Highlights

• Final bosses in video games have evolved to include intricate designs and emotional stakes, leading to epic conclusions.
• Nyx Avatar, Safer-Sephiroth, and other final bosses offer challenging and satisfying climactic encounters.
• From Gwyn in Dark Souls to Ultimecia in Final Fantasy 8, these bosses provide some of the most intense and memorable battles in gaming history.

Final bosses in video games have come a long way since the early days of gaming. As gaming technology has advanced and game design has evolved, final bosses have become more intricate and diverse in their designs. These climactic encounters have also become more cinematic in nature, incorporating elaborate cutscenes, dramatic music, and visually stunning animations to heighten the emotional impact and sense of epicness in these battles.

Final bosses also incorporate narrative elements and emotional stakes, leading to the ending of certain video games turning into bittersweet moments. While it's pretty easy to mess up these encounters, the following boss fights thankfully do a great job of making for a powerful and satisfying conclusion to some of the greatest video games ever made.

Updated on April 5, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: The final boss in any video game is often a challenge that serves as the culmination of everything players have learned up till that point. It becomes important for players to use all of their valuable items, deck themselves out with the strongest weapons and armor possible, and use the strongest suite of abilities to ensure that they can take out these tough confrontations without being overwhelmed. While some of these final bosses can be somewhat unmemorable for a whole host of reasons, there are other final bosses that do a great job of letting players enjoy a satisfying conclusion to the video games they are playing.

13 Nyx Avatar

Ryoji's True Form Signals The Start Of The Apocalypse That SEES Tries To Fight Against

Persona 3 Reload is a near-perfect remake of the original game. The attempts to retain the original plot's pacing and the manner in which the game's cheeriness clashes with some of the game's darker moments can be jarring at times, but everything is forgiven once players listen to the incredible soundtrack and talk to a suite of memorable characters who have aged like a fine wine.

The final boss of this game is Nyx, a version of Ryoji that will signal the end of humanity. What follows is a drawn-out, emotional boss fight where Nyx's Avatar cycles through all available arcana before landing on Death, forcing the heroes to make a final stand to prevent the world from being destroyed. Ultimately, the protagonist sacrifices himself to perform the Great Seal, staying alive just long enough to fulfill his promise to his friends before passing away peacefully.

12 Safer-Sephiroth

An Epic Confrontation Against A Terrifying Version Of Sephiroth

The release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has allowed fans to enjoy the charming story of this legendary game once again with a fresh coat of paint. Of course, in the eyes of many, nothing comes close to matching the brilliance of the original title, which continues to hold its own even now.

The final stretch of the game is as harrowing as they come, with players having to fight Jenova-SYNTHESIS and then Bizarro-Sephiroth before taking on Safer-Sephiroth. This final boss is incredibly challenging, accompanied by one of the greatest pieces of music in gaming history that continues to be iconic to this day. Safer-Sephiroth has access to a range of dangerous abilities that can cause players a lot of trouble, but Supernova is one of the most intimidating. This attack takes two minutes for Sephiroth to perform and showcases a meteor crashing through multiple planets before eventually colliding with the party. Though there is technically one more battle to be fought after defeating Safer-Sephiroth, it is impossible for Cloud to lose, making the confrontation with Safer-Sephiroth the true final boss of the game.

11 Ganondorf

The Final Boss Of Tears Of The Kingdom Stretches The Health Bar Beyond Its Limits

If there was one thing that fans criticized about Breath of the Wild, it's how disappointing the final boss is if players pursue the main quest as intended and shave off the boss' health bar to half. Tears of the Kingdom rectifies this in the best way possible, letting players fight off against a version of Ganondorf so powerful that he shatters the usual limitations of a health bar.

This makes for a challenging confrontation, with Ganondorf using the moveset of the Phantom Ganons with increased speed and power. The fact that he can nail perfect dodges and punish Link for being complacent makes this one of the most epic final encounters, and taking out his dragon form is leagues ahead of the same concept Breath of the Wild toyed around with when Link had to "fight" against Dark Beast Ganon.

10 Gwyn, Lord Of Cinder

An Emotional Climax To One Of The Best Action RPGs Ever Made

Gwyn is the final boss of the original Dark Souls game and is known for his surprisingly emotional and atmospheric battle. The Lord of Cinder is a formidable opponent with a fast and aggressive fighting style, wielding a massive flaming sword that is pretty intimidating to behold.

Gwyn's lore is genuinely tragic, and players aware of this key figure in Dark Souls will enjoy the additional depth to this battle. Beating him is key to unlocking the paths towards the two endings in the game.

9 Flowey

The Final Boss Of The Neutral Route That Transcends The Fourth Wall

Flowey is a seemingly cute creature in Undertale who actually sports a sinister demeanor and constantly hounds the player every step of the way. Fittingly enough, the final boss fight against this foe is as chaotic as one would expect from such a villainous figure.

