This article originally appeared on gosocial.co

Ender Dragon – Minecraft

Minecraft doesn’t end? Yes, it does. Kind of. To get the Ender Egg in this classic you have to face off against the Ender Dragon, the biggest monster in the game. It requires just a teensy tiny bit of patience, and by “teensy tiny” we mean “a lot”. Go into this fight with plenty of friends and armour.

Goro – Mortal Kombat

Goro is Mortal Kombat history. Taking him away would be like taking… someone important away from something else that’s big and popular. Not only is Goro one of the oldest bosses but one of the hardest. He may play second fiddle to Shang Tsung, but that doesn’t mean he won’t mess you up.

C’Thun – World of Warcraft

Once upon a time, C’Thun was considered the most difficult raid boss in World of Warcraft. Since then, he’s been replaced. But his reputation lives on. Found in the temple of Ahn’Qiraj, C’Thun was the last stop for many a player who wanted to beat all the bosses the game had to offer.

Yellow Devil – Mega Man

Yellow Devil was famous for his melting, sludgy body that had the ability to split into different pieces and shoot around the screen. In other words, famous for being annoying and difficult to beat. You’d find him in Mega Man, among several other annoying and difficult-to-beat bosses. Tip: go after his little red eye.

Skolas – Destiny: House of Wolves

The final boss in Destiny: House of Wolves’ Prison of Elders challenge is the mighty and brutal Skolas, who makes mincemeat of opponents with his ground-smashing and teleportation tactics. Throw in a Scorch Cannon and you’re really in trouble. Just a few swipes will have you knocked out.

Dracula – Castlevania

Castlevania: beloved OG. Dracula: a much-hated villain. This Dracula isn’t your typical Hammer House bore, he can turn into a beast that bounces around shooting fireballs at you. You’ll find him at the end of this 1986 game and never, ever beat him. Trust us.

Dark Link- Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a bit of a lark if we’re honest. A lovely, little game that doesn’t cause too much stress. And then you meet Dark Link and all of that goes down the pan. Dark Link copies all your moves and even your appearance. You are quite literally picking on someone your own size. It turns out that doing so is quite hard!

M. Bison – Street Fighter II

Ever since M. Bison’s first appearance in Street Fighter II, he has been known as one of the toughest opponents of the franchise. This dude, you’d have to imagine, was responsible for several arcade riots and breakdowns. At the very least, a stern and cheesed-off throttle of the machine.

Mike Tyson – Punch-Out!!

Mike Tyson originally had his name on the box of this game before the team lost rights to the boxer’s name and had to rebrand it as Punch-Out!! Tyson remained in the game, as the boss, though he was renamed Mr. Dream. The one thing that remained the same: he was unbeatable.

Through the Fire and Flames – Guitar Hero 3

The video game boss doesn’t have to be physical. It can be abstract or conceptual. Through the Fire and Flames is a terrible song, but its insane technical guitar work turned it into a bit of a meme back in the 2000s. On Guitar Hero 3, players can attempt this DragonForce tune at their own discretion. Complete it on difficulty and you are one talented player.

Spider Mastermind – Doom 2016

The Spider Mastermind’s weak spot is her head. Take out her brain matter and it’s problem solved. This is easier said than done when she’s swinging her arms at you like no tomorrow and causing irredeemable damage. Move around the arena as much as possible and stop trying to shoot the bombs. Dodge them and persevere.

Majora – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

It’s hardly a shock when the final boss in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask turns out to be Majora but it’s abilities are quite the sting. Majora has three forms to defeat: Majora’s Mask, Majora’s Incarnation, and Majora’s Wrath. Defeating all three earns you the biggest, braggiest bragging rights.

Azazel – Tekken 6

Tekken, behind Moral Kombat, is probably the most famous fighting franchise of all time. Tekken 6 does not pale in comparison to its older siblings, mostly down to the presence of Azazel, the main antagonist of the entire game. To come out on top against this fearsome foe, you’ll ned patience, skill, and three to four working days.

Bowser – Super Mario 64

Bowser has always been a tough cookie to beat, but in Super Mario 64, he takes the cake. Whether he’s employing his stomp, headbutt or fire breath, you don’t really stand a chance. Try to recognise when a certain attack is failing to incur damage and then fight back!

