The 6 boss fights so unfair they’re still great

Boss fights are a staple of video games. Whenever we reach the end of a level, there's always one final enemy waiting for us that's stronger than the rest. They might have more health, a variety of new attacks, or even a completely different look to indicate they're not your typical bad guy. And more often than not, they can be taken down with a smart strategy and quick reflexes to overcome the challenge they present. But then there are those boss fights that go beyond what anyone would expect to encounter. They're not like the other baddies that have come before. These boss battles are just built differently.

Some games have unique encounters or optional boss fights that change the way things are done up to that point. These enemies are a lot stronger because of how the game tilts the situation out of your favor, with changes that can overpower the strength of the boss enemy, or even twist the mechanics of the game itself. But despite the overwhelming challenge ahead, they still provide an exhilarating experience and a satisfying sense of accomplishment when you defeat them. Here are five boss battles that are unfair but still great to challenge.

6 Akuma (Super Street Fighter II Turbo)

He is a real demon

Fighting games are notorious for having incredibly difficult battles at the end of an arcade mode. And while there have been many boss characters that gamers can't point to in the genre, all of them can trace their roots back to when this demon first showed up in Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Akuma is not only an incredibly strong fighter you encounter at the end of the game, but one with all the best tools to destroy you without breaking a sweat. Even more aggravating is the fact that you cannot fight him through regular means in the game's Arcade mode; you have to earn the right to stand against Akuma by fulfilling certain conditions. Once you have done that, however, you're in for a world of hurt. And you are most likely not prepared for it.

Many quarters were eaten by Akuma in the arcades when players were finally able to face him. Akuma's greatest strength is how he breaks nearly every rule in a match of Street Fighter II. He can throw multiple fireballs in the air, his throws and wake-up attacks have priority over everyone else, his attacks can take advantage of the game's slowdown upon hits, and he has a Super Combo called the Raging Demon that deals incredibly devastating damage when connected. And to add insult to injury, he gets a unique flashing background when he finishes you with it. It's entirely possible to defeat Akuma, but it's not an easy task whatsoever. Only the most experienced and battle-tested Street Fighter players are able to achieve victory against this demonic force.

5 Nemesis (Final Fantasy X)

It's over before you even start

One can point to any optional or secret boss fight within any Final Fantasy game and show how ridiculous an encounter it can be. The series is known for having big battles that will test the limits of your patience, knowledge of the game, and maybe even the durability of your controller. But one very tough battle comes from Final Fantasy X, towards the later parts of the game when players are able to enter the Monster Arena. After taking the time to find and capture various enemies from throughout the game, in multiple locations around Spira, the old man in the arena will unlock a hybrid monster that is a stronger version of previous enemies. However, there is one final creation he unleashes when you've defeated every other challenge and captured all the Sin monsters within the game. At that point, you can face the dreaded Nemesis.

This monstrosity is known as a super boss in Final Fantasy X. It not only has intimidating stats, such as a crazy amount of health and attack strength, but also wields a collection of insane abilities that will devastate your party before you get deep into the fight. Whenever you attack with an Overdrive or inflict damage with an item, Nemesis will counter by casting Ultima on your party, dealing massive damage to everyone. But if you thought that was bad enough, every turn Nemesis takes will be one of a few attacks that are just as harsh. It will inflict status effects on everyone each time it lands a hit, eventually unleashing its ultimate attack called Armageddon.

The bottom line is that you simply cannot win this fight without being VERY prepared beforehand. Standing even a slight chance against Nemesis requires players to go back and discover the Celestial weapons for each character, the strongest equipment in the game. On top of that, it's highly recommended to find the best armor with powerful abilities that can resist the devastating effects and damage output of Nemesis. A lot of time is necessary to just get prepared to face off against this powerful, super boss, because any other approach means the battle is already lost before it begins.

4 Sephiroth (Kingdom Hearts)

The One-Winged Angel is ridiculous

Fans of Kingdom Hearts vividly remember the first time they encountered Sephiroth at the Olympus Coliseum in the first game of the series. After completing all other Coliseum Cups beforehand and progressing the main story far, a final Cup opens at the bottom of the list. This encounter is a one-on-one fight against the One-Winged Angel himself, Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. But once players get over the surprise and excitement of his appearance in Kingdom Hearts, they quickly realize just what they walked into. A fight that you may have absolutely no chance of winning whatsoever.

Sephiroth is a powerful enemy in Kingdom Hearts because you most likely have no answer for any of his attacks when you encounter him. There are no allies to help you against him; you're completely alone and have to find a way to deal with it. Sephiroth's attacks are devastatingly powerful and have a significantly far reach because of his Masamune blade, which becomes a massive problem as the battle goes on. In addition, he can teleport around the arena and appear right next to you with a quick and powerful strike that will eat away your health. And if you think items and magic will help you, all of that become irrelevant when Sephiroth uses the Sin Harvest ability that automatically sets your magic and health to 1% total, and you have no way to stop it. The only solution is to use an Elixir item to recover right away, but Sephiroth can quickly teleport right next to you and deliver a final blow.

