20 Infuriating Video Game Bosses Nobody Beat First Time
14. Shao Kahn (Mortal Kombat 9)
Shao Kahn has a history of being a ruddy difficult boss to beat in just about every Mortal Kombat game hes showed up in. Ever since the third entry where he appeared as the final opponent, the ruler of Outworld has always popped up to completely school even the best of Mortal Kombat players. However, his appearance in 2009s MK 9 takes the cake when it comes to the cheapest final boss in a fighting game. While for the most part the rest of the titles one-on-one fights provide fair, tactical and challenging bouts, the final showdown with Shao Kahn is more of an exercise in luck and stamina than it is an actual duel. With attacks and combos that can take off 3/4s of your health in the blink of an eye and an uncanny knack for blocking just about every punch you throw at him, defeating Kahn often resorts to players utilising similarly stingy and shady tactics in an attempt to goad a victory out of the brutal warlord.
Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked full time as a content producer at WhatCulture for nine years. In that time he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple channels, specialising in subjects such as gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 most listened to gaming podcast in the UK that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, covered breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.