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00:00Now it's usually pretty obvious whenever a video game is about to spring a boss fight on a player,
00:04whether it's by entering a massive room which proceeds with a checkpoint alongside a generous
00:09helping of resources, or by arriving at a pivotal point in the game's story, an imminent boss fight
00:14is usually so well telegraphed that it's almost impossible to miss the signs. But there are some
00:18games that like to mess with this formula and spring a boss on you that leaves you just going
00:22wait what what's going on here oh god I'm dead. Fantastic. So let's have a chat about them as I'm
00:27Jules, this is whatculture.com, and these are 10 of the best boss fights that nobody saw coming.
00:3310. Flying Dragon Agil, Elden Ring
00:36Alongside its many stunning vistas, Elden Ring's lands between is likewise brimming with countless
00:42enemies that can quickly put an end to players' adventures. Even in the opening area of Limgrave,
00:47developers from software did not pull any punches. In addition to being home to Margit the Fel Omen,
00:52who makes a particularly challenging first main boss, this picturesque area also contains a brutally
00:57difficult tree sentinel and crucible knight that are just tucked away in an everjail.
01:01However, a bigger surprise awaits players while exploring Agil Lake in the east of the area.
01:06Just north of the ominously named Dragon Burnt Ruins in the centre of the lake, a large dragon
01:11swoops down out of nowhere and wipes out a group of enemies that are sitting at a bonfire. Without any
01:16time to register what happened, the epic soundtrack kicks in and players find themselves in a fight
01:20against Flying Dragon Agil, one of a handful of dragon bosses in the game. With Agil able to
01:26annihilate low-level players with a single breath attack, trying to fight them early on in the game
01:31is a recipe for death. The game teaches players that sometimes it's better to just come back
01:35later, but there is nothing more satisfying than finally felling this powerful dragon.
01:409. Donkey Kong Punch-Out 2009
01:43Now, originally released in 1987, Punch-Out on the Nears is best known for its notorious final boss
01:49fight against Mike Tyson. Although Tyson didn't reappear in the 2009 Wii game of the same name along
01:55with the rest of the colourful roster of returning fighters, this title had a rather unexpected special
02:00guest to make up for it. After completing both the career and title defence modes, players will unlock
02:05Mac's Last Stand, a boss rush in which protagonist Mac must fight an endless onslaught of opponents
02:10until he loses three times, at which point the character retires and the player's save file will
02:15be disabled. Although players will predominantly face off against boxers from the title defence
02:20mode here, it is possible to go toe-to-toe against a secret fighter, that contender being none other
02:25than Donkey Kong. This classic Nintendo character is as strong as he looks. Able to knock players out in a
02:32single blow, Donkey Kong is easily one of the hardest bosses in the entire game. Given that all opponents
02:37in this mode are chosen at random, it's entirely possible to play this mode without meeting Kong
02:41in the ring. Those lucky enough to see him, though, are in for a delightful surprise and
02:45an incredibly tough fight.
02:478. Laura, The Evil Within
02:50Tango Gameworks' visceral survival horror, The Evil Within is full of many nightmarish creatures
02:56that range from the chainsaw-wielding sadist to the horrifying keeper. However, none of the creatures
03:01that players encounter in this game are as unforgettably terrifying as Laura. With her razor-sharp nails,
03:06at the end of their spidery limbs, her long black hair draped over her face and ear-piercing shriek,
03:13everything about Laura's appearance lets players know that she is not to be trifled with. And even
03:17scarier than this reoccurring boss's design, though, is her introduction. At the end of Chapter 4,
03:22players will find themselves in a short hallway with a pile of bodies laying at the end. Upon
03:27getting closer to the corpses, Laura will make her unannounced arrival by bursting from them in a
03:31heart-pounding jump scare before players must then flee from her. As if this jump scare wasn't
03:36harrowing enough, she makes a further two sudden arrivals in the game, and features in the title's
03:41most nerve-wracking boss fight in which players must defeat her by luring her into an incinerator.
03:46Laura was so iconic that she even made a brief appearance in the sequel, where she once again
03:50caught players by complete surprise. 7. Rick the Door Technician
03:55Star Wars Jedi Survivor
03:57Now, one of the best aspects of Star Wars Jedi Survivor was how it made players feel like a powerful
04:02Jedi. This was partly thanks to its satisfying combat system, which combined souls-like mechanics
04:07with stylish limb dismemberment to gleeful effect. Like the previous game, the combat shone the
04:12brightest within the selection of boss fights. Whether it was facing a ferocious rancor or locking
04:16lightsabers with the Sith, each boss encounter was a thrilling high point in this excellent sequel.
04:22But one boss that nobody expected to meet during their adventure was Rick the Door Technician.
04:26After fighting your way through a heavily defended hangar on the Imperial base of Kobo,
04:31players will encounter Rick in the next hallway where he valiantly challenges Kal. With his health
04:35bar appearing on screen, players will believe that they're in for one last epic fight. However,
04:40despite this trooper's courage, Rick is no more powerful than any of the hundreds of other standard
04:45enemies that players have faced at this point, and is defeated in one hit. The boss fight was a
04:50fantastic punchline designed to relieve the tension after surviving the tough hangar fight.
04:54Though Rick isn't the most challenging boss on this list, he's nevertheless become a firm fan
04:58favorite and one of the best surprise boss fights in gaming.
