Final boss fights are the ultimate test of a player’s skills and knowledge in a video game. They are often the climax of the story and the culmination of their journey. Whilesome final boss fights are predictable, many video games have taken players by surprise with unexpected encounters that come out of nowhere.
These boss fights can shock and challenge players in exciting ways, leaving a lasting impression on their gaming experience. From Flowey’s attack inUndertaleto the Mastermind Claire has to fight inResident Evil 2, this article explores some of the most unexpected final boss fights in video games that caught players off guard and left them with a sense of awe and satisfaction.
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7The Destroyer - Borderlands (2009)
The Destroyer is the final boss in the firstBorderlands, and it’s an enormous, tentacled creature that emerges froma massive vault in the game’s desert wasteland. The fight comes as a surprise to players because the vault that contains The Destroyer is the main objective of the game, but they don’t expect it to actually contain a giant monster.
The Destroyer attacks with a variety of tentacle-based attacks and has a powerful laser attack that can quickly take down the player’s health. While the players were surprised about the apparition of the monster, the fight itself is not that difficult, and they can defeat The Destroyer without trying too hard. Some players considered the game’s final fight disappointing, as it could have been more difficult and provide a more challenging ending to the game.
6Human Reaper - Mass Effect 2 (2010)
The Human-Reaper final boss fight inMass Effect 2takes place after the players come across a room where they discover a massive construct, revealed to bea horrifying monster created with human genetic material. What makes the Human-Reaper fight surprising is the fact that it comes out of nowhere, as the colossal inanimated enemy first falls down while the players' attention is distracted, but suddenly they find it climbing back up and looming over them.
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The reveal of the Human-Reaper is a shock to the player and sets the stage for a high-stakes battle. It has a variety of powerful attacks, including physical ones that can knock players off the platform, or energy attacks that luckily take time to charge up.
5GLaDOs - Portal (2007)
The final battle against GLaDOS in the video gamePortalis a memorable one for many reasons, one of which is the unexpectedness of the encounter. Throughout the game, GLaDOS has been a constant presence, a disembodied voice guiding the player character through the puzzles and challenges of the testing facility. But as the game nears its conclusion, GLaDOS reveals her true intentions: she wants to kill the player.
The fight is punctuated by GLaDOS’s taunts and insults, adding to the tension and sense of urgency. GLaDOS is unique in that she is not a physical entity, buta highly advanced AI system. Her personality is sarcastic, sardonic, and at times outright cruel, which makes the final battle against her all the more satisfying. The unexpectedness of the fight, combined with the clever use of game mechanics and the satisfying resolution of the game’s story, has cemented GLaDOS as one of the most memorable final bosses in video game history.
4Mary - Silent Hill 2 (2001)
Silent Hill 2surprises players with an intriguing final boss fight. Players will encounter either Mary, the late wife of James, or Maria, one of the game’s characters, depending on their actions throughout the game. If James encounters Mary, she willblame him for her deathand transform into a hateful monster that will attack and try to kill him. If he encounters Maria, she will become angry at James for rejecting her feelings and transform into a monster.
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The fight takes place in a dreamlike environment at the Lakeview Hotel, with the woman’s appearance and attacks changing as the battle progresses. This unexpected and emotionally charged battle is the highlight of the game and its story. Overall, this final encounter is considered one of the hardest battles in theSilent Hillseries, and not only that it is a challenging fight, but it also carries sentimental meaning to James.
3Mutated William Birkin - Resident Evil 2 (2019)
InResident Evil 2, players follow the story of Claire Redfield as she tries to escape the zombie-infested Raccoon City. Dr. William Birkin, a key researcher involved in the creation of the G-Virus, transforms into a monster, and Claire is forced to fight him in orderto protect Sherry Birkin, his daughter. Players face off against mutated Birkin in a grueling battle in the Umbrella facility, and when the game leads them to believe that they defeated the monster, it makes another appearance exactly when Claire has to hurry and escape on the train.
What makes this fight even more difficult is the fact that Claire is on a tight schedule, with the timer adding another layer of stress to the encounter. If the players believed that they are minutes away from surviving the terrors of Raccoon City and that the timer is their only obstacle, mutated Birkin really proves that inResident Evilgames, it is never that easy.
2Ganon - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
The final battle with Ganon inOcarina of Timeis a memorable one for many players, not just because of the difficulty of the fight, but also because of the surprise element. After Link fights him and escapes the castle with the princess, players expect the game to be ending, butfrom the rubble rises Ganon. The beast is powerful, and most of the players are surprised to fight him again after just escaping his castle.
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Ganon’s true form is a towering humanoid creature wielding dual swords, which catches players off guard. The fight requires them to use their acquired skills to defeat the beast, including using their Light Arrows to stun him and strike his weak point. The fight is intense and challenging, but ultimately rewarding for players who manage to emerge victorious.
1Omega Flowey - Undertale (2015)
Omega Flowey is the final boss of the neutral and true pacifist routes inUndertale. It is a form taken by the game’s main antagonist, Flowey, after heabsorbs the six human souls and becomes a godlike being. The fight is unexpected as it takes place after the player has battled Asgore, the final boss fight that players have been preparing for the whole game. Flowey, however, suddenly interrupts the moment and transforms into a grotesque creature with writhing vines and tendrils.
The battle is also unique in that it breaks the fourth wall, with Omega Flowey manipulating the game’s files and interface to attack the player directly. The player must dodge various attacks while attempting to damage Omega Flowey’s weak points, eventually leading to a dramatic and surprising conclusion. The fight is memorable for its intense and chaotic gameplay, as well as its unexpected twists and turns.
