10 HARDEST Bosses in Licensed Games

10 Hardest Bosses in Licensed Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re counting down our picks for the ten hardest boss battles from licensed video games. Let’s do this!

The Mastermind

“Scooby-Doo: Night of 100 Frights” (2002)

You might be a bit surprised and thrown off seeing a “Scooby-Doo” boss on a list of hardest bosses. However, my first question to you would be – have you actually faced off against the menacing Mastermind? If not, please get to the end of “Night of 100 Frights” and attempt to punish this villain. It’s a grueling battle of attrition in an otherwise pretty laidback game. The Mastermind’s battle is broken up into multiple tricky phases. The ultimate goal is to damage him (obviously) but doing so is going to mean defeating hordes of goons, smashing red buttons, and avoiding electric damage. It might look easy but I can assure you – it is not!

Emperor Zurg

“Buzz Lightyear of Star Command” (2000)

Another multi-phase boss battle here, Emperor Zurg’s fight takes a long, long time to fully wrap up, and it’s easy to get fatigued during this hectic gauntlet. The circular boss arena isn’t doing Buzz any favors here, despite being quite large overall, mostly because Zurg’s robotic minions constantly hone in on you. Projectiles are simply everywhere, meaning you have to dodge out of harm’s way constantly, occasionally getting pot shots of your own on Zurg. It’s one heck of a tricky battle that will test all of Buzz’s skills up to that point.

Oogie Boogie (All 3 Phases)

“The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King” (2005)

It’s honestly so cool that the GBA received a full-on Metroidvania “Nightmare Before Christmas game!” It’s a fantastic licensed affair that will put you in that spooky mood. Anyone who is familiar with this property already knows the big baddie is none other than Oogie Boogie himself, the king of all bugs. This creepy bloke is going to take up a good chunk of your time since you must battle him across three distinct and punishing phases. From contending with a large bug-like creature he controls to a senses demolishing second phase where you can never stay still to the final showdown in phase three where Oogie rides atop his literal buggy, it’s one heck of a frantic and crazy battle.

Alec Trevelyan

“Goldeneye 007” (1997)

Oh boy this one is a doozy! This final showdown with baddie Trevelyan is going to test all of Bond’s prowess. Contending with seemingly infinite goons, powerful sentry turrets, Trevelyan’s perfect aim, the winding paths of the antenna cradle, the countdown timer…the list seems to go on and on. Bond’s health can whittle down so quickly if you don’t stay nimble and on the offensive, shutting down the antenna and ultimately catching up to Alec for the sublime coup de grace.

Ranrok Dragon

“Hogwarts Legacy” (2023)

There were honestly quite a few boss battles we easily could have included from the entirety of the “Harry Potter” video game pantheon, but for our money, it’s the final battle against Ranrok Dragon in “Hogwarts Legacy” that truly takes the magical cake here – well more like hard tack if we are honest. Like many battles on this list, it’s broken into multiple phases, with each one against the nefarious Ranrok getting even tougher. This is because he is infused with the ancient magic repository’s power from beneath Hogwarts Castle. Every dodge needs to count, every spell needs to land, and every moment sparring with him forces you to keep a level head, wand aimed, and deadset on stopping this darkness-infused villain.

Monster Ock

“Spider-Man” - PS1 (2000)

Instead of a traditional combat focused boss battle, this one is a pure adrenaline pumping and heart pounding chase sequence against the carnage that is Monster Ock. Spider-Man must swing, jump, thwip, and zip through a staggering amount of large vents and corridors, overcoming obstacles, and avoiding the ever-approaching Ock. Oh, and you have to do all of this as a bar on the right side of the screen fills up before the whole place gets blown to smithereens. Many PS1 “Spider-Man” fans likely noped out of this brutal boss sequence.

Spawn of Oggdo

“Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” (2023)

Yes, yes…we know – this one is an optional boss. However, we are most definitely counting it here on this list because it’s absolutely punishing and grueling, mostly because it comes near the start of Cal’s ominous journey. This frog-like bile-belching behemoth ain’t for the faint of heart, not at all. You’ll need plenty of help from BD as you try to tackle this brute. Despite its lumbering size and strength, it’s incredibly fast, able to snap and lunge at Cal with ease. Even when you do keep your distance, its tongue can grab you like easy prey. Best of luck!

Deathstroke

“Batman: Arkham Origins” (2013)

Gotta love a good ol’ mano y mano boss fight, am I right? Fighting Deathstroke in “Arkham Origins” is equally fun and intense – a true showdown for the ages. Deathstroke is determined to defeat Batman, no matter the cost; with this point being evident in the way he spams his attacks without ever relenting, giving you, as Batman, little time to breathe or come up with a strategy. Channeling combos and parrying should give you the upper edge, but only barely since Deathstroke seems to swap up his moves on the fly, eventually pulling out a fresh new weapon once Batman breaks his previous one. Good luck Caped Crusader, you will need it here!

The Technodrome

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (1989)

Heck, even the final battle against Shredder isn’t anywhere near as tough as this fight. The turtles have their work cut out for them as they take on this robotic monstrosity. Between the electric arcs, the myriad goons blast their way to you to send you to your early demise to the fact that you need to constantly stay on the move – and ya – it’s pretty easy to see why this short but relentless fight is on this list. Smack, smack, and smack away at that large eye atop the structure if you hope to win.

Sephiroth

“Kingdom Hearts 2” (2005)

Ya, no surprise here, right? It’s freakin’ Sephiroth! This guy is an absolute nightmare for Sora to take on. Sephiroth can completely decimate your health bar with ease, dropping it down to basically zero unless Sora manages to heal up. His sword attacks are essentially AoE swipes that can quickly put you on the backfoot, no matter how swift and strong you think your version of Sora is. Add in the fact that Sora has to fight alone, without the help of Goofy and Donald, and it’s no surprise “Kingdom Hearts” fans are often scared off by this intimidating boss.

So, do you agree with our picks for this list? What are the hardest boss battles you have encountered in licensed games? Let us know in the comments.