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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays and today we're counting down our picks for the best video game boss
00:22battles of each year.
00:31For this list we'll be looking at the best fights against bosses from 2000 to 2024.
00:37Some of these bosses come late in the game and deal with story elements so we're issuing
00:40a spoiler warning just in case.
00:43Which of these bosses do you have strong memories of taking on?
00:46Share them with us in the comments below.
00:48Before we begin, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring
00:53the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:572000.
00:58Diablo
00:59Diablo II
01:06A fan-favorite entry in the series, as well as a cherished boss fight, the big bad of
01:11Diablo II ends the story on an extreme high note.
01:14Of course, the Lord of Terror doesn't go down so easily.
01:23As you might expect, Diablo literally brings the heat with a range of fire-based attacks.
01:28He's no one-trick pony though, he can also fire a powerful lightning blast and reduce
01:32your speed.
01:34Attacking from a distance works great, until Diablo charges you and his melee attacks are
01:38almost as deadly as the other ones.
01:40It's just the right level of challenging, bringing a satisfying climax to a fantastic
01:45game.
01:482001.
01:51The Great Mighty Poo
01:53Conker's Bad Fur Day
02:05Any boss from 2001 was going to have a tough time appearing as unique as the Great Mighty
02:09Poo.
02:10Entirely of sentient crap, he is by far one of the grossest bosses in video game history.
02:15However, we can't deny he has a lovely singing voice.
02:18In a perfect clash of horrible and wonderful, the entire fight is a musical number in which
02:22he cleverly rhymes nasty poop puns.
02:34The mechanics of avoiding his hurled turds and tossing a roll of toilet paper in his
02:37mouth aren't too challenging or even that remarkable, but the character's hilarious
02:42absurdity has given him a reputation that's lasted for decades.
02:522002.
02:57Sephiroth – Kingdom Hearts
02:59Bringing the world of Final Fantasy and Disney together turned out to be one of the best
03:12decisions Square Enix ever made, and the studio clearly understood that, with bosses, it was
03:17best to go big.
03:18Sephiroth remains one of Final Fantasy's most popular villains, so fans were understandably
03:22excited to see him pop up here.
03:33He fought as a secret boss in the Olympus Coliseum, a fitting setting.
03:36His sword has long range, though he can also close the distance by teleporting on top of
03:41performing high-powered magical attacks.
03:43It was great seeing some of his turn-based moves in a more action-focused match, all
03:47of which will have you frantically trying to avoid them.
03:532003.
03:56Darth Malak – Star Wars – Knights of the Old Republic
04:12Following the mind-blowing reveal that the amnesiac player character is actually the
04:15villain's former master, you have to deal with Darth Malak.
04:19Whether you choose the hero or villain route, this Sith Lord won't be giving up his title
04:23without a major fight.
04:34He's got the expected abilities befitting his position, such as Force lightning and
04:38extreme prowess with a lightsaber, which he happily hurls at you if you're too far away.
04:43Making this harder is having to deal with the captive Jedi's giving him more power.
04:47Newer Star Wars games make it look dated, but at the time, this was a clash like no
04:51other.
04:52And it was the climax of a wonderful build-up from the story.
05:022004.
05:06The Boss – Metal Gear Solid 3 – Snake Eater
05:19The final fight in Metal Gear Solid 3 is tense from both a gameplay and emotional perspective.
05:24Having been betrayed by her towards the beginning of the game, the player hunts The Boss and
05:27her compatriots throughout.
05:29When you finally face her, there's no big set-piece or gimmick, like many other fights
05:33in the series.
05:34It goes smaller, more personal, as you face her in a field of flowers.
05:45Her having an automatic weapon means playing things carefully as you close the distance
05:49to deliver blows.
05:50The fight is made bittersweet by your relationship with her, even more so when it's revealed
05:54that she's still one of the good guys.
06:012005.
06:05Avion The Fifth Colossus – Shadow of the Colossus
06:17Shadow of the Colossus was an easy pick for 2005, given that it's mostly comprised of
06:22boss fights with stunning designs and art direction.
06:24But choosing which of the 16 claimed the spot was a bit tougher.
06:28Ultimately, The Fifth Colossus won for switching things up and doing so excellently.
06:39Up until this point, players had been able to climb these towering titans from the ground.
06:43But with Avion being a gigantic bird, we had to approach it differently.
06:47Shooting it with an arrow began the fight, with the player having to leap onto Avion
06:50as it tried to swoop down on them.
06:52Hanging on for dear life felt far more invigorating than in previous fights.
06:56One mistake and you'd plummet into the water below.
07:012006.
