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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the most
00:15challenging boss battles over the last 25 years. Keep in mind we will be
00:20including DLCs as their own entry, if necessary.
00:31Final Fantasy 9
00:39In the pantheon of superbosses found across the Final Fantasy franchise, few fill us with
00:44as much dread as this blinding ball of difficulty. Should you manage to navigate the hefty prerequisites,
00:50you'll find yourself given the chance to take on Ozma. And trust us, it is not going to make things
00:55easy for you. Not only does it have some absurd attacks under its non-existent belt, such as
01:00Meteor and level 5 death, but it will never use an elemental attack that can be absorbed or negated.
01:07Best stack up on those Phoenix Downs. A lot of them.
01:10Omega Dead or Alive 3
01:28Early fighting game bosses are known for their cheapness and tendency to abuse the limits of
01:32what the player character can do. Omega easily slips into that bracket. First things first,
01:38what is up with this camera angle? You're liable to get disorientated by the sudden shift in view
01:43before Omega cheap shots you from afar. And yes, he does have projectiles. From fire to lightning to
01:50shockwaves, unless you're quick to roll your fighter out of the way, you can easily find yourself knocked
01:55to the floor, primed for a follow-up attack. It's a cycle of punishment that Omega loves to exploit.
02:08Zephyroth Kingdom Hearts
02:10Leaping out of Final Fantasy and into the role of secret boss, The One Winged Angel is waiting for
02:24those who dare to try and best the Olympic Coliseum's platinum match. As expected, Zephyroth is a beast,
02:32carrying over his moveset from the beloved JRPG into the hack-slash-medium. Aside from having immense reach with
02:38his sword and being able to summon his signature supernova on the fly, the real danger stems from
02:44his Heartless Angel technique, which can instantly reduce Sora's HP and MP to their minimum. Not even
02:51Disney can quell Zephyroth's propensity for slaughter.
03:02Darth Malak
03:03Star Wars, Knights of the Old Republic
03:06I will do the same to you. You will be trapped in a terrible existence between life and death.
03:13Whether you follow the path of the Jedi or wholly embrace the dark side,
03:17this Sith Lord is still going to cause you no end of trouble. Malak's attack and defense are the
03:22highest in the game, and depending on your stats, will be able to devastate you with his flurries.
03:27Along with his force immunity and lightning, he also has 8 captive Jedi that he can use to replenish
03:33himself. Unless you're quick to save or kill them yourself, then this duel of the fates is one you
03:38are destined to lose.
03:48The End. Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater.
03:52Do you hear me, Snake? I am the End.
04:01This ancient sniper is perpetually a step away from death's door. Not that it will stop him from
04:06riddling you with bullets. Able to camouflage himself and seemingly shoot Snake down from any
04:11angle? Locating the End's hiding spot is just as much of a challenge as getting in a shot of your
04:16own. It's a meticulous and borderline arduous process that will force you to play by his rules,
04:22as opposed to running and gunning your way to victory. That is, of course, if you didn't take
04:27the coward's way out of pre-emptively shooting the End in an earlier level, or changing your game
04:32console's internal clock to kill the geezer via old age.
04:35I can return to the forum. I'll land.
04:44Virgil. Devil May Cry 3. Dante's Awakening.
04:49Unfortunately, our souls are at odds, brother. I need more power.
04:56Dante's brother is a lot of things. Effortlessly cool, callous and cynical,
05:01and possibly the hardest boss of his generation. The speed at which he can deal damage is insane,
05:08made all the worse by his ability to parry counter and bust out his own devil trigger as swiftly as
05:13his sibling. Just when you might think you've finally worn him down and got to grips with his
05:18attack patterns, he'll ramp everything up to 11 and fill the screen with his judgement cuts.
05:23Like with anything Virgil related, it is all too easy to be overwhelmed.
05:37Nick's Avatar Persona 3.
