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The 50 Hardest Video Game Bosses (And How To Beat Them)

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We all have to answer to a boss in some form or another in our daily lives. Whether it's your immediate supervisor clinging angrily to their position one rung above you on the ladder of corporate middle management, or it's your chief financial officer doubling as a domestic engineer back home, i.e. your spouse.

Real-life bosses can be tough, probably to an unfair degree. Video game bosses, however, give you a fighting chance. We've listed 50 video game bosses you probably haven't beaten, and given you a few tips to kickstart you on the path towards unlocking a few more virtual achievements.

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Hitler and Wolfenstein 3D.

Boss: Hitler
Game: Wolfenstein 3D
How To Beat Him/her: Hitler: modern history's consummate villain. Find the room with a pool of ammo and health, and use the steel walls to dodge behind. He's fast but if you're faster, you're treated to a little Temple of Doom-like, body-melting action.

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Psycho Mantis from Metal Gear Solid.

Boss: Psycho Mantis
Game: Metal Gear Solid
How To Beat Him/her: Sorry, "Twin Snakes" Psycho Mantis, but your Playstation counterpart was much harder. (We weren't given the option to switch between first and third-person back then.) Most, if not all bosses, put up a front and claim to be un-defeatable.


But with Psycho Mantis, it almost seemed believable. Nothing worked, and where Metal Gear Solid's jewel case saved our ass on one occasion, it wasn't helping us with this one.


But, somehow, we learned. Whether through the game's strategy guide or a friend, the answer was in front of us the whole time. Just switch controller ports, and Mantis' superhuman abilities become useless.

Mizar from Jet Force Gemini.

Boss: Mizar
Game: Jet Force Gemini
How To Beat Him/her: Mizar is tough but he's fair. Although most of his attacks won't do much damage, be wary of his Electric Arc. This will drain Juno's health rapidly. Prior to the battle make sure you have at least 40 homing missiles and 30 tri rockets. (The arsenal will come in handy, trust us.)


Dodge his attacks and aim for the big, glaring light on his back. As you deal more damage Mizar will make it harder for you to attack the light. Continue to dodge his attacks and aim for the light. For the end of the fight just take out his remaining parts and you'll be fine.

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Onslaught from Marvel vs. Capcom.

Boss: Onslaught
Game: Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (Arcade Version)
How To Beat Him/her: Onslaught's first form isn't a challenge, but his second form? Nearly impossible if you didn't have at least one fighter with a projectile special attack. He fills the entire screen, attacking you with his "mighty hand" and powerful lasers. It's better to have two fighters with projectile attacks than one. Ryu and Morrigan is a good combination but if you prefer another duo, make sure one of them has a powerful attack that can be done in the air.

Tyrant from Resident Evil: Code Veronica.

Boss: Tyrant (Second Encounter)
Game: Resident Evil: Code Veronica X
How To Beat Him/her: Granted, all Tyrants are difficult to beat, but this one...wow. He was resilient, and the fact that you didn't have much space to work with, didn't help either.


In order to successfully defeat Tyrant, there's two options: unload on him with 25 explosive arrows, or a combination of explosive arrows and B.O.W. gas rounds. If you decide to take the latter, three gas rounds and six explosive arrows should do the job. After that, catapult the crate at Tyrant and watch him explode. Anyone for barbecued Tyrant? No? Oh, ok.

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Magaki from King of Fighters

Boss: Magaki
Game: King of Fighters XI
How To Beat Him/her: Magaki has so many advantages over his opponents: teleportation; a special attack that fills up the entire screen; an attack where he can open up portals and send parts of his body to deliver damage.


He's M. Bison on crack, but not as challenging. The best strategy for beating Magaki is to move in close, and use combo attacks quickly. Once your Power Stock is full, use it to unleash a devastating special attack of your own. Be wary of Magaki's speed and teleportation, and you should be fine.

Kessler from inFAMOUS.