Ultimecia – Final Fantasy VIII

Ultimecia is a really good, and annoyingly tough, baddie. She’s also toxic. Literally. She has the ability to kill Guardian Forces in seconds and steal a character’s spell stock, therefore disabling your offensive and defensive manoeuvres. Have a breather before taking her on. Maybe meditate. Or just don’t do it.

Wood Man – Mega Man 2

Does anyone remember playing Mega Man 2? Yes? Well, then you definitely remember the irritating force of nature that was Wood Man. This robot will make your life hell with its implausible range of attacks. To take him down, you’ll need to land 14 normal shots, which is a bit like saying to land a plane, you just need to lower it to the ground.

Lavos – Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger’s final boss is Lavos. He’s a malevolent alien parasite with a bottomless appetite for inflicting misery on the world. Naturally, you want to rip him to shreds and save your planet. Lavos has other plans and you won’t know about any of them.

Sans – Undertale

Good news: there are a few ways to complete Undertale. Bad news: if you take the Genocide Route, you come up against Sans as your final boss. And he is one brawny opponent. His attacks come thick and fast and usually with blaster skulls. Bring a spare pair of underwear for this one.

Seth – Street Fighter 4

Street Fighter lore has it that Seth is the CEO of SIN, a weapon division of Shadaloo, which tells you everything you need to know. This boss is aggressive and damaging and isn’t afraid to let you know about it. He first appeared in 2009 and proved to be one of the franchise’s toughest foes.

Dirge – Shadow of the Colossus

Released in 2005, Shadow of the Colossus continues to charm gamers 18 years later. The boss at hand, unnamed, is referred to as Dirge by fans of the game. Dirge can be found in the Forbidden Lands near quadrant B4. A wormy figure, he is dangerous as all hell but he can be bested by targeting his glowing eyes.

Nemesis – Resident Evil 3

The main villain and boss of Resident Evil 3, Nemesis appears throughout the game thanks to his ability to mutate after each attack, which makes life really fun and enjoyable for the player! Of course, each mutation is harder to defeat. His final form is honestly not worth the hassle. Save yourself the broken TV screen.

Ginso Tree – Ori and the Blind Forest

Not the most traditional fight of the bunch, in Ori and the Blind Forest, players must complete several rounds of puzzles in order to escape the Ginso Tree. The rules are strict and complex. If you touch the water as it rises, you’ll have to start the level over. We won’t shame you for choosing easy mode on this one.

Enchantress – Shovel Knight

Enchantress sounds like somebody you’d root for. Alas, she’s the main antagonist of Shovel Knight and defeating her is not easy. But you have to if you want to save Shield Knight. By the way, Enchantress is only vulnerable in one location. And she has a knack for hurling objects your way. They hurt. A lot.

Kai Leng – Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect has its fair share of big and brutal extra-terrestrial villains but the most powerful is actually a human. Kai Leng can withstand just about anything, including your pithy attacks (minus Cyro powers). Go in, get your backside whooped, take notes, and go again. This is not a boss that’s going to be taken down in half a dozen attempts.

Mewtwo – Pokemon Red

A genetic recombination of Mew’s DNA, Mewtwo was one scary customer. All you ever heard was “Mewtwo this”, “Mewtwo that”. You doubted his existence until you finally saw him in the flesh across Pokemon Red and Blue. You certainly didn’t doubt his power when he ran through your squad in under a minute.

Shao Kahn – Mortal Kombat 3

Mortal Kombat 3 is one big build-up to Shao Kahn but that doesn’t make it any easier. This is one of the hardest boss fights you’ll ever be unfortunate to experience. There aren’t a lot of tips but we’ll say this: dodge his attacks as much as possible (obvious), catch him in the middle of a Shoulder Ram, intervene with an uppercut and follow up with your best combo move (very helpful).

Ghost of Lady Comstock – BioShock Infinite

Don’t even try getting past the Ghost of Lady Comstock in BioShock Infinite. It ain’t gonna work. Even if you manage to come away relatively unscathed, there’s a second battle to follow up the first, and it’s unforgiving. Lady Comstock’s ability to resurrect the dead around her only worsens your odds of making it out alive.

