10 Instant-Kill Boss Fights That Were Just Insulting
These bosses knew exactly how to humiliate players with a single attack.
Video game bosses are designed to be challenging. They're roadblocks placed at key points within the action that are intended to test the player's skills to see if they're ready to advance to the next level where an even harder boss will inevitably be waiting for them to do the same again.
Not every boss is made equally, however. While some pose little threat and can be breezily beaten in a single try, others can cause hours of frustration as players attempt to memorise their move sets while searching for the optimum strategies to take them down. There are also those that deploy sneaky tactics to get the upper hand during the fight. Whether that includes spamming unstoppable combos, manipulating the game's mechanics, or flat-out cheating, these fights can feel unfair at times.
There are even bosses who have attacks so powerful that they're capable of instantly killing players and their companions in a single hit. While these attacks can make for spectacular moments that reinforce just how formidable these enemies are, there are some instant-kill attacks that are so despicably cruel that getting killed by them is downright insulting.
10. Ramon Salazar - Resident Evil 4 (2023)
The Resident Evil series is full of enemies that can kill players with a single hit. From Hunter Gammas that devour Jill whole to the chainsaw-wielding Dr Salvador who's eager to dismember Leon, there's no shortage of ways to meet a quick and brutal end in this franchise.
Many of the bosses from this series also come with their own fatal attacks. One of the most annoying, however, belongs to Resident Evil 4's Ramon Salazar, a central figure within the Los Illuminados cult.
Despite his diminutive stature and overly exocentric personality, Salazar nevertheless transforms into a monstrous and imposing boss when confronted by Leon towards the end of the second act.
He may not the most challenging boss in this game, but his instant-kill attack in which he crushes Leon within his massive jaws still makes him dangerous to fight. While this attack was only triggered when standing in a specific area in the original game, Salazar can unleash this move at any point in the remake.
The attack is well telegraphed and gives players enough time to get out of the way, but there's something deeply insulting about being instantly killed by a villain whose main weakness is a golden egg.