Boss: Kessler
Game: inFAMOUS
How To Beat Him/her: Kessler may come across as difficult but he's actually pretty easy. He utilizes his teleportation ability a lot, reappearing with a handful of deadly thunderbolts. He'll be on the offensive, launching thunderbolt after thunderbolt. Once he's exhausted his energy he'll take a break. Run in and deliver your own offensive plan until he replenishes his power. Repeat this process and Kessler will be down in no time.

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Hiruko Ubusuna from Shinobi.

Boss: Hiruko Ubusuna
Game: Shinobi
How To Beat Him/her: Hiruko is only really difficult because of the assortment of deadly attacks he has. From his all seeing eyes to his lasers, Hiruko is a challenge for the first few minutes of the battle.


But he's actually easy; once his life bar comes into play, continue to dodge his attacks while attacking him from behind. (For some reason front attacks won't work.) As the battle continues, pieces of floating black paper will begin to appear. Don't attack any of them until there are eight of them on-screen. Once they're all there, attack each one and finish Hiruko off by attacking him from behind. Job well done!

Raam from Gears of War.

Boss: Raam
Game: Gears of War
How To Beat Him/her: There's two ways to defeat Raam: with a friend or (obviously) by yourself. If you decide to go with the former make sure one person has a Torque Bow, and the other a sniper rifle.


One person should use the Torque Bow to get the Kyrill off Raam, while the other should use the sniper to shoot Raam's head. When he jumps right in front of you and your partner, run to the other end of the train and repeat the process. Follow the same procedure if you're playing solo.

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The High Dragon from Dragon Age 2.

Boss: High Dragon
Game: Dragon Age 2
How To Beat Him/her: Due to the High Dragon's health you're in for a lengthy battle. Before taking him on you should stock up on cold damage items (the High Dragon is a fire dragon, so items Cold Blooded or Mutiny work best), and make sure you have the Elemental Weapons spell.


During the fight have two ranged characters, one "tank" character (a player that has high health, defense and armor) and one healer. Allow the two ranged fighters to attack from a distance, and use the "tank" player to attack the dragon up close. When the dragon goes into the sky and unleashes a group of smaller dragons, attack them before putting your sights back on the High Dragon. The High Dragon will remain in the air for a few more minutes, launching fireballs down at your group before returning to the ground. Repeat this strategy until the High Dragon is done with.

King Bohan from Heavenly Sword.

Boss: King Bohan
Game: Heavenly Sword
How To Beat Him/her: This battle with King Bohan is made up of three rounds. For the first, dodge roll Bohan's attacks. He'll be flying above and swooping down a lot, so try not to get caught in one of his attacks. When he finally lands use either the Power Stance or Speed Stance. Since he uses a lot of combos the Speed Stance may work better. Attack him until all of his health is gone and get ready for round two.


For this round Bohan remains in the sky. Listen for when he laughs because that means he's about to swoop down. Use your Power Stance and counter his attacks with some powerful moves of your own. After Bohan takes a certain amount of damage, he'll land on the ground again. Now it's time for the final battle. For this round, Bohan fights both on the ground and in the air. Combine the strategies you used for both the first and second rounds, and you'll be fine.

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Tabuu from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Boss: Tabuu
Game: Super Smash Bros. Brawl
How To Beat Him/her: Tabuu's only real challenge lies in his special, three ring KO attack. In order to properly dodge this move you have two choices: sidestep dodge or roll dodge. Time your dodges based on the waves and you won't be thrown off screen.

Nemesis from Resident Evil 3.

Boss: Nemesis (Eighth Encounter)
Game: Resident Evil 3
How To Beat Him/her: The eighth encounter with Nemesis (the battle where he infects Jill with the virus) is challenging. The virus he has infected you with leaves you in a constant state of "caution," and his skull-bashing punches and missile attacks are severely damaging.


It's easy to forget about the game's dodge move in such a heated battle, but remember to take advantage of it. When Nemesis is about to pounce or launch a rocket, remain still and let the dodge move do its job. Then use whatever firepower you have; the freeze rounds for the grenade launcher are very effective, as well as the assault rifle. It's likely you will get attacked by Nemesis (it's difficult to dodge every time he sprints at you), so have some health items on you.