05:3914 phases. 14! In the long history of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei bosses,
05:54few struck fear into the hearts of players quite like this nightmarish Endbringer. Just when you
05:59might think you've got to read on its weaknesses and strengths, it will shift to a new tarot card and
06:04switch it all up, forcing you to readjust your tactics on the fly. Made all the worse by Persona 3's
06:10brutal fatigue system. Unless you've prepared beforehand, this boss is going to be an unforgiving gauntlet.
06:17Zeus, God of War 2.
06:34The God of Thunder takes no prisoners. After Kratos fights through time and fate to take another crack at
06:40eliminating his father, the Kingpin of Olympus demonstrates why he's the top of the Pantheon.
06:45First, he grows to the size of a mountain, sending out bolts and shockwaves,
06:49all the while summoning a horde of sirens for you to contend with.
06:53Things arguably get even more difficult when Zeus returns to normal size,
06:57since he's either going to beat your Spartan ass all around the arena with fisticuffs,
07:01or steal the blade of Olympus for himself.
07:04The Hunter. Dead Space.
07:21A derelict spaceship filled with mutated creatures made from corpses was hellish enough, but then along
07:27came this unkillable monster to further ruin Isaac Clarke's day. An entity crafted by the
07:32zealous unitologists, the Hunter is essentially a super necromorph. You can shoot off its limbs,
07:38you can freeze it in place, but it will always regrow when it's lost and resume the chase.
07:43It's not until the final stages of the game that you'll have the chance to incinerate it,
07:47but even that's far easier said than done.
07:59Rodan. Bayonetta.
08:07Between Heaven and Hell, there's no greater weaponsmith than Rodan. Supplying Bayonetta with
08:12armaments and cheesy dialogue, he's one of the Umbra Witch's most trusted confidants. He's also a
08:18hidden boss that can be fought across all three games in the series. In his first incarnation,
08:23Rodan takes on an angelic guise, which is fitting because this man dishes out divine punishment like
08:29nobody else. His main attack may just consist of dashes and punches, but getting hit even once can
08:36spell your doom. Best dodge like your life depends on it, because Father Rodan doesn't believe in
08:41turning the other cheek. Zeus, God of War 3.
09:04That's right, he's back, and now he's hitting harder than ever. The final clash between Father and Son
09:09amidst the ruins of Olympus is pure hype. Despite players being armed with an outrageous assortment
09:15of godly weaponry, Zeus is still the biggest challenge of the original trilogy. The first phase
09:20of the fight acts as a borderline 2D beat em up, with Zeus lashing out with lightning, teleportation,
09:25and some lethal haymakers to knock Kratos down for the count. This eventually shifts to the inside of
09:31the titan Gaia. While you certainly have more room to move here, Zeus will also clone himself.
09:37Lag your attacks for too long, and he'll smite you where you stand.
09:48Ornstein and Smao, Dark Souls
09:57As you might have guessed, there's going to be a lot of bosses related to the Souls series among this
10:02collection. Starting with what might just be the franchise's most iconic duo. Attacking in unison,
10:09both the Executioner and Dragonslayer offer two distinct yet equally gruelling challenges.
10:14While one will use their size and scale to crush you, the other is faster and can unleash lightning
10:19from afar. Of course, even after you cut down one of them, the trouble is just beginning, on account that
10:24the other will take the Fallen's power for themselves. There's no easy choice here, only pain and persistence.
10:31Manus, Father of the Abyss. Dark Souls, Artorias of the Abyss.
10:43We told you, the Souls train isn't stopping anytime soon. Dark Souls' first ever DLC took
10:57everyone's chosen undead into the heart of its corrupted world, presenting them with its greatest
11:02hero and villain. The latter of which just happens to be the hardest boss in the original game, bar none.
11:08Manus is a towering foe who deals immense physical and magical damage in equal measure. This would
11:14go on to become something of a trend in Souls games going forward. DLC bosses are a whole different
11:20breed and not to be messed with. Senator Armstrong. Metal Gear Rising for a Vengeance.
