Key conclusions
- Multi-phase boss fights are becoming increasingly popular, adding levels of challenge.
- The Demon Prince in Dark Souls 3, Rickard in Elden Ring, and Godfrey in Elden Ring all have great second phases.
- From Ludwig in Bloodborne to Ganon in Breath of the Wild, boss fights with unexpected twists keep players on edge.
Video games often have to find new ways to challenge the player, and one way they've done since the beginning is with a good old fashioned boss fight. Whether it's just scaled-up or reworked versions of enemies you've already fought, or the classic JRPG tradition of a god-battle, the developers have plenty of ways to throw a boss at you.

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Most gamers look forward to boss battles as an opportunity to test their mettle. But some games deprive them of this chance in favor of rollers.
As if they weren't hard enough, more and more games have moved on to the trend of having you fight a boss over multiple stages. Creepy mutants, self-healing robots, and once again god himself fall into this category. But only the best bosses with second phases can hit hard to claim the title in this list.
10 Demon Prince – Dark Souls 3
Not just any demon
- Released
- March 24, 2016
- Developer(s)
- From the software
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Gory violence
The Dark Souls series is all about its deadly bosses, some of which have power levels far greater than your esteemed character. But few bosses have taken it to the level of fighting the Demon Prince in Dark Souls 3.
The Demon Prince, which is part of the Ringed City DLC, is actually the second phase of the fight where you faced the Demons from Below and the Demons in Pain. Whoever you kill last turns into this fiery and winged icon of evil. Definitely a dramatic moment in any game.
9 Rickard – Elden Ring
Devour the very gods
- Released
- February 25, 2022
- Developer(s)
- From the software
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Indecent Themes, Violence
He may not be the boss most people think of first when Elden Ring appears, but Rickard, Lord of Blasphemy certainly earns his place in his strange and challenging second phase. The one that people still quote to this day.
Fighting a giant snake in an underground volcano full of corpses is already hard enough, but halfway through the fight there is the infamous Elden Ring cutscene. Rickard himself is part snake, complete with strange handles and a tentacled sword. Indeed, a second stage that will confuse and frighten you at the same time.
8 Saren – Mass Effect
A reaper doll?
- Released
- November 20, 2007
- ESRB
- M For Adults 17+ due to blood, language, partial nudity, sexual themes, violence
A Turian member of the Specter has gone rogue. He was the first major boss in the Mass Effect series, aside from the sinister Reapers themselves, of course. Fighting another special agent in the galaxy was not supposed to be an easy fight, but few thought that the second phase would lead them into this fight.

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Just when you think the fight is over, the Reaper and Geth powers have one more thing to say, turning Saren into a metal zombie looking to finish the fight with you. It was a moment that really confirmed just how willing the Reapers are to use other beings in their fight against the galaxy.
7 Laxasia (Lies P)
Armor for your benefit
- Released
- September 19, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Round8 Studio, Neowiz
- Publisher(s)
- Neowiz
- ESRB
- M For adults 17+ due to gore, violence
Lies Of P has its fair share of good lore and deadly bosses to fight, making it a well-received Soulslike. One such deadly boss takes the game to new heights.
It is easy to see why the spiked figure of Laxasia the Full is the right hand of Manus with the sword. But after dodging her attacks and taking some damage, the fight turns into a turn. You know you're not in for a good time when the boss powers up by removing armor.
6 Guardian Ape – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
This is not a monkey business
- Released
- March 22, 2019
- Developer(s)
- From the software
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
Fighting a giant monkey with a sword feels pretty much the same for Sekiro as it is for most other soul-born games, but this was one boss fight that caught almost everyone off guard. The first phase is pretty wild, with the monkey moving around the ravine rather erratically.
But the real surprise comes after you decapitate the creature. As you begin to walk away, the monster's corpse begins to twitch, only for it to grab its severed head and resume its attack with even more savage attacks. A boss who fights even after getting his head chopped off definitely deserves a spot on this list.
5 Godfrey – Elden Ring
He doesn't need a weapon
With its wild boss placement and the sheer number of players the Elden Ring has drawn into the soulborn ranks, Elden RIng has more than a few fantastic two-stage battles like Godfrey, the first Elden Lord.

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The first part of the fight is hard enough, with Godfrey's giant ax swinging and his impressive speed for a large character. The second is something completely different as he kills his ghostly lion companion Sarosh by unleashing his fury and charging at you with his bare hands.
4 Ganon – The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Not your grandfather Ganon

- Released
- March 3, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- ESRB
- E For All: fictional violence, alcohol, moderate themes
The Legend Of Zelda games have been around for decades. Despite the many changes they've made since the first games, one thing they've never shied away from is throwing a boss at Link to test his abilities.
Ganon is the usual villain. However, Breath Of The Wild took Ganon's classic combat to new heights. After a thorough beating, Ganon undergoes a rather dramatic transformation, transforming into Calamity Ganon, with many weapons and eerily glowing eyes. Which feels more like a horror game than Zelda.
3 Carl Heisenberg – Resident Evil Village
Not Groovy
- Released
- May 7, 2021
- ESRB
- m
Resident Evil: Village took a rather silly approach at times for the Resident Evil series, which is a group of games that don't go overboard, especially when it comes to bosses. In this game of evil dolls and Dracula-like castles, it takes a lot for one enemy to stand out.
Heisenberg does just that. The fact that he can move metal objects with his mind makes his fight difficult enough, but when injured, he fuses with various military supplies, transforming into a large metal monster. It's quite a change, and one that honestly fits very well with the themes of Resident Evil as a whole.
2 Ornstein the Dragon Slayer and Smaug the Cat – Dark Souls
Two knights are better than one
As if one boss fight wasn't enough, some games have started adding two bosses that you can fight at the same time. Dark Souls was one of the first to do this, and it caused a lot of appeal and a lot of anger at the same time.
The fight against Ornstein and Smow was tough from the start, with both knights having their own unique set of moves to watch out for. However, when one of them is killed, the other one reacts accordingly by getting tougher and redoubled their efforts. Just in case you thought you'd get off easy.
1 Ludwig – Bloodborne
Without jumpers

- Released
- March 24, 2015
- Developer(s)
- From the software
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
There have been several games that have taken the concept of boss fights to the level of Bloodborne. Prepared for fans of the soulsborne series and beyond. Fans have different feelings about their favorite bosses.
But when it comes to phase two bosses, Ludwig definitely earns his spot on this list. Fighting the rotting horse monster that Ludwig once was is hard enough, but a mid-fight cutscene allows him to appear to be who he once was. Wielding his Moon Sword, his entire demeanor changes and you realize just how much of a fight you have on your hands.
5:28 a.m

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