50 HARDEST Modern Video Game Bosses

#50: Theseus & Asterius

“Hades” (2020)

The nature of the Underworld is that everybody’s either immortal or already dead – so every time Zagreus dies and returns to the House of Hades, so do all of his foes. Though not the final boss, the combo fight against Theseus and Asterius will have you pulling your hair out in frustration. And this is only made worse by the fact that Theseus is a sore loser. When one of them dies the other gets a power-up in the form of a godly boon for Theseus and a debilitating attack boost for Asterius. They’re such a notorious pair that this might actually be the hardest fight in the entire game—even if you’ve already completed it and are just going for additional runs.

#49: Terramorphous the Invincible

“Borderlands 2” (2012)

You definitely don’t want to face Terramorphous solo; in fact, anything less than a full party of four is likely a death sentence. The quest is called “ You. Will. Die. (Seriously.)” and it lives up to the name. Only opening up when you’ve finished “Borderlands 2’s” story, this boss is designed to be taken on at the very end of the game when you’re at the max level possible. Going in any earlier makes you either very brave or very stupid – or maybe both. Before facing Terramorphous you’ll want to invest in a lot of upgrades to increase your ammo capacity, get the best equipment you can find, and perhaps even lower the difficulty. But above all, do not go it alone.

#48: Yaldabaoth

“Persona 5” (2017)

It’s a Persona game, of course you’re going to fight God at the end. Once you’ve practically beaten the game and have cleared out the furthest depths of Mementos, you’ll come face-to-face with “Persona 5’s” actual villain, Yaldabaoth. The God of Control will put you through your paces due to its various arms acting as independent entities that can unleash physical damage, magical magic damage, and a slew of debuffs that can cripple your team. If you’ve been slacking when it comes to levelling up or bolstering your collection of Personas, then get ready - because the walking Holy Grail over here is not conservative when it comes to letting loose colossal blows of light!

#47: Maneater

“Demon’s Souls” (2020)

In another case where the arena itself adds to a lot of a fight’s difficulty, you’ll face Maneater while stuck on an incredibly narrow bridge. Not only do you need to worry about fighting the boss, you also need to watch your footing to ensure you don’t fall to your doom. But then just when you think you’ve got the upper hand, the Maneater will summon a friend so that you’re up against two of these fearsome creatures. After all that, you’ve still got to watch out for poison damage if you don’t get rid of that tail fast enough. Everything is working against you in this battle.

#46: Oggdo Bogdo & Spawn of Oggdo

“Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” (2023)

Cal Kestis’ slew of space-faring adventures has given us some of the best moments in Star Wars’ gaming catalog. It’s also given us an intense hatred towards frogs. Both Fallen Order and Survivor each had a giant toad to battle against, and each was horrendous. But neither compared to the anguish of having to face both at the same time. In an enclosed arena, able to leap large distances, and all too eager to spam their insta-kill attacks – these extraterrestrial amphibians pushed many of us to the Dark Side. Respawn, we will not be responsible for our actions if you put another Oggdo in the threequel!

#45: Lu Bu

“Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty” (2023)

No matter your gear, no matter your build, fighting Lu Bu always makes you feel comically underpowered. He forces a strict deflection rhythm that lasts for several minutes without a break. His spear combos are delayed just enough to bait out an early parry, and his spirit bar regenerates if you back off for even a second. The pressure is constant! When he dismounts, he starts mixing in massive fire explosions that require you to jump or dodge while maintaining the parry chain. One missed red-flash attack results in a grapple that takes three-quarters of your health. Lu Bu don’t play.

#44: Raven Beak

“Metroid Dread” (2021)

Congratulations Samus, you’ve got a father. Bad news, he’s a murderous megalomaniac who has no issue with wiping out his own bloodline to achieve his goals. Raven Beak is the pinnacle of Metroid difficulty, with a slew of weapons and techniques that will have you Screw Attacking around the room in the faint hope of trying to outlast them. Arm cannons, missiles, dashing across the screen, sprouting wings, giant lasers, a miniature sun – this Chozo is a walking armoury with the itchiest of trigger fingers.