11:39He's the ultimate American. And for the sake of rebuilding the nation, he's going to lay the
11:45smack down on Raiden and anyone else who gets in his way. Not only is Armstrong the meme that keeps on
11:51giving, but his battle is one of Metal Gear's most demanding. Even with Raiden's sword skills and speed,
11:57Armstrong's blows are devastating. Unless you're adept with parries and dodges, he's going to beat the
12:03nanomachines out of you each and every time. He can shave off attacks like they're nothing,
12:08has crazy health, and played college ball. Best watch out.
12:19Fume Knight. Dark Souls 2. Crown of the Old Iron King.
12:23Fans certainly had their issues when it came to this sequel, but everyone was in agreement that
12:35this DLC boss was the most lethal of the bunch. While you might not think much of yet another
12:40Armored Knight in a Souls game, it's when this corrupted warrior goes all out with his Ultra
12:45Greatsword that things get gnarly. Given the range of the lethal smog it exudes and the skewness of its
12:51hitbox, the Fume Knight proved to be unexpectedly punishing.
13:03Orphan of Kos. Bloodborne. The Old Hunters.
13:14It says the lot when a DLC as packed with insanely difficult bosses as this still has one that
13:20definitively overshadows all others. And that would be this monstrosity born of the dead remnants of
13:26an eldritch god. Wielding its own placenta like a club, the orphan is about as unrelenting as they
13:32come, able to pile on crazy amounts of damage in a flash. And that's all before you really piss it
13:38off and it starts bombarding the shoreline with projectiles, lightning, and unholy explosions
13:43are plenty. All these years later and it still finds a way to inspire fear.
13:56Nameless King. Dark Souls 3.
14:06The discovery of Arch Dragon Peak already had fans beyond excited.
14:11What could be lurking within such a well hidden area? The answer turned out to be a boss fight
14:16that broke everyone. The Nameless King not only proved to be a pinnacle piece of Laura's Gwynn's
14:21Forsaken Son, but also a boss battle that put all others in the base game to shame. Atop his Wyvern,
14:28he can blanket the arena in flame. But it's when he decides to settle things mano-a-mano that the
14:33difficulty really spikes. The askew timings of his strikes and swings, the AoE lightning attacks,
14:40get caught by any one of these and it's likely the battle's already over.
14:52Dark Eater Medea. Dark Souls 3. The Ringed City.
14:56Dark Souls 3. The conclusion to the original Dark Souls saga was right with some of the most formidable
15:09foes ever conjured. But none could hold a candle to what just might be the singularly most difficult
15:15dragon boss in all of gaming. Its teeth, claws, and tail alone can tear through an ash of one's health in
15:22no time at all. But when you pair that with its sheer amount of health, the scope of its flame breath,
15:27and its abyssal projectiles, Medea proved itself a mountain of an obstacle to overcome.
15:40Absolute Radiance. Hollow Knight. Godmaster.
15:43Upon its debut, this hidden final boss put everyone through their paces thanks to a combination of
15:55intense platforming, minimal attack windows, and spamming abilities that would fill the screen at any
16:01given moment. It was the truest test for those dead set on getting the best ending. And then along
16:07came the Godmaster DLC, where they decided to give the Radiance the most intense of glow-ups.
16:13The platforming? Even more treacherous. Its attacks? Twice as many, twice as fast.
16:18Openings to counter? Ha! What openings. Don't be shocked if this heavenly moth makes you see the light,
16:25and subsequently break your controller.
16:33Ishin the Sword Saint. Shadows die twice.
16:43Mastering Sekiro's style of combat and navigating its pool of bosses is one thing.
16:48Trying to square off against the likes of Ishin in his prime is another matter entirely.
16:53Thanks to the dying wishes of his grandson combined with the black mortal blade,
16:57Ishin is resurrected, now at his apex. What follows is several stages of gamer grief,
17:03as the Sword Saint won't only test your parry skills to their maximum, but will quite literally
17:08bring the thunder thanks to dual wielding a spear in his second phase that can catch lightning.
