EVERY Metroid Prime 4 Boss Ranked by Difficulty

#10: Aberax

Unsurprisingly, the boss that Samus fights during the game’s intro is, by far, the easiest. That’s not to say he doesn’t provide a fun fight. But Aberax definitely sits at the bottom when it comes to difficulty. He’s very much a tutorial boss, teaching you the importance of basic combat. That means dodging to the side when a boss takes a swing, either jumping over or rolling under shockwaves, and locking onto an enemy while still moving your crosshairs to fire at their weak spots; in this case, the big glowing nodes that appear on Aberax’s chest. As long as Samus keeps moving and shooting at the proper spots, Aberax will pose no threat to her.

#9: Varmis

Despite appearing very late in “Metroid Prime 4,” Varmis is still one of the easier fights in the game. And unlike Aberax, this big sand worm isn’t all that fun. Varmis swallows a mech part you need to get into the final area. Fought in Sol Valley with Samus’ bike, you have to avoid running head first into Varmis’ jaws, then shoot and boost into its bulbous tail to deal damage. As it loses more health, the boss will switch up tactics only mildly, like suddenly changing its direction as you chase it. But it never does anything to really challenge you. In fact, making sharp turns quickly to keep close to Varmis’ weak point is about as hard as it gets.

#8: Carvex

Fought in the first major area of the planet Viewros, Carvex is just hard enough to make you feel the difficulty scale, while still being a lot more manageable than most everything that comes after it. A vicious plant monster, the boss stays wrapped inside its petals until Samus destroys its tendrils. Afterwards, Carvex unleashes massive thorns while you try to deal damage before it goes back into hiding. The hardest part is that Carvex gains an extra tendril in between rounds. Not only are these armored, but they can spawn flying minions, slam into the ground, and spin around the arena. They also have to be destroyed simultaneously. But as long as you don’t forget about using the Psychic Control Beam, like I did, Carvex will only offer a middling challenge.

#7: Sylux, Round One

You fight two robots pretending to be the big bad before facing the real deal. Naturally, the first is the easiest, but it still has a few problematic attacks to look out for. The Sylux bot can clear the distance between you with a dash into a sword strike and produce a variety of electrical attacks that can hurt quite a bit if you mistime your dodges. However, the most aggravating attack is when it starts spinning around like a mini-tornado. Sylux can’t be damaged while spinning, and can only be interrupted by a few Morph Ball Bombs, which can be tricky to time while not getting hit. While it can be annoying, it’s nothing compared to the Sylux fights later.

#6: Xelios

Fought at the end of Volt Forge’s third tower, Xelios’ defensive tactics are the biggest hurdles for Samus to overcome. A giant core surrounded by magnetic plating, you first have to destroy some of its armor in order to attack it. But you can only do that when the plates flip over to shoot projectiles, some of which can home in on you. Xelios also dives underground to restore plating while sending out a shockwave, shoots massive balls of energy that are vital to dodge, and can produce a detrimental AOE blast. While seasoned players likely still won’t be in danger of a Game Over screen, keeping up your attacks with so many things to avoid can be a tad overwhelming for others.

#5: Sylux, Round Two

The second fight against Sylux is a lot trickier than the first. You still have electrical attacks, sword slices, and homing projectiles to look out for, just like the first encounter. Only this time, everything comes much faster, with a lot more ferocity, and inside a slightly more cramped arena. On top of that, the biggest difference between these two fights is that Sylux will occasionally electrocute the entire floor, forcing you to swing using the Grapple Beam to not get shocked into oblivion. Not being aware of the attack the first time, or mistiming your grapple and falling, is a surefire way to make you panic and lose a lot of health.

#4: Keratos

Like Xelios, Keratos has high defenses, this time in the form of a rigid carapace protecting most of its body. What makes it more of a challenge, at least to deal damage, is that you have one tiny spot to hit, its eye. However, you can only lock onto the body, meaning you have to move your crosshairs while Keratos stomps and rolls around the arena. Doing enough damage to the eye only baits it into revealing the real weak spot, on its abdomen. But Keratos has more than its impressive size to throw around. It also unleashes plenty of ice attacks, like projectiles that freeze you in place or one where Keratos pulls Samus towards it, trying to ram her into the ice barrier surrounding its body.

#3: Phenoros

For the boss of the Flare Pool, you first start on your bike, hovering across lava and trying to avoid Phenoros’ attacks, while shooting the nodes on its underside. The harder part comes when Samus stands on the boss’ own body while fighting off its head. Here, Phenoros will shoot deadly beams of fire, hurl giant balls of molten lava, and lunge towards Samus to take a few bites out of her. Meanwhile, you’ve got to destroy the glowing spots on its head so it shows its weak spot, its tongue. A lot easier said than done with Phenoros moving around and unleashing Hell on you. Towards the end, you also have to fire a Physic Control Beam down its throat to defeat it. And if you aren’t quick enough, you have to finish off the last bit of health the normal, and much harder, way.

#2: Omega Griever

Maul Grievers become frequent annoyances in the Great Mines, and their leader is one tough SOB. You must first deal enough damage to its limbs in order to reveal its weak spot, another on the abdomen. But there are a few things that make this hard. One, that the Omega Griever rarely sits still. And two, that it will grow armor on its limbs after taking enough damage, leaving you with less space on its body to shoot. When this happens, it also summons minions. Then, there’s the huge variety in its attacks, including poisonous projectiles, multiple shockwaves in a row, room-clearing lunges, and a tough-to-dodge grab with its tongue that deals damage while pulling you closer. Needless to say, the Omega Griever’s defense and tactics make this fight a long one.

#1: Sylux, Round Three

Unsurprisingly, fighting actual Sylux is much, much harder than a couple of robots pretending to be him. During his first phase, he covers himself in nanobites and produces gigantic, elemental dragon-headed arms that must be damaged enough before they can be ripped off, allowing you to finally damage him. He’d be hard enough as is, but you also have to revive your federation allies whenever they get knocked down. And if they’re killed, that’s Game Over, no matter how much health Samus has left. The second phase is the easiest, albeit disorienting: flying through a wormhole, shooting Sylux while avoiding his attacks. The third, however, is a nightmare. Most of his attacks hit hard and fast, though we have to single out his ability to teleport, steal your energy tanks to heal himself, and fire a detrimental beam that not only holds you in place, but also siphons your health. Truly, a fittingly frustrating final boss.

Did you struggle with any of the game’s bosses? Which was your favorite? And what did you think of “Metroid Prime 4” overall? Share your thoughts in the comments, and we’ll see you next time!