Technology

This 1996 Video Game Boss Remains Iconic Decades Later

David Beren

Published: September 14, 2024 9:30 am

24/7 Insights

• • The most memorable boss fights in video games come from older titles. 
  • Bowser is arguably the most memorable boss in all of gaming history. 
  • Newer titles have even more difficult boss fights than older games. 
  • Also: 2 Dividend Legends to Hold Forever

In video games, few things are more frustrating than a difficult boss keeping you from the next level. The only thing worse is a difficult boss that just outright stops you from completing a final level in the game. No matter how you look at it, memorable bosses are a part of video game life. 

From the early days of Bowser in the mid-1980s to today’s ninth-generation console games, memorable bosses are everywhere. If you had to decide on a list of the most memorable video game bosses, the good news is that there are almost too many choices. If choosing the most memorable bosses is suddenly too challenging, Reddit and its data come to the rescue. 

Why Is This Important? 

The video game industry is a $180 billion giant, larger than the music and movie industries combined. When you consider that regularly covered brands on this site, like Sony, Microsoft, Google, and Apple, all contribute to this revenue number thanks to both console and mobile gaming, the relevance for the 24/7 audience becomes abundantly clear. 

17. Bebop and Rocksteady

• Game: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• System: Arcade

While the game came out in 1989 in arcades, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles offers you the best opportunity to waste an afternoon of quarters. Trying to beat Bebop and Rocksteady without a few friends is downright impossible. 

16. The Final Colossus

• Game: Shadow of the Colossus
• System: PlayStation 2

A 2005 action-adventure title, Shadow of the Colossus, was one of the best PlayStation 2 releases. The game is one big giant battle, but the last fight against the Final Colossus will have you tearing your hair out as you try and think of a winning strategy. 

15. Psycho Mantis

• Game: Metal Gear Solid
• System: PlayStation

The 1998 release of Metal Gear Solid for PlayStation introduced the world to the hero, Snake, and archenemy Psycho Mantis. Truly living up to the character’s name, Psycho Mantis, might appear impossible the first time you face off, but rest assured, there is hope after dying a few dozen times. 

14. Isshin

• Game: Sekiro
• System: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows

One of the more memorable recent game releases, the boss fight in Sekiro, is a Reddit favorite. Facing off against Kensei Isshin is a testament to a player’s will to press on after losing many times. You’ll need to remember everything you have learned in the game up to this point to press forward and win. 

13. M. Bison

• Game: Street Fighter II
• System: Arcade, PlayStation, Super Nintendo

The fighting game that introduced the world to the now hugely popular genre, the M. Bison fight in Street Fighter II is worth every memory. While you might look at the game today and think of it as too simple, defeating M. Bison was never easy, even with hours of practice and friends cheering you on. 

12. Donkey Kong

• Game: Donkey Kong
• System: Arcade

This one goes back in time, but the original Donkey Kong arcade machine has one of the best boss fights ever. This is so memorable because you spend the entire game fighting a boss on every level as you jump over barrels, trying to reach the top. 

11. Shao Khan

• Game: Mortal Kombat 11
• System: PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Nintendo Switch

While Shao Khan has been a part of the Mortal Kombat franchise for decades, his turn in Mortal Kombat 11 really stands out. In a game full of brutal fights, the battle with Shao Khan is as gory as it gets, and when he’s not fighting you, he’s mocking you, which is just pouring gasoline on the fire. 

10. Mother Brain

• Game: Super Metroid
• System: Super Nintendo

One of the Super Nintendo’s best titles, Super Metroid, culminates in a fight with Mother Brain. While you have every reason to believe Samus is at death’s door before the right, a surprise gives you what you need to win one of the greatest video games ever. 

9. The Master

• Game: Fallout
• System: Windows, MS-DOS, macOS

The 1997 release of the original Fallout game gave us one of the best boss fights in history. Known as The Master, this boss is the leader of the Super Mutants you spend most of the game fighting against. To stop the mutations, you must kill The Master, and it’s anything but easy. 

8. Chef Saltbaker

• Game: Cuphead
• System: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, Mac, PC

One of the more unique art-style games ever released, Cuphead is already one of the most difficult games ever. This is why it should come as no surprise that its final boss, Chef Saltbaker, is one of the most memorable as you battle through each of the fight’s four main phases on your way to victory or defeat. 

7. Emerald Weapon

• Game: Final Fantasy VII
• System: PlayStation

The Final Fantasy series has had plenty of memorable bosses over the decades, but not even Sephiroth is as unforgettable as Emerald Weapon from Final Fantasy VII. Accessible only by submarine, winning the fight gives you a massive HP upgrade of 1 million. You just have to win the fight in 20 minutes or less, so, no pressure. 

6. Doctor Eggman

• Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 
• System: Sega Genesis

First appearing in the original Sonic the Hedgehog release in 1991, Doctor Eggman has been the franchise’s main antagonist ever since. Doctor Eggman isn’t quite as memorable as Bowser, but defeating Doctor Eggman was a right of passage if you were a video game fan in the 1990s. 

5. Hades

• Game: Hades
• System: PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, Mobile

One of the best games in recent memory, Hades captured the world’s attention through its unique art style and horrendously difficult final boss fight. Your character, Zagreus, has to fight dear old dad, Hades, the god of the Underworld, and it’s about as easy as you might expect. 

4. Baldur 

• Game: God of War
• System: PlayStation 4

The God of War franchise is one of Sony’s best exclusives for the PlayStation console, and it shows with every consecutive release. The 2018 God of War boss fight against Baldur is one of the reasons why the game is so beloved, as it feels next to impossible to stop him as he feels unkillable. 

3. Ganondorf

• Game: The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
• System: Nintendo GameCube

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker boss fight is a tease. At the end of the game, just as you think Link has defeated the final boss, you get thrown into a loop. Not only does your escape with Zelda get put on hold, but Ganondorf rises from the ashes, setting up an even more difficult second-round boss fight. 

2. Mike Tyson

• Game: Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!
• System: Super Nintendo

One of the most memorable games from the Super Nintendo platform, Mike Tyson, was a boss well worth remembering. Of course, he’s worth mainly remembering because you likely threw your controller in frustration countless times before you finally managed to land a few punches and knock him out. 

1. Bowser

• Game: Super Mario 64
• System: Nintendo 64

While Bowser was first seen a full decade earlier, the 1996 release of Super Mario 64 changed everything. The 3-D world gave Bowser new depth as a memorable boss and improved video gaming forever. Your third and final confrontation with Bowser remains the most memorable, as you have three “final” boss fights in the game.