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Goro from Mortal Kombat.

Boss: Goro
Game: Mortal Kombat (Arcade Version)
How To Beat Him/her: Goro, Goro, Goro. He was such an imbalanced fighter when we were first introduced to him. So much so, that he had most of us wondering if he was even defeat-able. (Seriously, once he grabbed you, the fight was basically over.)


Fortunately, he is; the best and easiest way to beat Goro is to play as Sub-Zero, use his ice blast and follow that up with an uppercut. Once the damage has been given distance yourself from Goro. That way he won't be able to grab you, and he'll have to resort to throwing fire balls. Eventually the computer will recognize your strategy, but continue to use it and throw in some sweep kicks. You should be good to go.

Culex from Super Mario RPG.

Boss: Culex
Game: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
How To Beat Him/her: Prior to battling Culex make sure you obtain the Lazy Shell weapon, and the Lazy Shell armor. Equip Mario with the former and another character with the latter. During the battle with Culex you won't need to worry about his attacks, because the Lazy Shell armor reduces them to one hit point. Now, all you need to worry about is landing some attacks of your own. Use the Lazy Shell weapon to quickly take out Culex.

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The End from MGS: Snake Eater.

Boss: The End
Game: Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater
How To Beat Him/her: Unless you punked out and used the date change cheat on The End (or killed him when he's with Volgin at the docks), this boss was pretty hard.


Our radars were useless considering the wide scope of each setting we faced him in. And if we wasted too much of the old man's time, he would just sneak up on us and knock us out. The best strategy for The End is a combination of tips.


First, use your directional microphone as much as possible. Second, use your thermal goggles to locate footprints, which will lead you to The End's position. Far away shots with the sniper rifle are effective, but up-and-close shots are better. So try and sneak up on him whenever possible. For additional help, equip your AP Sensor. This device will vary in its vibrations depending on how close you are to The End.

Mike Tyson from Mike Tyson's Punch Out!.

Boss: Mike Tyson
Game: Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!
How To Beat Him/her: For the first minute and 30 seconds of the fight, Mike Tyson will knock you down with a single punch. Although you can attempt to dodge this single punch early on in the fight, it's not suggested. After the initial minute and 30 seconds you have to learn Mike's lightning timing, but the fight gets more or less fair from then on out.

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The Final Boss from Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos.

Boss: Final Boss
Game: Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
How To Beat Him/her: This final boss can be difficult if you don't recognize his patterns, or time his attacks. First, take out the monster's head while dodging its hands. Taking out the head will also take out the hands, leaving the monster's core vulnerable. Once you start attacking the monster's core, he'll begin to attack you with some pink, boomerang-like weapons. Maintain your distance between these weapons and continue to attack the core. After a handful of slashes the beast will be defeated.

Death from Castlevania III.

Boss: Death
Game: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
How To Beat Him/her: As always, Death is one of the toughest bosses as part of the Castlevania series. In this game Death's battle is made up of two rounds. For the first one you should use the Cross, and heave it at the reaper whenever possible. It's also possible to use Holy Water (which will defeat Death much quicker), but with all the scythes flying around it's much harder to pull off. For the second round you can use your whip to counter Death's scythe attacks, as well as deliver some damage of your own.

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Motaro from Mortak Kombat III.

Boss: Motaro
Game: Mortal Kombat 3
How To Beat Him/her: At least Goro was freezable. Motaro was basically impenetrable to everything, and he could teleport and kick you across a screen. One of the most effective strategies for beating Motaro is to attack him with a jump kick, and follow it up with a two to three hit combo. Once that's done, distance yourself from him and repeat the process.

Ultimate Alma from Ninja Gaiden.

Boss: Ultimate Alma
Game: Ninja Gaiden
How To Beat Him/her: Trying to defeat Ultimate Alma was annoying, but not impossible. Avoid her most dangerous attacks (the bubble grab and flip kick combo), and use your air strike technique to deliver some serious damage. She'll fall out of the sky and attempt to recover for a couple of seconds. Use some combos during this time before she returns to the air. Repeat the process and use your Ninpo, and the battle shouldn't last too long.

