It’s not too uncommon in the realm of Japanese RPGs, or JRPGs, for a newcomer or two to feel a bit overwhelmed with the game’s mechanics. After all, landmark titles such as the classic Chrono Trigger and fan-favorites such as Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy all have different approaches to gameplay and mechanics, making one JRPG possibly totally different from the next. And while tutorial sessions can do a lot to help players get acquainted with the game, these fights can get quite boring.

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However, some JRPGs within and outside the Chrono Trigger, Fire Emblem, and Final Fantasy franchises do surprise fans with a tutorial boss fight compelling enough to give a hint as to how awesome the rest of the game would be.

10 Caruban (Legend Of Legaia)

Caruban of Legend of Legaia

Throughout existence, the world of Legend Of Legaia had humans coexist with creatures called Seru who can provide them with supernatural powers. However, the game begins when a mysterious Mist starts to make Serus violent, and protagonist Vahn discovers a secret power that allows him to banish this influence.

While the first boss Caruban seems quite basic, its main shtick is highlighting the unique gameplay mechanics of Legaia, where attacks are performed by pressing special input commands. Not to mention, the imposing appearance of the Caruban is quite an escalation in terms of visual design, making it an unsettling but perfectly-defeatable boss in a starting area.

9 Green Dragon (Dragon Quest 1)

Green Dragon of Dragon Quest
  • Image from Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai

While Dragon Quest follows a more fantastical route compared to Final Fantasy with its traditional storyline, the first entry – also known as Dragon Warrior – has players fulfill a prophecy to defeat the corrupt Dragonlord. The game’s first mission will ask players to rescue Princess Gwaelin before proceeding on their journey throughout the land.

However, players need to venture into Quagmire Cave and defeat a Green Dragon in order to rescue the Princess. While the first iterations of the game had the Green Dragon be the same as its roaming counterparts, this creature was extremely menacing to face for a first boss.

8 Kamoshida (Persona 5)

Kamoshida of Persona 5

Fans of the Persona franchise know that they have to team up with Persona or manifestations of the psyche to defeat various evils, and Persona 5 amps this to the max with its concept. In Persona 5, players led by protagonist Joker and the Phantom Thieves venture into the hearts of people and rid them of the evil that lurks there.

Unlike other Persona games, Persona 5 has a much deeper emphasis on the roles people have in each other’s lives, especially with the first boss Suguru Kamoshida. While this volleyball coach isn’t necessarily a tough one to beat, it’s his influence on the story that serves as a good example of a story motivator. Not only is he a colossal jerk, but he’s bullied a student enough for them to commit suicide, and even spreads nasty rumors about the characters.

7 Wyvern (Vagrant Story)

Wyvern of Vagrant Story

Vagrant Story is a cult classic for its steampunk setting and body part-targeting gameplay, and especially for its setting of Ivalice. In Vagrant Story, the kingdom of Valendia is suffering from a harsh civil war, with the Valendia Knights Of Peace (VKP) being stretched thin in maintaining stability.

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Protagonist Ashley Riot, a VKP member, will have to face a Wyvern as the first boss of the game, truly demonstrating Vagrant Story's targeting mechanics. However, unlike other bosses in JRPGs, this ordinary-looking dragon remains iconic thanks to its incorporation as a cutscene boss. In the early ages of CGI cutscenes, the Wyvern is quite a memorable boss to demonstrate the depth of Vagrant Story and its setting.

6 Plant Brain (Final Fantasy 9)

Plant Brain of FF9

Final Fantasy 9 serves as a love letter to the fantastical settings of the earlier titles in Square's franchise. Set in the world of Gaia, Final Fantasy 9 hasZidane and his Tantalus bandits kidnap Princess Garnet, with this encounter ushering in a kingdom-trotting adventure that would put them amid a war between the nations of Alexandria and Burmecia.

