? Who’s the hardest you’ve faced in the 2020s? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments, and we’ll see you next time!