Sometimes, a video game can have the most broken bosses ever. It used to be more prevalent in older games. In the modern era, due to the internet and patches, most games come out balanced. Still, there are times when we get modern gaming bosses that are very broken.
In the following list, we shall be ranking some of the most broken video game bosses from both old as well as newer games.
Video Game Bosses That Are OP
Sans (Undertale)
Undertale is one of the most popular indie video games in the world. Created by Toby Fox, this is a unique RPG with some beautiful 2D sprite works. How the game works depends on the kind of routes you choose to go through.
There are two ways to play the game: either you talk your way through all the encounters, or you fight and beat everyone in a bullet hell rhythm game. For the most part, every blind playthrough gamer will be going for the former route.
This is when you come across the funny-sounding skeleton in blue, Sans. One of the most broken video game bosses of all time. His unsuspecting patterns are hard to dodge as he is going to chuck bones and shoot beams, which are very difficult to react to.
It should also be mentioned that, beyond the difficulty, Sans is one of the most popular bosses in the game.
Yellow Devil (Mega Man)
Mega Man is everyone’s favorite blue platforming robot and Capcom’s mascot. We wish the franchise would get newer entries, but it seems like that is not going to happen anytime soon. Regardless, the series has a rich history of games, and with some really difficult bosses.
When it comes to old Mega Man, usually the second entry in the franchise is considered the best one among the fanbase. But we think the first entry is equally memorable for having one of the most broken video game bosses of all time.
The Yellow Devil is quite the straightforward name for a boss who looks and acts exactly like the name suggests. This boss is found in Dr. Willy’s fortress, a massive gelatinous yellow robot with insane mobility, able to turn into a blob.
The only way to beat the yellow devil is when it opens its eye. Players will have to accurately aim and shoot at the ridiculously small hitbox.
Emerald Weapon (Final Fantasy VII)
Final Fantasy is one of the most popular JRPG franchises in existence. Especially the seventh entry in the franchise is special for a lot of people all over the world. It contributed to popularizing the genre in West and influenced a lot of future video games.
In the game, there exists a secret optional boss that you can’t take on in a regular play-through. This is the Emerald Weapon boss fight, and the ridiculous thing about why it is considered one of the most broken bosses is that it is underwater.
Players will have to complete a sequence of tasks to remove the time limit. But even then, players won’t be able to last long in the boss fight unless they have their stats maxed out.
It may be easier now with the internet and guides for modern players. Back in the day, things were different for kids who had to rely on physical guides and success through trial and error.
Ridley (Super Metroid)
Long before FromSoftware’s Hidetaka Miyazaki started torturing gamers with his devious game designs, there was another Nintendo franchise where players experienced the same.
Super Metroid is the third entry in the Metroid series. It is celebrated as one of the best games on the systems as well as a pillar of the search action genre, or Metroidvania games. One of the hardest bosses in this particular title has to be Samus’s arch nemesis, Ridley.
A flying extraterrestrial monster that has been the bane of our main character’s existence. Even chasing her down to different franchises, such as Smash Bros. Ridley in Super Metroid, can be considered as one of the most broken video game bosses.
The players have to go into this fighting without a resupply of health items. So if you are on your last leg, then good luck dealing with his insane movement.
Mike Tyson (Mike Tyson’s Punch Out)
Of course, a video game about boxing with Mike Tyson’s name on it would have him as the most broken boss in gaming history. Mike Tyson’s Punch Out is a game that was released back in 1987, and was developed and published by Nintendo for the NES.
It was a console release of the arcade Punch Out games. The biggest difference was that this version had Mike Tyson as the final boss. Players progress through the game by defeating various other boxers, going up in ranks.
Once you reach the final boss, you realize what broken boss fights back in old video games were like. Mike Tyson comes in swinging at full speed, using a barrage of moves sets.
It is incredibly hard and, at times, infuriating to beat the game, considering how necessary pattern recognition gets. One blink, and misread, and he can knock you out cold.
Malenia (Elden Ring)
Even though this boss has been nerfed quite a bit, on release, Malenia was one of the most broken modern video game era bosses. Elden Ring requires no introduction; it is the last big single-player game from the infamous developers at FromSoftware.
Malenia is an optional boss that players can choose to ignore if just getting a regular completion is their main goal. But for those who want to test their luck, she awaits you through the Haligtree route.
This is not the first time that FromSoftware has developed a boss that was considered severely broken. But Malenia was special, considering how famous she turned out. She became the face of the game for the longest time.
She has multiple phases and attacks unrelentingly, all while building up scarlett rot. Having a huge stamina meter to conserve is the key to sustaining in this fight. Even then, she can wipe the floor with players using one of her special moves, which unleashes a flurry of attacks that require precision dodging.
Demi-Fiend (Digtial Devil Saga)
It is an Atlus tradition to bring optional boss fights to their popular games. The Persona games get older Persona protagonists as optional bosses. These fights are usually very hard to deal with and require prep time before one can attempt them.
Digital Devil Saga’s optional boss is Demi-Fiend, the protagonist of the third entry in the SMT series, and probably the most broken optional JRPG boss in existence. He can beat up gods and demons with pure physical punches, which is a running joke.
But players stop laughing once they are at the receiving end of this, facing him as a boss. Demi Fiend summons some of the most powerful demons to aid him in battle, including his companion, Super Pixie. He can choose to randomly dish out an attack that will instantly wipe out the player’s party.
Doing the same back to him will make Pixie fully heal him on the next turn. Overall, one of the most annoying boss fights in gaming, it also got a throwback as he returned as an optional boss in the last Shin Megami Tensei game.
Shin Akuma (Street Fighter Alpha 2)
It is not unusual for fighting games to have really difficult bosses. These games were made for the arcades, which required players to spend quarters every time they got beaten up. So, naturally, some of the most broken bosses were designed specifically to input read players.
While there are many examples out there, Shin Akuma, who is a superpowered version of regular Akuma from the game, is one of the most notorious examples. First off, he was not a regular boss; players would have to perform an intricate set of things to reach this fight.
This included getting perfect victories and never losing a fight. You do all of that to reach this boss fight at the end, who will just beat you for days and take you to the game-over screen faster than you can blink.
Shin Akuma has ever since become one of the most iconic versions of the character in the Street Fighter franchise.
Omega Rugal (King of Fighters 95)
We cannot just close out the discussion around input reading fighting game bosses without mentioning another entry. These characters were the bane of fighting game players’ existence back in the day.
While the topic of the most broken King of Fighters bosses may be debatable, as almost all SNK-made bosses are notorious for several reasons. But there is no doubt that Omega Rugal is one of the most iconic among them. He was even brought back as an extra boss fight in the latest entry in the franchise.
Omega Rugal has an AI that inputs to read opponents with precision. Every decision you make, the CPU has already determined the most efficient punishment route. Being a super boss, his special moves, such as the genocide cutter, are buffed up to insane amounts of damage.
Fatalis (Monster Hunter World)
This is not the only time we fight Fatalis in a Monster Hunter game. There have been other versions of these incredibly powerful monsters in previous games that are equally hard to beat. But there is no doubt that this boss fight was special for fans of Monster Hunter World.
Funny thing about Fatalis is that the lore surrounding this monster might be more broken than actually fighting him. The black dragon is considered the prime enemy of humanity, destined to cause destruction.
Even the armor forged out of a hunted Fatalis is said to be cursed. It is only natural that the fight with this monster is unforgiving compared to any other boss in video game history.
The Fatalis fight demands unrestricted item management and the best gear one can collect throughout the endgame. Even after all of that, enduring through the whole challenge is a massive undertaking and really tests a player’s patience.
