Some boss fights in video games are just meant to challenge you, and then there are those that feel like they’re actively trying to break your spirit. These are the fights that stick with you. The ones that take hours or even days to beat. They force you to learn every move, time every dodge, and keep your cool under pressure. And when you finally win? That’s pure satisfaction.
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That is why we are taking a look at some of the toughest boss fights in modern video games.
Malenia (Elden Ring)
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+ 8Malenia in Elden Ring is one of those bosses where, right from the start, you can tell it’s going to be rough. Her combos are sharp, and she gets healed every time she hits you. Even if you manage to block her, she gets some health back. So you have no choice but to do a clean takedown, because you can't afford to trade blows like in normal battles.
And to make it worse, once you finally get her health to zero, she transforms. In the second phase, she becomes even deadlier with more unpredictable attack patterns. She’s constantly pressuring you, and you will find barely any time to breathe. It's going to be tough but fair.
Sigrun (God of War 2018)
click to enlarge+ 8Sigrun is the last Valkyrie, and she's by far the toughest boss in the game. To reach her, you'll need to defeat the rest of the Valkyries first, which will already be quite a challenge. But when you get to fight her, she just does everything they did to you, but a lot quicker. Her attacks keep on coming one after another with little or no notice. You must be on your guard at all times.
This fight really tests how well you’ve learned the combat system. If you beat her, you know you’ve earned it.
Sword Saint Isshin (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)
click to enlarge+ 8Isshin is the final boss, and to be honest, he feels like the perfect end to Sekiro. Before you even get to him, you have to beat Genichiro again, which already sets the tone. Then Isshin shows up and completely changes the pace.
You have to fight him across multiple phases. At first, it’s swordplay. Then he starts using a spear, a gun, and eventually even lightning. The fight is going to be longer than usual, but during the entire duration, you can’t lose control for even a second.
Mike Tyson (Punch-Out!!)
click to enlarge+ 8Even though this fight is from an old NES game, it’s still talked about today. That says a lot. Tyson hits hard, and his punches in the first round can knock you out instantly. You only have a tiny window to dodge, and if you miss it, then it's over. Unlike most of the F2F battles, you will find that it's less about luck and more about learning his patterns and reacting fast. There’s no filler here. You have to rely on just pure reflexes and muscle memory.
Sister Friede (Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel)
click to enlarge+ 8You will find this battle a bit tricky, not because it is hard, but because it keeps changing on you. At first, it feels like a one-on-one duel where she’s quick, but it’s something you can handle if you stay focused. And just when you think it’s over, there’s a third phase. She comes back, stronger and more aggressive, with dark flame powers. The whole fight is long, and you have to stay sharp the entire time.
Demon of Hatred (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)
click to enlarge+ 8The Demon of Hatred is one of those fights that just feels different from the rest of the game. Up until this point, Sekiro was all about precision deflecting and reading sword moves. But this boss? It throws all that out the window. This time, you will be up against a massive, raging beast that can cover more than you, giving you very little space to dodge.
What makes the fight hard is how long it is. He’s got three full health bars, and each phase gets crazier. The first one isn’t too bad once you learn his patterns, but phase two starts mixing in these huge firewalls and explosions that can trap you if you're not active enough.
Orphan of Kos (Bloodborne: The Old Hunters)
click to enlarge+ 8The Orphan of Kos is one of those fights that sticks in people’s heads because it checks all the boxes for what makes a boss fight not just hard, but unforgettable. First off, the difficulty spike is real. You’ve already made it through The Old Hunters DLC, which isn’t exactly easy, and just when you think you’ve seen it all, the game throws this nightmare at you.
The creature you are fighting against is fast, and its moves don’t follow any clean, readable pattern like other bosses. It feels chaotic, almost unfair, a bit, until you start studying him and realize it’s just barely manageable. That balance between impossible and doable is what makes it somehow engaging.
Radagon & Elden Beast (Elden Ring)
click to enlarge+ 8Let me tell you it’s not just one fight, but it’s two, back-to-back, with no break in between. And both parts are completely different from each other, which throws a lot of players off.
First, you fight Radagon, who is slow but hits incredibly hard. His timing is tricky, and he uses holy magic that spreads out in all directions. It’s easy to dodge too early or too late.
Right after him, the Elden Beast shows up, and it’s a total shift. The fight becomes more about chasing this huge creature while dodging light-based attacks and tracking beams.
Although these were our Top 8 best picks for the hardest boss fights of this decade, there are more brutal Bosses out there that absolutely deserve a spot alongside the ones we've already covered. These are:
- Vergil (Devil May Cry 5)
- The Nameless King (Dark Souls III)
- Fatalis (Monster Hunter World: Iceborne)
- Darkeater Midir (Dark Souls III: The Ringed City)
- Radiance / Absolute Radiance (Hollow Knight)
Do you think we missed someone else? Feel free to tell us your picks on social media!
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