The 2020s ushered in a slew of new Soulsborne clones that diversified the palette of what it meant to make a challenging boss. Combined with new, inventive gameplay options and a much more accessible way into video game development, the bosses of the 2020s take advantage of everything to give some of the most engaging opponents ever.

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That doesn't make them easier, however. Some of these bosses are among the most punishing, brutal encounters that force skills to be learned and instincts to be sharpened. If not combative, they are tactical, outwitting players if they falter for even a second.

10 The Warden

Minecraft: The Wilds Update (2022)

The reveal of The Warden at Minecon was followed by the intensely stressed point that it wasn't meant to be beaten. Instead, it was to force gameplay adaptability if located, offering poor loot and limited reward for the 500 or so hearts that must be knocked off of it. Despite these considerations, most players still treat it as a tremendous enemy, rivaling the Wither or the Ender Dragon as one of Minecraft's bosses.

With late-game enchantments, the Warden becomes far more manageable, but players still need to rely on an understanding of its smell-based mechanics and brutal attacks if they are to have any hope of defeating it.

9 The Archivist

Inscryption (2021)

Inscryption went under the radar when it was first launched, despite positive reviews and intriguing deck-building mechanics. With bosses that come in the form of these opponents, the card-building strategy is key to winning - but for some, like matches against The Archivist, there is also an immense risk.

The Archivist forces the match against him - there is no option to decline, and all the files on the main character's hard drive are at risk when playing. The amount of files players put on the table increases with every opportunity to deal damage to this opponent, to the point it is a nerve-wracking match that, while straightforward, can cause an immense amount of stress.

8 Odur

Thymesia (2022)

Bizarrely for such a difficult encounter, Odur is the first boss encountered in Thymesia. The indie environment in which Thymesia was made allowed for free development and experimentation with the way encounters worked, and with that in mind, Odur is a harsh punishment for players just getting into the game.

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He's not impossible, but considering he's the first boss and boasts two phases, speed, a huge pool of moves, and monumental damage, the player character, who barely has enough to heal at this point, is in for a nasty surprise.

7 Lavenza

Persona 5 Royal (2020)

A superboss, hidden behind multiple playthroughs to maximize the devastation, Lavenza's fight has multiple requirements that make beating her a tedious and complicated task. With four phases that split damage between the party as a whole and a solo experience, Lavenza knows how to crank the difficulty up in this expanded version of Persona 5.

Her difficulty comes from this wide number of tactics to consider, and she doesn't let off easily if any of them are misunderstood. Wipes, massive health sweeps, and punishments fly freely, making Lavenza one of the hardest bosses in the Persona franchise. It's a good thing players have had over a game to prepare.

6 Raphael

Baldur's Gate 3 (2023)

Raphael's fight in Baldur's Gate 3 ticks many boxes for players looking to have a memorable time. The score is impressive and iconic, the moveset is carefully chosen, and the difficulty is fair but high. With high health and a tendency to punish players who rely on simplistic tactics, Raphael is not the demon pushover some would hope him to be.

He is manageable, mainly due to his devastating attacks relying on Soul Pillars that the player can destroy, but nonetheless, a tense and rewarding encounter that many players cite as their favorite in Baldur's Gate 3.

5 Tarsus, The First Martyr

Mortal Shell (2020)

Tarsus is a complicated beast with deceptively fast tactics, aided by an arena that offers the player few advantages. Thick with mist and tiny compared to some of the other set pieces in the game, the arena only helps to strengthen Tarsus' ability to disappear at will, making him dangerously unpredictable during the fight.

Tarsus' aggressive playstyle will cause friction with players who have prioritized careful methods and slow precision to defeat previous opponents. The scope of his abilities, which includes an AOE that can only be blocked by hardening, make him a somewhat overpowered opponent in line with what's expected of a Soulslike.

4 The Valkyrie Queen

God Of War: Ragnarok (2022)

Another game, another Valkyrie Queen. Like Sigrun in the first Norse God of War, her successor Gna is one of the most monstrous opponents in the game, capable of defeating Kratos and Freya with ease. It is fitting that this time around, The Valkyrie Queen is a post-game boss for players to sink their teeth into.

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With new attacks to complement the vast amount inherited from Sigrun, Gna also boasts an absurd amount of health, ferocity, and speed that players will only counter after many hours of death and practice.

3 Gloctopus

Exit The Gungeon (2020)

What began as a fun community request to add a boss called a gloctopus developed into a true monster in Enter The Gungeon's sequel. Although the iOS version of this boss was released at the end of 2019, it is the console, and thus controller versions that came out in 2020, that offer the challenging brutality that is deserving of an octopus wielding guns.

Players are forced to fight The Last Dagun and The Gloctopus back to back, meaning that a fight with the latter is always reliant on the strategy put into the former. With this punishing mechanic, as well as the floating arena, The Gloctopus is a dangerous and tense encounter only for the truly experienced in Exit The Gungeon.

2 Otakemaru

Nioh 2 (2020)

Immediately, Otakemaru's Yokai status means he is more dangerous than most enemies, a powerful dark realm entity that puts human enemies to shame. Capable of wielding all three Yokai shifts that players have, he is extremely versatile and by extension, fatally deadly.

Otakemarus' three phases build on the already punishing formula that makes Nioh 2 one of the most challenging Soulslike games, and he is capable of manipulating the player through versatile attacks to push them closer toward his deadly blades. With few exceptions, Otakemaru is one of the deadliest bosses around.

1 Malenia, Blade Of Miquella

Elden Ring (2022)

Was there ever a more difficult boss than Malenia? Most players don't think so. Punishing, fast, deadly, and tragic, Malenia takes everything that Miyazaki has crafted before and combines it into one of the most challenging encounters in the history of video games.

Despite this, she is not unfair. Over two phases, Malenia exhibits a plethora of strategically flawed techniques that only the most skilled of players can punish. The rest fall quickly, and it is common knowledge that she is one of the most attempted and failed bosses in Elden Ring. Most players are struck by fear when thinking about Malenia, but for the few who have lived to beat her, there is no feeling quite like it.

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