Players are already several months into World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, and with the first raid tier down, there’s no word as to who the final boss of the expansion might be. World of Warcraft expansions typically have three-to-four raids spread evenly over two years, and the final raid is usually the biggest and best of the bunch. The location and bosses have to live up to hype and close the expansion with a bang, and one bad guy in particular would make for an epic final showdown.
Dragonflight is World of Warcraft’s newest expansion, and as the name suggests, it mainly focuses on quest of Azeroth's dragons to regain their ancient aspectral power. There are a number of challenges in their way, ones that players have to overcome to help save the world from numerous threats. The first raid of the expansion, Vault of the Incarnates, saw a complex and visually stunning final boss fight in Raszageth, the Storm Incarnate. Galakrond may be one of the few truly imposing figures who could top this fight by the end.
World of Warcraft's Best Boss Fights Have To Meet Certain Criteria
Par for the course for a satisfying final boss, Raszageth’s fight had multiple phases that spanned several platforms across a Titan-style prison. Her three siblings, the other Primal Incarnates, were held in stasis above the battle to provide a high-stakes backdrop as players battled against the clock to stop Raszageth from releasing them.
Following this trend, Dragonflight’s final raid could make great use of Galakrond, the Father of Dragons - progenitor of all dragonkind, including proto-dragons. He would easily be the largest boss players have ever faced, with the last stand-out example being Deathwing, the former Black Dragon Aspect and final boss of the Dragon Soul raid in Cataclysm. He was so large that it took two separate fights to take him down, and something similar would likely be employed for Galakrond.
Blizzard has to be careful when implementing a multi-tiered boss encounter, however, as it can grow tedious and overwhelming for players. This is evident in one of the least-liked boss fights in WoW history, Spine of Deathwing. That being said, Deathwing’s various encounters were visually unique and highlighted the world-ending stakes at play. If any other creature would be capable of ending the world, the fearsome proto-dragon Galakrond certainly tops that list, and his boss fight would have to be just as epic both mechanically and aesthetically.
Lore-wise, Galakrond is a proto-dragon with wings that beat like hurricanes, and a single breath attack that could encompass an entire platform. What’s more, Galakrond has the ability to resurrect his victims into undead minions, which would not only provide ample “adds” (smaller NPCs) for players to fight in the interim, but might also spell bad news for any players who die in combat. Bosses like Kel’Thuzad and N’Zoth have been known to take control of players against their will, and Galakrond would certainly have the same ability.
Boss fights in World of Warcraft need to be visually memorable via their backgrounds, boss models, and boss abilities, all of which hinge on the lore behind an encounter and the area in which players fight. The music and sound design are also a factor, but most important of all is the pacing and mechanics of the fight. It's a razor's edge between a boss fight that players will never forget and one they wish they could forget, but if any big baddie could pull it off for Dragonflight's finale, Galakrond is a great bet.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC.
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