The Hardest Bosses In The God Of War Series

The God of War series is one of the most popular video game franchises of all time. Ever since the first game came out in 2005, God of War has spawned multiple sequels and various extensions in other media, such as novels, comic books, and others. The games are often regarded as some of the best action titles of all time.

One of the things that make the God of War series so beloved is its harsh, heavy-hitting, and unrelenting combat mechanics. Even though the entire system went through a massive overhaul with 2018's God of War, this fact still remains true. Boss fights, most especially, really make the combat mechanics shine, and they force the players to pay attention to the screen, engaged to spectacular effect.

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Updated September 22, 2024, by David Heath: As of September 19, 2024, God of War: Ragnarök has made it off of consoles and has landed on PC. Now players can give it a go via Steam, and start modding it anyway they like. However, they will also have to get around its teething troubles, as it's suffering from a few performance issues at the moment. It also requires a PSN account to play, limiting its reach in certain areas where PSN isn't available.

Still, if players can get around those woes and get it running smoothly, they'll be in for some of the hardest boss encounters in the series. That is why this list has been updated with more of Kratos' most difficult encounters, with a little rearrangement and tweaking here and there to reflect how badly they'll punish players. Some, like Aegaeon, are annoyances. Others will require all the player's skills to overcome.

23 Aegaeon The Hecatonchires

God Of War: Ascension

• First boss of God of War: Ascension.
• Swift, powerful attacks that are hard to dodge due to the shifting camera.
• Ascension's new, combo-reliant gameplay makes it harder to whittle down the boss' health.

The battle against Aegeaon the Hecatonchires has the same problem as the rest of God of War: Ascension, in that Kratos can't pull off any worthwhile attacks unless he builds up his combo meter. Since Aegaeon's attacks are hard to consistently dodge, players will have to chip away at his health one or two strikes at a time.

On top of that, this is a multi-stage battle that involves quick platforming and fighting waves of enemies to reach the next arena. Players must stay on their toes as the camera zooms and rotates all over the titanic opponent. Oftentimes, the perspective zooms so far out that players can't see what they're doing. That's a problem when combat hinges on dodging and combos. All of these issues combine to make Aegaeon an ungodly (sorry) annoyance.

22 Poseidon

God Of War 3

• First boss of God of War 3.
• Has multiple phases where he uses his Hippocampus, then his lightning and crab claws, before attacking directly with his trident.
• He isn't too difficult for GoW veterans, but without upgrades or other perks, he can be challenging.

Poseidon, the god of the ocean and ruler of the seven seas, is a persistent and tough opponent. Players fight this mighty god right at the beginning of God of War III. This boss is relatively tougher to fight than other opening bosses in the series, considering the fact that players are still stepping into the game without upgrades and such.

Poseidon has a total of three phases, each tougher and more aggressive than the last. From his hippocampus (a mer-horse), to his famous trident, the god uses many moves in his arsenal to prevent Kratos from climbing Mount Olympus. His defense is strong too, as it takes a lot of hits to end each phase, until Kratos can finally smash him out of his oceanic construct and deal with him up close and personal.

21 Charon

God Of War: Chains Of Olympus

• Penultimate boss of God of War: Chains of Olympus.
• Swings his scythe around in combos, and summons projectiles.
• He can also charge up the head of the ship with an instant kill energy blast, which only the Gauntlet of Zeus can stop.

One wouldn't expect a ferryman to put up such a fight, but Charon has a wider attack range thanks to his scythe. He only needs to hit once for the rest of his combo to connect. That's not counting the energy projectiles that he routinely fires, which Kratos either has to dodge or reflect, which requires tight timing. That would be tricky but fine if the difficulty wasn't amplified by Charon's movement, as just getting close enough to attack is a chore.

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Like the sirens and gorgon enemies, he's a thin target who constantly slithers around, making it hard to lock him down. The only way to fight back against him is to use the Blades of Chaos, as the Gauntlet of Zeus is too slow. The best it can do is destroy the head of the ship to keep Charon from healing himself. Even once he's beaten, he'll come back with more projectiles until Kratos can shut him down for good. It's no wonder all the dead people (except for Kratos) simply resign themselves to the Underworld; it's easier than fighting the ferryman.

20 Hades

God Of War 3

• The second boss of God of War 3.
• Big boss that fights with chained claw-blades, homing projectiles, and the souls of other enemies in the game.
• He also has two more phases where the player has to beat him at tug-of-war, then fight his giant form.

Hades, the god of the underworld and the ruler of the dead, is nothing but intimidating. Though he helped Kratos in the past, he's held a grudge against the Ghost of Sparta ever since he beat his queen, Persephone. Now he seeks to take Kratos' soul, which he can almost do if players don't hammer the trigger buttons fast enough at the start of this boss fight.

Hades is a towering figure with hard-hitting attacks. His chains are unrelenting, and can home in on Kratos if he isn't running fast enough, and he can summon the souls of his underworld minions to aid him. If Kratos (and the player) can make it through his three phases without dying, they'll eventually overpower Hades and gain his claw-blades, but it won't be a walk in the park.

19 Persephone

God Of War: Chains Of Olympus

• Final boss of God of War: Chains of Olympus.
• Aggressive boss that loves to kick giant rocks and throw projectiles at Kratos.
• Requires quick reflexes to defeat, from deflecting her projectiles, to completing her quick-time event.

The Persephone boss fight at the end of God Of War: Chains Of Olympus is both challenging and exciting. The wife of Hades and the queen of the underworld will battle Kratos tooth and nail. She may not have the heaviest damage in the series, but she most certainly has some of the most erratic and aggressive movements. One moment, she seems vulnerable. The next, she's kicking an unblockable rock at Kratos that hurts quite a bit.

