Metal Gear Solid might very well be over and done with now that Kojima is no longer affiliated with Konami, but the franchise at the very least came to a sound enough conclusion. This is to say nothing of its rich library of games as well. Metal Gear isn’t hurting for more entries and each game is memorable enough in their own right.
Metal Gear has always done a particularly good job at ending on a high note, with final bosses that help wrap a bow on each game. Of course, not every final boss is a success. Some are better than others, but there are a few uninspired ones. At their best, though, there’s nothing quite like a Metal Gear final boss.
10 BEST: Sahelanthropus (MGSV)
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a flawed game, but it’s certainly not a bad game. Its combat and stealth are second to none mechanically, and while its level design leaves a lot to be desired, it does manage to sneak in some great boss fights, Sahelanthropus specifically. Both versions are great, but it’s his revised final form that really hits that sweet spot.
It truly feels like an endurance match to the death. Venom has to chip away at Sahelanthropus in a way that’s unlike any other Metal Gear fight in the franchise. It’s a boss fight that demands effort.
9 WORST: Liquid Snake (MGS1)
To his credit, Liquid’s not so much a bad fight as he is just one of the worse boss fights. Ending the game by having the player engage in a fist fight is novel and makes for a great image, but it’s not exactly in-line with the rest of Metal Gear Solid’s gameplay loop. Worse yet, the finale is dragged out by Liquid refusing to die.
Which is actually really cool narratively. Liquid’s persistence truly starts to wear down on the player. In that respect, it’s actually quite the memorable final boss. That doesn’t make it good or any less tedious, but there’s something to be said of a game that manages to draw out real emotion.
8 BEST: Big Boss (MG2)
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake is such a good game, but it’s criminally overlooked due to its availability. As an MSX game, Metal Gear 2 wasn’t exactly the most popular title of its time. It was bundled with Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, however, making it plenty easy for fans of the franchise to play.
And they should as it’s a fantastic game that infers the rest of the series. It also has a great final showdown between Snake and Big Boss. Completely unarmed, Snake has to fashion a makeshift flamethrower to burn Big Boss to death. It’s quite the intense conclusion.
7 WORST: Gene (PO)
Gene is just a worse version of Liquid in about every way imaginable. He’s blatantly written to be the Liquid to Big Boss’ Solid Snake, even serving as a philosophical “twin” to Big Boss and the ideologies he inherited from The Boss. Portable Ops’ final fight, much like the first game’s, is a fist fight.
Unlike the first game’s finale, though, there’s no real substance to the final battle here. It’s just a boring CQC match to the death. Worse yet, the PSP’s control scheme makes the final battle far less engaging than it would have been on if the game were released on the PlayStation 2.
6 BEST: Solidus Snake (MGS2)
Solidus Snake should be a bad final boss. Giving a player a katana at the end of a stealth game and telling them to kill their adoptive father in a sword fight in ridiculous, even for Metal Gear. But it works since it ties into the themes of Metal Gear Solid 2 really well and help to further define Raiden’s arc as a character independent of the player.
The sword controls are actually just really good too. For a mechanic that barely gets any attention in-game, the sword controls are fairly in-depth and allow for a lot of different combat options. It’s actually a shame MGS2 didn’t find a way to implement the sword in any other areas.
5 WORST: Metal Gear ZEKE (PW)
Metal Gear ZEKE’s final boss concept is actually incredible even if the end result is lacking. Players spend quite literally the entire game building up their own personal Metal Gear only for it to get hijacked at the very end, forcing Big Boss to confront something he himself created. As far as gameplay and story go, that’s A+ work on Kojima’s part.
Unfortunately, ZEKE plays out like almost every other boss fight in the game. Coupled with its bizarre J-pop track, the final battle against ZEKE feels very underwhelming. Considering it’s part of the post-game, as well, ZEKE doesn’t have much in the way of decent build up as a final boss— but that’s kind of the point.
4 BEST: Liquid Ocelot (MGS4)
Metal Gear Solid 4 is a game that panders far too much to its audience and goes on for way too long, but it really does nail the final boss fight. It’s a final boss fight so good that it’s even able to override just how awkward the game’s final plot twist is. Players take control of Snake one last time and beat their way through three generations worth of Metal Gear Solid.
It’s a beautiful send off to the franchise that didn’t get to send off the franchise, but still feels fantastic today. It’s a celebration of two amazing characters and the legacy that brought them together. Plus, the CQC gameplay here is actually pretty damn good.
3 WORST: Peace Walker (PW)
As if ZEKE weren’t bad enough, Peace Walker’s other final boss, the eponymous Peace Walker, is a long showdown that’s painfully derivative of Metal Gear Solid 3’s finale, at least thematically. It’s strange that Peace Walker chooses to expand Snake Eater’s legacy so much. It ultimately results in a less interesting story.
Peace Walker’s also just a boring battle. Like the other boss fights in Peace Walker, Peace Walker has too much health and takes too long to kill. The gameplay loop isn’t particularly interesting either. Peace Walker’s certainly not a bad game, but it’s probably the worst Metal Gear when it comes to boss fights.
2 BEST: The Boss (MGS3)
On the flip side, Metal Gear Solid 3 might be the best when it comes to boss fight and one has to look no further than The Boss to see proof of that. Players can tackle The Boss however they please. Whether it be a stealth based take-down, a CQC showdown to the death, or an aggressive onslaught of bullets.
The sheer emotion at play makes this one of the best final boss fights in the medium of gaming, period. The first half of the fight is dominated by silence, but the second kicks in the main theme, “Snake Eater.” It’s a surprisingly emotional way to close out the game.
1 WORST: Liquid Snake (The Twin Snakes)
In sharing the same mechanics as Sons of Liberty, The Twin Snakes ultimately suffered as a video game. A remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, The Twin Snakes’ MGS2 mechanics make the game far too easy. Not only does Snake have far more health than he does in the PS1 release, he can aim in first person, trivializing boss fights.
While the latter hurts every other boss, the former specifically hurts the fight between Snake and Liquid. It already wasn’t that great, but Snake’s health pool removes a lot of the tension and turns what’s an interesting gameplay moment to some into a fairly boring final bout.