10 Worst Video Game Bosses Ever

As if Arkham Knight wasn't disappointing enough.

Arkham knight Deathstroke
Rocksteady

Video game bosses are supposed to be tough. They hit hard, have big health bars, and can be exceedingly difficult to fight. They’re tests of skill that challenge everything you’ve learned thus far to check if you’re prepared for the next level.

When done right, boss fights are epic and exhilarating battles in which finally defeating these formidable foes feels like a well-earned accomplishment.

For incredible boss fights, look no further than FromSoftware’s roster of ruthless adversaries where the likes of Gwyn, Orphan of Kos, and The Elden Beast blend gameplay challenge with aesthetic beauty to staggering success.

Not every video game boss can be as memorable as one of FromSoftware’s creations, however. While there are plenty of fantastic bosses that match the intensity of a Dark Souls showdown – or at the very least come close to it – there are bosses out there that fall completely flat in every possible way.

Whether its poorly balanced difficulty which robs any sense of accomplishment or challenge or broken mechanics that make facing said boss an almost unplayable feat, these are the worst video game bosses we've ever had the displeasure of fighting.

10. Prowling Magus And Congregation - Dark Souls II (2014)

Arkham knight Deathstroke
Bandai Namco Games/FromSoftware

For every incredible, adrenaline-surging boss fight in the Dark Souls trilogy, the series likewise has its fair share of stinkers, too. When talking about the worst of the worst of Souls bosses, it’s often the laughably awful Pinwheel or the frustrating misfire that was Bed Of Chaos (a boss so bad that Miyazaki has stated he regrets it) that get highlighted.

However, there is a boss from Dark Souls II that's much worse than those two. It’s so pointless and anti-climactic that it barely counts as a boss at all, which is perhaps why it doesn’t get the ire it deserves.

That boss is none other than Prowling Magnus And Congregation.

Encountered while progressing through Brightstone Cove And Tseldora, this boss is little more than a glorified mob of basic enemies with a shared health bar.

The only challenge this boss poses are its three casters who can do some damage if their attacks connect. But with how much space there is to manoeuvre and how slow these enemies are, avoiding them is no issue while slaughtering this horde.

At least this area ends with the far better boss that is The Duke’s Dear Freja.

Contributor
Contributor

Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.