Once Kratos manages to put Persephone's health low enough, she will begin to fire projectiles that Kratos can deflect and send back at her. The thing is, though, that she can also deflect it right back at Kratos too. This creates this ping-pong-like exchange where players will constantly have to time their deflections right if they want to put the queen of the underworld down for good. Oh, and to hit the right buttons when she gives Kratos a health-sapping hug. If they don't, it's an instant game over.

18 Svartaljofurr

God Of War (2018)

• Boss of Alfheim.
• Moves faster than the regular Dark Elves, and fires larger projectiles that hit harder.
• He can also blind Kratos with bright flashes, then impale him on his spear before blasting him again.

Svartaljofurr, or the King of the Dark Elves, has attack patterns that are as complicated as his name. He'll constantly make sure the players will fight him in his comfortable home court, darkness. From there, he'll constantly berate Kratos and Atreus with light waves and unpredictable attacks, many of which will make the arena even darker than it already is.

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By  David Heath

The worst part about this fight is that it appears fairly early on in the game. At this point, players don't really have too many choices when it comes to the moves and Runic Attacks they can pull off. The best they can do is dodge his bigger swings, then parry his quicker ones to strike him directly. But he isn't impossible to defeat. He's just challenging. So long as players persist (and have enough healing stones), they'll eventually bring the King down.

17 The Maven

God of War: Ragnarök

• An optional boss fight as part of the Elven Sanctum Favor in God of War: Ragnarök.
• Fights a lot like Alva, the Alfheim boss in 'Groa's Secret', only she's faster and more aggressive.
• She'll also throw her swords, fire unblockable projectiles, and will try to heal herself when damaged enough.

Fighting the Maven in God of War: Ragnarök isn't too bad, because chances are the player won't be tackling her until post-game. She can only be fought once players complete the Elven Sanctum favor, which requires scouring through the Elven Library in Alfheim's Forbidden Sands. Kratos will try to take a journal out with him, which will upset the Maven and start the battle.

She's essentially a reskin of the fight against Alva, one of the bosses elsewhere in Alfheim. The difference is that she's much faster, and mixes up her attacks way more. It can be hard to keep track of her strikes as, if players dodge her unblockable projectile, she'll close in on them with swift melee strikes. Then, if they manage to get her closer to death's door, she'll try to run away and heal herself. It's not too hard to stop her, thankfully. But the real challenge is knowing when to close the distance and hack away at her, and when to keep a good distance from her.

16 Magni & Modi

God Of War (2018)

• Recurring boss duo from God of War (2018).
• The two fight together, with one brother keeping Atreus occupied while the other attacks Kratos.
• They'll also summon a storm to darken the arena, and force Kratos and Atreus to watch their flanks to block their attacks.

It figures that Magni & Modi, the sons of Thor, would be tough, and each of these guys is predictably durable on his own. The brothers can take a lot of abuse from both melee and ranged attacks. Even worse, Kratos can only get a few hits on them before they retaliate with an unblockable, widespread counterattack.

Fighting them both doubles the difficulty. The close-quarters camera limits players' vision, so one of the brothers could easily outflank Kratos from off-screen. Atreus can call out where they're coming from, but he can only do so much to draw their attention, as he'll be fighting off the other brother at the same time. Then, together, they'll cast "Blindr", darken the arena for a bit, and force both Kratos and Atreus to defend against their hidden attacks.

15 Theseus

God Of War 2

• Keeper of the Steeds of Time in God of War 2.
• Swings a double-ended spear that he can impale Kratos on and, if they don't complete a QTE, slam him into the ground with.
• Has a phase where he'll fire projectiles from the top of the stage, and summon Minotaurs and ice stalagmites from the ground.

Theseus, the founder and former King of Athens, is a pain in the neck in God of War 2. One-on-one, his spear combos can be tricky to dodge, especially when they trap Kratos in a throw that requires beating a directional QTE to beat. But he's at his worst when he escapes to the top of the stage and rains projectiles down on the Ghost of Sparta instead.

From there, he'll also summon Minotaurs to distract Kratos, and painful ice stalagmites, which will instantly kill him on Titan Mode. Beating the Minotaurs with a QTE will give Kratos extra magic. He'll need it, as the only way to attack Theseus in this state is with Typhon's Bane, the weakest magic ability in the game. With enough bolts, he'll go down for the count, but it takes a lot of dodging and arrow-slinging to get there.

14 Heimdall

God of War: Ragnarök

• Will start the fight riding his steed, Gulltoppr, who'll swipe and charge at Kratos while Heimdall throws Bifrost attacks.
• After Gulltoppr is done, Heimdall will be too quick for regular attacks, and must be staggered with the Draupnir Spear.
• In the final phase, he'll slow down time, chuck boulders, and do an unblockable ground slam attack.

The God of War series is no stranger to hateable characters, and they're not necessarily the main villains. Ares, Zeus, The Furies and Odin are grade-A scumbags, but Heimdall requires stronger language, particularly when he spends most of his appearances bullying kids like Atreus and Thrud. Kratos wants to avoid killing him to 'be better,' but most fans think he deserves all that he gets.

Fighting him on his steed, Gulltoppr, isn't too bad, because the beast can at least be hit. Heimdall himself is too fast to hit thanks to his foresight. Players will have to use the Draupnir spear and its bolt attacks to give him less room to dodge, and stagger him until he can be hit. Even then, with enough persistence, he'll get serious. Heimdall will start chucking boulders, slamming the ground for unblockable shockwave attacks, and slowing down time to give himself an opening.