The 20 HARDEST Super Mario Bosses

Megahammer “Super Mario Galaxy 2” (2010)

This mech operated by Bowser, Jr. comes with a lot of firepower. Mario must use Yoshi to grab Bullet Bills and hit specific spots, while dodging others along with Banzai Bills, and shockwaves sent out by its massive hammer hands. It’s likely you’ll get hit at least once or twice, but the fight is manageable. The trouble, and what earns Megahammer along with several other bosses a spot on this list, is the Daredevil Comet version. Here, you lose the fight if you take a single hit. Where you have a sizable safety net to deal with Bowser, Jr. in the original version, the Daredevil iteration will likely rack up a few deaths before you claim victory.

Ludwig von Koopa “Super Mario Bros. 3” (1989)

I always found the penultimate boss from “Super Mario Bros. 3” harder than Bowser himself. Admittedly, part of this is because the airship leading to him is a huge pain to navigate, making it hard to hold onto a power-up. Ludwig combines several elements from previous boss fights. He’s immune while rolling around in his shell, he fires projectiles, and every time he lands on the ground, it shakes the entire arena, stunning you. That means you have to keep jumping around, because getting stunned and then hit is a hassle. At least it still only takes three jumps on the head before he goes down.

Tatanga “Super Mario Land” (1989)

The final fight in this Game Boy classic throws a wrench in what’s expected of a traditional “Super Mario” boss. Mario pilots a plane, as does Tatanga, and the two duke it out in the air. The fight is relatively simple from a mechanical standpoint, but it requires a lot of dodging on your part. Tatanga’s projectiles break into three and spread across the tiny screen, so your reaction time will need to be top notch to avoid being hit. Of course, his projectiles destroy yours but aren’t stopped themselves, and it takes forty hits to bring him down.

Wart “Super Mario Bros. 2” (1988)

When it comes to the final boss of “Super Mario Bros. 2,” timing is everything. And not every player will be able to get it right the first time they face Wart. He really only has one attack, which is nice. He’ll spray a stream of harmful bubbles forward, which descend in an arc. Mario must catch a vegetable that pops out of a tube, and throw it into Wart’s mouth to deal damage. The only problem is that there’s a small window to do this, either right before Wart starts shooting his bubbles or in between them, which is harder since they destroy the vegetable instantly. Hitting that window at the right moment, while also dodging projectiles when you’re not attacking, can be a tad frustrating.

Bowser “Super Mario World” (1991)

Another boss where timing can be an issue is Bowser from “Super Mario World.” He flies around in his clown car, tossing mechakoopas at Mario. You have to jump on one of these, grab it, and hurl it directly up so that it lands on Bowser as it falls back down. If you mistime the throw, you’ll either miss Bowser as he flies by, or hit the clown car, which is invincible, and then have to wait for him to attack again. After a few hits, he’ll rain down fireballs which can be a little tough to dodge since they’re spaced so closely together. Thankfully, the cannonballs he produces are easier to avoid, and Peach will appear to give you Mushrooms if you need them.

Wario “Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins” (1992)

As the final boss in the “Super Mario Land” sequel, Wario kicks things up a notch with three phases. During the first, he’ll try to squash Mario while generating shockwaves each time he lands, which both stun you and cause lamps to fall from the ceiling. Plus, being immune to fireballs, you have to jump on his head three times to move on. During the second phase, jumping on him will be harder, since he’s able to hover using a carrot power up. In the third, he gets his own fire flower, giving him projectiles you need to dodge. After three final hits, the villain finally goes down.

King Boo “Super Mario Sunshine” (2002)

King Boo uses a slot machine to determine what will happen, giving the fight a bit of uncertainty. But what makes it challenging is knowing just how to hurt him, which is very unclear. Depending on what the slot machine lands on, King Boo will either send out coins, bubbles to refill FLUDD, enemies, or fruit. When he produces the latter, you’re meant to toss a pepper in his mouth, setting his tongue on fire. You might think that’s dealing damage, but it’s just the first step. You then have to throw a different fruit in his mouth, which is what actually damages him. Do this three times, and the boss goes down. But there were many of us who got stuck here because we had no clue what we were meant to do.

