The 25 Toughest Video Game Bosses to Beat of All Time

If you’ve ever had “gamer’s rage” over a boss that just won’t die, then fear not, we’re here for you!

We can’t even begin to count the number of times our controllers have ended up halfway across the room or been smashed into a thousand pieces, due to an infuriating boss that seems impossible to kill.

Well, we haven’t managed to defeat all of them on this list just yet, but we have made our way through a fair few of them. So, on the ones we have defeated, you’ll find some handy tips that might just help you beat the boss of your nightmares!

Here’s a list of the 25 toughest video game bosses to beat of all time.

The 25 Toughest Video Game Bosses to Beat of All Time

The list of video game bosses and figures mentioned below have been compiled from various sources around the web, such as Screen Rant & DBLTAP.

These are the 25 toughest video game bosses to beat of all time:

25. Mundus – Devil May Cry

Devil May Cry is an action-adventure hack and slash, developed and published by Capcom.

The game centers around the main character, Dante, a demon hunter that’s on a personal mission to avenge his mother’s murder and eradicate all demons. After working his way through each mission, only one demon remains, Mundus!

Mundus, the ruler of the Demon World, is the final boss in Devil May Cry and the twenty-fifth toughest video games boss to beat of all time.

24. Atheon – Destiny

Destiny is an online-only multiplayer first-person shooter that was developed and published by Bungie.

Players are tasked with protecting the earth from several different alien races, and, as a “Guardian”, you must wield the power of light and use it to preserve earth’s last safe city.

If you manage to traverse the Gorgons labyrinth undetected, in the “Vault of Glass”, then you’ll come face to face with Antheon!

Good luck, as Atheon is no pushover. He’s one of the most challenging bosses in video games for a reason.

23. Through the Fire And Flames – Guitar Hero III

Guitar Hero III is a music rhythm game, published by Activision, and is the third installment in the Guitar Hero Series.

Ok, it’s technically not a “Boss” per se, but it’s way more complicated than other video game bosses that didn’t make the list. Therefore, we’ve classed it like a boss.

Through the Fire And Flames by Dragon Force is already an expert piece of music that most accomplished guitarists would struggle to play.

So, playing it on a video games console with no prior guitar experience, will drive you bonkers!

22. M.Bison – Street Fighter II

Street Fight II is a competitive fighting game developed by Capcom and released worldwide in 1991.

M.Bison is the final boss in the game and a tough one at that. You have to make sure to keep your distance and time your attacks carefully, as just one toss from the criminal overlord will knock off a third of your life.

Characters with projectile attacks have a higher chance of success, however, if you find yourself up against M.Bison, just keep going, as, with a lot of trial and era, you’ll win!

Street Fight II is regarded as one of the best video games of all time.

21. Dark Link – Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was released worldwide in 1987 and developed and published by Nintendo.

It’s an action-role playing game and the sequel to The Legend of Zelda.

Dark Link is, without a doubt, one of the toughest bosses to beat as he’s super-fast, and his attacks come just as quick as they have gone, meaning it’s almost impossible to attack him.

To defeat him, you’ll have to have spot-on reflexes and the patience of a god!

20. Dracula – Castlevania

Castlevania is a gothic-horror video game series about vampire hunters that was developed by Konami.

Defeating Dracula in Castlevania is perhaps more frustrating than tough, as each time he kills you, you have to start all over again.

When the game was released, players had no idea how to defeat Dracula, but as the years went by, more tips and tactics circulated online, so he became a lot easier to beat and a lot less frustrating.

TIP: Make sure you’re stocked up on hearts, and Holy Water’s your best friend!

19. Wizpig – Diddy Kong Racing

Diddy Kong Racing is a racing game developed and published by Rare for the N64 in November 1997.

The game is about Diddy Kong and his friends as they try to defeat an intergalactic enemy, Wizpig, by winning a series of races.

Wizpig must be defeated twice during the game, once on dry land, and once in space, but it’s the first race that will prove to be the hardest.

The one-on-one race is hard as hell, so your best bet is to make use of the Zippers that are located around the track as these will give you a much-needed boost if you want to have any chance of catching the pig-wizard!

18. Emerald Weapon – Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII is a role-playing game developed by Square specifically for the PlayStation games console.

It was released in 1997 and is the seventh game in the Final Fantasy series.

Players decide whether or not they want to try and take on this boss, and if they do, they’ll be taking a trip underwater in a submarine, as Emerald Weapon is located at the bottom of the ocean.

This is a hard one due to the 20-minute time limit and his one million HP, so speed and accuracy are crucial if you stand any chance of defeating him in the allotted time.

TIP: Avoid the time limit by acquiring the Underwater Materia during the game before attempting to defeat the Emerald Weapon.

17. Whitney – Pokémon Gold/Silver

Pokémon Gold & Silver are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo in 1999 for the GameBoy and GameBoy Color.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. A Pokémon gym trainer that’s not a member of the Elite Four is the seventeenth toughest video game boss to beat of all time?!

Well, she may not be a boss, but her Miltank certainly packs a punch. You’ll do well trying to avoid its moves, and we’ll be surprised if you manage to defeat this boss on your first attempt!

