Current Events > Coolest final bosses thematically / mechanically?

(+) Yeah! (+)

just finished a game recently, and the first phase of the final boss was extremely vulnerable, but whenever you killed it, it would rewind time back to before it was killed, and the only way to stop it was to kill all the adds it summoned. the way it did it was pretty cool I think, in that there would be a huge clock and the hands would slow down and stop, and then reverse spin. That game was trails to azure

what other games have final bosses that are cool/unique thematically or mechanically?

Psycho Mantis

Drakengard 3. Nothing like a nice simple rhythm game to finish a game about goddesses of song. You just have to press one button every now and then.

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*wink*

Soul of Cinder in Dark Souls 3, and how it's a culmination of everyone who linked the Flame before you.

it was also a great way to cap off the series.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhGyT1aOCO8

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g0ldie posted...

Soul of Cinder in Dark Souls 3, and how it's a culmination of everyone who linked the Flame before you.

it was also a great way to cap off the series.

Did you like Deacons?

remember the boss list leak from the Blurry soundtrack back?

Trevelyan in goldeneye

Grunty in Banjo Kazooie

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oh and Mizar in JFG, one of the best final bosses in n64 history

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Mergos wet nurse

Xethuminra posted...

Did you like Deacons?

remember the boss list leak from the Blurry soundtrack back?

you mean that one mob fight?

if so, I didn't mind it, and I probably like it more than the other mob fights in the franchise, but it's not a fight I rank too high.

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g0ldie posted...

you mean that one mob fight?

if so, I didn't mind it, and I probably like it more than the other mob fights in the franchise, but it's not a fight I rank too high.

Abyss Watchers really got me. Its like a fight against a musketeer who is a hunter and looks like Guts and he does the illusion face the bosses in 3 all do (Lorian Smile ftw).... but then it turns into a PvP & the guy goes super saiyan and they didnt explain shit about those guys. From Software got away with murder on the Farron Legion lol. Who wants to do Crucifixion Woods? Lol

A+

Basically a Darkwraith mixed with Four Kings. Basically. Also bouncing off Gehrman & Iudex presence but I digress.

like that?

g0ldie posted...

Soul of Cinder in Dark Souls 3, and how it's a culmination of everyone who linked the Flame before you.

I like how this is represented by the boss using multiple spells and weapon skills that the player could have also used.

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Thematically, the three 1v1 fights against the Delilas Family members in Legend of Legaia blew me away when I first ran through the game.

They were a huge test of skill, seeing how it was around the middle of the game and the two previous dungeons were awful to powerlevel. I was so underprepared the first time.

Regarding system/mechanics, almost all bosses in Darkest Dungeons have different challenges that go beyond simple abilities and statuses. They force you to strategically plan when it comes to positioning and stuff. Speaking of which, Darkest Dungeon 2 is looking phenomenal.

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i love mgs3's Boss fight

i love how her white suit is actually used as a camouflage in the battle, how she's invulnerable to straight up gunfight, how you can actually play hide and seek in the field, the theme, the music

god damn konami might not be remaking that shit :(

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DMC3 Vergil on Dante Must Die difficulty is all I could ask for.
I also really liked Jasper Batt Jr being designed to appear unfair/confusing and wind the player up but secretly being a functional and engaging challenge.

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The final boss of Mad Max was neat and a lot of fun to beat. It was possible to beat.

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ChrisTaka posted...

g0ldie posted...

Soul of Cinder in Dark Souls 3, and how it's a culmination of everyone who linked the Flame before you.

I like how this is represented by the boss using multiple spells and weapon skills that the player could have also used.

I think the curved sword form in particular is meant to represent the Chosen Undead, since he flips around like he has the Dark Wood Grain Ring equipped.
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The final boss of Crosscode is a hell of a good fight.

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Thematically it's hard to top Kefka and his tower of false gods in FFVI.

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not a real final boss but nier automata's main ending credits was something.

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Slave knight Gael or ocelot

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"No more eternal than that radiance of yours"
"Anger and hate are supreme"
"We shall go together"

"It's suppose to be hard. The hard is what makes it so great. Making mistakes is proof that you are challenged. The world is yours."

"Soon I will exterminate all life on ___ and create a new world! Just as I have done many times before!"

"And I believed you called your power like this: "____".
"It's time, _____! Let this be our final battle!"

"Suffer for all eternity, ____! Eehehe AHAHAHAHAH!"
"Be devoured by darkness, ___!"

"I'm sorry about the entrance exam, this time...the test is real!"
"Go on, ____, now it's your turn to look after someone special. Go and create your ideal world."

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Fucking Shao Kahn

and Daniel Clark

Star ocean 4 failed on a crap ton of things but it's final boss delivered. Even if it was a marathon of a boss. And probably the 3rd longest its ever taken me to beat one.