Boomsday Machine “Super Mario Galaxy 2” (2010)

Another mech boss fight with Bowser, Jr., the Boomsday Machine is a fair bit harder than the Megahammer. While he sits atop his tower, Mario must ascend using the Cloud power-up and ground pound the glass that protects him. This grows harder after two hits, when the lower part of the mech is revealed, turning the tower into a tank that moves around. However, this is another fight that earns recognition for having a Daredevil Comet version. Just like with Megahammer, that means Mario goes down in one hit. Avoiding all of the Boomsday Machine’s attacks while trying to climb higher, knowing that one hit spells doom, can be nervewracking.

Ruined Dragon “Super Mario Odyssey” (2017)

One of the most surprising moments in “Super Mario Odyssey” is when Mario has to fight a dragon, far less cartoony-looking than anything else he’s ever faced. The Ruined Dragon’s electric attacks consist of wheels that roll across the arena, and shockwaves Mario must jump over. After the latter, you have to use Cappy to remove its crown and ground pound the weak spot on its head. With every hit, its electrical attacks grow in number and ferocity. The fight probably won’t kill you, but the dragon’s rematch in Princess Peach’s castle is obviously harder. Here, the dragon’s shockwaves zigzag in height and the ground is covered in ice, making everything harder to dodge.

Bowser “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” (2009)

Naturally, Mario’s archnemesis takes up a few spots on our list. The end of this Wii adventure starts by paying homage to the classic battles, with the bridge-destroying switch just behind Bowser. But then Kamek works their magic and enlarges him to ridiculous size. You then have to flee not only from Bowser, but the massive fireballs he consistently shoots your way. Players must dodge them, letting the blasts destroy obstacles in their path. One wrong step, and you’ll get burned to a crisp, fall into a pit, or plunge into lava. Playing by yourself is manageable, but the difficulty increases with every other player. If there’s four of you, you’ll find your patience quickly dwindling.

Fiery Dino Piranha “Super Mario Galaxy” (2007)

Like the original Dino Piranha, Mario has to attack this boss’ bulb-like tail to deal damage. Unfortunately, that’s made a lot more difficult by the fact that it constantly sets itself on fire. You have to time your attack just right, but each one brings a new level of annoyance. It will eventually start moving faster with your window of attack shortening. It will also shoot out fireballs, giving you less room to work with on the already tiny planet. The fight is certainly stressful, but it’s worse in the sequel. There, it appears as the last fight in a boss rush level. And chances are you won’t have much time left on the clock by the time you make it there.

Mecha Bowser “Super Mario Sunshine” (2002)

Bowser, Jr. has shown a fondness towards using giant mechs in fights, though none of them have been as tough as Mecha-Bowser. The entire encounter is fought on a roller coaster, which sounds pretty cool in concept. In execution, it’s frustrating to say the least. Figuring out what to do isn’t hard; pick up a missile on the track and launch it at the mech. But aiming as you zip through the ride can be very tricky. Adding to the pressure is the boss’ fire breath, which must be sprayed by F.L.U.D.D. when you get close, and Bullet Bills that track you down, sometimes forcing you to use a rocket lest you get hit.

Baby Bowser “Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island” (1995)

While this sequel is obviously more a Yoshi game than a Mario one, it’s got a challenging final boss we couldn’t help but include. Baby Bowser’s first phase isn’t too terrible. He’ll ground pound to send out shockwaves, and Yoshi must do the same to damage him. The second phase is where things get rough. After Kamek uses magic to enlarge him, Baby Bowser will shoot fireballs from the background and rain down debris that destroys the ground. You’ll have to hit him with a giant egg, but he’ll move forward, making it harder to dodge his attacks. The second phase is already tense, but that’s multiplied significantly when you get hit and Baby Mario starts wailing.

Fiery Gobblegut “Super Mario Galaxy 2” (2010)

This boss is another case of a fight being made much more difficult by adding fire. You fight this dragon the same way you fight the original Gobblegut, by popping the six bulges on its body. But my God, is that easier said than done. Every time the beast takes a bite out of the planet, it leaves behind a pool of lava for a short time. When it burrows and pops out elsewhere, that’s your chance to attack. But it’s not as if he’ll just float there and let it happen. At the halfway point, Gobblegut will start moving faster and raining down fire, which also leaves pools of lava. Since the planet is already pretty small, chances are good you’ll run straight into one.

