10 SECRET Bosses in Fighting Games

Giga Bowser “Super Smash Bros. Melee” (2001)

It may be Bowser’s Final Smash now, but back in “Melee,” Giga Bowser was a huge surprise to come across. You’d only face him if you completed the game’s Adventure Mode on Normal difficulty or higher in under 18 minutes. After defeating Giant Bowser, his trophy would reappear and turn into an even more intimidating version of Mario’s archnemesis. Not only is he much larger, he’s also significantly harder to knock off the stage. It’s highly likely he’d take a few of your lives before he went down, even on Normal mode. You could also face him in the final Event Match, where he came with Ganondorf and Mewtwo as allies just to make things a bit trickier.

Kuroko “Samurai Shodown II” (1994)

Appearing as the match referee in the original “Samurai Shodown,” Kuroko began showing off his own skills in the sequel as a hidden boss. And he was pretty dang tough. He could appear randomly, though not frequently, which could throw a monkey wrench into any given playthrough that was going well. However, there was also a guaranteed method to make him appear if you wanted to challenge yourself. During the 6th, 8th, or 10th fight, beating your opponent with a Super Move, with less than 20 seconds on the timer, and without losing a round, would make Kuroko appear next. The computer AI is no joke though, and he has plenty of heavy-hitting attacks like fireballs, devastating slashes, and the ability to reflect or counter many of your moves.

Doctor Bosconovitch “Tekken 3” (1997)

After appearing as a supporting character in the story of “Tekken 2,” the developers seemingly thought it would be funny to include this old bag of bones as a secret boss in the sequel. In order to face Doctor Bosconovitch in “Tekken 3,” you have to beat the ‘Tekken Force’ beat ‘em up mode four times. For the first three, you’ll earn a key after defeating a different boss at the end. And at the end of your fourth attempt, you’ll face Heihachi, whose defeat causes the Doc to appear. He uses a mix of moves from other fighters yet, comically, will fall over after certain attacks due to him canonically having scoliosis. If you beat him, you get the joy of playing as him yourself.

Geese Howard “Art of Fighting 2” (1994)

Many of SNK’s fighters are set in the same universe, which has led to several great crossover encounters throughout the years. At the end of “Art of Fighting 2,” you can face a secret boss in Geese Howard, the primary villain of the “Fatal Fury” series. That’s a lot easier said than done, though. To even get the chance, you’re not allowed to lose a single round leading up to him. And this was definitely one of the tougher fighters of its era. After defeating the main villain, Mr. Big, Geese will step in and likely wipe the floor with you. He’s fast and ruthless, able to read your movements with ease and attack accordingly. Still, undeniably cool.

Night Terror “Soulcalibur III” (2005)

If you thought Nightmare was intimidating, just wait until you fight his suped-up version. This secret boss can be faced in the game’s story mode, Tales of Souls. But you’ll only find him by choosing the right branching paths, which are different depending on what character you’re playing as. There’s no denying how sick he looks, with massive, flaming wings, and fanged jaws in the place of where hands should be. However, Night Terror is a pretty accurate name, because this is a tough fight. He uses a combination of attacks from Nightmare and Siegfried, as well as his own unique ones. And if you thought you’d cheese the fight just by ringing him out, think again. That’s impossible, due to Night Terror’s wings just carrying right back to the arena.

Donkey Kong “Punch-Out!!” (2009)

Okay, I know it’s not a fighting game in the traditional sense. But it technically counts, and adding Donkey Kong as a secret boss is just too cool to pass up. To unlock the fight against Nintendo’s great ape in “Punch-Out!!,” you must first beat the full Career Mode to unlock Mac’s Last Stand. Here, you face every fighter in the game, in random order, trying to get through all of them without losing three times. Donkey Kong will also appear randomly in the fighter order, and is naturally one of the hardest hitting opponents in the game. He’ll taunt you endlessly, and if you miss an attack while he’s doing this, he’ll counterattack so hard, Mac will likely go down in one hit.

Baiken “Guilty Gear” (1998)

Although she’d become a more prominent character in later games, the wandering Samurai, Baiken, was the secret boss in the original “Guilty Gear.” And reaching her was definitely a challenge. You do so by beating the Arcade Mode as either Sol or Ky without using a single continue. Unfortunately, there are no difficulty settings in this game, whose opponent AI is infamously hard. Factor in their proficiency in unleashing Overdrive Attacks that can annihilate your health bar, and it isn’t likely you’ll get to Baiken on your first attempt. Naturally, she’s the toughest of the tough. She may only have one arm, but that doesn’t stop her from unleashing deadly slashes and powerful kicks that have sent anyone who managed to reach her into a rage.

Shadow Jago “Killer Instinct” (2013)

There’s a lot you have to do to reach Shadow Jago in “Killer Instinct.” First, you’ll have to unlock all three endings with any given character in Arcade Mode. Then, go through it a fourth time on Hard or higher difficulty. On this playthrough, you can’t lose a single fight, you have to earn at least two Supreme Victories, and you have to finish off at least two opponents with an Ultra Combo, with one of those opponents being your character’s Rival. If you do all this, you’ll face Shadow Jago at the end instead of Fulgore. While he looks and moves like regular Jago, there are a few notable differences. He has a few extra attacks, some of which come with super armor, and some beefier stats. If you got through all the criteria it takes to face him, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Shadow Jago brings the heat.

Floyd “Mortal Kombat 1” (2023)

“Mortal Kombat” has a long history of secret bosses stretching all the way back to the 1992 original. In the latest game, the devs added in another challenging secret combatant via an update with Floyd, a ninja clad in pink. He can be tough to find; you have to complete 10 out of 37 challenges, though which 10 is randomized for each player. On top of being a silly nod to the famous rock band, Floyd is a combination of characters. He uses attacks from Scorpion, Reptile, Sub-Zero, Rain, Ermac, and Shang Tsung. With so many movesets rolled into one, adapting to his attacks and claiming victory can be demanding. You get three attempts, after which your challenges reset, and you have to complete 10 more for Floyd to reappear.

Akuma “Super Street Fighter II Turbo” (1994)

Although it was the fifth version of “Street Fighter II,” “Turbo” still had new additions, including one of the most famous secret bosses of all time, Akuma. In order to face him, players weren’t allowed to use any continues, and they either had to earn a high score or beat all opponents leading to M. Bison in under 25 minutes. If so, Akuma would appear, immediately eliminate Bison, and challenge you to one hellishly tough fight. He may seem like another Ryu or Ken, but every skill is enhanced. His speed is a lot to contend with, as are his multiple projectiles, and his ability to phase through your attacks makes him a nightmare. Still, Akuma has a legacy for a reason, and it all began right here. 10 spots only scratches the surface of secret bosses in fighting games.

So, if we left off one of your favorites, head to the comments and let us know about them. And if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!