10 Boss Themes That Go HARD

10 Boss Themes That Go HARD

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at boss themes with the most energy, that never fail to hype us up for the ensuing battle.

Rules of Nature

“Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” (2013) Spicing up your soundtrack with a bit of metal is a surefire way to get your players excited, especially when it comes to boss fights. “Revengeance” does this for your whole playthrough, and the first boss in the game kicks things off phenomenally. During the tutorial, when you’re still getting used to things, Raiden is forced to contend with a massive Metal Gear RAY. The accompanying track is heavy on energy and undeniably cool. What makes it stand out is how it adapts to the gameplay. The guitars already shred your face off as you do the same to the boss, but when the chorus comes in for Raiden’s parry, leading up to the end of the fight, it’s an undeniably breathtaking moment.

God of the Dead

“Hades” (2020) Yeah, just be ready for a whole lot of head bangers on this list. Darren Korb did a wonderful job blending rock music with traditional Greek instruments for his score of “Hades.” And one of his stand-out tracks plays during the final encounter (well, not final final) with Zagreus’ dear old dad. Unsurprisingly, Hades brings the pain. His music hits even harder, though; it uses the title screen theme within a slow, but still rocking theme song. Of course, then the second phase comes around, picking up the pace along with our anxiety over how much harder Hades starts to fight. The heavily distorted guitar and the pounding-fast drums are a flawless fit for the onslaught.

8.02

“Furi” (2016) As you might expect, a game consisting only of boss fights has some pretty stellar themes. The final, optional boss is known as The Star, and the accompanying music is fittingly climactic. The entire soundtrack is synth-heavy electronic music composed by different musicians, but 8.02 from French artist, Danger, takes the cake. The haunting notes and tones he uses give this track a significant edge. It lends the fight a palpable sense of peril as you dodge around the multitude of projectiles, and it reflects the dark tone of the overall story. That’s on top of a ridiculously catchy beat, meaning the track encompasses a wide range of emotions.

That Stubborn Tree!

“Kirby and the Rainbow Curse” (2015) The soundtracks for Kirby’s adventures deserve more love, especially that of “Rainbow Curse,” considering it was on the Wii U, which hardly anyone bought. Shogo Sakai, who has worked on several games in the series, did a pretty great job. He even managed to reinvent Whispy Woods, who acts as the first boss in most games, with a wonderful track that comes across like an 80s rock anthem. The synth on display here is seriously impressive. The way the keys deliver a simple but catchy melody only to then run away with pure intensity; it’s too good a track to only be used once…which is why they had you fight Whispy Woods twice.

Molgera’s Theme

“The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (2003) I’ve talked about Molgera’s Theme so many times on this channel that I’ve lost count. But listen to it! I just can’t help myself. Among the many, many fan favorite tunes from “Wind Waker,” the music that plays during Molgera’s fight always gets brought up in conversation, and not just by me. The upbeat percussion along with the woodwind hook makes for such an earworm track, it’s nigh impossible to get it out of your head once it’s there. It’s a perfect example of music elevating a boss, since Molgera is a fairly mid fight. That actually works out, since you can run around the arena listening to more of it without much worry.

No Tomorrow

“Metal: Hellsinger” (2022) Alright, back to the headbangers. “Metal: Hellsinger” blends FPS and rhythm gameplay through metal music, with vocals from several titans across the genre. For the final boss, the Red Judge, the developers enlisted Serj Tankian of “System of a Down” to provide one Hell of a banger. Tankian belts out melodic chants just as easily as guttural screams and sharp shrieks, making for a dynamic performance. That’s not to mention the terrific composition from Two Feathers, the group that served as the overall composers. The game is all about building hype when you enter a fight, and nowhere is that more true than with ‘No Tomorrow.’

Undefeatable

“Sonic Frontiers” (2022) Like “Metal Gear Rising,” “Sonic Frontiers” puts you up against a behemoth of a first boss, with a song that undeniably goes hard. With the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic goes Super, and faces off against Giganto. Tomoya Ohtani and “Sleeping with Sirens” vocalist, Kellin Quinn, is a match made in boss theme Heaven. Deftly transitioning from angelic wails and heavy growls, Quinn’s vocals grab your attention and never let go, honestly making it hard to actually focus on the fight at hand. Ohtani’s hardcore stylings are also incredible; the percussion that pounds straight through your chest, the quick guitar riffs and eventual piercing solo are enough to make you want to open up this pit.

Encounter Elite!

“Sea of Stars” (2023) Every bit of Eric W. Brown’s work on “Sea of Stars” is remarkable, lovingly wearing its retro inspirations on its sleeve while being modern and unique enough to surpass most of them. But this boss theme is far and away my personal favorite, and so I was delighted to find that it plays during several fights throughout the game. It is absolutely overflowing with energy and swagger, from the first section featuring the coolest a xylophone has ever sounded to that heroic, synth-heavy hook that follows it. It’s the type of theme you never want to end. In fact, thank the gaming gods this game is a turn-based RPG because a song this awesome deserves to be on a loop.

Rivers in the Desert

“Persona 5” (2017) The soundtrack for “Persona 5” has been lauded by everyone who’s played it. And the best song that plays during a boss battle has to be the endlessly catchy ‘Rivers in the Desert.’ In the original version of the game, this plays during the fight against Masayoshi Shido, the guy who’s been causing you grief since before the main story even began. The fusion of rock and acid jazz is just as strong here as it is anywhere else. The infectious, bouncing tempo with those powerful strings is a great combo. However, when Lyn Inaizumi’s tremendous voice belts out that chorus, I can’t help but belt along with her. Plus, the lyrics fit perfectly with this climactic confrontation, making the song great on several levels.

Megalovania

“Undertale” (2015) Look, I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about it. ‘Megalovania’ has been praised, played, and memed to death. But for boss themes that go hard, there’s just no denying it. Played during the fight against Sans on “Undertale’s” Genocide Route, it is a damn near perfect song to fight to. It begins with high energy and never lets up, mixing retro style with enough head banging bravado to make you want to throw down, literally. Which is good, because Sans is an absolute beast who wrecked each and every one of us more times than we can count. The snappy drums, the chunky distortion, those intoxicating keys; it’s no wonder at all that the song blew up across the internet.

Of course, there are many more options for boss themes that get you hype. Let us know what your favorites are in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!