Top 10 Video Game Boss Fights with the Best Music

“Sonic Frontiers” (2022) Whatever you think of the fluctuating state of modern Sonic the Hedgehog games, there’s always been a thread that’s remained true throughout the blue blur’s tenure – his soundtracks always slap. And nowhere is this better proven than in Frontiers. Despite the rest of the OST largely being zen in its execution, the boss battles go hard. Like, insanely so. The best example comes from the first boss, a giant sentient robot, complete with a theme song featuring Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens fame. We didn’t know we needed Super Sonic beating the tar out of a mecha while screaming vocals blasted in the background, but Undefeatable proved that we did.

#9: The Mantis Lords

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“Hollow Knight” (2017) Christopher Larkin is a mad lad of a composer, as every track to come out of this Metroidvania is exceptional. Though to our ears, one of the earliest boss confrontations goes the hardest. The Mantis Lords are fast and frenzied in their approach to combat, something that is effortlessly reflected in their theme, courtesy of one hell of a musical motif. The way the harpsichord is used to dictate the pace of the battle while simultaneously amplifying the pressure is a masterstroke. Unless you’re able to match both the Lords and the song’s pace, then you’re in for a mighty rough time.

“Undertale” (2015) Sans and Megalomania were, without a doubt, a viral phenomenon, and rightly so. That being said…when it comes to Toby Fox’s crowning composition, it undoubtedly goes to the final bout against Asriel come the end of the Pacifist Route. Not only is the battle filled to the brim with Undertale’s signature charm and out of the box animation, but the accompanying song – Hopes and Dreams – is the Butterscotch-Cinnamon-flavoured cherry on top. If determination had a musical score, this would be it. And that’s without gushing about how intrinsically it ties to the game as a whole since it carries various flares and motifs from the game’s previous songs. It’s a tune that truly makes you believe you can best an omnipotent god goat.

#7: The Red Judge

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“Metal Hellsinger” (2022) Do we even need to make a case for this? It’s Serj Tankian. You know, beloved vocalist of System of a Down, heavy metal icon Serj Tankian? Well, in case you didn’t know, he sang the theme for the final boss in a shoot-em-up rhythm game already filled to the brim with equally talented members of the industry. Naturally, the result was magnificent. The only downside is that the song itself is so much of a head-banger that you may end up forgetting to shoot the hellish abomination in front of you! If nothing else, No Tomorrow deserves a spot in your music library for that fact alone!

“Bloodborne” (2015) FromSoftware’s creativity and diligence when it comes to their boss fights is the furthest thing from limited. Not only do their always nail the visual presentation of the horror the player must overcome, but they always – ALWAYS – come paired with an incredible soundtrack. And Ludwig might just be the pinnacle in both categories. Much like the battle itself, the song comes in two phases. The Accursed is an ode to dread itself, an overpowering barrage of classical and gothic flourishes to whisk you away to your doom. And then it shifts into the Holy Blade – the triumphant return of a warrior lost, who’s reclaiming of both their weapon and their soul comes complete with a thundering anthem that is all too easy to be swept up in.

“Shadow of the Colossus” (2005) You’d be hard pressed to find any of the Colossi lacking when it comes to sweeping, haunting theme songs, but there’s something about the Fifth Colossus that just hits different. Echoing the sensation of clinging to the ancient beast as it soars through the air, A Despair-Filled Farewell is a booming, powerful track that invokes wonder, fear and exhilaration. It perfectly captures the rush of Wander traversing Avion’s wingspan in the fleeting hope of slaying it before it sends him crashing down to earth. It’s one of the most gratifying examples of video game music and mechanics perfectly meshing together.

#4: Dante

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“Devil May Cry 5” (2019) The final battle against Vergil was the DMC franchise reclaiming its crown in the realm of action games. That being said, the alternative showdown against Dante during Vergil’s campaign might be a cut above the rest. Why? Well, aside from the fact you get to play as Mr Motivation himself, we can get to listen to Bury the Light; a song that has no right to be this many shades of epic. Just when you thought Casey Edwards had finished cooking, he gifts us with a track that goes far and beyond smoking, sexy and stylish!

“Final Fantasy XVI” (2023) It’s Soken. What did you expect? The man has been releasing hit after hit for years now, though we’d argue that his collection of tracks chronicling Clive’s tale of revenge might just be his magnum opus. Final Fantasy XVI plays host to a multitude of incredible set pieces often accompanied by stellar tracks, but none quite match Clive battling against his inner demons, in the most literal sense. The moment he accepts the truth, activates his Limit Break and throws himself into the fray – we’re treated to the unfiltered magnificence that is Find the Flame. Just try watching a kaiju battle between two Ifrits with this blasting in the background and NOT be rendered speechless.

“Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” (2013) Practically every boss encountered in Raiden’s hack and slash saga comes equipped with an outrageously awesome theme song, but there’s one that stands above them all in both stature and sound. It Has to Be This Way lyrically tackles some pretty heavy stuff in regard to Armstrong’s ideology about why he’s got to burn the modern world down and start over…not that you’ll be able to pay too much attention on that front since the instrumentals are so entrancing, and the battle itself so hectic, that the result is a smorgasbord of rock that will have head-banging right up until you rip out the Senator’s heart. It certainly puts the metal in metal gear!

“Baldur’s Gate 3” (2023) What’s better than a boss battle with a charismatic, menacing, Luciferian figure? A boss fight with a charismatic, menacing Luciferian figure…who sings his own theme song! Raphael was already on track to be one of the most brilliantly written video game villains in recent memory, but then he went and displayed his vocal range by busting out a tune that would put classic Disney to shame. Fittingly titled Raphael’s Final Act, the song boasts a sinister ambiance courtesy of its orchestral background, right before the devil himself interjects with his solo. It’s so unexpected yet so devilishly on-brand for the character we can’t help but adore it. Which video game boss do you think has the greatest song to their name? Let us know in the comments!