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Vergil from Devil May Cry 3.

Boss: Vergil
Game: Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
How To Beat Him/her: Vergil's attack pattern is pretty predictable, so it's not hard to deal some serious damage when the moment occurs. Once he completes one of his many combos or performs his Judgment Cut, he'll leave himself vulnerable for an attack. Move in close and deal as much damage as you can.


Dodge his teleportation attacks while delivering some blows of your own (it's better to use the shotgun than any other weapon), and keep an eye out for whenever he leaves himself open to a full-frontal attack.

Sigma from Mega Man X.

Boss: Sigma (Final Form)
Game: Mega Man X
How To Beat Him/her: The first two rounds of this battle aren't too bad (although Sigma's lightsaber can be a pain in the ass) but the final one can be nerve-racking. Dodge the attacks coming from all directions (Sigma's final form switches between shooting flames, and shooting thunderbolts); the former is easy to dodge but the latter isn't.


Use Mega Man's dash ability to move out of a thunderbolt's direction quickly. When one of Sigma's hands are swooping down at you, jump onto it and let it fly you near Sigma's face. Shoot and watch him take damage.

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The Shadow Queen from Paper Mario.

Boss: The Shadow Queen
Game: Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
How To Beat Him/her: The audience watching this battle gets thick, and the Shadow Queen uses this audience to refill her health. Before you fight, buy as many Life Shrooms as you possibly can. Use Shooting Stars on the Shadow Queen's hands. Once you beat her you'll be rewarded with one measly Star Point.

Dracula from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.

Boss: Dracula
Game: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
How To Beat Him/her: The first part of your battle with Dracula in Castlevania III, follows in suit with previous Dracula boss fights. But the second and third parts can be pretty challenging, too. Equip yourself with the axe and watch both forms of Dracula take damage. Make sure to not put yourself in a corner for the second round with Dracula, because he will use it to his advantage. For the third fight just continue to throw axes, and Dracula should be down in no time.

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Mortus from Comix Zone.

Boss: Mortus
Game: Comix Zone
How To Beat Him/her: Granted, you probably didn't even make it past the first level, let alone the first boss. (Don't worry, we didn't either.) But, we're giving you the benefit of the doubt. What actually makes this final battle difficult is that we have to save Alissa before she drowns.


The most effective way to do this is to activate the switch on the second panel, which deals damage to Mortus. Be wary of his attacks because they do a lot of damage. It doesn't matter if you take out Mortus or his creatures first. Once you've taken both out, hit the switch on the third panel. This will free Alissa and complete the game.

M. Bison from Street Fighter Alpha 3.

Boss: M. Bison
Game: Street Fighter Alpha 3
How To Beat Him/her: Arguably the toughest M. Bison to ever exist, this version had a deadly attack called the "Final Psycho Crusher," a move that envelopes the entire screen in blue flames, and deals severe damage to Bison's opponents.


And to add to his difficulty if, you lost to Bison, you had to start the game from the very beginning. That's right: no continues. To make sure that doesn't happen, use either Ryu or Ken and utilize their spin kick attack, and their uppercut attack. Since Bison teleports a lot, be careful to not use your special attack at the wrong moment.

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Shao Kahn from Mortal Kombat III.

Boss: Shao Kahn
Game: Mortal Kombat III (Arcade Version)
How To Beat Him/her: Shao Kahn wasn't as imbalanced as Motaro or Goro, but he was just as hard. From his wrath hammer to his shoulder dashes, Shao Kahn could easily deplete an opponent's health bar in seconds. The solution to beating Shao Kahn with any character is surprisingly simple: duck a lot (this will save you from wrath hammer attacks, explosive balls and Kahn's uplifting knee attack) and pull off as many seven-plus hit combos as possible.

