10 Video Game Enemies Better Than The Final Boss

A bad final boss fight can sometimes totally ruin a gaming experience. Thankfully, Doom II is so awesome that this isn’t the case but it’s a pretty universally held opinion that Icon of Sin was a lame way to end what had been, up until that point, an action-packed thrill-ride. Who wants to end their time fighting off demons with a battle against a wall?

Doom II introduced us to a few new great enemies, including Arch-Vile. Looking like Slender Man’s hardcore Grandfather, this demon has a taste for barbecuing Doomguy and one of the toughest enemy types in the game.

Something really cool about the concept of Arch-Vile is that he’s actually considered a healer of the Demonic horde. Despite the fact that his jets of fire can damage and even kill his fellow soldiers, he will go around the battlefield reviving them afterwards. This is, according to sound designer Bobby Prince, the reason that Arch-Vile screams “why” when they die. Why would anyone want to hurt a healer?

It’s a twisted idea for a concept that makes it stand out even from Doom’s various other nasties.

Marty Stratton, the producer of Doom Eternal, said that it was one of his favourite demons from the franchise which was almost certainly a factor in Arch-Vile’s return, complete with a prominent place in the original reveal trailer.