10 Optional Video Game Boss Fights You Totally Missed

Bosses in video games have become a staple ever since a certain plumber rescued a princess from another castle.

In more recent years though, we've seen the various genres throw up bosses at random intervals, just to keep us on our toes.

We know an RPG is guaranteed to have some kind of "Must destroy world" confrontation at the end of it, but what about the bosses hiding in the wings? The ones that, had you just cruised through the story, you'd have missed out on.

How else would you have known you can fight a mirror universe version of yourself? Did you know that you could put yourself through a more formidable foe if you wanted some extra challenge?

Some optional bosses are neatly tucked away in side missions that you might have skimmed by, that's fair enough. Yet there are others that require some outlandish means of getting to that you wouldn't be blamed for missing.

Who's got time to sit and contemplate in a FromSoftware game, after all?

So allow these ten examples, of many more, to show you what you may have missed out on. Sometimes it pays to go off exploring... at your own peril.

Kicking off this list is possibly one of the most out of place and jarring bosses in any game.

Sekiro, as many took a while to get used to, is not a conventional Soulsborne game. There be no roll-spamming or shields to tank blows with here, sonny.

Which is fine, as practically every other boss requires lightning-fast sword parrying to overcome. That's Sekiro's forte, and once you nail it, it's an absolute riot to play. Seriously, the Sword Saint Isshin fight is one of the best boss fights I've ever played.

The DoH is a purely optional boss in Sekiro, as it's possible to play through without going anywhere near him. But for story/lore purposes, it's worth checking out, and may surprise you when you discover the truth.

However, don't expect an easy ride. The Demon is big, hits hard, and doesn't have an immediately obvious weapon to parry (though you can deflect when you get used to it). It threw players for a loop, as this boss fight is something you'd expect in Dark Souls, not the elegant swordplay of Sekiro.

Or, y'know, you can cheese it and let him fall off of a cliff. It's there to be exploited...