17:13It's still up for debate who truly is the most challenging boss FromSoft has developed,
17:17but Ishin at the very least is in the conversation for Top Dog.
17:20Super Tyrant. Resident Evil 2.
17:40Nothing filled players with dread quite like the approaching footsteps of Mr. X.
17:45This walking weapon was unstoppable, hunting down Leon and Claire all throughout the majority of the game,
17:51only able to be stunned with a shotgun blast to the face.
17:55This all comes to a head during the final portion of Leon's side of the campaign,
17:59where Mr. X has swapped the trench coat out for a vicious evolution,
18:03complete with a mutated floor and a serious amount of aggression.
18:07What truly ups the difficulty here is the layout of the fight.
18:10You're stuck on a descending platform with barely any space between Leon and the Super Tyrant.
18:16Throw in a tiny weak spot and limited ammo on hand,
18:19and this encounter has the odds stacked against you from the get go.
18:31Raven Beak. Metroid Dread.
18:41Samus has vanquished all manner of alien scourge in her time as the galaxy's greatest bounty hunter,
18:46but who would have guessed her ultimate challenge would have been her dear old dad.
18:50After manipulating her journey from the start, Raven Beak makes himself known,
18:55who plans to use Samus for his own nefarious gains.
18:58He's also the furthest thing from all bark and no bite,
19:01as this mechanical Chozo is a walking armoury with no end of weaponry to his name.
19:06From launching giant energy waves to miniature suns,
19:09Raven Beak leaves no margin for error, and no room to breathe.
19:13Melania. Blade of Mickela. Elden Ring.
19:34She has never known defeat, but she sure as hell knows how to dish it out.
19:39Every tarnished worth their salt was trepidatious when rumours began to circulate of this demigod.
19:45As we all learned first hand, Melania was a million times more dangerous than we could ever imagine.
19:51Every strike not only did a serious amount of damage, but also healed her.
19:55And that's to say nothing of her now infamous waterfowl dance.
19:58Keep in mind this is all phase one. After she unleashes her true strength as the goddess of rot,
20:04she not only has all her previous skills at her disposal, but can unleash waves of scarlet rock.
20:10Melania is just built different.
20:14Your strength. Extraordinary.
20:18Laksasia the Complete. Lies of Pea.
20:31Standing on the shoulders of soulsborne giants, this brutally brilliant take on the classic Pinocchio tale
20:36left us with no shortage of fearsome foes to best. Though none could compare to the brutality of this
20:42particular puppet. Able to swing her towering sword with shocking ease, Laksasia's rampages can only be
20:49survived if you're a beast with a parry mechanic, or get the hell out of dodge. Though not even that
20:54will save you when she loses the armour in exchange for acting as a lightning rod, able to send out as
20:59many thunderbolts as she does impeding status effects.
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21:24Promised Consort Radahn. Shadow of the Erg Tree.
21:38As if From Software wouldn't find a way to repeat history. Delivering onto us a DLC boss of such
21:45magnitude and ridiculous difficulty that many are still yet to conquer it. Radahn's return isn't
21:51only epic in terms of presentation and lore, but it also proved that just when we thought we had a
21:56grasp on how trying a souls boss can be, along comes this ungodly warrior ready to rip us into pieces.
22:02His sword slashes are as fast as they are hefty, he's got blood and gravity magic on standby,
22:08he's built like a tank, while phase 2 also adds lasers to literally everything. Plus, an instakill move
22:15courtesy of Mikkola, just for good measure.
22:18We have no doubt they'll accomplish it, but we have no idea how you top this.
22:32Which of these bosses prove to be the bane of your existence? Let us know in the comments.
22:37In the mood for more awesome gaming content? Be sure to check out this video here on Mojo Plays.
22:50And don't forget to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
23:03We'll see you next time.
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