16. Ender Dragon – Minecraft 

Developed by Mojang, Minecraft is a sandbox video game that was released as a “Public Alpha” in 2009, before being officially released in 2011.

Minecraft has become massively popular and is the best-selling video game of all time. Players can explore a blocky procedurally-generated 3D world, building, mining, crafting, and competing.

However, what most don’t know is that there’s a boss in the game, who goes by the name “Ender Dragon.” She waits for players at the end of the story, and she’s certainly no pushover.

Make sure to stock up on diamond weapons and armor as you’re going to be in for a tough time.

TIP: Bring Golden Apples if you can.

15. Ares – God of War

God of War is a 2018 action-video game that was developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive.

You’ll play as the former Greek God of War, Kratos, and work your way through the game until you face the current God of War, Ares!

Let’s just say Ares is one hell of a fighter, and putting him down is going to take some doing.

You’ll need to make sure your mind is prepped for this one, as he’s a sneaky so-and-so, and powerful as hell!

14. Ornstein And Smough – Dark Souls

The fourteenth toughest boss to beat of all time is Ornstein and Smough.

Yes, there’s two of them. Two for the price of one, and boy do you know they’re both there.

As a cursed undead character, your mission is two embark on a pilgrimage to uncover the fate of your kind.

However, several enemies try and stand in your way, and Ornstein and Smough are your final battle before you’re able to unlock the truth.

They’re hard to defeat because there’s two of them, and they complement each other well. One’s slow and powerful, and the other is fast and agile, so timing is everything with these two!

TIP: Summon another player if you want to take the easier route.

13. Alma – Ninja Gaiden

Released in 2004, Ninja Gaiden is an action-adventure video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo.

In a quest to recover a stolen sword and avenge the death of his clan, Ryu Hayabusa, a master ninja, faces a tough road to get the rewards he wants. He encounters many enemies and difficult trials along the way until he finally meets Alma, the final boss he must defeat.

Defeating her is a challenge due to her speed, power, and rapid-fire projectile attacks. So, time your attacks well and wait for the right opportunities, as she won’t go down without a fight!

12. C’Thun – World Of Warcraft

World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORG) that was developed and released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2004.

Laying wait in the Temple of Ahn-Qiraj is one of the toughest bosses of all time, C’Thun, a massive eyeball covered in eyeballs thats deathly tentacles will do some severe damage.

Inspiring insanity at anyone that stays around him too long, C’Thun will put you down with any one of several attacks.

Get too close, and you’ll be face deep in acid inside his stomach, which will destroy your health in a heartbeat, or take a hit from an eyeball beam, and you’ll be wishing you never entered his realm.

Thanks to some patches being released over the years, C’Thun has become a lot easier to defeat.

However, don’t let that misguide you, as he’s still the twelfth toughest video games boss for a reason!

11. Goro – Mortal Kombat

One of our favorite games of all time, Mortal Kombat, was originally developed by Midway Games Chicago in 1992 and gained a reputation for high levels of violent content, most notably, Fatalities!

Players compete in a tournament of the seven realms for the chance to have the continual freedom of their realm. The second-to-last boss is Goro, and in our opinion, is way harder to defeat than the last due to his size, strength, and extra pair of arms.

You don’t want to find yourself being attacked by this four-armed dragon beast any time soon, as grabbing you with those arms will do some severe damage.

TIP: Use Sub-Zeros freeze moves to stun Goro and free him up for attack.

10. Yellow Devil – Mega Man

The tenth toughest video game boss to beat of all time is the Yellow Devil.

Mega Man is a science fiction video game developed by Capcom and released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1987.

The Yellow Devil is a gigantic robot that’s only weak spot is his red eye in the center of his face. However, getting to his soft spot is tough, as it’s only visible for a small portion of the fight, and he can only take a single hit at a time, which slows the whole process down immensely.

Using the Thunder Beam on his red eye will speed things up a bit, but make sure to keep dodging his attacks and stay alive until he’s down for good!

9. Senator Armstrong – Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an action hack and slash developed by Platinum Games and released by Konami Digital Entertainment.

In the game, players control a cyborg called Raiden, who goes up against Desperado Enforcement, a private military company, and tries taking them down.

When you meet the final boss of the Metal Gear Solid spin-off, Senator Armstrong, you’ll wish you never set eyes on him in the first place, as he has increased strength and durability thanks to the nanotechnology implanted inside him.

The best thing to do with this boss is to be patient, knock his health down, and wait until the second half of the battle before you launch your final attack. It’s far more comfortable that way.

8. Psycho Mantis – Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear Solids boss, Psycho Mantis, is precisely that, Psycho!!

He’s not the eighth toughest video game boss to beat of all time of no reason, that’s for sure.

With abilities like being able to read your memory card, making you put your controller in the second port slot, and being an overall badass, you’ll soon begin to realize why he’s ranked as one of the toughest bosses of all time.

TIP: Use your time wisely. Strategy and timing are critical.

7. Mike Tyson – Punch-Out!!

Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and was released in 1987.