Psycho Mantis – Metal Gear Solid

Forget just “hard”, Psycho Mantis is terrifying on a good day. Infamous for his mind powers, at one point he asks the player to place the game controller down so he can move it with his mind (or rumble settings). At another point, he reads the mind by tapping into your memory card save data and commenting on select Konami games.

Absolute Virtue – Final Fantasy XI

NM’s, or Notorious Monsters, are rife in Final Fantasy XI. The hardest? Inarguably Absolute Virtue, which fans of the long-running franchise still maintain is the longest to defeat. Fighting him fairly is hard enough but Absolute Virtue has a penchant for spawning suddenly and KO-ing you in one hit.

Ballos – Cave Story

Cave Story’s Ballos is its greatest antagonist and hardest, appearing in one of gaming’s most difficult-ever boss fights. Even if you make it to the end of Cave Story and defeat Ballos on the first go, you have to endure him for a second round and it’s much harder. Shoot for the eyes, guys. That’s all you can do here.

Antheon – Destiny

Destiny players are tasked with protecting the Earth from several alien races. If they navigate Gorgon’s labyrinth undetected, they’ll come face to face with Antheon in the Vault of Glass. This is the last person you want to come across. A pushover, he is not.

Wizpig – Diddy Kong Racing

Released for the N64 in 1997, Diddy Kong Racing follows the titular characters and his friends who attempt to defeat the mighty Wizpig by winning a series of zany races. Wizpig must be defeated twice during the game, once on dry land and again in space. Weirdly, the first race is harder.

Whitney – Pokemon Gold

Surely a Pokemon gym trainer who’s not a member of the Elite Four isn’t one of gaming’s toughest bosses of all time? Yes, in fact, she is. Whitney is equipped with a Miltank whose tactics are enough to infuriate a Buddhist monk. Get past her and her clan, and Pokemon Gold is yours for the taking.

Ares – God of War

Released in 2018, God of War puts players in the responsible shoes of Greek God Kratos and asks them: can you defeat a dozen really hard bosses and keep your sanity? Most can’t, especially by the time they reach Ares, the fighter’s fighter. This sneaky piece of work makes you question why you ever picked up a controller in the first place.

Alma – Ninja Gaiden

Ninja Gaiden, released in 2004, follows the quest to recover a stolen sword and avenge the death of your clan, Ryu Hayabusa, a master ninja. Players face countless enemies and difficult levels before they meet the final boss, Alma. Defeating her is a nightmare. Alma is lighting quick, strong and intelligent.

Senator Armstrong – Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance

In Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance, players control a cyborg called Raiden who takes on the mighty Desperado Enforcement. But that’s not the craziest thing. The game’s final boss, Senator Armstrong, is one of the strangest and greatest you’ll ever meet. This politician has increased his strength thanks to the nanotechnology implanted inside him.

Orphan of Kos – Bloodborne

Released on the PlayStation 4 in 2015, Bloodborne follows a hunter during his travels through Yarnham a Gothic-looking Victorian city teeming with a deadly blood disease. Watch out for the Orphan of Kos, who will attack and impale you from every angle (though his favourite is from the right). Spoiler alert: you can’t watch out for him.

Sephiroth – Kingdom Hearts

Nope, Sephiroth is not overrated. He really is that good. Or bad. He is a boss after all. In Kingdom Hearts, he can block almost all of your offensives and – as if you weren’t disadvantaged enough – can counter in the space of a nanosecond. If you want to stand any chance of defeating him you’ll have to attack him from behind (extremely difficult).

Emerald Weapon – Final Fantasy VII

In Final Fantasy VII, players can choose whether they want to take on the Emerald Weapon or not. What are you gonna do? Chicken out? Not an option (it’s an option). If you do take him on, you’ll be transported underwater in a submarine to meet this subterranean boss. You have 20 minutes to take down his one million HP, which may seem like a long time, but really, you need 20 hours.

The Nameless King – Dark Souls III

For some people’s money, Dark Souls III’s Nameless King is the hardest video game boss in history. First, you have to beat his pet dragon, and that itself is tantamount to climbing Mount Everest with broken legs. Then the King himself is a giant fridge of a man whose fast and devastating blows turn the most veteran of gamers into jelly.