07:05Stallord – The Legend of Zelda – Twilight Princess
07:19Many Zelda bosses are designed to be fought using their dungeon's item.
07:22No boss within the franchise makes better use of this formula than Stallord from Twilight
07:26Princess.
07:27During the first phase, Link must ride the spinner around the circular arena, bouncing
07:31back and forth to hit the colossal fossil in the spine which is protected by skeletal
07:35soldiers.
07:43During the second phase, you'll bounce between a massive pillar and the wall to avoid its
07:47fireballs and spike traps.
07:49The spinner may be underused, but it's extremely unique compared to everything else in Link's
07:54arsenal.
07:55Designing a fight around it resulted in pure joy, making Stallord a fan-favorite boss to
07:59this day.
08:042007.
08:07The Sisters of Fate – God of War 2
08:17The Sisters of Fate provide three great boss fights for the price of one, and they each
08:21have their own fun gimmick to wrap your head around.
08:24First up is the appetizer, Lachesis, who relies on her staff, flight, and energy blast.
08:30Second is Atropos, who summons minions before joining her sister so they can both try to
08:34take Kratos out.
08:36Avoiding Atropos' attacks from the side while facing Lachesis will certainly get your
08:39blood pumping.
08:44Finally, you'll face the off-putting, building-sized Klotho, who is part boss fight, part environmental
08:52puzzle.
08:53Each of the sisters brings a different style for the player to adapt to, making it one
08:56of Kratos' more memorable encounters.
09:012008.
09:04Taboo – Super Smash Bros. Brawl
09:15Prior to Brawl, Master Hand was the de facto head honcho.
09:19But by the third game, we all knew his shtick, and so Nintendo gave us a brand new baddie
09:23to face.
09:24Fought at the very end of the subspace emissary, Taboo puts up far more of a fight than Master
09:28Hand ever did.
09:30He has a wide range of attacks, all of which deal heavy damage.
09:40It's possible he'll one-hit KO some of the lighter-weight characters.
09:44For the heavier characters, he'll still quickly build up your percentage to bring them very
09:48sudden deaths.
09:49Lasers, teleporting, explosions, shockwaves, and some particularly annoying throws, Taboo
09:54has all of these and more to make this fight a challenge.
10:022009.
10:06Albert Wesker – Resident Evil 5
10:20Having betrayed all of us back in the original Resident Evil, it felt incredible to finally
10:25put down the vile Albert Wesker.
10:27Chris and Sheva will confront this slimy villain in a hangar, with the player having to hide
10:31and avoid him until it's the right moment to strike.
10:34Using the rockets scattered around the arena is a good call, because he'll also be trying
10:38to blow you up.
10:39He still moves faster than you would expect from a tanky bullet sponge, though.
10:52The second phase goes for a more thrilling setting inside a volcano, with Wesker transforming
10:56into a monster to match his personality.
10:59Defeating Wesker was a long time coming, and we were happy to see him reach such an explosive
11:03end.
11:092010.
11:13Zeus – God of War 3
11:29Speaking of demises that were a long time coming, Zeus made Kratos' life an actual
11:33living hell in God of War.
11:35And while we did get to fight him in the second game, the climactic bout here served as the
11:39perfect finale to the Greek saga.
11:42Since he's the leader of the Olympian gods, Zeus comes with several phases and a myriad
11:45of deadly attacks.
11:47The first half is a 2D fight where he can teleport and electrocute you from the ground
11:50and the air.
12:01The second half, inside Gaia, has him making copies of himself to keep you busy so he can
12:05regenerate.
12:06It's an impressive showcase of power to be sure, but the fight is also interspersed
12:11with emotional character beats.
12:172011.
12:21Mr. Freeze – Batman Arkham City
12:31Batman has many clever rogues in his gallery, though Mr. Freeze is one of the most intelligent.
12:35For the fight against him in Arkham City, Rocksteady found a neat way to implement his
12:39smarts through mechanics.
12:40As he stalks you in his lab, there will be a wide array of ways to deal damage to him.
12:45However, once you use one, you won't be able to again because Freeze will adapt.
12:56How many different attacks you must do depends on your difficulty setting.
12:59Regardless, it forces you to plan out each and every move, keeping the fight fresh throughout.
13:04Not only that, but he follows your tracks and scans your body heat, all combining to
13:08make a slow-paced fight much tenser.
13:152012.
13:21Hanson Jack – Borderlands 2
13:30Hanson Jack is one of those villains you love to hate.
13:33He's done despicable things and killed untold numbers of innocents, yet he's hilariously
13:37charming the whole game.
13:38When it comes time to face him, we relish the opportunity.