The battle against Flowey is a multi-phase encounter that involves dodging various attacks and manipulating the game's mechanics to survive. Flowey breaks the fourth wall, engaging with the player directly and challenging their expectations, making for a memorable and meta experience that is unlike any other battle in the series.

8 Kefka

A Jester Who Becomes A Divine Being After Appropriating The Powers Of The Warring Triad

Kefka is the main antagonist and final boss of Final Fantasy 6, known for his sadistic and maniacal personality. The final battle against this psychotic jester is an epic showdown with multiple phases, each featuring unique attacks and abilities before players finally encounter his godly form.

The encounter is challenging and requires careful strategy and preparation to defeat. The music heightens the emotional nature of this battle even more, and "Dancing Mad" is considered by many as one of the greatest video game songs of all time.

7 Saren

A Conflicted Spectre Who Gets Indoctrinated By Sovereign And The Reapers

Saren is the primary antagonist of the first Mass Effect game, being manipulated by the Reapers to do their bidding. As a rogue Spectre, Saren possesses immense power and is a formidable opponent, but he can actually be talked down in the final battle if players have high enough Paragon or Renegade points.

This effectively allows players to skip the first phase of the battle, although the second phase is still active and pretty challenging. Players will need to employ all their skills while also staying alert for the important decision that they'll have to make soon after.

6 Hades

Zagreus' Father Wastes No Time In Showing How Serious He Is

Hades, the god of the Underworld, is the final boss of the eponymous roguelike game. The battle against Hades is a dynamic and challenging encounter that requires the player to adapt to various attack patterns and phases, especially if gamers are employing the highest level of Extreme Measures while fighting this boss.

Zagreus needs to duke it out against his father and win a total of ten times to unlock the game's true ending. It's a fun battle every single time, with players slowly learning Hades' movesets and figuring out the best counters along the way.

5 Giygas

An Omnipotent Being Whose Mysterious And Disturbing Nature Is Palpable From The Start Of The Fight

Giygas is an entity straight out of cosmic horror, which makes his inclusion as a final boss all the more disturbing in an otherwise cheery game like Earthbound. This battle is a surreal and psychedelic encounter with multiple phases that are all pretty challenging in their own right.

Players must use everything they've learned while playing this amazing JRPG to overcome Giygas' overwhelming power. The unique and abstract nature of the battle makes it a standout and memorable final boss encounter.

4 Malus

The Tragic Nature Of This Final Confrontation Speaks Volumes About The True Nature Of Dormin's Tasks

Malus is the final colossus and the ultimate challenge in the game Shadow of the Colossus. This boss comes after a particularly emotional moment in the game when Wander apparently loses Agro, and players realize that their goal is anything but noble.

The encounter against the final colossus of the game is epic in scale and requires some smart platforming to beat. While other bosses in the game are arguably more memorable than Malus, it's the climactic nature of this encounter followed by the infamous endgame events that make it so iconic.

3 Gehrman, The First Hunter

A Final Encounter For The Ages With A Hunter Who Is Tired Of Living In This Dream

Gehrman is a skilled hunter with a tragic backstory, who is possibly the final boss of Bloodborne depending on the path players take. The battle against this foe is a fast-paced and intense duel that tests the player's reflexes and combat skills.

Gehrman wields the Burial Blade and has a variety of devastating attacks, making for a challenging and memorable encounter. Both phases are pretty challenging, with both Hunters putting everything on the line to come out victorious in one of the most beautiful boss arenas in Soulsborne history.

2 Legate Lanius

A Final Boss That Can Be Completely Avoided If The Player Has Invested Points In The Relevant Stats

As the commander of Caesar's Legion, Legate Lanius is a ruthless and brutal warrior with exceptional combat skills. The battle against this commander at the end of Fallout: New Vegas is a challenging fight that requires strategic thinking, with his massive sword and powerful melee attacks being pretty challenging to deal with.

Of course, the encounter against this final boss also offers multiple ways to approach it, depending on the player's choices and alliances throughout the game. In fact, players with high skills can outright convince Legate Lanius that their plan has some serious flaws, causing him to lay down his arms and leave without battling the Courier.

1 Ultimecia

A Four-Phase Boss Fight That Serves As An Epic Conclusion To The Game

Ultimecia is a powerful sorceress with control over time and space, making her a formidable opponent. Many people argue that this antagonist comes out of nowhere in Final Fantasy 8, but there's no denying that the final battle against this sorceress is an intense and memorable encounter in every way.

There are four phases in this boss fight, with all of them being quite epic to behold. After a long and grueling battle, Ultimecia is finally defeated, and the party members return to their normal lives, although the game takes its sweet time to reveal whether the main characters even enjoyed a good ending in the first place.