Resident Evil game with the best boss fights

Important takeaways

• The Resident Evil series is known for innovative boss encounters, mixing fear and action.
• Resident Evil 6 features intense boss battles across four campaigns.
• Remakes of Resident Evil games showcase enhanced, terrifying boss encounters.

Ever since its debut on the PlayStation in 1996 has Resident Evil The franchise has become known for a variety of things. From codifying the survival horror genre to creating a unique blend of fear and action, Resident Evil is truly one of the most innovative franchises on the market, and one of its most notable feats is its ability to create outstanding executive meetings.

From the iconic battle with Tyrant at the end of the original game, all the way to the climactic finale against Eveline in Resident Evil 7Capcom's horror franchise has proven to be quite adept at creating engaging boss encounters. These games have proven to be Resident Evil at its best, with a varied roster of bosses, from human enemies to monstrous creations born of nefarious science.

6 Resident Evil 6

Action packed blockbuster with huge bosses

Despite the franchise beginning to turn into a heavier action focus, with little or no emphasis on the white horror that defined the series, Resident Evil 6 remains one of the most compelling entries the series has to offer. This epic, globe-trotting adventure takes place across four campaigns with intertwining stories, pitting Leon and the other heroes against some of the most fearsome, terrifying bosses the franchise has ever seen.

Capcom's shift from pure horror to more of a blockbuster strategy works brilliantly, as the natural conclusion of the franchise at the time escalated the stakes. As a result, the boss battles are a great mix of spectacle and classic Capcom design. Fights start out somewhat low-key, in contained areas, but later encounters against a mutated Simmons take the game into larger arenas. Meanwhile, the struggles of Carla Radames and Deborah Harper lean into the franchise's long-standing focus on human tragedy.

5 Resident Evil

Remake of the Legendary PS1 Game improves Boss Encounters

When the original Resident Evil was remade for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002, it wasn't just a simple high-definition makeover. Rebuilt from the ground up, Resident Evil for the GameCube is faithfully restored and in many ways improved over the original. One of the ways it did that was with the boss battles, which were a highlight of the original, which got even better in this updated version.

Plant 42 is even scarier than before, as this massive mass of vegetation is one of the game's scariest encounters, while an all-new fight with a hideous Crimson Head adds some freshness to the game. In addition, the new versions of a sliding nightmare called Yawn, a giant spider called Black Tiger, and the outstanding final battle with Tyrant, retain their charm and sense of dread.

4 Resident Evil CODE: Veronica

Outstanding variety of unique bosses to fight

Intended as a way to introduce Sega fans to the series, Resident Evil Code: Veronica was developed for the Dreamcast and to this day remains one of the franchise's most fascinating entries. One of the reasons for that is its spectacular gallery of bosses, ranging from mutated humans to towering monsters.

In classical Resident Evil fashion, Code: Veronica connects bosses born of tragedy with legitimate nightmares, as evidenced by Steve Burnside's transformation from a lovesick young man in love with Claire Redfield to a monstrous creature. Code: Veronica is one of the last traditional Resident Evil game before the franchise transitioned to full 3D over-the-shoulder perspective, a title with tank controls and fixed cameras in 3D environments. As a result, boss encounters feel decidedly different from future games, with fights against Alexia Ashford and Tyrant becoming far more terrifying due to their limited viewpoint.

3 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Takes out the demented baker family

After taking a short break from the series after the sixth entry, Capcom chose to go for a sort of soft reboot for the next game, putting all of their effort into Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. All said, Biohazard has four big bosses for a total of six fights, which is remarkably low for the franchise. Overall, the entire game's boss fights aren't as great as previous entries, but that's part of what makes them all so great.

It's the gaps between the bosses, the moments of tension and quiet dread, leading so brilliantly into the next, that really make it all come together. All encounters with the crazy Baker family are harrowing moments of survival mixed with trauma, as Jack's evolution from a man to a monster is classic Resident Evil. At the same time, the explosive final against Eveline is one of the most memorable final bosses in Resident Evil story, as it combines the enormous spectacle with personal, intimate stakes.

2 Resident Evil 4

Landmark Release has an impressive list of bosses

Capcom and director Shinji Mikami created to push the franchise in new, daring directions Resident Evil 4take the action out of the confines of the umbrella and into a small, haunted village in rural Spain. This action-packed, blockbuster thrill ride went on to become one of the most influential games of all time, and its amazing roster of bosses is just one of the many reasons why.

Each boss feels unique and varied, as fighting Del Lago in murky swamp waters is a far cry from toppling the massive El Gigante. Encountering the sinister Bitores Mendez inside a crumbling slaughterhouse remains one of the franchise's most epic fights while defeating the demented Salazar and his mutated form feels incredibly satisfying. Add in the final battle with the monstrous final form of Osmund Saddler atop a steel tower, as well as a bloody encounter with soldier-turned-monster Jack Krauser, and players have one of the most prominent boss encounters in the series.

1 Resident Evil 2 Remake

The PS1 Classic remake showcases the best roster of bosses in franchise history

After many requests and petitions, Capcom finally gave the fans what they wanted and put out a full remake Resident Evil 2 in production. Although it remained fairly faithful to the original, it also ushered in some changes for the better, and the boss battles were greatly improved. Thanks to the technological advances made since the game's original release in 1998, Capcom was able to devote extra attention and care to Resident Evil 2s iconic roster of bosses.

William Birkin's ominous transformation from a desperate scientist to a terrifying monster is one of the key characters, as his tragic fall is punctuated by some incredible encounters with both Claire and Leon throughout the game. Thanks to the game's split campaign, where players can choose either Claire or Leon, some bosses remain exclusive to one character. Leon has some nasty confrontations with a nasty sewer alligator and Supertyrant, while Claire goes toe-to-toe with one of the last forms of William Birkin in the NEST lab.