#43: Nyx Avatar

“Persona 3 Reload” (2024)

Hope you maxed out those social links, trained up your Personas and are armed to the teeth, because you’re going to need it if you want to survive the gauntlet that is this apocalyptic entity. The battle against Nyx Avatar is one of endurance, since it will switch between each of the Major Arcana Tarot Cards, and in doing so, change up its attack patterns and weaknesses. By the time you’ve figured out a strategy to best it – the cycle starts all over again. That’s fourteen phases of pure pain, so best get to preparing if you want to make it to that bittersweet true ending.

#42: Grim Matchstick

“Cuphead” (2017)

As if this fight wouldn’t have been hard enough just learning Grim’s attack patterns over three forms, but dealing with the randomly occurring cloud platforms just seems cruel… Sometimes in order not to fall to your death, you have to eat a projectile from Grim just to land safely on a cloud, making for a frustrating “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. The first two stages of this fight, while still frustrating, are manageable with well-timed jumps. But, it’s the last phase that had us wanting to rage quit! You’ll need to have some amazing concentration skills to keep track of the clouds, orange balls and flamethrower all at once.

#41: Mr. X (Super Tyrant)

“Resident Evil 2” (2019)

There are a few things that make this battle frustratingly hard but none more so than Mr. X’s instant-kill charge attack. If you’re low on ammo at this point, the fight is basically impossible, as you have to stagger Mr. X with a shot to the heart while he’s charging up to lunge at you. And it’s likely that you will be low on ammo at this point because much of the fight has you unloading bullets into the monster’s heart, which is pretty small and easily missed. Then there’s the issue of the platform itself and how small it is compared to the enormity of the boss – not to mention his decent speed, long reach and powerful regular attacks. Aim. Shoot. Don’t miss!

#40: Icon of Sin

“Doom Eternal” (2020)

By the end of the game, only one thing stands between the Doom Slayer and his mission to save Earth from total annihilation. That “thing” is the Icon of Sin, a being summoned to consume humanity in the finale. The Icon has a wide range of damaging attacks it can utilize to smite you; you need to be fast on your feet to avoid both this fearsome creature and the seemingly endless enemies that it spawns. Between killing low-level enemies for health and ammo drops, and trying to knock off the Icon’s armo, there’s a lot going on. It will probably take you quite a few attempts to get a handle on what the hell is happening in this chaotic conclusion—let alone conquer the Icon.

#39: Ballos

“Cave Story” (2004)

Sealed away underground, Ballos reveals himself to be the true antagonist of “Cave Story” and the final boss for Quote and his friends to defeat. You’ll only encounter Ballos if you’re on track for the game’s “best” ending, traveling to hell itself. Ballos is an ominous figure even when you first meet him, but he’s got a variety of forms for you to go through—and each form is freakier than the last one. Beating him is an art; you’ll have had to master the game’s controls and perfected your attacks to avoid getting caught by his flying eyeballs and land hits of your own. But first, you’ll want to have found all the best weapons.

#38: Morgan Freeman

“South Park: The Fractured But Whole” (2017)

Morgan Freeman is without a doubt the hardest boss in the game, but luckily he’s also an optional one. Unfortunately, if you’re looking to win that illustrious Farts Over Freckles trophy you’re going to have to brave this boss fight at some point or another. But, we REALLY don’t recommend trying to fight Mr. Freeman until you’ve beaten the game and your character is upgraded to the max, because he starts off with 9999 hit points and has a powerful fart attack that can kill any of your party members instantly. Also, in the second phase of the fight he has twice the amount of turns as the first. You’re going to need a whole lot of healing potions (and double the amount of patience) to survive this battle.

#37: Sephiroth

“Final Fantasy VII Remake” (2020)

Sephiroth in “FF7 Remake” is a relentless powerhouse, especially on Hard Mode. He cycles through all elemental affinities, forcing you to change your strategy every few minutes. His Octaslash is a death sentence waiting to happen, so you’ll need hefty defensive buffs or a perfectly timed counter to survive it. For the most part, the fight is mostly spectacle, but it culminates in a frantic DPS race as he prepares to cast Meteor. If he manages to get it out, you will most likely lose the fight. The better strategy is to save your Limit Breaks and try to stagger him when he begins casting Meteor, and get to praying.

