10 Best Boss Fights of the Decade

There are few things in gaming that beat the awe-inspiring feeling you get in the midst of an epic boss fight. Be it a simple clash of mortals or a sprawling, large scale battle versus scope-defying monsters, nothing is more exhilarating than beating a foe in battle.

Over the last 10 years, there have been plenty of these fights, all across a handful of different games, in different genres.

To celebrate that last decade of encounters, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 best boss fights of the decade here below.

Before you start reading, be aware that there are spoilers for games that are both new and old. As such, you’ll want to read at your own risk if you haven’t played any of these titles and still want to experience it for yourself.

Dr. Octavius (Marvel’s Spider-Man)

In the 2018 PS4 exclusive title Marvel’s Spider-Man, Insomniac Games builds an amazing relationship between its protagonist and antagonist.

Starting off as colleagues, Peter Parker and Doctor Octavius work together with the hopes of creating technology for the betterment of mankind. Trials and tribulations occur that eventually lead to strife between the two, pitting Peter’s former mentor against him.

Thanks to that build-up, the final fight that occurs between the two of them feels simultaneously tense and sad. All the while you’re controlling Spider-Man with the hope of defeating Dr. Oct, you can’t help but think of how things once were.

The Traveler (Tales From the Borderlands)

Outside of a terrible final boss in the first game, Gearbox has always had a knack for creating fun boss battles. The final bosses are up there as some of the best of all-time, as The Warrior, Handsome Jack, and Troy were all superb.

It’s a different big bad in the series that features the best boss, though. That boss is The Traveler from Telltale’s Tales from the Borderlands saga.

After failing to take down The Traveler the first time, a final battle occurs between it and the Vault Hunters. Depending on the choices that were made throughout, a number of different unique characters can be chosen to fight in the final battle, taking their places in a Megazord-like Gortys.

You can argue all you want about the fact that the fight is really just button prompts, but the different variations, one-liners, and fan service that occurs throughout it are worth the price of admission.

William Birkin G4 (Resident Evil 2)

While the Tyrant known as Mr. X was certainly the highlight of Resident Evil 2, following Claire and Leon around nonstop, his actual final boss fight with Leon is a little disappointing. There was someone else that just got better with each encounter though: William Berkin.

Having injected himself with the G-Virus, William Berkin will fight Leon and Claire in many different forms throughout the game.

Once he reaches the G4 state of the mutation against Claire, the fight is taken to a whole new level.

G4 Berkin climbs all over the place, making his movements hard to read and sporadic. As the fight goes on, every eyeball that gets taken out makes it harder to hit the next one.

Combine this with the fact that Claire gets to wield a conveniently placed mini-gun and fans will agree this is Resident Evil at its finest.

Monk Maz Koshia (The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild)

Just like most Legend of Zelda titles, Breath of the Wild builds up its entire narrative to a final battle with Link’s ultimate rival, Gannon.

Yet, while his form in this game, referred to as Calamity Ganon, is the largest and most intimidating we’ve ever seen, the best boss fight in the game doesn’t actually go to him.

Instead, the DLC boss, Monk Maz Koshia, takes the crown for quite possibly the best fight in the series.

Set to a heart-pounding, intense soundtrack, Link’s encounter with the final Divine Beast is a monumental battle, as Monk Maz Koshia’s attacks and style shift so rapidly it’s hard to keep up.

Just about each different style reflects one of the many enemies you fight throughout the game, as the fight requires you to put all of your experiences to good use in order to beat Monk Maz Koshia.

The Caretaker (The Witcher III: Wild Hunt)

Combat is one of the biggest critiques of The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, with many stating it’s so unpolished it’s nearly unplayable. While that complaint may be common, the amazing scale and ambiance of the boss fights that take place in the game are rarely ever up for debate.

None more so than the fight Geralt has with The Caretaker in the Hearts of Stone DLC.

A servant of the von Everec family, The Caretaker is a demon, summoned from another world with the sole purpose of tending to the estate. Though a lot of his tasks include water flowers and tidying, he also cleans up any trespassers with his spade and inhuman strength.

When he and Geralt clash on the grounds of the von Everec estate, the battle is a slow, methodical one, no matter the difficulty the game is set to.

The Caretaker’s long reach, ability to summon wraiths, and health regen with every hit he lands means that players have to plan out just about every move if they want to gain any ground throughout the fight.

There is an innate sense of satisfaction that comes with defeating him, even when controlling a character as powerful as Geralt.

Gehrman, The First Hunter (Bloodborne)

Beneath Bloodborne’s gritty, terrifying world is one of poetry, especially when it comes to its characters and plot.

Throughout the entirety of the game, you’ve been guided around by a character named Gehrman, who welcomes you at the start and shows you the ropes of becoming a Hunter.

Depending on the choices you’ve made, your character is able to challenge him, resulting in a battle that is both beautiful and sad, as The First Hunter fulfills his duty to fight upon your request, holding nothing back.

From the very start – where he utters the words, “Tonight, Gehrman joins the hunt” – to the end, everything from the choreography of the combat to the scenery is a wonder to behold.

Ornstein and Smough (Dark Souls)

The Dark Souls series is filled to the brim with gripping one on one encounters with hulking enemies that wield the power to kill you in mere seconds.

When you look at each of those fights though, the most memorable encounter in the game actually belongs to a duo: Ornstein and Smough.

Players come upon these two in the Dark Souls, guarding a cathedral in central Anor Londo.

Throughout multiple phases, it becomes clear that they are the perfect pair. Ornstein’s strengths make up for Smough’s weakness and vice versa.

The cohesion on display between the two of them makes for an insanely difficult, but fun, type of combat – one that has yet to be replicated to the same level in the series.

Mr. Freeze (Arkham City)

Regardless of whether it is a boss fight or minions, many games rely on spamming overpowered mechanics as much as possible to defeat your enemies. While it does make sense to use the most powerful moves and items in your character’s arsenal, this tactic also results in boredom via repetition.

Arkham City does its best to avoid this by placing roadblocks in combat, making it so some characters are immune to certain attacks. This formula comes together in a boss fight with the notorious Mr. Freeze.

Every time you use a specific type of strategy or combo too much, Mr. Freeze gets wise, taking that attack out of your arsenal because he learned from your previous use of it.

In doing this, players have to exhaust Batman’s entire bag of tricks to eventually win. Considering how smart Mr. Freeze is, this makes the fight even more engrossing, like a game of chess going on alongside a fistfight.

The Stranger (God of War)

Throughout the series, God of War has done its very best to paint Kratos as an unstoppable force. In each game, he kills monsters, behemoths, and even Gods along his path of revenge, proving nothing can stand in his way.

So when a scrawny, strange man challenges him at the start of God of War (2018), the expectation is that Kratos will obliterate him.

The shock and awe that comes next is a cold splash of water, as The Stranger not only matches Kratos’ strength but forces him to pull out every weapon in his arsenal just to get him to leave.

Couple this shocking encounter, the twist of The Stranger’s identity, and the introduction of the new fighting mechanics to the series, and it is pretty clear as to why this fight is so memorable.

Isshin the Sword Saint (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)

Isshin the Sword Saint is the final boss of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. He is the culmination of all of the hard work players have gone through all game, serving as the final test of their skills.

Every movement in every phase must be calculated and precise, as one wrong parry or an ill-timed guard means the difference between life and death.

Every death is a new lesson in this fight though, somehow managing to make dying feel encouraging, not discouraging.

While Isshin the Sword Saint will most likely cause many to throw in the towel or seeth with frustration, his defeat results in satisfaction only someone who has put in a lot of hard work can understand and appreciate.