10 Video Game Bosses That Are Just a Head And Hands

10 Video Game Bosses That Are Just Heads and Hands

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today looking at the 10 best video game bosses that are just heads and hands. This trope in boss fights has been around for decades, and weve had plenty of memorable encounters with these floating disembodied baddies over the years.

Tiki Tong

Donkey Kong Country Returns (2010)

The main villain and final boss in Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii, Tiki Tong is a classic head and hands boss that plays out pretty much how youd expect - DK and Diddy Kong have to dodge clap attacks, punches, and ground pounds, and deal damage by slamming on the red gems on the villains hands. Once the hands are no more, Tiki Tong spews flaming heads at the duo, upping the chaos. It isnt the most innovative boss fight, but it was fun nonetheless.

Vysage

Final Fantasy VIII (1999)

I know, we took some liberty with this one since Vysage eventually has a complete form in Gargantua, but we couldnt resist. This creepy monster is a head and hands (conveniently named Lefty and Righty) protruding from the ground and attacks Squall and friends by using devastating magic attacks. Deal enough damage, and Vysage climbs out of the ground and takes on an even deadlier form, Gargantua. Its here where it loses the head and hands gimmick, but that initial phase is qualification enough for us to earn a spot on this list.

Queen Zeal

Chrono Trigger (1995)

Its no secret that Chrono Trigger is arguably the greatest JRPG ever created, and its boss fights are a big contributing factor. The fight against Queen Zeal on the Black Omen near the end of the game is a testament to this, and her second form offers more of the head and hands goodness we know and love. Shes capable of doing massive lightning damage to the party. Her two hands and head have their own lifebars, and while you can take out each hand, youll be open to a hard-hitting counter attack if you do so. It might be best to just literally smash her face only. As a fun Easter egg, if you have Magus in your party for this fight, his music will play instead of the typical boss music.

Demon of Song

Dark Souls II (2014)

The Demon of Song is a grotesque head and hands frog-like thing. It hops around the arena, taking swipes at you. In typical Soulslike fashion, youll dodge, parry and slash at the boss until you emerge victorious. While the Demon of Song does have a full body per se, it makes this list based on the uniqueness of its design, and that you primarily interact with the gross face and hands that emerge from what we think is the creatures mouth. Nasty.

Knuckletoc

Super Mario Odyssey (2017)

It really wouldnt be a Nintendo game without one of these things, eh? The Knuckletoc fight in Super Mario Odyssey for the Nintendo Switch is one of the most recent head and hands bosses, and also one of the most fun and innovative encounters in the entire game. Youll do the typical song and dance, dodging the hand slams and running around the arena. Whats cool here is that, using Cappys capture ability, you can take control of one of the hands and fly it into Knuckletocs face, sending him flying and repeating the process. Do this enough times and Mario nabs those sweet, precious Moons.

Sigma

Mega Man X (1993)

Easily the hardest boss fight on this list, the Sigma final boss fight in Mega Man X on the Super Nintendo was many gamers first encounter with Carpal tunnel syndrome. The third phase of this grueling encounter has Sigma transform into a giant robot with, you guessed it, a head and floating hands as the focal points. You have to use Sigmas hands as platforms to attack the head, but theyre constantly shooting out electricity to knock you off. On top of that, the head also shoots balls of energy and flames at you, creating one of the most chaotic, claustrophobic boss battle arenas ever. If youre patient and skilled enough to beat Mega Man X, we salute you.

Mazaal

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2004)

It was a bit tough to choose between Minish Caps Mazaal and Wind Wakers Gohdan, but ultimately the spot on our list goes to Mazaal due to its clever way of utilizing Minish Caps shrinking mechanics. Theyre similar in appearance and mechanics, but Mazaal has the added layer of requiring Link to shrink down to deal direct damage to the boss. Once you shoot out each hand with the bow and arrow, Link enters Mazaals mouth and must use the Mole Mitts to clear a path to the correct pillar to swipe his sword at. Its a fun twist on the head and hands gimmick, earning it this spot over the Wind Waker counterpart.

Magalor

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023)

First introduced in Kirby's Return to Dreamland, Magalor is an alien magician from Halcandra that enlists Kirbys aid to repair his ship so he can return home. In a bit of a twist, he also turns out to be the primary antagonist of this and subsequent Kirby games. His final fight consists of three forms, with the second and third lending themselves well to the head and hands art style. While the fights dont technically involve the gimmick in their overall mechanics, the design is clearly taking inspiration from other bosses of this style, and Magalor is an iconic Kirby enemy worthy of a spot on our list.

Bongo Bongo

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

Phantom Shadow Beast Bongo Bongo is the main boss of the Shadow Temple in the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This terrifying monster is clearly the inspiration for similar bosses in subsequent entries, and is definitely the most iconic. We all know the formula by now: shoot the hands, expose the head, deal big damage. But the fight against Bongo Bongo has an added twist - the rest of the body is invisible. Youll have to use the Lens of Truth to make it visible, adding an extra layer of difficulty if youre out of Magic meter. Bongo Bongo isnt just a fun name, either. The fight takes place on a large drum and when he bangs on it, Link will bounce into the air rendering him vulnerable to attacks.

Andross

Star Fox 64 (1997)

Andross in the original Star Fox for Super Nintendo is one of the earliest examples of a head and hands boss, but his N64 counterpart is easily the most iconic. Flying around in the Arwing and blasting his eyes with lasers and disabling his hands is some of the most fun you can have on the system. This fight is a perfect mix of familiarity and difficulty, and if you take the correct route throughout the game, youll face Androsss secret form. He transforms into a floating brain and eyeballs, and this fight is done in the new, dynamic 3D style, offering players who find it quite the challenge. If it werent for this Andross fight, we may not have the goofy head and hands trope we have today.

Whats your favorite boss fight on this list? Let us know in the comments below!