#36: Extreme Behemoth

“Monster Hunter: World” (2018)

When a boss makes their entrance by coming crashing down from the heavens inside a meteorite, you know it’s going to be difficult to kill. Taking the Extreme Behemoth down alone is possible but certainly not advised; unless you’re an absolute pro, you’ll want a group of friends with some very specific and balanced builds. It’s no use focusing entirely on damage, you need a tank to keep its attention, a healer to make sure you’re all alright, and a lot of DPS behind you to help with one of the fight’s phases. To make matters worse, unlike the regular Behemoth, the Extreme variety will eventually become immune to the flash pods typically usually used to interrupt certain attacks.

#35: Verdugo

“Resident Evil 4 Remake” (2023)

When a game gives you the option to run away from a fight, you know things are about to take a turn for the worst. Verdugo, aside from being utterly terrifying, is also one of Resident Evil’s biggest damage sponges, with the only surefire way to end it being to consistently expose it to sub-zero temperatures, then light it up with every last piece of ammo you’ve got. That’s all easier said than done, given its fondness for dipping in and out of crawlspaces, not to mention its wicked speed. We honestly can’t blame anyone for ducking out mid-way through – Verdugo is a beast that’s more than a match for Leon and his fabulous hair.

#34: Raphael

“Baldur’s Gate 3” (2023)

He’s the devil among devils, a charismatic hellspawn who delivers deals and death in equal measure. A monster so in love with himself that he sings his own theme song. And we love him for it. Should the player decide to go against Raphael and invade his House of Hope, it leads to a clash that makes the likes of the Netherbrain look like a tutorial boss. Raphael himself comes with an astounding six hundred and sixty-six HP, has some devastating spells under his belt, and can use the pillars around the stage to restore and bolster his strength. And that’s to say nothing of his miniature army of cambions ready to jump into the fray and spear your party. Get ready for the claw!

#33: Yozora

“Kingdom Hearts III” (2019)

It’s obvious from the moment you meet him that Yozora plays by different rules, and this becomes immediately evident in his boss fight too. He can steal your items mid-combat, including your revival coins, and use them against you. His moveset has beams that lock you in place, as well as teleports that make him impossible to pin down. Because of this speed, you’ll be relying more on audio cues to time your guards. Every missed block leads to a combo that drains your health. He leaves no clear openings, so you’ll have to create them yourself, by parrying high-speed projectiles back into his face.

#32: Takezo the Unrivaled

“Ghost of Yōtei” (2025)

Taking place on the titular mountain, this legendary swordsman will put you through your paces! Takezo wields dual katanas, allowing him to relentlessly attack you with a flurry of strikes. Not only is he incredibly fast, but if you fail to dodge or block even one of his attacks, you’ll lose a huge chunk of your health. His defense is also ridiculous. This is made all the worse by how the cold mountain air will freeze your health, to the point where you’ll only be left with a sliver just waiting to be snuffed out. The challenge here is unlike anything else in Yotei, so best prepare accordingly.

#31: Sephiroth

“Kingdom Hearts II” (2005)

One of the most iconic “Final Fantasy” villains of all time, Sephiroth was inevitably going to show up in “Kingdom Hearts” eventually. But rather than introduce him as a big bad, he’s instead an optional boss that Sora can avoid fighting. And frankly, that might be best for those who aren’t ready to deal with the One Winged Angel’s personal brand of punishing. The speed, the aggressiveness, the way he can drop your HP to a single digit with one move - Sephiroth is only for those who consider themselves a true keyblade connoisseur!

#30: Senator Armstrong

“Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” (2013)

The Senator from Texas has the floor. And he’s going to use that floor to absolutely destroy Raiden and anyone else naïve enough to take him on without a solid strategy. Armstrong is a politician on a mission to seize control of America, but not satisfied with working behind a desk, he’s also used advanced nanotechnology to make himself a physical powerhouse.This fight isn’t made any easier by the tricky battle arena; your fight begins in a small area surrounded by invisible walls. Armstrong is just as difficult for Raiden to beat narratively as it is for you; combined with the total lack of checkpoints, he’s sure to stop you in your tracks.

