There's a reason why developers choose to reserve the hardest encounters in their games as optional challenges. The progression curve in these games is meant to educate players without frustrating them, something that is thrown out of the window when it comes to these optional boss fights.
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Their challenge is simply off the charts, and ensures that players will be pushed to their very limits in a bid to try and overcome the obstacle that lies in their way. As hard as these bosses may be, experts will get a kick out of optimizing their strategy to deal with these hard-as-nails encounters.
Sans
The Genocide Route Features The Game's Hardest Boss By A Country Mile
Undertale
- Released
- September 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Tobacco
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Sans is one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. He's also the final boss of the Genocide Route, an optional path where the player obliterates everything in their path and becomes the game's biggest villain.
This is a boss that intentionally tries to make players quit their run and not move forward with their Genocide playthrough. This meta-commentary is clever, although fans will find this hard to appreciate as they constantly get smashed to a pulp by Sans over and over again.
The Nameless King
The Hardest Dark Souls 3 Boss Who's As Epic As They Come
Dark Souls 3
- Released
- March 24, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
The Nameless King is one of the most iconic bosses in the Dark Souls trilogy, and the fact that he's optional is quite fascinating. He comes into battle riding on a dragon that is challenging enough to defeat, as is.
However, once players take him on in one-on-one combat, they'll realize just how challenging this foe is. It's normal to die against Gwyn's forgotten son over and over again before players finally edge him out in combat and give him a final death.
Sigrun
The Hardest Challenge In 2018's God Of War
God of War
- Released
- April 20, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
After beating all the other Valkyries, Kratos and Atreus will be able to duke it out against the Valkyrie Queen herself, Sigrun. She's easily the hardest foe in the game by a country mile and will stomp players into the dirt over and over again before they eventually succeed.
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She uses the movesets of all the Valkyries that came before her, ensuring that players will find the encounter challenging yet familiar in its own right. After numerous losses, finally getting the W in this fight makes for one of the most cathartic moments in 2018's God of War.
Penance
Arguably The Hardest Final Fantasy Superboss Of All Time (Barring The MMOs)
Final Fantasy 10
- Released
- December 17, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy has a reputation for adding hard-as-nails superbosses in its games that force players to reach new heights to defeat these foes. So, it says a lot when most fans consider Penance to be the hardest boss this franchise has ever integrated in a single-player game.
Dealing with the Dark Aeons is far from straightforward as is, and Penance will ensure that only players with a party full of characters with maxed-out Sphere Grids will be able to take it on. The boss follows a pattern, and players must ensure that one of its arms is down for the count at all times if they don't want to be instantly KO'd.
Dettlaff van der Eretein
A Ridiculously Hard Boss In A Game That Isn't Too Challenging Otherwise
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Technically speaking, Blood & Wine is entirely optional, although it's highly recommended for fans who want to enjoy the full Witcher 3 experience. Not only does it let players explore the beautiful world of Toussaint, but it also ups the challenge for players who thought the base game was too easy.
Dettlaff personifies this to a T. This three-phase boss fight is brutal, and Geralt must arrive loaded with potions if he doesn't want to be ground to a pulp. The worst part is that players who die in any one of the three phases must start from the very beginning, forcing them to be nigh-perfect in every phase and minimize the damage they absorb.
Orphan of Kos
The Old Hunters Introduces What Might Just Be The Hardest FromSoftware Boss Of All Time
Bloodborne
- Released
- March 24, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
FromSoftware is a developer known for crafting some of the hardest boss fights of all time, so it speaks volumes when fans unanimously agree that Orphan of Kos is the hardest one of the lot. This nightmarish foe is no joke and will push players to their very limit.
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He's ultra-aggressive, gives very little room to heal, and can summon lightning that covers almost the entire map. Avoiding his attacks is a nightmare, and players will be jumping for joy when they finally manage to best one of gaming's most challenging bosses.
Jo Amon
This Recurring Yakuza Superboss Is No Joke
Yakuza 0
- Released
- January 24, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Most people assume that the Yakuza games aren't hard and that they can breeze through the title in no time. This is why Jo Amon is such a legendary optional boss, arriving as the subject of the final substory in every game after players clear all other optional content.
He's a superboss with a ridiculous number of health bars and attacks that can eliminate Kiryu's health bar in a single hit. Along with this, he has other tricks up his sleeve, such as lasers and the ability to fill a player's inventory slots with fake healing items, making him a pain to defeat in every Yakuza game if players are striving for 100% completion.
Galdera
Both Octopath Traveler Games Will Push Players To The Very Limit In This Superboss Encounter
Octopath Traveler 2
- Released
- February 24, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Rated T for Teen for Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, and Use of Alcohol and Tobacco.
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Galdera is the superboss of both Octopath Traveler games, who's no joke. Defeating her in the first game was mandatory for players who wanted to see the true ending, which didn't sit right with many.
This isn't the case in Octopath Traveler 2, where Galdera is totally optional and is even stronger than ever. Her enhanced strength makes up for the added tools in a player's arsenal, and only the most broken party combinations in the game will be able to dish out a beatdown for the ages on this foe.
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