The past few years have been a wild ride for fans of RuneScape 3. The long-lasting fantasy MMORPG has seen its fair share of changes over its nearly two-decade lifetime. With the addition of a new skill and the game coming to Steam, one more new change has made its debut.
RuneScape 3's developer Jagex strikes again with the addition of the game's newest boss, Raksha. With the incorporation of this behemoth, the most challenging bosses in the game see a new contender in their ranks. Keep in mind that all of these bosses are for members only. If players want to try them, they will either have to purchase the subscription or buy a bond via the Grand Exchange.
Updated November 17, 2022 by Maya Sattar: RuneScape 3 is swiftly approaching its 20th anniversary, and much has changed since then. The release of Fresh Start Worlds has been a hit of nostalgia for returning players. In contrast, the additions of skilling pets and elite dungeons have added extra flair for those completionist players!
However, where RuneScape truly shines is through the complexity of its bosses, many of which even the most seasoned players struggle to battle solo. This list has been updated with five other bosses of increasing difficulty, including the brand-new Zamorak, Lord of Chaos.
15 Chaos Elemental
Though considered a beginner boss by many, the Chaos Elemental can be pretty tricky for players due to its location. It can be found roaming to the west of the Rogue's Castle, deep in level 50+ Wilderness. When traveling there and during the fight, players must be wary of enemy player-killers looking to steal their loot and glory. Due to the Wilderness restrictions, players cannot teleport out of danger.
The Chaos Elemental is the strongest free-to-play monster and possesses three distinctive attacks. It is recommended that players have protective prayers ready, as these projectiles can be hard-hitting, often dealing up to 1,100 damage in one go. Its Madness attack will also unequip the player's main-hand weapon, so players must pay attention to their inventory.
14 Taraket The Necromancer
Taraket the Necromancer is the second boss in the Shadow Reef elite dungeon. It is not one to be taken lightly. He has over 400K life points and a combat level of 1,000. Defeating Taraket offers no unique drops aside from his lore book. Still, he is a necessary evil to bypass to get onto the main boss of this dungeon: The Ambassador.
As a necromancer, he specializes in summoning hoards of undead enemies to overwhelm any that oppose him. He attacks with Ranged and Magic projectiles, so players are advised to have Prayer Potions to have their protection prayers ready.
13 Kerapac, The Bound
The Elder God Dungeons is located in the Ancient Ruins of Senntisten and was a great addition to RuneScape, released in July 2021. It features four factions of Elder God followers, with a General, or boss, presiding over its followers. Kerapac, the bound, resides in the Nodon Front and worships the Elder God Jas.
Kerapac has a combat level of 3,000, and up to three players can take him on at once. It is recommended that players have their combat stats at level 90+ and a high prayer level before attempting this fight. Kerapac has four phases, each with complex mechanics, and can deal fatal damage.
12 Seiryu The Azure Serpent
Seiryu is the final encounter in the first elite dungeon in Runescape 3, the Temple of Aminishi. This legendary serpent is among the three highest-level monsters in the entire game at combat level 10,000. The quest 'Impressing the Locals' must first be completed to take on this elite dungeon and its subsequent bosses. Players can head to the island of Aminishi and enter the dungeon from there, using the grouping system to form a team of two-three players.
Instead of phases, Seiryu has several mechanics that players need to master. It can catch players unaware if they are not careful. Players must climb onto its back and destroy black crystals on its manacle at certain health totals. Three black crystals must be destroyed to win the fight and reap the rewards. Each time players destroy a crystal on Seiryu's back, its special attacks, like Shadow Tail and Shadow Root, will increase speed.
11 Masuta The Ascended
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Masuta the Ascended is the second boss of the Temple of Aminishi elite dungeon and the guardian of the final boss, Seiryu the Azure Serpent. Many players have complained that Masuta scales differently from Seriyu, making his mechanics harder to master.
He has a high combat level of 1,000 and a whopping 550,000 life points for players to DPS their way through. He has a spinning attack that can be devastating for players if they cannot dodge this using mobility skills like Surge to teleport away.
10 Raksha
Raksha is a pain to face off against, especially for the first time. Players can access this boss by completing a mini-quest for Laniakea near the southeastern ruins of Anachronia. The name of the quest is 'Raksha, the Shadow Colossus.' During the quest, the boss's location is made clear, so stock up on supplies and gear before attempting the fight.
Raksha can use the triage of all three combat styles; Magic, Melee, and Ranged. It's recommended to bring the best-ranged gear for their level and avoid melee combat entirely. This lets players focus fully on the ranged and mage attacks he dishes out. What makes this giant dinosaur so tricky is that he is one of the few bosses in the game with an insta-kill mechanic. Be on the lookout for this attack, or regret it.
9 Nex
Nex is one of the most profitable bosses in RuneScape 3. To get access to her chambers, players must first create a frozen key. Each of the four components of the key can be collected by killing followers of Saradomin, Zamorak, Bandos, and Armadyl. Once the key has been crafted, the entrance to her chamber can be found in the center room.
