Boss fights are a hallmark of the gaming experience, with memorable bosses having been a part of games for decades. Some video game bosses are pushovers, but others are genuinely challenging, pushing players to their limits. There is some debate in the gaming community about which boss fights are the most challenging, but a new study claims to reveal the toughest bosses in gaming - in the past year, at least.
The study, conducted by Spades Challenge, analyzed Google search trends from the past year using the phrase "how to beat" to figure out the bosses that have been giving gamers the most trouble. The top four spots went to bosses from Niantic's Pokemon GO mobile game, while the subsequent five spots went to bosses featured in FromSoftware's open world epic Elden Ring, and the 10th spot went to a boss from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Pokemon GO's Giovanni, Cliff, Arlo, and Sierra are in the first, second, third, and fourth positions, respectively. However, this isn't really all that surprising when one considers the nature of Pokemon GO. Pokemon GO regularly updates its boss battles so that these Team Rocket leaders often have a different lineup of Pokemon than they did before. This requires Pokemon GO players to adjust their strategies accordingly, selecting different Pokemon with specific moves to bring into battle. Since Pokemon GO's boss fights are changing all the time, it makes sense that it would appear more frequently in Google searches than Elden Ring's boss battles, which haven't changed much since launch.
Hardest Video Game Bosses
- Giovanni - Pokemon GO
- Cliff - Pokemon GO
- Arlo - Pokemon GO
- Sierra - Pokemon GO
- Margit, the Fell Omen - Elden Ring
- Fire Giant - Elden Ring
- Godrick, the Grafted - Elden Ring
- Elden Beast - Elden Ring
- Tree Sentinel - Elden Ring
- Thunderblight Ganon - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
When it comes to Elden Ring, the bosses that have appeared the most in Google searches are Margit, the Fire Giant, Godrick, the Elden Beast, and the Tree Sentinel. Some fans may be scratching their heads at the absence of Malenia, who is generally considered to be the toughest boss in the game. However, this makes sense as Malenia is in a completely optional and easily missable area. It tracks that Elden Ring bosses players have to actually beat to complete the main story would rank ahead of her on Google.
Thunderblight Ganon is in the 10th spot, which is surprising considering how old The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is at this point, but it's a testament to the game's longevity. It being such a beloved game is definitely a big reason why Nintendo is pursuing a Breath of the Wild sequel as the next main series Zelda game as opposed to completely original title like it normally would, and it will be interesting to see if the follow-up has any tough boss fights of its own.
Source: Spades Challenge