Without coming into the fight at max level and equipment, along with a lot of items in stock, this is a fight you simply cannot win at all. And even with the right amount of preparation beforehand, Sephiroth's abilities and movement in battle are far above your own. However, it's still possible to win this battle, but it takes a lot of patience and quick reflexes to capitalize on moments where Sephiroth leaves an opening. But good luck trying to recognize them in the middle of the battle, where you have little to no time to hesitate.

It messes with your mind

Metal Gear Solid is one of the best games on the original PlayStation. It has a great story to follow with interesting characters that have a lot of charisma. But as great as it is, one encounter in the story has become infamous to everyone in gaming: the boss battle against Psycho Mantis. While the fight itself is mandatory to pass in order to continue the story, the encounter was anything but normal in comparison to the rest of the game. Psycho Mantis quite literally starts to mess with your head by doing things you would not expect. He'll taunt you before the fight by reading your memory card and speaking directly to you, the player and not Solid Snake. And when the battle begins, he'll take away your ability to control Snake during the fight, which will throw anyone for a loop.

If you manage to last only a short time, things may become confusing and frustrating. However, avoiding attacks and staying alive long enough will trigger a short conversation that gives you the answer to taking down Psycho Mantis. Players must plug their controller into the second port to regain control of Snake and avoid Psycho Mantis' powers of influence. You still have to attack Psycho Mantis to defeat him, so there's no automatic win after doing so. But despite being one of the easier boss encounters here, this was a moment where the game broke the fourth wall and took the experience to entirely new territory. It might not be an incredibly difficult fight, but it's definitely one of the most memorable boss encounters of all time.

2 Sans (Undertale)

This was maniacal

Undertale is an indie game that garners a wide range of emotions from everyone, depending on how one feels about what role-playing games can do for the player. You can play the game normally, like any other RPG, and experience something neat, or try to be a pacifist and get an entirely unique experience. Both methods yield an ending and various gameplay elements along the way. But if you decide to be a genocidal manic and do terrible things throughout Undertale, then you'll find a path that leads to a truly crazy encounter. The boss battle against Sans during the genocidal run. And it's truly the stuff of nightmares.

Sans is a character who seems very chill when you first encounter him in Undertale, and he remains that way throughout most of the game. On both a normal and pacifist run, you'll never really come to fight Sans. But that changes if you manage to reach the end of a genocidal run, which opens up a boss battle that is incredibly difficult. Sans is so powerful that none of your attacks will work, and you'll spend more time dodging all of the attacks he throws at you. And every attack that he unleashes is an endurance run in of itself. You'll have to remember patterns and use quick reflexes just to get around the barrage of projectiles and obstacles that charge at you. This battle clearly isn't for the faint of heart, and is a very clear example of F.A.F.O. in the most potent of ways. If you know, then you really know.

Sans can only be defeated if you outlast everything he throws at you, which can take a very long time. Managing to reach the end triggers a cutscene during the battle, where you still have to wait to finish the fight. Defeating him is arguably the hardest challenge in Undertale, but it also leads to the worst ending of the game. Symbolically, it may not be worth going through the trouble for a truly sad end.

1 The Mysterious Figure (Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep)

He literally breaks the game!

While there are multiple Kingdom Hearts secret boss fights that would be a great placement on this list, few of them come close to what people encountered in Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep. It's almost a tradition for each Kingdom Hearts game that an optional boss fight can be found somewhere in the late game after certain conditions are met. These secret encounters are not only incredibly tough battles, but also give small hints and foreshadowing to either the next entry in the series or another game connected to it. But there's one encounter with a mysterious figure that lives up to the concept of game-breaking.

In every story of Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, each character can face off against the Mysterious Figure when returning to the Land of Departure. If you defeat Vanitas Remnant before returning to this world, then the optional battle will be available. The identity of the Mysterious Figure is Young Xehanort, a younger version of the main antagonist of the Kingdom Hearts series, who also appears in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance and during the story of Kingdom Hearts III. And he is ridiculously powerful, with attacks that will push you to the limit.

But it's not the fact that his attacks do insane damage, that his movements on the battlefield are ridiculous, or how he can knock out the attack commands and abilities off your character menu that make him an intimidating boss battle. All of that is a massive problem for anybody, but there's something far scarier about this fight. On the original platform where Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep was released, the PSP, the battle against Young Xehanort will quite literally affect the frame rate of the game, and impede your ability to react to his movements and attacks. Young Xehanort can literally break the game when facing him, making an already difficult challenge nearly impossible for some players. Later releases of the game that appeared on home consoles, including Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: Final Mix, addressed this problem by fixing the frame rate issues during the battle. This definitely remedied a big problem when facing off against Young Xehanort, but it doesn't take away the base difficulty of the encounter, which is already ridiculously high. You'll have to be max level and be incredibly prepared beforehand, but you should still expect to have a vicious fight that will not be easy to overcome.

Tough challenges for anybody

Boss battles are meant to be challenging and tough for anybody who plays the games they're included in. But there's a fine line between hard yet fun and just too difficult to enjoy, which can often impact the experience of playing a game. Luckily, each one of these boss battles manages to remain fun to some extent, without becoming too aggravating to engage with. The stipulations might be tilted in favor, but there's still always a chance to overcome the overwhelming odds stacked up. With enough time, patience, and perseverance against the big baddies, even the toughest challenges can be brought down.