Knucklotec “Super Mario Odyssey” (2017)

Nintendo loves using a big floating head with detached hands as a boss design, yet this guy still threw us for a loop. Knucklotec will smash the ground with his fists and periodically cause giant icicles to fall, leaving behind patches of ice. The trick is getting him to punch the ice, stunning his hand so Mario can possess it and punch him in the face. But his fist attacks are actually pretty quick, making the timing difficult. It’s plenty obnoxious, though his rematch in Peach’s Castle is even worse. Here, he’ll summon a group of Chincho with nearly every attack. Not only will they swarm Mario to deal damage, but they’ll frequently get in the way of trying to possess one of Knucklotec’s fists.

Meowser “Super Mario 3D World” (2013)

Oddly adorable though he may be, this kitty has claws he isn’t afraid to use. Similar to the final fight in “New Super Mario Bros. Wii,” players must survive an auto-scrolling level while Meowser chases them. Unfortunately, there are a few other features that make it more troublesome. Bowser likes to get closer for attacks here, and the design of the level makes it hard to know from where he’ll strike next. Halfway through, he’ll make copies of himself to attack you on multiple fronts. If you can keep a Cat Suit, climbing won’t be too hard. But again, this fight’s difficulty increases if you have more players with you. There’s a limited number of platforms, after all.

Phantamanta “Super Mario Sunshine” (2002)

It’s been over two decades, yet player hatred for this boss hasn’t faded. Upon gaining access to the otherwise great Hotel Delfino, Mario will be rudely confronted by a gigantic, manta-shaped specter. There honestly isn’t much to the fight. Spraying Phantamanta with water will split it in two, and you have to keep it up until all mantas are gone. However, every manta leaves behind a trail of electric goop. You don’t know true fury until you’ve been juggled by a couple mantas, only to get electrocuted immediately after. The entire process is a chore, making for a boss fight that’s not only one of the hardest, but one of the worst.

Bouldergeist “Super Mario Galaxy” (2007)

Mario’s fought his fair share of ghosts, but Bouldergeist is on another level. The spirit keeps itself well fortified with stones surrounding its true form. By swinging 3 Bomb Boos into it, you’ll reveal the true form and be able to deal damage. Of course, Bouldergeist will summon spikes, throw rocks, and form giant stone fists to stop you. The normal fight is certainly tough, especially since you’ll often hit something else with your Bomb Boo. But then you unlock the Daredevil Comet version. In this fight, Mario goes down with just a single hit. Mixed with everything else that made the fight difficult, it wasn’t long before we were raging.

Dark Side Broodals “Super Mario Odyssey” (2017)

Mario fights the Broodals, Bowser’s gang of rabbit enforcers, several times throughout the game. Their appearance on the Dark Side of the Moon is clearly the most challenging. They’re each a bit tougher than when you fight them earlier through enhanced abilities. But the biggest issue here is that you have to fight all four of them, in a row, followed by their mech, the RoboBrood, without dying. If you fall to one of them, you have to start the whole process over. Since you’ve fought them all before, none of the fights are too bad on their own. But with no health in between the fights, this is clearly a test of endurance.

Bowser “Super Mario 64” (1996)

You fight Bowser three times in “Super Mario 64,” though he naturally saves the hardest for last. Like the other two fights, you’ll have to grab him by the tail and hurl him into one of the bombs off the edge of the arena. Yeah, good luck with that. Bowser’s speed will have increased, he’ll continue to spray fire, and he now produces shockwaves to look out for. Getting the timing right on your throw can be tricky considering Mario spins around. After two hits, Bowser destroys part of the arena, shaping it like a star. This makes avoiding his attacks and lining up your throw much more difficult. Though we shouldn’t expect anything less from the big brute.

 Which of these bosses do you think is the toughest Mario has had to face? Share your thoughts in the comments!