The final boss from Contra 3

Boss: Final Boss
Game: Contra 3
How To Beat Him/her: Sure, all bosses from the Contra series are insanely difficult, but this one may definitely take the cake. He starts off easy but once he transforms into nothing but his brain, the situation becomes much harder to manage. Different balls with varying abilities surround the brain and depending on which ball you shoot, you may encounter the following: an arsenal of spiky balls, eyeballs, blue balls (that turn into legs for the brain) and, well, other balls. The best way to survive this battle is to make sure you have the Crusher and flamethrower weapons. (If you at least have the former you should be fine.) For the first part, take out the left arm but leave the right one alive. Destroying both will lead the boss to drop a large amount of aliens, and you don't want that. For the second part, try your best to select the ball that's an eyeball. Not only is it the easiest to take on, but depending on how many eyeballs you kill you may receive a new life. As for the others, you just have to time your movements. After this, you've basically saved the world from absolute destruction. Congratulations!

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Maneater from Demon Souls.

Boss: Maneater
Game: Demon's Souls
How To Beat Him/her: The easiest way to defeat the two Maneaters you encounter, is to take the first one out with a bow. Move as close as possible to the fog near the bridge's entrance (either side is fine), and launch bow after bow at the first Maneater. Once it's down, enter the bridge and go for the second one. Keep the fire pit in between yourself and the Maneater, and attack until it goes down. If it decides to move to the sky, make sure you have the Thief's Ring equipped so that he moves slower than usual. This will increase your chances of killing the Maneater while it's in the air.

Lavos from Chrono Trigger.

Boss: Lavos
Game: Chrono Trigger
How To Beat Him/her: Chrono, Ayla, and Frog are a triple tech threat for Lavos. The full multi-stage battle clocks in easily at the 30-minute mark, with Lavos having three different forms. Pack plenty of Megalixirs and have the Falcon Strike equipped. With the latter, you'll be able to do some serious damage and hopefully shorten the length of this epic battle.

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Kefka from Final Fantasy VI.

Boss: Kefka
Game: Final Fantasy VI
How To Beat Him/her: When attempting to beat Kefka, there are an assortment of rules you need to follow. Before the battle, make sure you have an average team level of 45 or above. Second, make sure you have the following spells equipped: Quick, Ultima and Valor. Finally, during the battle, equip a strong physical attacker with the Master's Scroll and the Genji Glove. Have this attacker use Quick and if done right, the person will attack eight times, killing Kefka in one turn.

Omega from Final Fantasy V.

Boss: Omega
Game: Final Fantasy V
How To Beat Him/her: Omega's counterattacks will do you in, and the fact that he can spam a devastating range of other attacks (one-hit kills), makes him even tougher than the final boss, Shinryu. Omega is weak against Bolt, so use it on your swords. If you're feeling lucky, Sshot him immediately after. He's a very difficult boss so don't expect an immediate victory.

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Queen Larsa from Mushihime-sama Futari.

Boss: Queen Larsa (Ultra Mode)
Game: Mushihime-sama Futari
How To Beat Him/her: There really is no strategy for Queen Larsa, except to dodge her seizure-inducing arsenal of bullets whenever possible. It's tough, and you'll probably die a couple of times. But keep a watchful eye for crevices you can squeeze into, to dodge certain attacks.

Emperor from House of the Dead 2.

Boss: Emperor
Game: House of the Dead 2 (Arcade Version)
How To Beat Him/her: Remember Emperor? The final boss from House of the Dead 2 that probably forced you to spend over five dollars of your allowance? (Or somewhere between 20 to 30 minutes of your time if you had the home console version.) We're pretty sure you do. Although the game wants you to believe that Emperor has no weakness he totally has one: the pink ball inside his chest. Shoot it whenever possible and when he sends projectiles your way, make sure to take each one out. Eventually he'll transform into an arsenal of medium sized balls. When this happens, continue to shoot the pink and you'll be fine.

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Baal from Diablo II.

Boss: Baal
Game: Diablo II: Lord of Destruction
How To Beat Him/her: Use area attacks on Baal's minions but don't bother dodging his tentacles or his nova spell. Pound on Baal incessantly so that he doesn't get a chance to summon his clone. If his clone shows up, ignore him and continue thrashing on the original. The clone's name is more "centered" above him than the actual Baal. Be relentless, and don't give the devil his due.

