One of the best things about Super Mario RPG is the bosses. Some bosses get reused, but for the most part, 90% of the game features unique bosses different from the last. From their literal designs to their move sets, these are some of the best bosses in RPGs still decades later.
Every Companion in Super Mario RPG Explained
Mario will be joined by a cast of new and returning party members in Super Mario RPG, and each one has their own skills to aid the plumber in battle.
Some, of course, are going to give players a hard time due to their challenge level. A new feature of the Super Mario RPG remake is a difficulty scale although things aren’t going to be a cakewalk even on the easiest setting which is Breezy. So, let’s go through the toughest bosses, where they are, and share some good strategy tips for beating them.
WARNING! Spoilers ahead.
7 Valentina And Dodo
Nimbus Land
Valentina is the usurper who overthrew Mallow’s parents and became the queen of Nimbus Land. Eventually, Mario and the team uncover her evil deeds and have to fight her and her servant, Dodo, in a boss fight. There are two tricky bits to this boss fight.
First, the fight begins with Mallow being escorted away from the party to fight Dodo alone. Depending on his level of growth, players may have a hard time doing damage with Mallow and staying alive. Valentina is strong too because she can put the party to sleep, so hopefully someone has a Wake-Up Pin equipped or the Safety Badge accessory in Super Mario RPG.
6 Belome (Second Time)
Belome Temple
Belome is one of the first big bosses in the game. Mario and Mallow will fight him in the Kero Sewers in Super Mario RPG and he’s not a pushover but he’s not exactly hard either. Round two later in the game in Belome’s Temple is a different case. Besides the status ailments he can use to turn players into shrooms or scarecrows, Belome can also put everyone to sleep.
Super Mario RPG: How to Beat Croco
Croco is the first non-tutorial boss that players will encounter in Super Mario RPG, and here is how to beat him.
Not only that, ingesting party members will allow Belome to clone characters. If players run out of FP, they may have a hard time keeping up with area attack spells to get rid of these clones as fast as possible. Status protective gear is a must as well as a fresh stock of various Syrups for FP regeneration.
5 The Axem Rangers
Barrel Volcano
The Axem Rangers are one of the funniest bosses in the game as they are a parody of the Power Rangers if that wasn’t obvious. As players are about to get their sixth Star Piece, the Axem Rangers come out of nowhere to snatch it up. It leads to a chase and then a boss fight on top of a giant mech.
There are five Axem Rangers in total and they all get an attack, which makes defending the hard part. Area attacks are a must here along with getting rid of Axem Pink first because she can heal. Even after defeating them all, there is a final phase with the mech. It’s a marathon of a boss fight.
4 Jinx
Monstro Town
Jinx is an optional boss in Monstro Town and is part of one of the better side quests in Super Mario RPG. The side quest begins when players have to face a former minion of Bowser’s, Jagger, and then Jinx will appear. For a small package, Jinx puts up quite the fight.
He can hit hard, instantly killing teammates in a single blow sometimes. Also, his invasion is impeccable which makes sense since he is so small. Not only that but to complete this side quest and get the great Jinx Belt item, players have to fight Jinx three times and it gets more challenging on every go.
3 Dr. Topper
Bowser’s Castle (Smithy Version)
Dr. Topper is a non-conventional boss in the game. Also, players don’t have to fight him and instead must go through a series of challenges. In the final dungeon which is a reconverted version of Bowser’s Castle, which Bowser is not happy about, players will eventually be asked to go through four out of six doors.
Behind two of these doors is Dr. Topper who will challenge players to three games, for a total of six if players see him twice. He will give players a literal quiz, ask about barrel counting, trick them up with a logic puzzle about a race, and so on. If players mess up once, the entire challenge will be aborted and they have to start over. It is incredibly frustrating. The only reason it’s not number one is because it is technically optional.
2 Smithy (True Form)
Smithy’s World
The final boss of the game should not surprise anyone as it is Smithy. The first round is hard, but not overly frustrating. After players defeat the kingly form of Smithy along with his forge, a new boss fight will begin.
Super Mario RPG: Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed
The Super Mario RPG is full of cool little Easter Eggs that even eagle-eyed fans may have missed.
This is where Smith will reveal his true colors, making him look like a metallic skeleton akin to The Terminator which can’t be a coincidence since that was popular in the 90s thanks to the sequel. Smithy can change his head into two different forms. There is a tank head that can shoot bullets that will absolutely wreck the crew. His wizard head form is dangerous too and looks like Emperor Palpatine. Interestingly, Smithy had four forms for his head in the original SNES version.
1 Culex
Monstro Town
The hardest boss in an RPG is always the optional one. Just look at the Weapons in Final Fantasy 7 for example which are some of the strongest in the series. Speaking of Final Fantasy, Culex in Super Mario RPG is modeled after that series although he has no real connection to any Final Fantasy game besides his boss music, which is from Final Fantasy 4, and use of elemental crystals.
Players will have to take down Culex along with the aforementioned Crystals of Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. Like the Axem Rangers, all five beings get an attack turn and the spells they weave are horrifyingly terrible. It’s best not to even attempt this duel until players reach max level and probably have every side quest finished for the best gear and items.