13:42Jack and Cloak can copy himself and use various different elemental attacks as well as AOE
13:46ones.
13:47And if that wasn't tough enough, he summons the Warrior once you defeat him, a massive
13:50alien that loves to stomp around and bathe you in fire.
14:01Our hatred for Jack and desire for justice built up over the course of the game, so this
14:05fight didn't disappoint.
14:06The cherry on top is choosing to cut his dying speech short.
14:122013.
14:16Senator Armstrong – Metal Gear Solid Revengeance
14:29Metal Gear Solid already thrived on ridiculousness.
14:32So an entry from Platinum Games, known for delivering over-the-top action, naturally
14:37dialed everything up to 11.
14:39The game's villain and final boss, Senator Armstrong, is a perfect example.
14:42First, he'll fight Raiden from inside a giant Metal Gear.
14:45But once he comes out, the true fight begins.
14:57Using his nanomachine augmentations, Armstrong's punches hit like a truck.
15:01Your blows against him, on the other hand, don't even make him budge an inch.
15:04You're just meant to survive until you get a new sword so that you can both truly cut
15:09loose.
15:10With plenty of unhinged dialogue sprinkled between the phases, it's one of the most
15:13entertaining of the series.
15:192014.
15:23Masked Lumen – Bayonetta 2
15:37Platinum Games was clearly in top form throughout the 2010s, following Revengeance up with a
15:42sequel to the beloved Bayonetta.
15:44Each boss fight was pushed to the extreme in terms of design and quick-paced battle
15:48mechanics, chief among them being the witch's rival.
15:58The Masked Lumen and Bayonetta are essentially two sides of the same coin.
16:01They're just as fast as she is, can also manipulate time, fly, and use a variety of
16:06summons.
16:07You'll each be slicing and dicing around one another like some sort of dance.
16:11While your opponent isn't as grandiose as some others, the fight certainly is, especially
16:15when both fighters summon gigantic beasts to fight in the background.
16:242015.
16:30Lady Maria of the Astral Clock Tower – Bloodborne
16:32Bloodborne has many terrific bosses, but the old Hunters DLC added some that surpassed
16:46those in the base game, such as the deadly Lady Maria.
16:50Her design may be a little underwhelming compared to the nightmarish creatures fought elsewhere,
16:54but what she lacks there, she makes up for in how she fights.
16:57Her first phase is similar to how players fight, with one melee weapon and one ranged
17:01one, however she'll then infuse her attacks with her own magical blood, giving her more
17:14range and letting her deal more damage.
17:17That's bad enough without the teleporting and massive charge attacks she also inflicts.
17:21Just be wary, Hunters.
17:282016.
17:32Cyberdemon – Doom
17:332016's Doom brought this FPS franchise back to glory with plenty of carnage to inflict
17:50on demonic hordes.
17:52The final boss, Spider Mastermind, was an excellent way to end the game, but the classic
17:56Cyberdemon wins for a great intro and a tense bullet hell of a fight.
18:00It begins as you enter Lazarus Labs, where the demon will rip open the door just to hurl
18:04you into a room for some alone time.
18:06This is a free shot to simply unload as many bullets and whatever other ammunition you
18:10have, because this brute will certainly be doing the same.
18:18This second phase is fought in actual hell, where it will be far more aggressive.
18:23This fight epitomizes what made this reboot so great.
18:292017.
18:34Monk Maskashia – The Legend of Zelda – Breath of the Wild
18:44Some fans were disappointed in the bosses of Breath of the Wild.
18:47Thankfully, within the Champion's Valor DLC, we got a fight worthy of the legendary
18:51hero.
18:52Monk Maskashia stands as the final test and has so many different ways to attack, you
18:56may not even see them all.
18:58His health bar is broken into several phases, the first of which sees him teleporting and
19:02using a variety of elemental arrows.
19:04Part two will have him continuously make copies of himself to overwhelm you through force.
19:16Phase three has him grow to enormous size, where he'll throw spiked balls, shoot lightning
19:20and lasers, and stomp the ground to produce tornadoes.
19:24No wonder this fight is referred to as a trial.
19:302018.
19:33Doc Ock – Marvel's Spider-Man
19:44Despite many of us knowing the outcome, Marvel's Spider-Man managed to make us care deeply
19:48for Otto Octavius.
19:50His descent into villainy was handled masterfully, topping off with a fantastic final fight.
19:54The game's mechanics are pristine, whether using Spidey's webbing to swing around or
19:59hurl objects at enemies.
20:01It feels just as good to use them here, just with Otto's extra arms trying to rip you
20:05apart.