Old King Allant from Demon's Souls.

Boss: Old King Allant
Game: Demon's Souls
How To Beat Him/her: There's several different strategies you can use to defeat Old King Allant, but the best one is arguably this one: exploiting his ranged attacks. Just keep your distance from Allant, and move in for up close attacks when possible. Whenever he uses his shockwave attack, just block it with a shield. As long as you maintain your distance you'll be good to go.

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The Witch King of Angmar from The Lord of the Rings.

Boss: The Witch King of Angmar
Game: The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age
How To Beat Him/her: This fight gets serverly drawn out if you allow it to. Have your first character use the Banner of Elendil to disable the Witch King's counterattack. Then use Morgul Decay to remove the Witch King's armor. Finally, and most importantly, start serving up combos like a McDonald's value meal menu.

Diablo from Diablo III.

Boss: Diablo
Game: Diablo III
How To Beat Him/her: The battle with Diablo consists of three phases, with each one tougher than the one before. He's not too difficult during the first phase, but during the second one he will create a Shadow Clone of your hero. These guys can deal some damage, so it's best to take them out before continuing your battle with Diablo. Once you've defeated him in the Realm of Terror you'll be returned to the Crystal Arch, where Diablo will have one more trick up his sleeve: his Lightning Breath. This attack can take a lot of your health so watch out, use the health wells that are available and be patient.

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Safer Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII.

Boss: Safer Sephiroth
Game: Final Fantasy VII
How To Beat Him/her: In order to successfully win this one you'll need to do the following. Equip your party with as many ribbons as you have, and use the Enemy Skill Big Guard throughout the entire battle. Sephiroth will fly into the sky at times, foreshadowing that he's going ot use his Super Nova attack. This attack can destroy your entire party, but it takes a long time to actually happen. So just use long range attackers (Yuffie, Barret and Vincent), and equip the Knights of Round if you have it.

Magician from House of the Dead.

Boss: Magician
Game: House of the Dead
How To Beat Him/her: Even to this day Magician is a very hard boss. From his superhuman speed to his assortment of attacks, Magician was successful at quickly depleting our health bars. Since most of us first encountered Magician at a young age, we were just excited to shoot a virtual gun as fast as we could, while hoping our bullets would eventually kill the guy. But the real secret to defeating Magician is to just be calm, and shoot wisely. When he throws fireballs, shoot each one; when he dashes at you, shoot one of the weak spots on his body. You're a big kid now; shoot wisely.

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Emerald Weapon from Final Fantasy VII.

Boss: Emerald Weapon
Game: Final Fantasy VII
How To Beat Him/her: Don't be intimidated by Emerald's 99 experience level or one million hit points. He's not that tough. Bring seven combos of Counter Mime to the fight. Use the Angermax limit break, followed by the Mime. Have Counter Materia paired to Mime. When Emerald Weapon attacks, respond with seven Mimes of Angermax attack. Done. You're welcome.

The Four Kings from Dark Souls.

Boss: The Four Kings
Game: Dark Souls
How To Beat Him/her: When you're about to fight The Four Kings make sure you have a fire weapon, shield and various magic defenses equipped. (Havels and Xanthous work best.) The goal is to kill each King as quick as possible, because the longer it takes, the more likely the other Kings will join in. Pyro each King to their death, and you'll be on your way.

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Sephiroth from Kingdom Hearts

Boss: Sephiroth
Game: Kingdom Hearts
How To Beat Him/her: Prior to the battle make sure you have the following equipped: Glide, six elixirs, Combination Boost and the strongest Keyblade you have. During the battle, only attack Sephiroth when he is stunned, or when he's about to do his Heartless Angel attack.


When you hear the words, "Descend, Heartless Angel," stop him from completing the attack by delivering an attack of your own. If he happens to complete it, immediately heal yourself before you get killed. Sephiroth's Heartless Angel is your only real threat. When he indicates that he's about to use it, stop him immediately.