#29: Sigrun, the Valkyrie Queen

“God of War” (2018)

For all the work that goes into even reaching this boss, you’d think that she’d be slightly more forgiving, but… nope! That’s wishful thinking! All the previous Valkyrie fights have basically just been training for the Queen, and she uses all the move sets from the previous Valkyries as well, making her attack arsenal almost overwhelming. It’s not just that she has a lot of moves either, but she has a few that are incredibly powerful – like her flying mace slam – and are likely to end your game really quick if you’re not paying attention. You’ll need to be constantly blocking and looking for an opportunity to parry in order to get the upper hand in this tense battle.

#28: Demon of Obsession

“Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” (2025)

This boss battle is a lethal mirror match that serves as the ultimate exam of your skills. The Demon of Obsession is a spellcaster who can switch between a spear, a greatsword, bow, and even unarmed lightning-imbued attacks, forcing you to change your parry and dodge timing. In the second phase, she amps up her aggression quite a bit, and starts using echo versions of spells used by previous bosses. Ideally, you’ll wanna stay mid-range, as going too far away will prompt her to start using more projectiles, and they are really difficult to deal with. If you can bait out her lunges, they’re a lot easier to punish, albeit deadly if they connect with you. Enjoy the risk and reward!

#27: Scarlet

“Stellar Blade” (2024)

Added in the “Stellar Blade” and “Nikke” crossover, Scarlet is a hellish parry challenge wrapped in a pretty face. She’s almost invisible as she teleports around the arena, leaving damaging afterimages in her wake. The hardest part of the fight to deal with is her five hit devil trigger-esque combo. If you miss even one perfect parry in this chain, a cinematic grab triggers that results in an immediate game over. In true annoying-boss design fashion, she reads your inputs and instantly lunges at you from the other side of the arena, if she catches you trying to heal.

#26: Gná

“God of War Ragnarök” (2022)

If you thought the first Valkyrie Queen was hard, wait until you try Gná! When she’s not peppering you with her bladed wings, she’s chaining bifrost projectiles directly into a diving grab that has almost zero startup frames! Unlike the valkyries from the previous game, Gná’s attacks give you barely any time to react. She might even break the camera sometimes due to her speed, and you’ll be vulnerable to a blindside attack from her because of it, and it only gets worse the higher up you go on the difficulty scale. You’ll need a Spartan’s determination to finally clip her wings!

#25: Timewyrm

“Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition” (2019)

“Dragon Quest 11s” Timewyrm is a heavyweight of the RPG superboss scene It acts a whopping four times every turn in its final turn. It uses Disruptive Wave to strip away all your buffs, leaving you vulnerable to a follow-up of two massive area-of-effect spells. Even with the best equipment in the game, the damage output is staggering. You have to rely on a precise rotation of healing and defensive skills while hoping for Pep Powers to trigger at the right time. The fight is painfully slow, and you’ll have to pray you successfully predict the AI’s next move, or you might as well say goodbye to your party.

#24: Galdera, the Fallen

“Octopath Traveler II” (2023)

Could Batman beat Galdera with enough prep-time? Probably not, but you can! The fight forces you to split your eight characters into two separate teams, meaning your second team has to be just as optimized as your main one. The first phase will have you managing three souls that must be killed at the same time, or they constantly respawn. In the second phase, Galdera gains access to moves that can wipe a full-health party in a single turn if your buffs drop for even a second. The fight is long and grueling, and even a single bad turn of RNG will kill you.

#23: Savage Omega Planetes

“Monster Hunter Wilds” (2025)

“Monster Hunter” has no shortage of grueling challenges, and this one is right up there. Appearing as a cross-over with “Final Fantasy” in “Wilds,” its signature Delta Attack is a DPS check which requires all four hunters to defeat a Nerscylla Clone within a time limit. Defeating the clone will summon a shield that will allow you all to survive the attack, however if you’re unable to, the entire team will be wiped. Beyond the gimmick, Savage Omega Planetes is a hyper-aggressive monster with almost no recovery frames between its attacks. It fires MIRV projectiles that blanket the entire area in explosions, so you’ll struggle to find a safe spot to heal or sharpen your weapon. Lastly, this boss has a 30-minute timer, which is actually really tight for this obnoxiously difficult battle.

#22: IB-01: CEL 240

“Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon” (2023)

There’s no shortage of war machines to test your metal against in FromSoft’s return to the mecha genre, but even against continent-sized robots, none compare to the unmatched savagery that is the CEL 240. A sentient Armored Core controlled by Coral Energy; this thing is as fast as it is lethal. Trading bullets for energy waves, this sentinel will dominate the battlefield with its unmatched manoeuvrability before unleashing barrages that offer the slimmest of openings. You’re going to need some next level reaction time before you have a hope of returning fire.