20:13While Doc Ock leaps about and tries to smash Peter, you have to web up his arms quickly
20:17in order to deal actual damage.
20:19It's both suspenseful thanks to how hard he hits and due to the emotionally resonant climax.
20:272019.
20:32Isshin the Sword Saint – Sekiro – Shadows Die Twice
20:42Game software is the current king of challenging boss fights.
20:46The final fight in Sekiro against Isshin the Sword Saint is one of the studio's finest
20:50and perhaps one of the finest sword duels in all of gaming.
20:53There's no way not to be on the edge of your seat as Isshin descends upon you.
20:57He moves with startling speed and ferocity, easily closing the distance between you and
21:01slicing off large portions of health.
21:10The fight demands patience lest you make a mistake, as well as proficiency with the
21:14game's mechanics.
21:15Otherwise, it will be a swift, unpleasant death.
21:19Isshin is both exciting and terrifying to face, capping the game off in tremendous fashion.
21:262020.
21:30The Rat King – The Last of Us Part II
21:40As players take Abby through the lower levels of the hospital in Seattle, there will naturally
21:43be some infected to put down, but as you do, you'll be aware of something far more dangerous
21:48lurking in the shadows.
21:49When the Rat King finally appears, you'll barely have time to register that its multiple
21:53infected loop together before it's time to make a run for it.
22:03The intense chase sequence leads to a claustrophobic showdown, where you'll have to unload your
22:07already limited ammo in order to make it out.
22:10The entire horrific sequence got our hearts pumping out of our chests, especially when
22:13a stalker separated from the group to hunt us.
22:202021.
22:25Raven Beak – Metroid Dread
22:37The Metroid series is usually good about feeling extremely tough without coming off as cheap.
22:41That doesn't make any of the numerous deaths we faced at the hands of Raven Beak any easier
22:45to swallow.
22:46The big bad of Dread is an imposing, highly skilled warrior with the necessary skills
22:51to put Samus in the dirt.
23:00He's exceptionally fast, forcing the player to have extraordinary reaction time in order
23:05to not get hit.
23:06Good luck with that, because he also has a wide variety of attacks, both short and long
23:10range.
23:11He's also fought across three phases, each one more bloodthirsty than the last, the second
23:16of which gives him wings, and the third of which comes with extremely destructive artillery.
23:252022.
23:30Melania – Blade of Mycala – Elden Ring
23:45If there was one boss that dominated the gaming space in 2022, it was Melania from Elden Ring.
23:51She quickly earned a reputation as the most challenging fight in the game, and being optional,
23:56she became everyone's white whale to seek out.
23:59She starts the fight by saying she's never known defeat, which, yeah, is obvious.
24:03Her long range sword and speed makes keeping your distance nigh impossible.
24:16Her signature flurry attack has so many hits, it'll decimate your health bar if it lands.
24:21Her second phase hits harder and inflicts scarlet rot to deal damage over time.
24:25Plus, throughout the whole fight, every attack she lands on you heals her.
24:30FromSoftware clearly outdid themselves with this one.
24:382023.
24:43Demon King Ganondorf – The Legend of Zelda – Tears of the Kingdom
24:55Of all the times Link has faced off against his greatest nemesis, this fight against Ganondorf
24:59in Tears of the Kingdom just may be the best the Gerudo form has ever given us.
25:04He'll swap between the Phantom Ganon weapons for the first phase, all of which deal gloom
25:08damage, and can even perfect dodge your attacks.
25:16Phase 2 has an incredible intro, with Ganondorf transforming and extending his health bar
25:20to an almost comedic length.
25:22It's also cinematic in that the sages join the fight against Ganondorf's phantoms, and
25:26that his attacks can deal major damage.
25:28Finally, his dragon form is easiest, but still provides a tremendous sense of awe and accomplishment
25:33when the Zelda's light dragon form joins the fray.
25:36Everything about this fight is just the type of final confrontation the Tears of the Kingdom
25:40needed.
25:452024.
25:50Promised Consort Radan
25:58Another entry for Elden Ring, you ask?
26:00Well, this final boss fight from the DLC Shadow of the Earth Tree is here for a very good
26:04reason.
26:05As soon as you enter through the fog, Radan immediately leaps towards you, giving you
26:09no time at all to summon your Spirit Ashes.
26:11This relentless movepool will require many tries for you to memorize them all.
26:21It gets even worse when you enter his second phase, as not only is he even faster, but
26:25will start to cast even wider AoE attacks.
26:28This boss fight was so ridiculous that FromSoftware released a patch almost three months later
26:32nerfing a lot of Radan's aspects.
26:34For those of you who managed to conquer the original version, we salute you.