The Kingdom Hearts series is chock-full of engaging and interesting boss battles that often push fans of the series to their limits. It can be great fun trying to beat some of these bosses, and though most bosses follow a similar pattern, some do not like playing fair.
Several Kingdom Hearts boss fights feature gimmicks that the player must familiarize themselves with if they wish to win, but certain gimmicks can sometimes feel a little ridiculous, given how punishing they can be. Several Kingdom Hearts bosses don't fight fair, but some are worse than others.
10 Luxord - Kingdom Hearts 2
Immediately upon meeting Luxord in Port Royal, players will realize that he doesn't play by the rules. This is evident from how he manipulates the Grim Reaper Heartless to inherit the Aztec Curse, which later makes it invulnerable to damage.
In the battle against him in The World that Never Was, Luxord begins by turning Sora into a six-sided dice. For the remainder of the battle, he will force Sora to partake in a series of challenging minigames, some of which prove to be quite tricky if the player isn't paying attention.
9 Young Xehanort - Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Toward the climax of Riku's story in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, he will be thrown into a battle against Young Xehanort, the main antagonist of the game. Unlike other bosses in this title, Young Xehanort can manipulate space and time, which serves to make the battle much tougher while also prolonging it.
Dealing with Young Xehanort's most regular attacks isn't too hard, but the real challenge begins when his health has been depleted. Instead of accepting defeat, Young Xehanort freezes time and summons a clock in the center of the arena. To end the battle, Riku must keep attacking the clock until he can perform a Reality Shift. If he doesn't deal enough damage, Young Xehanort will return to the arena with a great deal of his health restored.
8 Xehanort - Kingdom Hearts 3
Upon wandering into Scala ad Caelum, Sora will be faced with one of his greatest challenges yet, not because Xehanort is overly strong, but because he has a few unusual tricks up his sleeve. The final battle against Xehanort features a few phases, but one is more challenging than others.
In a desperate attempt to ensure victory, Xehanort withdraws the light from Sora's heart, and in doing so, forces him into a permanent Rage Form. To regain control of himself, Sora must stagger Xehanort and reclaim his stolen light, which is easier said than done.
7 Lingering Will - Kingdom Hearts 2
The Lingering Will, first depicted in Kingdom Hearts 2, was the most challenging boss in the Kingdom Hearts series for a very long time. Upon initiating the battle, Sora, Donald, and Goofy would find themselves faced with an empty shell that possessed baffling strength.
Though learning the Lingering Will's moveset isn't overly difficult, predicting his next move is incredibly challenging. It is hard to know what moves the Lingering Will is preparing to unleash, and it's even harder to get out of the way when the player realizes what's coming. To make matters worse, the Lingering Will can also place a lock on Sora's command menu, restricting his abilities.
6 Vanitas - Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Aqua, Terra, and Ventus will be forced to battle Vanitas several times throughout their adventure, but Ventus' final fight against him is the most challenging by far. By the time players face this unmasked rendition of Vanitas, they will likely have developed a decent strategy for him, but the final phase of this battle is impossible to prepare for.
Instead of normally dealing the finishing blow, players will be forced to use Ventus' Shocklock ability to parry Vanitas' incoming beams of darkness. Figuring out how to win th battle will take some practice, but players won't have much time to figure it out before Vanitas launches his final attack.
5 Phantom - Kingdom Hearts 1
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Upon returning to Neverland after sealing the Keyhole in Hollow Bastion, Tinkerbell will ask Sora to investigate the clock tower. If Sora accepts her request, he will be greeted by one of the most frightening enemies he has faced to date.
The only way to deal damage to the Phantom is to cast spells that match the color of its heart. To deal physical damage, Sora must use his Keyblade whenever the heart is glowing white. While this gimmick is easy to grasp, the Phantom can also banish Sora's party members if the ticking hand on the clock tower is allowed to make a complete rotation. A great deal of MP is required to survive this battle, so players will need to stock up on Ethers and Elixirs before commencing it.
4 Yozora - Kingdom Hearts 3: Re Mind
A year after the events of Kingdom Hearts 3, Sora awakens in a starlit version of The Final World. There, he meets Yozora, a mysterious young man who claims he has been tasked with saving Sora. Unfortunately for Sora, Yozora's definition of "saving" actually involves a great deal of violence.
The battle against Yozora is arguably the best-designed fight to feature in all of Kingdom Hearts. While it might take several attempts to figure out, most of his moves can be punished quite easily. Yozora doesn't play too fair; however, he often tries to steal Sora's Keyblade and his Kupo Coin and can also begin the battle with his Desperation Move.
3 The Unknown - Kingdom Hearts 1
Introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix, The Unknown became one of the most challenging boss fights in Kingdom Hearts 1. Unlike the other secret bosses in this title, The Unknown functions more like a Kingdom Hearts 2 boss than one from the first entry in the series.
He is ridiculously fast and has an overwhelming number of attacks that can easily confuse the player. While there isn't anything wrong with this type of boss design, it's arguably much too advanced when compared to Sora's somewhat limited abilities. A fight like this is much better suited in Kingdom Hearts 2, where Sora gains some incredibly handy fighting abilities.
2 Sephiroth - Kingdom Hearts 1
Upon entering the Platinum Match in Kingdom Hearts 1, Sora will be thrust into a battle against Sephiroth, one of the most infamous JRPG villains in video game history. Fans of Final Fantasy 7 will likely know just how ruthless Sephiroth can be, while those unfamiliar with him will soon find out during this battle.
Even when faced with a fourteen-year-old boy, Sephiroth refuses to pull his punches. His attacks are lightning quick, and therefore almost impossible to predict. As if this wasn't bad enough, he also has a habit of surrounding himself with fire, dealing seriously high damage if Sora is standing too close. Just when players think they have figured him out, however, he begins unleashing even more dangerous moves, making victory seem impossible at times.
1 Mysterious Figure - Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
The Kingdom Hearts series is home to some of the most challenging superbosses in video game history, and Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep is no different. Upon completing the main story for either Aqua, Terra, or Ven, the player will be given access to some of the game's greatest challenges.
Unlike other Kingdom Hearts entries, it's incredibly hard to stagger most bosses in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. Because of this feature, dealing damage to the Mysterious Figure is incredibly hard unless players are regularly using the Thunder Surge attack. As if this wasn't bad enough, the Mysterious Figure can also steal all of the protagonist's commands, making it impossible for them to attack.