#21: Eigong

“Nine Sols” (2024)

This kitty doesn't just have claws; she’s got a whole-ass lightsaber. The entire fight is built around the internal damage system, where parrying builds up power that you must release to survive. Her strikes are incredibly fast and come in long, complex strings that require a perfect rhythm. During her final phase, she fills the screen with projectiles that you have to parry while she teleports around for a finishing blow. If you miss the timing on her Crimson attacks, you take massive internal damage that will kill you in seconds regardless of your remaining health. Meow indeed

#20: Chronos & Typhon

“Hades II” (2025)

What’s worse than fighting the Titan of Time or the Monster that even Olympians fear? How about both at once! Chronos creates time-slowing bubbles that trap you in place, while Typhon rains down massive fireballs from above. You can’t focus on one without the other, so if you stay still to damage Chronos, Typhon’s environmental attacks will catch you. To REALLY make it hard, you’ll have to navigate intense visual clutter, with gold sand and red flames covering the floor. You have to weave through bullet-hell patterns while keeping track of Typhon’s off-screen slams. Expect more than a few runbacks.

#19: Hiruko

“Nioh 3” (2026)

Whether you’re playing as a ninja or a samurai, Hiruko will make your life a living hell. Switching between elemental affinities, unleash grab attacks that can annihilate you depending on your build, and basically lathering the battlefield with projectiles every other second - there is no room to breathe when it comes to this brawl. Your only hope for survival is hitting hard, hitting fast, hoping you’ll smash his stagger bar and be able to whittle away his monstrous health. Either that or spend hours attempting to build the most broken layout of all time. Either way, prepare for the struggle!

#18: Laxasia the Complete

“Lies of P” (2023)

There are Soulslikes, and then there’s Lies of P. Channelling the essence of what makes FromSoft games great, this dark and brutal reimagining of Pinocchio hits all the right notes – including its extraordinarily challenging bosses. And among the roster, few come close to Laxasia and her ability to punish players into powder. Her first phase can be gruelling unless you’re adept with the parry system, especially with her swinging that great sword around like it’s a paperweight. Then comes her second phase, where she literally brings the thunder. Good luck dealing with those projectiles and random bouts of teleportation!

#17: Erlang Shen

“Black Myth: Wukong” (2024)

Ah yes, heaven’s ultimate hater. Erlang Shen is a multi-phase beast that tests every single mechanic you have learned up to this point. He possesses a gold-white shield that regenerates every time he lands a hit, making the act of maintaining momentum nearly impossible. He’ll parry your heavy attacks too, mocking your timing before counter attacking. While his second phase is far more manageable, getting there is mythically difficult. Cancelling your transformations, shredding your HP with projectiles, Erlang will make you earn the title of Monkey King!

#16: Lost Lace

“Hollow Knight: Silksong” (2025)

Look into the abyss and the abyss looks back - or in this case - crushes you until you “git gud”, as Hornet would say. Lost Lace moves with a speed that borders on unreactable, leaving trails of void that act as environmental traps. If you touch these shadows, they sap your silk and prevent you from healing. The fight specifically punishes the pogo jump mechanic. If you try to leap over her, she executes an instant vertical upward thrust. In other words, you’ll have to stay on the ground and dash through her attacks with perfect timing to beat her, but you can bet your backside that’s going to take a hell of a long time!

#15: Shibata Katsuie

“Nioh 2” (2020)

Both a human and a Yokai, Shibata Katsuie has plenty of frustrating attacks in his repertoire that you’ll need to learn before you can defeat him. Most important is remembering to dodge when he charges at you, and then going in close for a combo as soon as he stops bouncing off the walls. Your best bet is to deal lots of poison damage to him because that’s his weakness. Be wary, however, of the guardian spirit he can summon; this is an aggressive boar that deals fire damage. Make sure you know what you’re doing and load up on powerful equipment. With enough preparation, you might manage to beat Shibata Katsuie without breaking any controllers.

