Making it all the way to a final boss in an RPG is one of the greatest achievements a player can achieve. Beating them is another source of achievement. RPGs are some of the longest games to complete, and that time can easily double if the RPG is also an open world game.
Sixty to a hundred hours later, the players are faced with a boss, or several in a gauntlet, who will test their skills. Not all final bosses are created equal, as they can sometimes be disappointing. For now, let's focus on RPG final bosses that are truly unforgettable years and sometimes even decades later.
Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7)
Behold, the one-winged angel
Sephiroth is the main antagonist of Final Fantasy 7which seems to torture Cloud's psyche on and off. Players won't fight him until the end of the game, and when they do, the battle features several phases, starting with Bizarro-Sephiroth.
Players are divided into three turn-based teams to face him, a new strategy for the game. His next form, Safer-Sephiroth, is the one everyone remembers, as it's when the iconic song “One-Winged Angel” is played. It's hard to forget a boss with epic music like this, plus Sephiroth growing tentacle bones.
Ansem (Kingdom Hearts)
Long, dark and battleship
Ansem is another silver-haired final boss to appear in a Square Enix game, in this case the first Kingdom Hearts. His first phase finds Sora fighting him as a human alongside his dark guardian, but the next phase is completely insane. Players must fly around a giant ship-like creature and defeat its organs before they can resume fighting Ansem on top of the ship. It's so over the top it almost felt like a parody of final bosses in video games at the time.
Human Reaper (Mass Effect 2)
Is it a Terminator Baby?
Mass effect was about Commander Shepard convincing a galactic council that the long-rumored Reapers are real and coming. This is finally coming to a boiling point Mass Effect 2 when players have to face a Reaper for the first time as the final boss.
The Reaper resembles a giant baby Terminator and is terrifying just to look at, let alone fight. As far as Mass effect trilogy goes, this is the boss that stands out purely for its creep factor and is a highlight of the series overall.
Flowey (Undertale)
Breaking the fourth wall
Undertale is a turn-based indie RPG that can be played in multiple ways. To get the best ending, players must spare their enemies and talk their way through the battles. This culminates when they come across the innocent-looking Flowey, who is the game's unassuming final boss.
After an initial encounter, Flowey breaks the flow of the game and boots players from their save file before restarting as the oddly designed Photoshop Flowey. It's as fourth-wall-breaking as a manager can be.
Big Bad Government Guy/Nazi Zombie Princess Kenny (South Park: The Stick Of Truth)
Seeing is believing
South Park: The Stick of Truth is one of the best South Park game ever made, as it is a tribute to the fans. There are many references and moments that will surprise players, especially during the final boss phase. Princess Kenny will be transformed into a Nazi zombie, and the strangely named Big Bad Government Guy will fight alongside them, completely naked. It's funny, but also completely out of the blue, which is what South Park the team does it best.
Red (Pokemon Gold/Silver)
He truly became a Pokemon Master
Pokemon Gold and Silver
- Released
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October 15, 2000
- ESRB
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All // Mild cartoon violence, simulated gambling
There will never be such games Pokemon Gold, Silverand technical Crystal again, because Game Freak seemingly knew they could only do this surprise once. After defeating the Elite Four of Johto, which is set as the final boss, players are then invited to collect Gym Badges in the first game's region, Kanto.
At the end, players will have to face the former Pokemon Master, Red, and his team of incredibly powerful Pokemon, with Pikachu as his number one. There aren't many games where the final boss is the previous game's protagonist, which is why this one still stands out decades later.
Yaldabaoth (Persona 5)
Say hi to my little friend
The Persona the series is known for having bombastic battles at the end, usually against some god-like entity. IN Persona 5players will have to face Yaldabaoth, which is a trial as it has many buffs against attacks. After weakening him, players will get to summon the Persona, Satanael, who has a huge gun that can blast Yaldabaoth full of holes. Satanael's appearance is what makes this fight memorable, and it's going to be a tough one Persona 6 to the top.
The Ultimate Being (Parasite Eva)
Baby came back
Parasite Eve mixed horror games with turn-based RPGs on PS1. The final act takes place on a boat where the so-called Ultimate Being is born, which has four phases in its struggle.
It begins as a demonic baby before evolving into its more deadly forms. But even after defeating the fourth form, it's not over yet. Players are then chased through the ship as it pursues them, and a wrong move will result in Game Over. To defeat it, players must run away while Jaws– as music plays, light the boiler and then escape the ship before it blows up the ship and the creature.
