Top 10 Most Disturbing Video Game Bosses

#10: Cynthia Weaver

“Alan Wake 2” (2023)
It’s just a little old lady, what harm can she do? Well, in the world of Alan Wake, a frail old thing like Cynthia is the stuff of nightmares. After being affected by the Dark Presence, Cynthia turns her care home into a horror show, stalking Saga with jump scares every step of the way, all before leading her to the flooded basement, where she goes from geriatric to full on poltergeist. Even with all the ammo you can carry, Cynthia’s unyielding attempts to drag you to a watery grave will leave you shaken.

#9: Giygas

“EarthBound” (1994)
Otherworldly in form and function, this alien entity remains one of the most horrifying creatures in gaming. Even the passing of time has done little to diminish the chilling impact of its reveal. What’s there to be done against a being who can turn all life violent just by existing? Nothing, that’s what! The only way to overcome Giygas is just keep on praying while it continuously shifts into new malevolent shapes and peppers you with attacks. The eeriness is only intensified when you learn that the concept Giygas was spawned from a developer's traumatic incident in childhood.

#8: The Xenomorph

“Alien Isolation” (2014)
While players have been blasting apart these intergalactic arthropods for years now, it was only through this seminal reintroduction did the Xenomorph become a terrifying force in gaming. With advanced AI and no way to fight back, this lone alien became the bane of our existence. Make the slightest sound or change in movement, and the Xeno will be on you like a fly on honey. It’s a cat and mouse game saturated in tension, made all the worse by those gnarly death scenes. No one can hear you scream in space, but that certainly didn’t stop us.

#7: Omega Flowey

“Undertale” (2015)
This sentient murder flower was already creepy enough with its psychotic facial expressions and fourth wall breaks, but then it outdid itself after swallowing the souls of several children. The result - a mesh of plant, machinery and nightmare fuel. The clash of animation, the bullet hell attacks, Flowey’s haunting laughter, this is a final boss that nails the tone of dread. It was already a shock to the system when Flowey turned off the game, but after seeing what was waiting for us after rebooting it…yeah, major regrets. You’ll never look at your garden the same way again.

#6: Metyr, Mother of Fingers

“Elden Ring” (2022)
As any Tarnished will tell you, few things in the Lands Between will inspire terror quite like the Fingercreepers. Giant hands that move like spiders? No thanks. So naturally, the DLC decided to double down on it by introducing us to the mother of all finger-related monsters – and she might be the most grotesque creature in the entire game. Which is no easy feat. As the daughter of an outer god, Metyr hits hard, especially when it comes to gravity magic. Though the most damaging aspect might just be having to watch her run across the battlefield with those flailing, oversized, ligaments. There’s the uncanny valley and then there’s this!

#5: The Rat King

“The Last of Us Part II” (2020)
Nobody expected the Clickers to be as terrifying as they were – a horde of fungal zombies with numerous variants that drive home the bitter truth that nature is just one bad day from dooming us all. Among the brood of spore-spewing infected, none have invoked panic quite as severe as the Rat King – a combination of several species of Clicker that have fused together over the years. It’s big, it’s aggressive, it soaks up damage like a sponge. Not exactly the kind of thing you want to be trapped in close quarters with!

#4: The Teacher

“Little Nightmares II” (2021)
Class is in session, and today’s lesson is all about fear. Among the batch of monstrosities that prowl through this sequel none made us want to flee for our lives more than this educator. The creepy old woman look is bad enough…but when she reveals her elongated neck and starts hunting after us like a serpent, she transcends into something altogether ghastlier. We’d rather face the Thin Man any day than be forced to spend a second in detention alone with her.

#3: Pyramid Head

“Silent Hill 2” (2001)
An icon who ushered in a new era of video game terror, from every conceivable angle Pyramid Head is a menace. On the surface, he’s a hulking stalker, obscured by his signature helm, who likes to spend his time cleaving souls to pieces with his colossal knife. But dig a little deeper and he is so much worse. A construct born from James Sunderland’s grief and desire for punishment, made manifest thanks to Silent Hill’s otherworldly influence, Pyramid Head is an executioner here to make sure you wallow in your anguish for eternity.

#2: Ludwig the Accursed

“Bloodborne” (2015)
The culmination of FromSoft’s foray into gothic horror, Ludwig might just be the scariest Souls boss to date, and that is no easy mountain to climb. Once a brave Hunter beset by the scourge of the beast, Ludwig is now a husk of himself. A hideous amalgamation of misshapen flesh and unending fury, while he does momentarily regain his senses during his second phase…it’s only in purpose of using his giant sword made of moonlight to crush us. Nothing ever good comes from messing with the Old Blood.

#1: The Baby

“Resident Evil Village” (2021)
The exploration of House Beneviento was already a masterclass in tension as we slowly unravelled the insidious puzzles set for us…and then IT appeared. A giant, mutated fetus, crawling towards us with the sole intention of devouring us. Unkillable and unrelenting, the Baby is arguably Resident Evil’s apex when it comes to pure horror. The sound of its heavy crawl, the screams echoing down every hall, this wasn’t just a boss to be bested, this was an exercise in cardiac arrest that we’re hoping Capcom doesn’t try to double down on. We don’t think we could take it.
Which of these bosses gave you the shivers? Let us know in the comments!