#14: Demi-fiend

“Shin Megami Tensei V” (2021)

You want a true JRPG challenge? One that on the surface appears borderline unfair? Well, say hello to the Demi-fiend. Former franchise protagonist turned recurring boss, you shouldn’t even think about facing him unless your party of Demons are levelled up to the max. He’s completely resistant to all attacks except those of the Almighty persuasion, will deal devastating damage to your whole group, can heal himself back to maximum health, and will constantly summon three other Demons to help him out, who, by the way, are no slouches. Oh, and if you fail certain conditions such as not defeating one of his minions within a set number of turns – he’ll insta-nuke you. Yeah, the Demi-fiend doesn’t mess around.

#13: Roaring Knight

“Deltarune Chapter 3” (2025)

Much like a certain skeleton we’ll be getting to, the Roaring Knight uses the game’s entire interface against you. He can move your HP bar across the screen or hide the “Act” and “Spare” buttons behind television static. The bullet-hell patterns are dense and move in unpredictable ways, reflecting the chaotic theme of the chapter. You have to coordinate three characters with different soul abilities white the Knight creates barriers that restrict your movement. Basically, you have to solve UI-based puzzles on the go while dodging barrages of high-speed projectiles. Even if you wanted to for some reason, there’s no way to spare the Roaring Knight, so you’ll have to fight no matter what.

#12: Vergil

“Devil May Cry 5” (2019)

Even if you’re playing on “Human” difficulty to enjoy the game’s absurd story and button-mashy combat, the stage bosses can still be quite tough, and Vergil is definitely the hardest. In Dante’s final battle versus his brother, the first half of the fight is manageable if you keep moving and only attack when there’s an opening; but, when Vergil uses his Devil Trigger halfway through you’ll need to either memorize his blazing fast attack patterns in order to parry or just run away like a coward. This fight calls for lots of patience when the majority of the game is spent on the offensive, and if you’re overeager when facing Vergil, he’s going to carve you up like a Thanksgiving turkey.

#11: Sans

“Undertale” (2015)

If you’re brave enough to take the genocide route and challenge Sans in “Undertale” you’re likely the kind of gamer who is looking for punishing difficulty. Well, congrats! You found it! You’ll need to memorize these grueling mini-games patterns within an inch of perfection while continuously dying over and over again due to their frustrating difficulty. Seriously, just watching some of these patterns makes us feel dizzy… There’s no other way to progress this battle but to fight Sans, so make sure you bring as many recovery items with you as possible. He’s not impossible, but he can sure feel like it at times.

#10: Father Rodin

“Bayonetta” (2009)

Like a lot of other hidden, optional bosses, Rodin’s difficulty level is unlike anything else experienced in the main campaign. While the first “Bayonetta” game is quite challenging on its own, there’s literally no room for error with Rodin, what with his blindingly fast speed and punishing attacks. One wrong move and you’ll lose most of your health bar or even be instantly killed. Also, halfway through the battle, Rodin starts using his most powerful attacks more regularly, making this fight seem almost unfair. Dodge, dodge, and dodge again; be confident and precise in your attacks; and, most importantly, may the videogame Gods smile upon you because you’re going to need all the help you can get!

#9: Everdark Libra

“Elden Ring Nightreign” (2025)

Thought tangoing with a wish-granting, madness-spewing goat devil was tricky before? Now you can fight it on hard mode! Everdark Libra is a living nightmare. The arena is a chaotic zone of exploding attacks, and Libra periodically partitions the field with damaging holy walls to isolate players. You have to balance your focus between the boss and The Condemned, NPC doppelgängers of your party, to prevent being overwhelmed by summons. This management mechanic forces you to switch targets constantly all the while dodging homing attacks. Welcome to the FromSoft madhouse.

#8: Ozma

“The First Berserker: Khazan” (2025)

Revenge never comes easy, especially when the final boss is three phases of pure pain. When Ozma isn’t raining down elemental attacks, he’s happily inflicting you with the chaos status, which will make your demise come all the swifter unless you can cleanse yourself of it ASAP. And that’s just the first phase. After a quick bit of aura farming, Ozma will bombard you with projectiles and strikes that demand to be countered lest Khazan gets cut down. By the time you reach that third phase, you’ll barely be hanging on by a thread!