The first boss of the game comes in the form of the Plant Brain, which players have to face deep in the heart of the Evil Forest as Zidane and his comrades chase the Prison Cage, which ran off with Garnet. What’s special about Plant Brain isn’t the battle itself but the aftermath, as the forest starts to freeze over, forcing everyone into an escape mini-game that essentially acts as a second half of the boss fight.

5 Guard Scorpion (Final Fantasy 7)

Guard Scorpion of FF7
  • Image from Final Fantasy 7 Remake

It’s Final Fantasy 7 that ushered in the arrival of the franchise to the age of 3D sprites, and this title also brought the franchise to a modern setting. In FF7, Cloud Strife joins eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE in its mission to stop Shinra Electric Power Company from killing the Planet.

One of its first tasks is to destroy Mako Reactor 1, wherein they hire ex-SOLDIER Cloud as a guide. While most of the journey is smooth, they’re stopped in their tracks by a mechanical Guard Scorpion, the game’s first boss. This fight is memorable as players need to think tactically this early on in the game, especially when the Guard Scorpion retaliates with a powerful attack whenever it’s struck. Observing its strategies and visual cues remain paramount in the experience, as though showcasing the game’s graphical prowess.

4 Forneus (Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne)

Forneus of Nocturne

What begins as an ordinary school day transforms into the apocalypse in Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. In this SMT title, players take on the role of an unnamed boy who is given special gifts from the Magatama, allowing them to call forth the power of demons in the realm of the Vortex World in a fight to determine the fate of the world.

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Aside from the moral mechanics of this Megami Tensei title, the rather intense combat of Nocturne will force players to think strategically about each of their turns, especially with how their summoned demons interact with enemies. The Forneus is a good example of this as players are forced to understand the game’s elemental relationships. In this case, the Forneus uses ice-based attacks, meaning it’s weak against electricity.

3 The Ymir (Final Fantasy 6)

Ymir of FF6

Serving as the last game in the 2D era of Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy 6 dwells on more steampunk elements than previous entries. Formally introducing magic-based technology called Magitek, the game follows the story of Terra Branford, a soldier with a conflicted story that unfolds throughout the rest of her rebellion against the Gestahl Empire.

What’s perhaps more memorable about FF6 is its first boss, the Ymir, which is immediately a tough foe possessing two parts with separate HP bars. Given its strong electric attacks, players need to get smart in figuring out which parts to attack or ignore, giving them strong insights in regard to the complexity of boss fights in the game.

2 Garland (Final Fantasy 1)

Garland of FF1
  • Image from Dissidia Final Fantasy NT

Perhaps the precursor to Final Fantasy’s popular crystals trope is the game that started it all. The first Final Fantasy stars the Warriors of Light as they work to restore the power of the elements across the world after being ravaged by the evil knight Garland, who once kidnaped Princess Sarah. Near the end of the game, the archdemon Chaos will manifest through Garland, which players have to defeat in order to finally let the world live in peace.

What’s so special about Final Fantasy’s first boss is that this is none other than Garland himself. Fighting Garland this early makes him someone players can defeat, but not without considerable difficulty. Unless players know that Garland only uses physical attacks and is therefore vulnerable to magic, this tough battle will incentivize players to explore and level up, especially considering he comes back as the final boss.

1 Queen Of Ice (Enchanted Arms)

Queen of Ice of Enchanted Arms

The story of Enchanted Arms begins in Yokohama City, when protagonist Atsuma starts training as an Enchanter alongside his friends. However, their decision to skip class, unfortunately, coincided with an earthquake that triggered the awakening of the Queen of Ice, a sealed golem with a sinister plot. Atsuma and his friends will have to travel around the world to stop this and save Earth from total destruction.

What makes Enchanted Arms' first boss so memorable is the fact they are none other than the Queen of Ice herself. While technically the “first” boss after the tutorial, facing the Queen gives a lot of incentives to the player. Inevitably a losing match, the Queen of Ice takes a lot from Atsuma – the life of a friend and turns another ally against them. This is a story-driven boss fight that gives enough motivation for players to get up, get stronger, and seek vengeance against the Queen.

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