Top 10 Hardest Video Game Bosses of the Decade (2020 – 2025)

#10: Oggdo Bogdo and Spawn of Oggdo

“Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” (2023)

In “Fallen Order,” players can fight a tough optional boss in Oggdo Bogdo. And in the sequel, you can face Spawn of Oggdo. But much later in “Survivor,” you can fight them both at once. For the sake of your sanity, we recommend that you don’t. Both of these giant, alien frogs are incredibly aggressive on their own, able to close huge distances and knock off major portions of health with any single attack. Despite their ridiculous names, it isn’t long into their fight that you’ll curse them with the severity of being personally wronged. Not even Darth Vader can bring the heat these two do. Your only chance of surviving is constant movement and chipping away at their health during brief openings.

#9: IB-01: CEL 240

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

Players have several options to choose from when it comes to the hardest boss of FromSoftware’s brutal action mech game. But for us, and we know we aren’t alone here, CEL 240 has no equal. You fight it at the end of the fourth chapter. And while there might be more powerful bosses later, this difficulty spike is unlike anything else and it will definitely stick in your memory. It’s one of the fastest foes you’ll face, without a doubt, able to overwhelm you with attacks before you even have time to react. It’s a literal trial by fire, with waves of bullets and beams that shred through your defenses. Expect a lot of deaths before you get the hang of things.

#8: Ozma

“The First Berserker: Khazan” (2025)

The final boss of “The First Berserker: Khazan” is Ozma, a mighty mage and the so-called Master of Chaos. If that sounds intimidating, that’s because it is. Ozma comes in three lengthy phases, each with a massive health bar and unique attacks. Many of his moves are Chaos-based, meaning they hit you incredibly hard if they land. He also just has a TON of different attacks throughout the phases. This can make it really difficult to adapt to any kind of pattern, because you’ll barely be able to tell what’s coming next. It really is an endurance test, capping off an already-challenging game. No shame from us if you want to play on Easy Mode.

#7: Eigong

“Nine Sols” (2024)

“Nine Sols” is surely a difficult Metroidvania, but nothing really prepares you for its final boss. Eigong is an expert fencer, with a variety of sword moves that will poke you full of holes. Her attacks come fast and hit hard, especially since she can teleport around you. Additional projectiles and a certain grab are particularly annoying. She’ll make sure your dodging and blocking is up to snuff, or else. That’s not to mention that, to get the True Ending, you must get through three phases instead of two. The final one is downright brutal. Eigong will slash across your screen with such ferocity, you’ll find yourself having to start over quickly, and a lot more than once.

#6: Demi-Fiend

“Shin Megami Tensei V” (2021)

The protagonist of “Shin Megami Tensei III” has since become one of the hardest bosses in the entire series. In the fifth game, you should absolutely NOT seek out the optional fight until your party is max level. And even then, you’re in for a nightmare. The Demi-Fiend has high resistance to most damage types, and has the possibility to heal himself back to max health. So, it will definitely be a gauntlet. His own power is clearly no joke either. He can hit your entire party, dealing massive damage to everyone, he can simply insta-kill you if you don’t meet the right conditions, and he’ll constantly summon demonic minions to back him up as quickly as you put them down.

#5: Yozora

“Kingdom Hearts III: Re Mind” (2020)

Only after conquering a rush of bosses in the “Kingdom Hearts III” DLC will you be given the opportunity to face its secret boss, Yozora. And he makes everything else that came before him look like a cakewalk. He’s another foe who’s incredibly fast, with the extra ability to teleport rubbing salt in the wound as he peppers you with damage. His attacks also come in a variety of ranges and combinations, meaning a variety of ways to kill you since they all hurt pretty damn bad. Even more insulting is his ability to possibly steal your items and health with a single move, which is just plain uncool.

#4: The Roaring Knight

“Deltarune: Chapter 3” (2025)

Good. Lord. If you’ve been waiting for a successor to Sans from “Undertale,” creator Toby Fox obliged with the Roaring Knight. The villain confronts you at the end of “Deltarune: Chapter 3.” And while you don’t have to defeat them, doing so will bring an unmatched sense of accomplishment. Just be prepared to die a lot before you earn it. Attacks are lightning quick, and deal almost absurd amounts of damage. An item earned from an entirely different hidden boss can give one party member resistance. Even with it, your reaction time needs to be perfect to withstand the bombardment. Settle in for at least a few hours, because you’re going to need them.

#3: Arlecchino, the Blood Artist

“Lies of P: Overture” (2025)

And here we thought the Nameless Puppet was bad. At the end of the “Overture” DLC for “Lies of P,” you’ll be tasked with surviving Arlechhino, the Blood Artist. ‘Survive’ being the operative word. Since this is a Soulslike, you can expect an overwhelming offense that will see your body hit the ground over and over again. Sure, you’ve got an ally, Lea, to back you up and draw his attacks. But then you’ll need to revive her once she goes down, which will happen frequently, unless you want to follow her quickly after. The second phase is just cruel. Arlecchino will be faster and stronger, and his attacks can cover huge sections of the arena, leaving you with little safe space.

#2: Simon

“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” (2025)

Every now and then, an RPG boss reaches legendary status among players as a challenge only the most diehard can overcome. For “Clair Obscur,” that boss is Simon. Across three phases, his single slashes eventually multiply. Meaning, every attack that lands has the potential to hit you several times. He also gains more powerful attacks in the second and third phases that are hard to read and react to. We haven’t even gotten to the worst part. If a party member goes down, and you don’t revive them before his turn, he has the chance to remove them entirely. At half health, he’ll remove your three starters regardless, forcing you to use your two back-ups for the rest of the fight. Truly, an exceptional challenge.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Gná, “God of War Ragnarök” (2022)

The New Valkyrie Queen Knows Just How to Bring the Pain

Galdera, The Fallen, “Octopath Traveler II” (2023)

The First Game’s Villain Shows He Was Holding Back

Erlang, The Sacred Divinity, “Black Myth: Wukong” (2024)

This Secret Final Boss Will Make Sure You’re Worthy of Seeing the True Ending

#1: Promised Consort Radahn

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

FromSoftware has become the king of difficult boss fights thanks to its Souls formula, often replicated but never quite duplicated. It wouldn’t feel right not giving them the top spot. And we can safely say that Promised Consort Radahn deserves it. Fought at the end of the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC, Radahn’s first phase features stronger versions of the attacks from his original fight; coming much faster and hitting much harder. If you can make it through that, the second phase is a rage-inducing, controller-shattering trial of madness. Miquella shows up to help him, making us feel genuine despair. Massive AOEs, wicked quick sword strikes, a soulcrushing insta-kill, and more! This may be the hardest fight FromSoftware has delivered, which is saying quite a lot.

Have you vanquished any of these bosses? Which one gave you the hardest time? Share your thoughts in the comments!