#7: The Nameless King

“Dark Souls III” (2016)

You can’t say you’ve truly beaten “Dark Souls II” until you take down the Nameless King and his deadly stormdrake, King of the Storm. It’s a fight that has made even the best and most popular players rage-quit time and time again. Once you’ve killed the King’s steed, it’s time to go head-to-head with the Nameless King himself – who’s just as powerful as his pet monster. Another dual fight that can be a chore is the Ornstein and Smough boss in the original game. Just like the Nameless King will absorb the electrical damage of the dragon, Ornstein and Smough will take on one another’s powers depending on who you kill first.

#6: Absolute Radiance

“Hollow Knight” (2017)

The true boss at the end of this modern masterpiece of a Metroidvania, the Radiance is godly in everything but name, putting every player through their paces with an onslaught of attacks that all too quickly became overwhelming. And then along came the Godmaster DLC, and with it, a far more ferocious and challenging version, and that’s saying something! Every attack is doubled in speed and scope, while the platforming elements become all the tricker to navigate. Honestly, if you manage to conquer this fight following the unparalleled brutality that is the Pantheon of Hallownest – you have our respect!

#5: Malenia, Blade of Miquella

“Elden Ring” (2022)

You know her, you hate her, you’ve been slaughtered by her a million times – she’s the hardest battle in the entirety of Elden Ring’s base game, and easily one of the most challenging bosses FromSoft has ever conjured up. The reach of Malenia’s blade and the speed in which she can land attacks are insane, with every hit adding to her own health pool. Then there’s her infamous Waterfowl Dance – a series of slashes that will tear you apart if you don’t at least dodge a few of her swings. And that’s just phase one! Once she transforms into the Goddess of Rot, you’re going to have to deal with all of that – plus explosions of scarlet rot that will disintegrate your health should you linger too close.

#4: Orphan of Kos

“Bloodborne: The Old Hunters” (2015)

As if the bosses in “Bloodborne” weren’t tough enough, the “Old Hunters” DLC went ahead and upped the difficulty and gave us some of the toughest baddies in the entire Souls series. And, Kos is definitely up there as one of the hardest. If his loud shrieking doesn’t wreck your nerves, the second phase of this battle sure will, as Kos grows wings and just becomes a pure, unpredictable maniac! Parrying is key to the first stage of the fight, but staying still for long enough to even think of parrying in the second stage feels like a death sentence thanks to Kos’ insane leaping attacks and powerful lighting charges. Practice makes perfect, yeah… but you’ll need a bit of luck upending ole Kos.

#3: Simon the Divergent Star

“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” (2025)

Simon was already one of the hardest bosses in “Expedition 33,” so naturally the developers decided to up the ante with a stronger version as part of their “Thank You” update. For starters, he always moves first, and he always uses his 9-hit multi-sweep slash, which can instantly wipe your whole party provided it hits, which is likely since this version of him has way tighter parry and dodge windows. If that doesn’t do it, he’ll cast Canvas Removal in his second phase, swapping out your entire team. If at any point he kills one of your party members, he gets to move again. He is the ultimate challenge, for you, for us, and for those who come after.

#2: Isshin, The Sword Saint

“Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” (2019)

In previous FromSoftware games, you could always summon another gamer to help you with tough bosses. Not so in “Sekiro,” however, as there’s no multiplayer available. So… you’re on your own! Sure, the first stage of this battle isn’t that hard, as a well-timed deflect leaves Isshin open to damage; but, the second stage of this fight is insane and is really all about survival. Isshin’s giant spear is much harder to deflect and has way more range than his sword, so it’s best to just stay clear of him unless you’re a deflecting master. Get the occasional shot in when you can, but DO NOT linger, as Isshin’s combo attacks are brutal.

#1: Promised Consort Radahn

“Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree” (2024)

While nerfs and patches may have taken off some of the totality of just how broken Radhan was upon release, make no mistake, he still remains in contention for the hardest Souls boss of all time, and that’s no small feat. Gravity magic, blood magic, crazy sword swings with minimal margins for dodges - that’s rough enough as is. But then Miquella comes along and kicks off the craziest second phase in FromSoft history. Drowning every attack in holy magic, a grab that will instantly end you if get caught twice, plus the return of Radahn’s classic meteor crash, it all accumulates in a boss that will test you like few can!

Which of these bosses pushes you to the limit? Let us know in the comments!