Top 5 video game bosses with the saddest lore

The presence of bosses in story-rich video games is an aspect that cannot be overlooked. These antagonists and anti-heroes have often been critical pieces in driving the story of a game forward. They are often brutal in nature, and players fight with them to the death to progress the story. This makes for some incredibly memorable moments and visuals which have stood apart in the gaming community.

However, on the opposite side of the spectrum, certain bosses have incredibly tragic backstories and character arcs that fighting them makes players feel sad and heartbroken. Players often contemplate their choices and decisions after defeating them. Characters such as these have garnered a reputation for being some of the best characters in video games and single-handedly being able to tell a tale. This article will list five video game bosses with the saddest lore.

Note: This article reflects the author's opinions

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Video game bosses carry some of the saddest moments

5) The Boss - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is widely recognized as one of the greatest video games for various reasons. Its accessible lore and incredible ending plot twist make for a phenomenal experience.

One of the major focuses and key players in the plot twist is The Boss, the final boss of the game. The fight against her is a gut-wrenching and sad one as she was the mother figure of Naked Snake, who is now known as Big Boss. The motives of The Boss are finally understood in a shocking reveal, as killing her was the only way to keep the peace between the U.S.A and the Soviet Union. It also meant that her secret mission would only be known to Naked Snake, showcasing her willingness to die for the U.S.A.

This incident and the entire boss fight completely transformed Naked Snake, and to this day, the fight with The Boss remains an iconic and sad fight in video games and a changing point in the story of the Metal Gear Solid franchise.

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4) Akira Nishikiyama - Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami

The final fight of Yakuza Kiwami truly hits you in the feelings. The fight also makes no mistakes in hitting you hard enough a bunch of times, and it adds just that more to an emotional end to the arc of Nishiki and Kiryu's brotherhood.

Yakuza 0 showcased the positive and fun side of Nishiki, while Yakuza Kiwami showed him gradually spiraling out of control in the Dojima family to the point where he felt he was nothing but a liability after being constantly criticized and compared with Kiryu. After he turned towards the evil side and became the patriarch of the Nishikiyama family, he managed to become a hated villain for his despicable actions throughout Yakuza Kiwami.

However, despite all his wrongdoings, Nishiki was ultimately a good man driven to insanity and evil due to neglect and not being considered worthy. His sacrifice at the end to save Kiryu and redeem himself makes this showdown an unforgettable and heartbreaking experience, solidifying Nishiki's status as an iconic character in the Yakuza franchise.

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3) The Colossi - Shadow of the Colossus

There are several games where a particular boss fight is quite sad, given their lore. Shadow of the Colossus takes this to the limit and makes you feel bad for almost every colossus you slay.

The spirit, Dormin, tasks your character, Wander, to slay the 16 colossi in the Forbidden Lands. With his trusty horse, Agro, Wander kills them individually despite most of the colossi's sheer size. Killing them with stabs and hearing their painful roars as they try their best to defend themselves and stay alive is a sad watch but one that must be done to progress the game. These colossi ultimately pose no threat to anyone and simply wander around the Forbidden Lands, which makes it even sadder to kill these majestic and innocent beings.

This ultimately makes Shadow of the Colossus a memorable yet sorrowful experience to play through and is one of the main reasons why the game is widely considered to be an all-time great.

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2) The Hollow Knight - Hollow Knight

People who have played Hollow Knight would have probably expected midway into the game the Hollow Knight would be a boss that would test their mettle and make them ragequit. Instead, it is anything but difficult. It is a sad dance and a tragedy to witness as the game ends. The astounding soundtrack during the fight also hits you hard in your feelings.

The Hollow Knight, by the time you open the Temple of the Black Egg and break its chains, has been completely consumed by the Infection and is devoid of strength. Its initial phases have a couple of attacks, but they quickly start to fade away as it starts to stab itself over and over in an effort to end its suffering. It is painful and heartbreaking to fight one of your siblings, who has been subjected to a gruesome fate to contain the infection and save the Kingdom, only to find it was all in vain.

The fight is a fitting ending to the base game if players do not find the true ending, and it perfectly ends the sad and dark story of the kingdom of Hallownest: A kingdom built to be eternal brought to ruins with little hope to delay the inevitable.

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1) Great Grey Wolf Sif - Dark Souls

The Dark Souls series is notorious for its difficulty and numerous hard boss battles. Battles such as Manus and Gwyn are known to test your skills truly, but none are quite as beloved by the community as the battle with the Great Grey Wolf Sif.

The battle with Artorias' partner is remembered for its incredibly tragic backstory and the circumstances of the fight. You will fight Sif, who is guarding Artorias' gravestone. Unlike other fights in Dark Souls, Sif is not as violent or willing to kill you and is merely guarding the grave of his master with his master's greatsword. The fact that you cannot avoid this fight and must defeat Sif to progress makes this boss fight even sadder.

Sif even gets weaker during the second phase, and winces in pain which is uncharacteristic for a Dark Souls fight. It is a heartbreaking fight to finish through and is a change of pace towards the often brutal and hellish landscape of Dark Souls.

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Did you shed a tear during these fights? Were there any other fights that should have made the list? Let us know in the comments below.