If you manage to make it to the end, then you’re blessed with the opportunity to face Mike Tyson! Mike is the final boss in the game and towers over your little character, Little Mac.

The only way you’re going to win is by dodging his ferocious punches and timing your counterpunch precisely. Otherwise, you’ll be flat on your back, knocked out in seconds!

TIP: Just react to his punches and don’t move around unless you have to.

6. Orphan Of Kos – Bloodborne

Bloodborne is an action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Sony Computer Entertainment.

The game was released worldwide on the PlayStation 4 in 2015. It follows a hunter as he travels through Yarnham, a Gothic Victorian-era City that’s inhabitants are infected with an abnormal blood-borne disease.

Once you come face to face with the Orphan of Kos, you’ll be met with a series of both close and wide attacks, so the sooner you learn his style, the better.

Stick to his left if you can as the majority of his attacks come from the right. And don’t be tempted to step back when he jumps toward you, as staying the distance and using a backstab will be rewarded in the long run.

5. Sephiroth – Kingdom Hearts

Kingdom Hearts is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix.

The game revolves around the main character, Sora, and his dealings with various Square Enix, Disney and Pixar characters.

When you finally face Sephiroth, you’ll soon realize just how good he is and how difficult it’s going to be to take him down. He can block almost all of your attacks and can counter in the blink of an eye, so the best way to defeat him is to attack from behind.

TIP: There are several resources, equipment, and abilities you can get before going up against him.

4. Nemesis – Resident Evil 3

Resident Evil 3 is a survival horror video game developed by Capcom and released in 1999.

Nemesis is a boss that’s encountered several times throughout the games, but the final battle is where he’s at his best and the hardest to beat.

There’s not much we can offer in terms of advice for this boss, other than to use your agility to your advantage and be patient, as he most definitely can be defeated.

Check out the Resident Evil 3 Remake that was released in 2020!

3. Absolute Virtue – Final Fantasy XI

Final Fantasy XI is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORG) developed and published by Square Enix.

Absolute Virtue is the third toughest boss of all time for good reason. If you want to drive yourself completely nuts and lose hours of your life trying to kill this boss, then this is the one for you.

Verging on the realm of insanity, Absolute Virtue went undefeated for years until developers realized how difficult it was for players to defeat. So they decided to release a patch that knocked her HP down considerably and installed a two-hour time limit.

Even with those additions, Absolute Virtue is still insanely tricky and one of the toughest video game bosses to beat of all time.

2. Skolas – Destiny

Destiny is an online-only first-person shooter that was developed by Bungie and published by Activision.

The game was released worldwide on September 9, 2014, for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One consoles.

Skolas is the final boss of the House of Wolves expansion and by far the toughest enemy to take down in the whole game. You’re going to need a well-vetted team of players to take him down, as he’s got some insane moves stocked up under his cape.

Think yourself lucky that you’re going up against him now, as players that took him on when the game was initially released fought him when he had double the HP and even more modifications.

So, make sure your teams know how to work together before you even dream of taking him on. Otherwise, you’ll be sorry!

1. The Nameless King – Dark Souls III

Dark Souls III is the third installment in the Dark Souls series and was developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco in 2016.

By far, the toughest video game boss to beat of all time, in our opinion, The Nameless King, has several moves and tricks up his sleeve that will leave you begging for an easy ride.

However, that’s not what you’re going to get as you’ll first have to take out his pet dragon, who’s also a nightmare to kill, and then you’ll have to face the King’s fast attacks and devastating blows.

The best thing you can do is be patient and try and memorize his attack sequences, dodge, and block when you can and attack when you see fit.

Good luck, you’re going to need it!

Summary

We hope you enjoyed our list of the 25 toughest video game bosses to beat of all time.

I don’t know about you, but defeating a boss that’s “almost” impossible to beat is an excellent feeling when it finally happens, even if it takes days, weeks, or months. It’s worth it!

So, we’re going to continue to work our way through this list and defeat every single one!

Don’t forget to read our list of the hardest video game levels to complete.

Here’s a quick recap of the 25 toughest video game bosses to beat of all time:

1. The Nameless King – Dark Souls III
2. Skolas – Destiny
3. Absolute Virtue – Final Fantasy XI
4. Nemesis – Resident Evil 3
5. Sephiroth – Kingdom Hearts
6. Orphan Of Koz – Bloodborne
7. Punch-Out!! – Mike Tyson
8. Psycho Mantis – Metal Gear Solid
9. Senator Armstrong- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
10. Yellow Devil – Mega Man
11. Goro – Mortal Kombat
12. C’Thun – World Of Warcraft
13. Alma – Ninja Gaiden
14. Ornstein And Smough – Dark Souls
15. Ares – God of War
16. Ender Dragon – Minecraft
17. Whitney – Pokémon Gold/Silver
18. Emerald Weapon – Final Fantasy VII
19. Wizpig Diddy Kong Racing
20. Dracula – Castlevania
21. Dark Link – Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
22. M.Bison – Street Fighter II
23. Guitar Hero III – Through the Fire and Flames
24. Atheon – Destiny
25. Mundus – Devil May Cry

Who’s the toughest video game boss you’ve beaten? Leave a comment below.