Baldur's Gate 3 is the next big game set in the Dungeons and Dragons' universe, and while it appears that the Mind Flayers are set to be the primary antagonists in the game, Dungeons and Dragons has a heap of monsters that it could pull from for major boss fights, regardless of what level a character is.
For Baldur's Gate 3 to really capture the essence of D&D's breadth of enemies, it needs to draw from the entire spectrum and provide players with a sense of growth. Fighting a dragon is entertaining, of course, but taking one down at level one and again at level twenty won't give players a feeling of advancement. Rather, lower level bosses in Baldur's Gate should be unique and imposing, but also scaled to where the player is at in terms of skill and experience.
Ideally, every one of Dungeons and Dragons' monsters would make an appearance in the game, but given that the Monster Manual is hundreds of pages and the sheer amount of work it takes to design, balance, and implement a monster into a game, that isn't a realistic expectation, even for a studio with as much talent as the game's developer, Larian.
As such, there's a selection of monsters that would make great additions to Baldur's Gate 3 in the form of boss fights, some being obvious, and others that would make pleasant surprises for players. Baldur's Gate 3 is already shaping up to be a beefy RPG, so there's a good chance that fans will meet quite a few monsters in their journies, regardless of which ones make it in.
Balor
In a way, a Balor is almost like a toned-down version of the Balrog from Lord of the Rings. It wields a fiery whip and a greatsword to vanquish its foes, but rules as a general of demon armies. Fueled by hatred and rage, the creature could make an excellent addition to Baldur's Gate 3, particularly because of how well-designed it is. It has a unique, but familiar skillset thanks to its arsenal, but it also features a few unique twists that separate it from Dungeons and Dragons' selection of other demons.
Being a general, the Balor has an easy way to introduce new enemies into a boss fight, which could get more difficult as the fight progresses. Plus, when the Balor dies, it explodes, destroying its weapons and igniting any other objects in the explosion's radius. It's a final farewell to players that will be a surprise for the uninitiated, but may feel rewarding for those that know to move out of the way.
Doppelganger
By no means a terribly strong enemy, the Doppelganger is unique in that it doesn't necessarily need to be an all-out brawl for the boss fight. With the ability to shapeshift, hunting down a Doppelganger in a busy town or city could be a fun segment for players, and provide an opportunity for role-playing to take it down rather than requiring sheer brawn.
They can blend into pretty much any community, are found everywhere, and are capable of reading a creature's "surface thoughts" to learn things like its name, fears, desires, and even some memories. That sort of complexity could easily lead to some creative hijinks, especially if players were forced to face off against the Doppelganger in a place where it could be anyone, or anything, like a crowded market square.
Bone Devil
What makes the Bone Devil such an alluring option for a boss fight is its design. While it looks like a massive, vicious skeleton from hell, the creature is, somehow, even more disgusting, because instead of simply being bones, it has dried skin all over its skeletal frame. Plus, it has a massive scorpion's tail and wings that look like they come from a locust.
The Bone Devil is, by far, one of the most artistically impressive creatures found in the Monster Manual, as it looks as menacing as its name sounds, something many of the other notable creatures in the book don't seem to capture. That presents a unique opportunity for Baldur's Gate 3, as the game could focus on the destructive powers of the Bone Devil as a means to terrify players it encounters.
Dragon Turtle
The Dragon Turtle is as cool as its name implies. Effectively a gargantuan tortoise from the sea, the Dragon Turtle is also a Dragon, as the name implies. And while a Dragon boss fight is almost a guarantee for a Dungeons and Dragons video game, the Dragon Turtle is radically different from its winged counterparts, though its motivations remain largely the same — it just wants to earn as much treasure as possible.
The way it gathers that treasure is a bit different, though, as it swallows the treasure and regurgitates it at its lair, which is typically a cave hidden in a coral reef beneath the seafloor, or somewhere along the coastline. However, the Dragon Turtle is "smart enough to be bribed" according to the Monster Manual, so players may have an alternate way of dealing with it, if they aren't looking for a fight.
Tarrasque
Baldur's Gate 3 wouldn't really be a Dungeons and Dragons game if it didn't offer players at least one, massive challenge to overcome, and the perfect one is the Tarrasque, one D&D's most challenging enemies. The creature is 50 feet tall and 70 feet long, boasting an incredible 676 HP in Dungeons and Dragons 5e. It looks like a much more imposing T-Rex, with longer arms and a spikey armored back.
The creature is capable of devouring entire towns, as well as any smaller monsters that come its way. Of course, this wouldn't be a boss fight for the faint of heart, should Larian opt to put it in Baldur's Gate 3. It would be better served as a secret mega boss, one final challenge players can tackle after conquering the rest of the game.
Larian has plenty of options to choose from when it comes to Baldur Gate 3's selection of foes. With such a large roster, there shouldn't be a lack of variety in the game, depending on how far the studio chooses to take it. It would be incredible to see some sort of custom monster creator like D&D 5e has at some point, though that may just be wishful thinking.
Baldur's Gate 3 is currently in development for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.