Like most bosses in RuneScape, Nex has a few combat phases to look out for. Four of her five stages are based on the Ancient Magicks found in the game: smoke, shadow, blood, and ice. By extension, these phases also have unique mechanics similar to the effects of those types of magic.
8 The Ambassador
The Ambassador is the final boss of the third elite dungeon, The Shadow Reef, the last of the three elite dungeons. This dungeon is extraordinarily entertaining and is why RuneScape is still fun to play even after two decades. To reach this boss, you can use the Ring of Kinship to teleport to Daemonheim, head southeast, and use the boat located on the shore.
The Ambassador has three primary phases to look out for and a whopping 1,000,000 health. While the boss doesn't have an insta-kill mechanic, some abilities come close. Players must come prepared with plenty of healing methods to tank The Ambassador's damage to avoid wiping.
7 Yakamaru
Another one of RuneScape 3's highest-level bosses, Yakamaru, is the final boss of the only raid in Gielinor. Similar to Seiryu, Yakamaru is level 10,000 and is nearly impossible to beat playing solo. Usually encountered in groups of 10 or more, raids are a tough challenge, even for the most seasoned veterans. Players can get to this raid by using the grouping system to teleport there.
There are many phases to this boss fight, but the most essential part of the battle is the roles players take beforehand. There are many guides online for roles, so be sure to read up on them before taking on the raid.
6 Hard Mode Vorago
Hard Mode Vorago is an exciting boss to challenge. While he is located outside Falador, a place extremely close to where free-to-play players spawn, he is unmistakably not for new members to encounter. Before players can even fight him, they must kill the normal version of Vorago with the Maul of Omens.
The boss fight consists of 5 different phases in 5 separate rooms. Each phase has entirely new mechanics and special attacks depending on the day in the real world. In hard mode, the boss has no warning messages to prepare players, so they must keep their wits about them and survive the onslaught.
5 Araxxi (High Enrage)
One of the most challenging features in several of RuneScape 3's boss fights is a mechanic called Enrage. The more players fight a boss within a specific time span, the angrier it becomes. When enraged, its damage will increase by a significant margin. Araxxi was the first boss to introduce this attribute back in 2014. The entrance to this boss is located in the east part of Morytania.
In as little as 15 fights, players will be challenging Araxxi at maximum Enrage. When entering the battle, there are three different paths players can take. Only two paths will be offered, depending on the day in the real world. Players are free to choose between those two paths, so choose wisely.
4 Zamorak, Lord Of Chaos
The dawn of the Elder Gods has arrived in RuneScape with their newest addition, the Zamorakian Undercity in the Wilderness Crater. Players will face off against hoards of Zamorakian followers, most of which use magic. To fight against the Lord of Chaos himself, players must clear these enemies and several minibosses and find their way through the confusing dungeon layout to reach Zamorak.
Like many other bosses, Zamorak features the Enrage mechanic, caps at 60,000, and his damage and life points scale upwards alongside this. He has several unique special attacks and phases, making him one of the most complex bosses in all of RuneScape. Defeating him is no easy feat!
3 Solak
Solak can be reached by heading to the center of The Lost Grove. Inspect the stone found in the south part of Tirannwn, and players will instantly be teleported to the Grove. Be wary, though, as this area is full of high-level content only for the most seasoned RuneScape players with high-level combat equipment.
Solak has a hard cap of seven players that can fight him at once. However, most players fight him in pairs due to the increased drop chances in his loot. He can deal fiercely significant damage, but, luckily, he is susceptible to most combat effects besides stun.
2 Nex: Angel Of Death
While Nex was already on this list, the most brutal variant of Nex is an entirely different ballgame. Nicknamed AOD (Angel of Death) by players, this boss is considered by far the hardest boss in the game to solo. Only one player has achieved the task of soloing the boss, so don't get your hopes up with that challenge. Just like Nex, this boss is reached by obtaining a frozen key.
AOD is usually fought in groups of 7 or more. However, the hard cap is 50 players. While it is conceivable to do it with fewer than 7 people, it is not recommended because of the sheer difficulty. AOD has 4 phases and a ton of mechanics, so be sure to read up on the boss before going in with a group. As always, practice makes perfect.
1 Telos (High Enrage)
Telos is by far the hardest boss in the game. Before you have the chance to fight him, players must first collect four ancient sigils by killing the four God Wars Dungeon 2 bosses. Once you have them, put them together and place them on the door at the dungeon's center.
Telos can only be fought solo, hence why he is so difficult. He has four phases, and with each phase, you descend deeper into the depths of the Heart of Gielinor. Telos also features the Enrage mechanic, but he caps at 4000% enrage. Once he reaches this point, he becomes a complete powerhouse. If players are skilled enough to reach this point, they have a high chance of being rewarded with some of the best drops in the game.
RuneScape 3 is available to play on PC, iOS, and Android devices.