The Kingdom Hearts series may be oozing with child-friendly imagery and welcoming themes, but some of the bosses featured throughout are deceptively difficult. This is due to the influence of Final Fantasy, the JRPG series the original game was loosely based on.
Kingdom Hearts has evolved since its debut and is now considered to be one of the best fighting games on the market. It is thanks to the series' impressive combat system that some of the most challenging boss fights in video game history have been created. Though each entry features an array of well-designed boss battles, some can be extremely frustrating.
7 Demyx - Kingdom Hearts 2
The battle against Demyx has become infamous among fans of the series due to its jarring spike in difficulty. Most players will likely have found comfort in hacking and slashing their way through the game's previous boss fights, but vanquishing Demyx will require a more tactical approach.
He begins the battle by summoning a collection of surprisingly mobile water clones that must be dispatched within a given time limit. The battle will be lost if the time runs out, so Sora will need to prioritize vanquishing them above all else. Surviving the aftermath of this first phase can be an extremely difficult feat to accomplish due to Demyx's unpredictable moveset, so the player will need to alter their approach to combat and study his patterns.
6 Vanitas - Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
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After defeating Vanitas in the Keyblade Graveyard, Ventus will be absorbed by his darker half and forced to face him once more. This battle poses little difficulty if Ventus has been appropriately leveled, but the unpredictable nature of Vanitas' final phase can swiftly lead to a game over.
Dealing the finishing blow to Vanitus requires the player to use a series of shotlocks to fill up the Command Gauge. Once the gauge has been filled, the battle will end, but the process of doing so is easier said than done. If Ventus enters this phase with low HP, one poorly timed shotlock will force him to reattempt the battle from the very beginning.
5 Julius - Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance
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Sora and Riku will happen upon Julius while exploring their independent dreams of Traverse Town. Though his design paints him as nothing more than a gargantuan version of Pete, his fighting style and baffling strength both combine to make him a force to be reckoned with.
Julius is a surprisingly agile foe. He can close in on Sora and Riku within an instant, so it is impossible to make use of the arena's respectable size. If the player attempts to flee from him, Julius will respond by throwing himself in their direction and will severely injure his opponents if they were not able to get out of his way.
4 Leechgrave - Kindom Hearts: 358/2 Days
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Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days is renowned for housing one of the most heartwrenching stories in the entire series, but its boss fights will likely leave a sour taste in the player's mouth. The battle with Leechgrave in Halloween Town is possibly the most laborious fight in the game for multiple reasons.
Roxas will need to dispose of the tentacles surrounding the beast to leave it open to an attack. Once vulnerable, he must inflict as much damage as he can as the Leechgrave will only be susceptible to physical damage for a brief moment. It is possible to deliver two or three combos before the creature's defense is restored, but Roxas will need to repeat the tedious process of dispatching tentacles all over again to emerge victorious.
3 Phantom - Kingdom Hearts
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The combat system in the original Kingdom Hearts isn't as fluid as it is in later releases, but the level of difficulty posed by its bosses remains the same. Upon sealing the keyhole in Hollow Bastion, a new enemy with a frustrating gimmick appears in Neverland.
The Phantom begins the battle by casting Doom on the party, thus placing a time limit on the battle. Sora will have to regularly cast Stop on the nearby ticking clock if he wishes to survive the spell. To make matters worse, the only way to inflict damage on the Phantom is to cast offensive magic that corresponds to the color of the Phantom's heart, a gimmick that prolongs the already arduous battle.
2 Mysterious Figure - Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
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The Mysterious Figure becomes available to fight in the Land of Departure after defeating the Vanitas Remnant. This elusive foe was later revealed to be a time-traveling version of Young Xehanort, but the battle with him in Dream Drop Distance is lacking in comparison to his debut.
The battle against the Mysterious Figure is easily one of the most unfair fights present in the series. The player will be forced to fully max out the dodge roll ability for each playable character to survive his onslaught. Doing so will certainly improve one's chance of victory, but even slightly mistiming a dodge will leave the player open to some deadly attacks.
1 Yozora - Kingdom Hearts 3: Re Mind
Once the thirteen data versions of Organization 13 have all been defeated, Sora will awaken in an unfamiliar world and meet Yozora. The mystery man claims he has been told to save Sora, but instead readies his weapons in preparation for a battle with him.
The battle with Yozora is possibly the most difficult challenge present in the entire series. A great deal of patience is required to learn his moveset, but even hours of study will not guarantee victory. It is an exceptionally well-designed battle, but Yozora's ability to steal Sora's Keyblade, healing items, and Kupo Coin will leave an already frustrated player feeling infuriated. If he is defeated while in possession of a Kupo Coin, he will be restored to half health, forcing the player to defeat him once more.