Smough and Ornstein from Dark Souls.

Boss: Smough and Ornstein
Game: Dark Souls
How To Beat Him/her: It's almost unanimous that this boss battle is one of the hardest ones in the history of video games. Since you have to battle Smough and Ornstein at the same time, set your sight on the latter. Although both are difficult in their "super" forms, it seems that Smough is a little bit easier than Ornstein.


During the battle have either Great Fireball or Great Chaos Fireball equipped, along with Great Combustion. Both are weak against fire attacks, so use that to your advantage. Dodge their attacks and prepare yourself for "Super" Smough. Smough's abilities and attacks are strengthened after you defeat Ornstein, but continue delivering the fire and you'll be fine.

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Sephiroth from Kingdom Hearts II.

Boss: Sephiroth
Game: Kingdom Hearts II
How To Beat Him/her: Honestly, follow the same strategy used for Kingdom Heart's Sephiroth, and you'll be fine. (For added measure, make sure you're at least at level 70 or higher.)

Freya from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time.

Boss: Freya
Game: Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
How To Beat Him/her: She has 20 million hit points and, at the time of battle, is at level 244. In order to defeat Freya you have to do the following. Make sure your party members are at level 255, and use Synthesis and Boots of Prowess in all of your weapon's factor slots, to increase your attack and defense.


During the actual battle set Fayt to manual, and Cliff and Abel to the "attack with all your might" option. This battle will take some time but it'll all be worth it when you finally beat Freya.

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Yiazmat from Final Fantasy XII.

Boss: Yiazmat
Game: Final Fantasy XII
How To Beat Him/her: Yiazmat seems like the ultimate troll boss solely because of how many hit points he has (over 50 million). Add to that an assortment of Instant Death and group attacks, and Yiazmat presents itself as some undefeatable, Square Enix badass. Although the latter is true, the former isn't. Yiazmat is beatable; it's rumored that the following strategy will have you defeating him in 50 minutes. If you want to test it out here's what you need to do.


First, make sure you have two damage dealers (Basch and Balthier are preferred) who are always in critical health. That way you can deal double damage with long combos. The third choice should be the leader who casts Reverse/Decoy on him/herself, and controls the fight with Yiazmat. Follow this strategy wisely and be wary of Yiazmat's attacks, and you'll be good to go.

Absolute Virtue from Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia.

Boss: Absolute Virtue
Game: Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia
How To Beat Him/her: Absolute Virtue was an extremely difficult boss. (Nearly impossible may be more accurate.) It was immune to everything, had 100,000 hit points and could use certain special abilities repeatedly. Some players spent over 30 hours fighting Absolute Virute only to get nowhere.


Player's complaints would finally get answered three years later, when Square Enix released a video with vague hints on how to defeat the boss. But because of its difficulty (and the difficulty of the boss at number one, hint, hint) Square Enix reduced its abilities and hit points, and imposed a two-hour time limit on the fight. For Absolute Virtue there's no real strategy except to have a handful of team members, and hope that the boss never uses a charm or a two-hour special ability that wipes out the entire group.

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Pandemonium Warden from Final Fantasy XI.

Boss: Pandemonium Warden
Game: Final Fantasy XI
How To Beat Him/her: A group of 36 gamers couldn't defeat this boss. They played nonstop for 18 hours and instead of achieving victory they received illness. (No, seriously. Some players became physically ill, fainting and vomiting.) This boss was so tough that Square Enix had to significantly decrease its difficulty and forms (it went from 20 to 10), as well as give it a spawn time of two hours.


There is no concrete strategy for defeating Pandemonium Warden. Apparently you can "log out" during your battle with the boss (some devout Final Fantasy fans consider this alternative a "soft cheat"), but he's undoubtedly easier to kill. In going through multiple forums and other articles on Pandemonium Warden, we've come to this conclusion: Warden was a pain in the ass for FF veterans and noobs, alike. And for that, he gets our top spot on this list.

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