Role-playing games have become one of the most popular genres around, with many titles using the progression systems of RPGs to great effect. Even the most action-heavy titles add elements of RPG gameplay to great effect, making these games feel more complex and engaging for gamers. These games usually feature a huge emphasis on combat, with boss fights testing everything a player has learned up to that point.
Sometimes, certain boss fights in RPGs can be pretty hard, with this difficulty spike being quite unmanageable for many players early on. However, with due diligence, the following boss fights can be conquered despite seeming nigh impossible early on. It takes a combination of a player's reflexes, tactics, upgrades, and everything else along the same lines to get through these tough RPG boss battles.
10 Yunalesca – Final Fantasy 10
The boss fight against Yunalesca is quite a challenge. She can cast Death and Zombie on the party, which are easily two of the worst status effects in Final Fantasy history.
To make it even worse, there's a cutscene preceding this battle that is pretty lengthy and can't be skipped. In a way, this almost adds extra pressure to the boss fight, with players dreading the cinematic that precedes it almost as much as they do the main battle itself!
9 Galdera – Octopath Traveler
It would be hard to call Galdera an optional battle, given that defeating him is critical to bring a close to the narrative of Octopath Traveler. However, this boss fight is on a completely different level when it comes to difficulty, and party members should ideally be at Level 99 before even trying to take on this powerful foe.
Galdera hits like a truck in both phases, with all eight party members playing a major role in this battle. Suffice it to say, this fight ends up being quite a challenge, and players need to time their offense and healing moves accordingly to even stand a chance of beating this boss.
8 Ornstein And Smough – Dark Souls
Dark Souls is one of the greatest action-adventure RPGs ever made. The game never failed to treat gamers like adults at every step of the way, with the boss fight against Ornstein and Smough showing just how tough this game can really be.
The fast-moving Ornstein perfectly complimented the slow but brutal style of Smough. This made for an entertaining battle as players maintained a constant juggling act between both bosses, with one of them coming back bigger and stronger after the other died.
7 Ludwig, The Accursed/The Holy Blade – Bloodborne
Bloodborne's The Old Hunters DLC serves as one of the greatest and most challenging pieces of DLC content ever released for a game. A big part of why this is the case is the various hard bosses in this expansion, with Ludwig being the first opponent that players will encounter.
This legendary figure in the lore of Bloodborne has succumbed to the madness of the hunt, appearing as a mindless beast that wildly flails around and shows no signs of intelligence whatsoever. However, the second phase of the battle starts out with Ludwig getting a glimpse of his Moonlight Blade and regaining his sanity, using this blade in battle and hitting for a ton of damage.
6 Sans – Undertale
Sans is one of the most entertaining characters in Undertale. However, if players decide to pursue a Genocide Route all the way to the very end, they'll be blocked off from reaching the final stretch of the game by Sans.
This character actively prevents the player from going through the entirety of the Genocide Route, with his boss fight being extremely brutal. Players need extreme precision and twitch reflexes to even stand a chance of beating this tough foe, with his friendly demeanor making each repeated try feel like an insult.
5 Seraphic Radiance – Shadow Hearts
Shadow Hearts is a criminally underrated JRPG that more people need to check out. The game features both a bad and good ending, with the latter requiring the player to fight one of the hardest bosses in the game without any of their party members.
The battle against Ben Hyuga and Seraphic Radiance is easily one of the toughest battles in the entire game by a country mile. Players need to heal almost every alternate turn, and a single poor decision will lead to defeat in record time.
4 Demi-Fiend – Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
The protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne makes an appearance as a superboss in a spinoff title called Digital Devil Saga. This fight is considered by many to be one of the toughest boss battles in JRPG history.
Demi-Field hits like a truck, forcing players to grind their party all the way to the highest levels before even thinking about taking this foe on. To make matters worse, blocking any one of Demi-Fiend's attacks will lead to him using a counter that is pretty much a one-shot kill!
3 Kunikazi Okumura – Persona 5 Royal
Okumura's Spaceport is considered by many to be one of the weaker Palaces in Persona 5, with the boss fight being pretty unremarkable as well. However, the Royal Edition went all out to make this fight as frustratingly difficult as possible.
The time limit on this fight is already quite oppressive as is, and players need to take out all three enemies that Okumura brings out at the same time. Failing to do so will lead to the lineup being restored and players having to repeat this action all over again.
2 Karstaag – The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Skyrim isn't really the first game that comes to mind when people talk about the toughest RPGs around. However, there are times when this game really ramps up the difficulty, with the fight against Karstaag being a great example of the same.
The spirit of this Frost Giant hits like a truck and summons a frosty whirlwind that deals immense passive damage over time. It's tough to deal with, but players who employ all the tricks in their arsenal will be able to take Karstaag down once and for all.
1 The Nameless King – Dark Souls 3
The Nameless King is one of the best boss fights in Soulsborne history. It's also one of the hardest battles that will constantly lead to the "You Died" screen appearing over and over again.
This boss fight starts with the Nameless King on a dragon that the Ashen One must deal with on foot. However, it's the second phase that proves to be even more of a challenge, with The Nameless King absolutely decimating the player with his relentless onslaught and leading to the player painstakingly reading the boss' moveset before understanding how to deal with such a powerful foe.