Boss fightsare an obvious staple of many video games, especially those in theMetroidvaniagenre.
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The last challenge isn’t always the most demanding.
Since the origins ofMetroidandCastlevania, these major encounters have gained increasing prominence, evolving into an especially popular element in modern experiences.
Developers have used various mechanisms to make these clashes increasingly unpredictable,including the use of various stages through which to refresh them and keep them interesting.
To highlight just how creative and unforgettable some of these multi-phase bosses have gotten over the years, let’s look at the 10 best from the Metroidvania genre.
10Vahram - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Third Time’s The Charm
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Despite its magnificence in several areas,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownis an overlooked title that was unfairly left out among 2024’s best games.
Many reasons can support that claim, but my favorite is the relationship main character Sargon develops withVahram, whom we face three times in the adventure, highlighted specfically by his appearance at the game’s conclusion.
Vahram turned into the First Immortal,this fight is an endurance test where all skills are important to get ahead, especially because it has multiple phases, health bars, attacks, and tricks up its sleeve.
However, the main attraction is visual, sinceVahram has one of the most spectacular staging and effects I’ve seen recently in the genre.
Each transition to a new phase is immaculate, with progressive novelties that refresh the battle until it becomes a climax worthy of such a great game.
9Kraid - Super Metroid
A Revered Classic
Super Metroid
Even before the Metroidvania genre was so established,Super Metroidhad already become a masterpiece, being one of its decade’s standout games.
Those of us who played it as youngsters know what it’s like to be completely awestruck by its mapping and progression, just as we remember the incredible encounter withKraid.
What at first seems like just a giant face turns into a creature that takes up multiple screens of space, going from linear attacks to a complex myriad of projectiles.
Forcing you to keep an eye out for vertical and horizontal threats and pushing you to be a platforming master as you dodge and attack,this fight is wonderful madness.
8Shriek - Ori and the Will of the Wisps
A Fight of Pain and Grief
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
While I wouldn’t sayOri and the Will of the Wispshas memorable bosses overall, I can’t say the same about the encounter withShriek.
Of course, there are critical plot implications in Shriek’s fight that add significance, but it’s also because her fight is a constant change of pace that never lets up.
The shifts in soundtrack, settings, and gameplay are incredible,making you feel like you’re in a showdown with a lot at stake.
Between theplatformingand combat challenges, it’s a long battle that causes you to master everything you’ve learned on your journey, making it an extremely satisfying boss fight and the best in the entire series.
7Demon King - The Messenger
A Retro Ode
The Messenger
The Messengeris one of those underrated gems that doesn’t get the attention it deserves despite its quality.
Just looking at its bosses, we can find plenty of examples of incredible creation and great personality, especially when we consider theDemon King’s existence.
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Aside from its excellent role as antagonist, the best thing is its phenomenal combat,which feels like an ode to the classic titlesThe Messengerdraws inspiration from.
Its first phase is simple and enjoyable, but when it opens its eye and turns the battle into a challenge of precision and positioning, it really reaches another level.
Not to mention the end, when it takes the dispute to the skies on a rocket.The Messengeris a game with fantastical ideas,and Demon King is the best reflection of these.
6Eviterno, Last Desecrator - Blasphemous 2
The Highest Peak of Difficulty
Blasphemous 2
Blasphemous 2is undeniablyone of the best Metroidvanias ever, although its bosses partially disappointed me in the difficulty department.
The only one spared from criticism is the magnificentEviterno, which poses a very noticeable increase in demand, especially in its second phase.
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While the first has you dodging projectiles with a more or less simple pattern,the second becomes a much more direct combat experience where the boss' movements and range expand considerably.
Every slight mistake is almost always penalized with death, so Eviterno doesn’t accept anything less than perfection. It’s a remarkable encounter, andby far the best and most engaging inBlasphemous 2.
5Guardian Siegrid - Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
Prepare to Cry
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
WhileEnder Lilies: Quietus of the Knightsdoesn’t have the most challengingbosses,it does have the most narratively harrowing ones.
Guardian Siegrid’scase is a perfect example, as her phase shift sets the story’s tone and themes taking place in Land’s End.
After a graceful first encounter,Siegrid turns into an abominable,aggressive beast that reflects the Blight’s consequences on gameplay and narrative.
With precise dodges and constant attacks, she’s easy to deal with, but the truly tough part is dealing with the sad scenes after her defeat.
In addition to its beautiful soundtrack, this encounter is unforgettable for the sum of its parts, makingEnder Liliesa masterpiece by the end.
4Nyarlathotep & The Shining Trapezohedron - Sundered
More Than A God
If you’re used to modern video game challenges and want to deal with a real hell, I highly recommend fightingNyarlathotep & The Shining TrapezohedroninSundered.
It has to be one of the most challenging and positively frustrating bosses I’ve ever encountered by far, as the precision and pattern recognition it requires is almost unmatched.
The first phase is already a long struggle where you have to dodge and perform aerial maneuvers perfectly, while the second phase is an even more persistent bullet hell where you’ll hardly ever see where your character is.
It can be honestly heartbreaking to the point of making you put down your controller, but when you beat it,you’re left staring at the screen thinking what an awesome gameSunderedis.
3Crisanta of the Wrapped Agony - Blasphemous
A Clash of Penitents
Blasphemous
Being one of thebest indie Souls-Likeson the market, you could probably predict the originalBlasphemousappearing on this list as well, thanks to its brutal melding of Metroidvania action with Souls mechanics.
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There were plenty of options for the spot, but I went withCrisanta of the Wrapped Agonybecause it’s the best boss in the game and has the most entertaining second phase in the entire series.
Although its speed and finesse contrast with the title’s partially rough controls,it’s compensated by the great gameplayand visual/narrative spectacle it offers.
It’s not as difficult as the other bosses on the list, but it makes up for it in entertainment, choreography, and effects, becoming an unforgettable fight thanks to so many teleportations, lightning-speed attacks, and beautiful light slashes.
2Eigong - Nine Sols
Master vs Master
Nine Solshas quickly become one of the best Metroidvanias of the last couple of years, especially noted for its precise gameplay andmagnificent bosses.
All of its main fights are of a high level, butEigong’s encounter is a masterpiece whose quality and difficulty are on par with the best of all time.
Her number of combos and the variety of movements between each of her stages are outstanding, so you need to use all the skills the game has given you throughout the campaign to beat her.
Finally, dealing with its third phase is an exercise in precision, memory, and reflexes as formidable as it is satisfying.Defeating Eigong is masteringNine Sols’demanding mechanics to the fullest, which is in itself a phenomenal experience.
1Mantis Lords - Hollow Knight
A Perfect Fight
Being one of thebest indie games of all time, and probably the most well-known and reputable Metroidvania of the last decade,Hollow Knight’s presence was inexorable.
There were plenty of candidates for this spot, which speaks to the game’s high quality in terms of bosses, andthe Mantis Lords are the most immaculate explanation of the game’s perfection.
Fighting one of them to familiarize yourself with their movements and patterns is quite fun, butwhen you discover that the second phase involves fighting two lords,you ascend to heaven.
The battle requires you to enter a flow state without comparison, executing every attack, evasion, and movement with pixel-perfect exactitude. When you get to this encounter, you have almost no tools of any kind, soyou rely mostly on your own skills to get through.
Sisters of Battle, their even more difficult version, is the same but with three lords, so it could easily have taken this place. However, I’m sticking with Mantis Lords for its neatness, design, andhow much it makes you loveHollow Knightafter just a couple of hours of gameplay.
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