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I think Dragons Dogma has a really unique final boss fight.

The first run is the prologue character and his pawn.

But if you do New Game+, the final boss is now your previous character, as dictated by the story since the new god is always the Arisen previously.

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Questionmarktarius posted...

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MGS3 "The Boss" is probably one of the best final bosses in history in both theme and fight mechanics.

I also wouldn't say it's a boss but the final action segment in HL2:E2 is probably my favorite bit in a FPS. I figure if you think the Icon of Sin from Doom 2 counts as a boss than so does the last part of HL2:E2

But nothing will ever top Dragon's Stand / Mouth of Mordremoth. There's no words for it. Just go watch.

https://youtu.be/-GdWqy3yebI

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MGS4 and Metal Gear Rising have two of the best final bosses in all of gaming. They speak for themselves.

Can't go without mentioning Ocarina of Time, too. The climb up the tower as the organ music gets louder, the sense that your destiny lies at the top of the spire... the way Link, Gannondorf, and Zelda are positioned like the three pieces of the triforce...

Mmf. Good shit.

And then the battle itself is legendary, too.

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The Mastermind of Ace Attorney Invesigations 2. The way that game pulls every case together is, well, a masterpiece.

Not to mention the fantastic thematic detail of how when Edgeworth turns in his prosecutor's badge, the Yatagarasu badge becomes your first inventory slot and stays that way for the rest of the game. Absolutely kino

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Mgs4

liquid ocelot

there's no final boss presentation that comes remotely close. All the emotions. All the closure. All the badassness, packed in one final hand to hand battle

SHOW ME WHAT YOUVE GOT SNAKE!

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I've always had a soft spot for Mother Brain in Super Metroid.

Pandora's Tower had mechanically excellent bosses in general, but the final boss was really great.

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Gotta give another shout-out to Sonic Adventure for its Super Sonic final boss. The mechanics are simple and pretty easy, but the music, the visuals, the setting... it's all so fucking rad. Plus, the boss has been growing gradually stronger throughout the whole game, across six different story lines... we've been told that if he ever became perfect, then the world would be over.

And it's no bluff, either. He destroys an entire city-- the main city the game is set in, no less-- just by arriving there.

It's an extremely badass scenario. You're the only one standing in front of the bitterness and rage of Perfect Chaos. If you fail, everybody dies.

Rated E for everyone!

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Henry from No More Heroes 1. If I can mention a couple cool sub bosses, then Ryuji from No More Heroes 2, and Samuel from Metal Gear Revengeance.

A couple that come to mind:
Super Mario 3D Land: Bowser chases you through the level while you try to avoid his attacks and platform at the same time. Not so much a boss fight as high-stakes platforming, which I really enjoyed.

Scarlet Nexus (okay, this is just a recency thing, but) The boss is protected by statues while you have to use your teammates' abilities to open him up to attack. I thought it was good but fair fight.

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I like final boss fights where they turn into giant eldrich abominations, and after you kill it, they come back in their original form, and then its a one on one swordfight. IDK that's the coolest shit to me

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Definitely MGS4long time fans of the series definitely get a big nostalgia fix in that fight, next to Return to Shadow Moses of course.

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Apart from FF 6, Wind Waker probably has my favorite final boss fight. First they flipped the script by having you fight Ganon's beast forms first, then dueling the man himself in the final showdown. Zelda finally manages to break her own stereotype by actually helping out in battle (largely due to Tetra's personality breaking through the literal whitewashing), giving you some very welcome cover fire with the Light Arrows. I'm sure other games have done this type of gameplay much better, but it actually felt like you were dueling Ganon instead of just mashing your sword in his face (or worse, trapped in a game of magic-ball tennis). And in one of gaming's more fitting ironies, cutesy, cel-shaded Link delivers the franchise's GOAT badass moment by burying the Master Sword straight into Ganon's forehead.

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Final Boss of Mother 3.

Gets me in the feels every time even now. I suppose it's more thematic than anything.

Final Boss of Earthbound

Mostly for having to use a command you likely won't ever use at any other point. Bonus points for the music during the first phase of the battle.

MGS4

Personally I really love this one. For the entire game he's dubbed Old Snake, but the first part of the fight, for a few precious moments he's Solid Snake again, then with each transition he and Ocelot change their fight style. Then by the end they're both weak and exhausted, can barely stand let alone fight.

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Strider102 posted...

Then by the end they're both weak and exhausted, can barely stand let alone fight.

The moment that hits the hardest is when they're both down, exhausted, and panting... then they each pick up their syringes and inject each other just so the fight can continue. That final fight to the death was what they've both wanted all along.

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