Hardest Nintendo Boss Fights Ever

From Bowser to Ganon, Nintendo has shown in its over forty years of popular video game creation that it has the prowess to design memorable boss fights. However, while many are staple villains of the video game industry, not all of Nintendo's bosses are particularly difficult; some confrontations are used primarily for more narrative purposes.

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However, from looming legendary Pokemon creatures and amalgamative forms of other bosses, Nintendo has still shown multiple times throughout its history that it can produce some incredibly tough boss fightsbattles that only the most seasoned gamers will be able to overcome.

8 Master Core

The Multi-Stage Player-Led Smash Bros. Boss Fight

Despite hailing its roster from across the gaming space, the Super Smash Bros. Series has rarely made boss-fight cameos from its referenced franchises. Apart from the specific use of cameos in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. Has often placed the humanoid Master Hand and Crazy Hand as the sole bosses in its titles.

However, in Super Smash Bros. For 3DS & Wii U, when fighting through the Classic Mode on a high enough difficulty, Master and Crazy Hand transform into the Master Core upon defeat. This boss would emerge in different forms depending on the chosen difficulty before transforming into a Shadow version of the player character. Beyond this, in the Wii U version of the fight, players need to navigate the Master Fortress form of the Core and destroy the nebulous antagonist once and for all.

7 Medeus

Fire Emblem's Quintessential & Painstakingly Tough Antagonist

Appearing as the central antagonist of the original Fire Emblem title Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Medeus is of the Manakete dragon tribe. As a result, he can transform from his human form into that of a dragon.

While most boss fights have players attack in a one-on-one confrontation, Medeus' role as a Fire Emblem boss requires players to navigate the title's turn-based gameplay to take him and his cronies down. For players seeking to damage Meteus, they must first navigate his entourage of allied units, before confronting the fact that many of their attacks can be shrugged off by the villain if not cast by the protagonist, Marth.

6 Mike Tyson

A Real-World Heavyweight Who Is Just As Tough In-Game

Beyond his real-life accolades as the undisputed Heavyweight Boxing Champion from 1987 to 1990, Mike Tyson also holds the distinction of being a force to be reckoned with in 1987's Punch-Out!!

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The ultimate boxing foe of the 'Another World' Circuit, Mike Tyson not only tests players' skill as the hardest foe in the title but can knock them out with one uppercut. Despite being so punishingly difficult in the early stages of the fight, if players can last past the initial 90 seconds of the bout, then Tyson's strikes become less and less powerful with time.

5 Thunderblight Ganon

A Sudden Difficulty Spike In Zelda's First Open-World Title

With Ganon splitting himself into five pieces to claim Hyrule and its Divine Beasts, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's interpretation of Thunderblight Ganon is often claimed as harder to defeat than Calamity Ganon itself.

Defending its polluted roost within Divine Beast Vah Naboris, Thunderblight Ganon is incredibly difficult to strike due to the rate at which it phases in and out of range. Beyond that, it constantly fires electric projectiles at the player that heavily damage them and can cause their items to be dropped.

4 Ultra Necrozma

Arguably The Single Toughest Battle In The Pokemon Franchise

While modern Pokemon titles are often seen as easier due to Game Freak's inclusion of the 'Experience Share' item, Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon's legendary Pokemon - Necrozma's Ultra form - created one of the hardest boss battles in the franchise.

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Its third and strongest form, Ultra Necrozma's confrontation is difficult for trainers for a whole host of reasons. Being merged with ally Pokemon 'Nebby,' the boss Pokemon cannot be captured like other pocket monsters - even with a Master Ball. Beyond that, Ultra Necrozma's high speed and attack stats bolster its damage potential, while its unique ability, 'Neuroforce,' can turn its super-effective attacks into one-hit KOs.

3 Shadow Queen

A Struggle Against Self-Healing & Impenetrable Defenses

As the final boss of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, having captured Princess Peach and turned her into a conduit of her malice, the Shadow Queen quickly proves to be an incredible challenge for players to best in the Mario-themed role-playing title.

Immune to Mario roster's normal attacks, the Shadow Queen is difficult for gamers to damage in the first place. Beyond that, the Shadow Queen can even restore its health and form by draining the audience, ensuring that players will have a tough time trying to win.

2 Inner Agent 3

Players Have To Fight Hard To "Surpass The Hero Within"

As an optional boss fight in Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion DLC, the game requires players to complete the expansion without asking for aid and, as such, earn 80 full Mem cakes before being allowed to advance to inner Agent 3.

However, as a pseudo-copy of the player, Inner Agent 3 exhibits boosted health and accuracy beyond being supremely aggressive in its playstyle. Exhibiting this behavior in its five phases - as it fires upon players with a Hero Shot shooter and rotating special weapons - the confrontation with Inner Agent 3 is not only a prolonged battle but a difficult one.

1 Culex

The Ultimate Super Mario RPG Boss Who Returns Even Tougher

Appearing in both the original 1996 SNES Super Mario RPG title and its 2023 remake on the Nintendo Switch, Culex is a super boss that many players will struggle with.

After a short trading sequence, players can access the boss' alcove and come face-to-face with the pixel art demon. Surrounding himself with five elemental crystals, Culex's unblockable attacks and high HP made him a tremendous challenge in his original form in 1996. Beyond this, in an added battle in the Switch remake, Culex is shown in full 3D, striking players with immediate attacks and leaving party members with 1 HP. With so many tricks up Culex's sleeves, it's hard not to view him as one of the hardest Nintendo boss fights.