While progressing through the story of a video game, it is likely the player will encounter multiple objects lying in wait on their path. Sometimes these objects will take the form of a boss and stop at nothing in halting the player's journey, but others have little interest in engaging the protagonist and instead try to avoid them.

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These reluctant enemies will often remain the most memorable out of all bosses in a game's story due to how unusual they are. Their unwillingness to fight is enough to spark intrigue in the player and cause them to wonder what their reasoning is. There are countless reasons why a boss may not want to fight, but some reasons are more fascinating than others.

Spoilers Ahead

6 Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

miles morales tinkerer

Miles and Phin shared a strong bond since they were children, but the death of Phin's brother led her down a dark path. To get revenge on Roxxon for inadvertently killing her brother, she began working with a group known as the Underground and eventually became their leader. She rallied this group together and spurred them on to achieve her goals, but Miles deemed her methods too extreme to let slide. In an attempt to stop her from wreaking any more havoc, he lied to her about wanting to join her group. This betrayal marked the beginning of their friendship's downfall.

Phin planned to destroy the newly built Roxxon Plaza to send a message to Simon Krieger, the founder of the company. Just when her plan was beginning to run smoothly, Miles appeared and warned her of Krieger's plan. Destroying the Roxxon Plaza would also destroy the city of Harlem, but Phin refused to believe this and instead attacked Miles out of anger. She didn't want to fight Miles, but his constant meddling left her with no other choice.

5 Undertale

After wandering into the Underground and becoming lost, Frisk must explore the location's depths to find a way out. While journeying through the fascinating land, they encounter a variety of different monsters that seek to bring their journey to an end. However, not all residents of the Underground harbor these ill wills.

Asgore, the Underground's primary ruler, is one of the most unwilling enemies present in all of Undertale. To appease his people, he agreed to sacrifice seven human souls to remove the barrier between their worlds. Though his previous sacrifices would paint him as a villain, he is gripped by tremendous guilt and does not want to harm Frisk. He possesses great power but is reluctant in using it.

4 Final Fantasy 7

Cloud, Aeris, and Tifa fighting the Turks in Final Fantasy 7

After leaving Midgar, Cloud and his companions set off on a perilous journey to stop Sephiroth from summoning Meteor, an offensive spell capable of destroying the entire planet. Though Sephiroth acts as the main antagonist of Final Fantasy 7, he is not the only force attempting to stop Cloud from accomplishing his goals.

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The Turks have been tasked by Shinra to eliminate Cloud by any means necessary, an objective that leads to multiple battles throughout the story. Rude, a member of the Turks, has a hard time following these orders when it comes to disposing of a particular member of the party. Upon reaching Gongaga, Cloud will overhear a conversation between Reno and Rude where Rude reveals he has feelings for Tifa. This is made evident during the next battle with him where he will only attack Tifa if all her party members are unconscious.

3 Kingdom Hearts 2

Demyx

Demyx is arguably one of the strongest members of Organization 13, but he rarely reveals the power he possesses. It seems like he much prefers to lounge around the Castle that Never Was while playing his sitar than engaging in physical combat, so why did Xemnas recruit him? He has no desire to fight any of his enemies, but he seemed especially frustrated with having to fight Sora.

Sora's first encounter with the Melodious Nocturne is unusual in that the only enemies available to target are water-based. Demyx stands at the center of the arena and summons these entities to do his bidding instead of fighting Sora himself. The next battle with Demyx sees him unleashing his full strength, but not before stating "I told them they were sending the wrong guy," further showcasing his dislike for combat.

2 NieR: Automata

There Are A Few Reasons For A2 Cutting Her Hair In Nier: Automata

9S begins his story as an intelligent young man with a charming personality. He maintains these traits for the majority of the game, but his mind begins to crumble after witnessing the death of 2B at the hands of A2. Obsessed with thoughts of revenge, he spends the remainder of the story attempting to locate A2 and bring her to justice.

Many players will find themselves feeling somewhat alienated about 9S and his questionable motives, especially when he finally confronts A2 and attempts to kill her. A2 tries to dissuade 9S from his violent pursuits for the sake of 2B's memory, but he refuses to listen, forcing A2 to defend herself from her fellow android's onslaught.

1 The Last Of Us Part 2

The Last of Us Part 2 Ending Abby and Ellie

Having finally tracked Abby down to Santa Barbara, Ellie sets off to seek justice for Joel's death. She left Jackson with little hope of returning home due to how their last battle ended, but her next encounter with Abby reveals that the odds now lie in Ellie's favor.

Ellie learns that Abby has been enslaved by a group known as the Rattlers on Catalina Island. She travels to their base and eventually finds Abby being crucified by a nearby shore. She unbinds her and the two begin to walk away, but not before Ellie attacks her for what she did to Joel. Abby insists that she does not want a fight, to which Ellie responds by placing her knife next to Lev's throat. Abby is in no state to fight, but she does so anyway to ensure Lev's safety.

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