10 Needlessly Hard Early Video Game Bosses
3. Soul Master - Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is Metroidvania set in a beautiful, dark world of underground bugs, beautiful music and total unfettered frustration.
Many of the game’s boss fights are an uphill battle all by themselves, but Soul Master is specifically memorable for being quite an early entry in the game’s list of tough as nails foes.
Soul Master’s attacks are a perfect example of how a lot of Hollow Knight boss fights work and demonstrate that timing is everything. Not just acting as fast as possible, but waiting for the right moment. The bug’s projectile attacks will make your palms sweaty and your heart stop as you wait to jump at the right moment to make it clear of them without dropping straight back onto them.
He’s also incredibly fast, so the window for reading attacks takes some practice as does actually picking your spots to get your shots in. The boss will take several minutes to quell on a successful attempt, but those minutes will feel like a lifetime as you wait to chip away at his unseen health bar.
Never let the weird but cute aesthetic of Hollow Knight fool you, this game does not want to hold your hand. Soul Master specifically will do his darndest to crush you back for the helpless insects you crushed along the way.