RPG Boss Fights That Change Based On The Player Choice

RPGs love to throw curveballs at their players depending on the decisions they make. This happens a lot with boss fights too. Often, entire fights can be avoided if the player makes a certain choice. This list, however, deals with the rarer occassions, when the boss fight still happens, but changes slightly (or drastically) because of something players did leading up to the battle.

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By  Robbie Mitchell

The reasons and effects vary wildly from one example to the next, but each just goes to show how creative developers can get when it comes to the way the player's actions can have consequences. For some of these boss fights, players will want to pay attention, because a subtle decision can make a boss significantly easier or harder.

6 The Legend Of Zelda: The Breath Of The Wild

Calamity Ganon's Health Bar Is Lessened The More Divine Beasts Link Frees

Breath of the Wild's structure is so loose, players can beat the game in just a couple of hours if they feel so inclined, and if they are skilled enough. While rushing straight to Calamity Ganon is possible, the fight is extremely hard without first freeing the Divine Beasts.

Each one players free takes out a large chunk of the Calamity Ganon's healthbar, making him a little easier. It is difficult to imagine anybody beating Ganon easily on a first playthrough, as much of his boss fight is reliant on players gaining experience by exploring the world and doing the stories revolving around the Divine Beasts first. However, it is a fun challenge for experts to try and beat Ganon as early as possible.

5 Final Fantasy 10

Yu Yevon Makes The Party Fight Their Own Aeons

Final Fantasy 10, just like many other titles in the series, makes summons play a key role in the plot. In fact, the majority of the party's journey revolves around Yuna collecting the Aeons from all around Spira. This, combined with their more involved role in gameplay, gives players a special connection with them.

It is heartbreaking, then, when players have to fight them before facing off against the final boss in the game, Yu Yevon. If the Aeons are well-trained, then it will be a very difficult bout. Players will also have to fight more Aeons if they found the secret Aeons, Yojimbo, Anima, and the Magus Sisters.

4 Baldur's Gate 3

What Players Do With The Nightsong Changes Multiple Bosses

The way fights change depending on certain decisions in Baldur's Gate 3 makes it hard to pick one boss for an entry. Fighting different people depending on the player's choices would not be enough to put the game on this list. Depending on dialogue choices, many fights can end up with subtle changes. Not only dialogue, but many of the bouts can be cheesed if players plan appropriately.

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However, perhaps the biggest decision that will affect numerous bosses and quests is the decision of whether or not to save or kill the Nightsong in Act 2. Without spoiling too much, saving the Nightsong will change the last boss of Act 2 and the game's final boss encounter, and a major quest in the third act. The Nightsong can also be summoned into certain boss fights...if she's still alive.

3 Final Fantasy 7 Remake

The Airbuster Can Be Weakened If Players Are Thorough In The Level Leading Up To It

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a mostly linear game, especially when compared to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. However, it still makes this list because of the Airbuster boss fight in the middle of the game. This fight comes in Chapter 7, just before Cloud falls into the church where he first meets Aerith.

In the dungeon leading up to the fight, players have the ability to remove certain parts from the machine, which will have an effect on its combat prowess. Certain moves can be made less effective depending on what parts players dispose of in Chapter 7 before the fight.

2 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

Agronomist Gro-Malog Loses The Will To Fight If Players Reveal The Truth To Him

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion has an arena players can enter themselves into, win fights, and steadily climb through the ranks. The reigning grand champion is Agronak gro-Malog, an Orc who is quite friendly despite the impending battle to the death he's about to engage in. He even asks the player to find out his origins and bring back the news of his bloodline.

Unfortunately, it turns out that the truth is, Agronak is a vampire. If players do this quest before fighting him, the truth shocks him so much that he enters the final battle of the arena with no will to fight or live. He simply stands there and lets the player kill him. Players cannot leave the battle arena unless they kil him, either, making for one of the game's sadder moments.

1 Demon's Souls

The Old Monk Can Be An Invading Player Or An NPC

The Old Monk is a simple fight compared to all the other bosses in Demon's Souls. The thing that makes it so special is that it actually searches the Internet for another player who then controls the boss to fight the protagonist, as an early iteration of the invasion mechanic that has existed in all of From Software's games since. Depending on the other player's skill or kindness, the fight can either be very easy, or extremely difficult.

However, players have the power to disconnect the game from the Internet, which reduces the fight to a bout against an AI, turning it into one of the game's easier bosses. It is halfway between cheesing the fight and a conscious decision made by the player that the game allows. However, it's an unfortunate way to approach one of the most interesting boss fights of the PS3 era.

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