Like all good Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, the peak of endgame content in Star Wars: The Old Republic is its eight and 16 player operations. Commonly known as raids in other games, operations represent a challenging blend of puzzles, bosses and environments for players to conquer in order to obtain rare weapons, armor and decorations.
Most operations are multi-encounter activities that see players fight through a variety of robots, mercenaries and gods, culminating in a confrontation with a final boss. Alongside these, there exists a handful of 'instanced bosses', one-encounter operations that have a larger health pool and longer fight to accommodate for being the only boss.
10 The Eyeless
One of two instanced bosses tied to limited-time events, The Eyeless is an enormous rakghoul that shows up exclusively during The Rakghoul Resurgence event. A hulking monstrosity, The Eyeless is an enjoyable encounter that relies on puddles of toxic matter and swarms of mini rakghouls to overwhelm players.
It's immensely accessible, requiring very little gear preparation before jumping in. This serves both as an advantage and detriment, as it is welcoming to beginners but repetitive and boring to veterans. It's easily the better of the two event bosses however, as Xenoanalyst II is simply a near-rehash of a boss from a different operation.
9 R-4 Anomaly
Released with the ten-year anniversary expansion Legacy of The Sith, the R-4 Anomaly operation suffered several issues at launch, most prominently the removal of one of its bosses, Lord Valeo, due to performance issues. It's a nice return to the core dark versus light arc at the center of Star Wars, and refreshes the operation formula with new mechanics and Sith Loyalists that make for fun bosses.
It can feel short and restrictive, given that there are only four bosses and no 16-player mode, but it offers a refreshing change from the much longer operations of the past.
8 Explosive Conflict
One of the original three operations in the game, Explosive Conflict sees players travel to the war-torn planet of Denova to end a three-way civil war between The Republic, The Empire, and a rogue faction of mercenaries led by the warlord Kephess.
Explosive Conflict, although not the most appealing operation in terms of story or location, does give fully coordinated encounters that require, and reward, teamwork. The operation's bosses, which value mechanics over simple damage or healing, have stood the test of time in the ten-plus years since its introduction.
7 Terror From Beyond
Boasting a secret boss, Terror from Beyond serves as both an introduction to The Dread Masters, and as a continuation of an earlier operation, Explosive Conflict. Trandoshan Mercenary Kephess returns from the latter, on par with his earlier appearance to create one of the best penultimate encounters in any operation.
The final boss, the titular Terror from Beyond, is a significant let-down, however, as players are reduced mainly to slashing tentacles and jumping between platforms. With such excellent story it should have retained the close, personal nature earlier bosses in the operation utilized effectively.
6 Scum And Villainy
Released as the first operation in the Rise of The Hutt Cartel expansion, Scum and Villainy is one of the longest operations in The Old Republic with seven bosses, as well as a secret boss. It escalates the player's repeat confrontation with powerful dark-side users The Dread Masters, and sees players combat the first, Dread Master Styrak, at the heart of a criminal empire on Darvannis.
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Scum and Villainy's secret boss, The Hateful Entity, represents the culmination of multiple secret tasks, and is often thought to be the hardest operation boss in the entire game.
5 The Dread Fortress
The penultimate encounter in The Dread War saga, The Dread Fortress sees players dispatch another Dread Master, The Architect of Fear, Brontes, on their home planet of Oricon.
The operation is a significant step up from prior operations, developing not just the bosses, but the environment as well, creating uniquely gothic arenas that play into the fights they host. Brontes channels (and improves) the Terror from Beyond and its tentacles, kick-starting the final confrontation with The Dread Masters with an exciting and intimidating boss fight.
4 Temple Of Sacrifice
Temple of Sacrifice is the much-loved conclusion to the Shadow of Revan expansion, offering an opportunity to fight as a team against a returning fan-favorite character.
The resurfacing sometimes-Jedi, sometimes-Sith from Bioware's 2003 videogame Knights of The Old Republic is another challenging boss which many approach with fear as they climb his commandeered Masassi temple. Taking place on Yavin, Temple of Sacrifice is packed full of fun rewards that embody the tiny jungle moon first seen in A New Hope, enticing players to visit with frequency.
3 Gods Of The Machine
Gods of The Machine came midway through the Zakuul saga that reinventedThe Old Republic, three years after the last operation in 2014.
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Widely considered the most difficult master mode operation, Gods of The Machine is noted for not only a diverse selection of unique mechanics, but sub-encounters between each boss which add more activity within the raid. It's clear that Gods of The Machine was hand-crafted with great care, and as a result, is one of the most celebrated operations.
2 Nature Of Progress
Concerning an abandoned Czerka facility overrun by Trandoshan mercenaries, Nature of Progress is the longest operation in The Old Republic, releasing with the widely-celebrated Onslaught expansion in 2019. It returns players to Dxun, a popular planet last seen in 2004's The Sith Lords, and builds on the success of previous operations to create a rich environment that never feels bloated or tedious.
Far more comical than most operations, Nature of Progress is noted for its infamous Mutant Trandoshans encounter and the final boss, The Apex Vanguard, both of which rely on fun gameplay and tight coordination to create some of the most memorable bosses in The Old Republic.
1 The Dread Palace
Dread Palace's status as one of The Old Republic's most infamous operations is cemented by the popularity of every boss encounter. There are no filler bosses or encounters, as players fight their way through the heart of Oricon to combat the surviving Dread Masters.
Having all the preliminary bosses combine to create the final encounter, The Dread Council, is the stuff of legend, and captures the energy of the films' most spectacular duels. Taking place withing the atmospheric Dread Palace, environments are crafted beautifully, complimenting each boss before they unify in the throne room. It serves as a worthy final chapter in The Dread War saga, and stands as one of the best operations in The Old Republic.
