5 most difficult final bosses in video games

Have you ever heard of or experienced a fit of frustration when you’re playing late into the night, and you can’t defeat the final boss in a game? Well, there are some characters that are here to really give you a difficult time before you can call it a night. By the time you finally dethrone them, you will find yourself exhausted from all the effort exerted, but in the end, it's all worth it.

When it comes to the toughest final bosses in video games, these villains tower above the rest. So in honor of those cruel nights, let’s take a look at five of the toughest video game bosses of all time.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the views of the writer.

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Hades and four other most difficult final bosses in video games

1) Melania (Elden Ring)

Final Boss - Melania (Image via FromSoftware Inc.)

Melania is regarded by many as not only the most difficult opponent in Elden Ring but also the most difficult boss in all of FromSoftware's releases. She has a catastrophic life steal mechanic that allows her to regain a portion of HP anytime she hits the player, in addition to her horrifically high base damage, lightning-fast attacks, and unpredictable combos.

The life steal triggers even when you block an attack. We've all seen '0 hits' Elden Ring runs by now, but Melania expects every player to be capable of pulling this off since being hit by her will not only remove the majority of your health bar but also undo any progress achieved with previous hits.

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2) Mr. X (Resident Evil 2)

Final Boss - Mr. X (Image via Capcom)

Throughout the remake of Resident Evil 2, you are pursued by Mr. X (also known as the T-00 Tyrant) a mutant supersoldier dressed in a trench coat. Regretfully, at the climax of Leon's campaign, you will find yourself in a lift with Mr. X. In this situation, It can be difficult to move around as the space is restricted, allowing the Tyrant to easily attack you with his claws.

You can protect yourself from his attacks by shooting the exposed heart since shooting will cause additional rubble to fall and further harm him. To finally defeat him, at around the three minutes and 30 seconds mark, a rocket launcher will automatically drop down, and you can use it to deal significant damage.

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3) Hades (Hades)

Final Boss - Hades (Image via Supergiant Games)

Hades, the deity of the underworld who gave his domain and the game its namesake, will stop at nothing to keep Zagreus stuck there. Hades not only deals massive damage over a large area, but he can also hit you with skulls, which applies the Blood Boiling debuff to your character, causing you to take more damage from attacks. He is usually best defeated by utilizing ranged weapons, so maintaining a distance from him will be crucial.

Dashing and utilizing the space of the battle arena by dodging and strategically moving around is also important. Ultimately, the only way to defeat him is by familiarizing yourself with his attack and movement patterns and bracing yourself for suffering.

In Hades' last boss battle, players are essentially required to defeat him twice because his health regenerates after the first time you take him down. If you lose in either the first or second phase, you will have to start over from scratch without any of the improvements and boons you have collected thus far.

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4) Sigrun (God of War)

Final Boss - Sigrun (Image via Santa Monica Studios)

Sigrun possesses all of her fallen kin's skills and can only be summoned after you finish off all eight other Valkyries. Players will likely have seen the majority of her moveset by the time they make it to her part of the game, as she uses practically every ability and move that the other Valkyries have.

However, this results in a flurry of lethal strikes heading in your direction. She also has her own special moves and is significantly stronger than her subordinates. She moves quickly and attacks powerfully, whether it's with projectiles, grapples, or health-depleting combos.

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5) The Nameless King (Dark Souls 3)

Final Boss - The Nameless King (Image via FromSoftware Inc.)

The Nameless King's moveset appears to be endless, and he is capable of draining your HP with both melee and ranged attacks. When the boss reaches half of his health, he gains an entirely new set of lightning-based techniques. The best thing you can do is be patient and memorize his attack sequences, evade and block when possible, and attack when appropriate.

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Overcoming the obstacles presented by tough bosses in video games is not only a trial of gaming expertise but is also an indication of resiliency and strategic thinking. In the end, players are left with a lingering sense of accomplishment as their journey through difficult boss encounters turns into a metaphor for success and personal progress.