05:026. Stray Demon – Dark Souls
05:05Dark Souls doesn't waste any time throwing players in at the deep end. Before players even have a
05:10chance to get a proper weapon, they're ambushed by the Asylum Demon, the game's first boss. It was a
05:15shock that gave players a taste of what to expect from this notoriously difficult game, but this wasn't
05:19the only time that players were greeted by an out-of-nowhere boss fight. After defeating the Asylum Demon
05:25and arriving at Lordran, players can travel back to the Undead Asylum by climbing into snugly the
05:29Crow's Nest. Once there, they can make their way back to the arena where they fought the first boss.
05:34Although there's no longer a giant demon waiting to pounce on unsuspecting players,
05:38walking into the center of the room now causes the floor to collapse, and players will find
05:42themselves facing the Stray Demon. A much tougher version of the Asylum Demon, this boss hits harder
05:47and has a devastating area-of-effect attack that deals massive damage. Moreover, players will also take a
05:53chunk of damage from falling into the arena, which puts them at a disadvantage before the fight even
05:57begins. Only a game as devious as Dark Souls would have two surprise bosses in the same room.
06:045. Jean – No More Heroes
06:06Ultra-stylish, cult-classic No More Heroes follows protagonist Travis Touchdown as he climbs through
06:11the ranks of an elite association of assassins by slicing his way through hordes of enemies with
06:16his lightsaber katana. It is bloody cool. With its over-the-top level of blood-gushing violence,
06:21collection of ridiculous characters and bizarre plotline, this game is outrageously insane in
06:26the best way possible. After achieving the No. 2 spot, the time comes for Travis to take his place
06:32as the highest-ranked assassin by defeating Darkstar. However, before he has a chance to lock swords with
06:37the final boss, they're suddenly killed by a woman named Jean, who is the real final boss. Not only is
06:42this the first time that Jean is mentioned, but it's revealed that she is actually Travis' half-sister
06:46and the one responsible for killing his parents. Moving fast and hitting even harder, defeating
06:52Jean will put players' skills to the test in what is easily the hardest fight in the game.
06:56While an out-of-nowhere boss fight usually makes for a rather anticlimactic finale,
07:00the unabashed silliness of this encounter is all part of what gives No More Heroes its rather
07:04roguish charms.
07:054. Guardian Ape – Shadows Die Twice
07:09Although Shadows Die Twice put a refreshing spin on the Soulsborne formula by giving players
07:14a grappling hook alongside putting an emphasis on stealth and deflecting attacks, this game
07:19was still full of From Software's notoriously difficult boss fights. And one of these fiendish
07:24foes is the Guardian Ape, who will serve as the final boss at the end of the Sunken Valley
07:28passage. A gigantic primate, this boss hits with devastating force and moves with great speed.
07:34After learning their attacks though, players will soon succeed in taking this boss down,
07:38decapitating it with the sword that is embedded in their neck. With the words
07:41Shinobi Execution displayed on screen, players will feel victorious in their accomplishment.
07:46But this feeling is short-lived. In a cruel trick from the developers, this boss has a surprise
07:52second phase. Picking up both its severed head and sword, the Guardian Ape is even more difficult
07:57than before. Not only does it have an arsenal of powerful sword attacks, but its head now emits a
08:02blood-curdling scream that inflicts a massive amount of terror damage. Reaching its climax when
08:07severing a grotesque centipede that the titular Shinobi pulls from inside the ape's body, this is
08:12an exhilarating fight that players won't soon forget.
08:153. Former Control
08:17The oldest house in Remedy's sensational control is bursting with all sorts of strange and powerful
08:23artefacts the protagonist Jesse encounters while exploring the Labyrinthian building. An anchor,
08:28an antique mirror, a rubber duck, and even a thermos from Alan Wake, there are dozens of
08:32wonderfully weird things to find while playing this underrated masterpiece. But one of the most
08:37unusual items that players can discover is a fridge. Located within the containment sector,
08:42it's revealed that someone must be constantly watching this unassuming appliance to prevent it
08:46from deviating. It's unclear what the fridge is capable of or how it managed to turn the agent on
08:51fridge duty into a gory pulp when players weren't looking, but things are not looking good.
08:56Normally, all it takes for Jesse to subdue an altered item is to touch it, but interacting with
09:00the fridge, however, sends players into an otherworldly dimension where they must battle an entity known as
09:05Former. Dealing high damage and able to destroy chunks of the arena's floor, this is one of the
09:10hardest fights in the game, fitting of its placement within the game's first DLC pack,
09:14The Foundation. An utterly unpredictable turn of events, the former is just one of many,
09:19many memorable moments in this quintessentially remedy game.
09:232. Masato Aizawa Yakuza 5
09:26The long-running Yakuza series has more jaw-dropping twists and turns in its intricate plot as there are
09:32ridiculous side activities for hardened protagonist Kiryu to take part in during his spare time.
09:37Despite the series' proclivity for pulling the rug from under the player's feet with its extensive
09:41list of betrayals, those who played Yakuza 5 were still taken aback when Masato appeared at the end
09:46of the game as the final boss. Alongside being a former ally, what really makes this double cross
09:51especially shocking to the players is that they were told that Aizawa had been killed earlier on
09:55in the game. Moreover, it's also revealed that Aizawa is the son of the antagonist and revered Yakuza
10:00leader, Kurosawa, and aims to take the power for himself. After a lengthy exposition dump where he
10:06tells Kiryu everything, Aizawa rips off his shirt and the pair engage in a brutal and extended fist
10:11fight. Containing plenty of stylish QTEs and paunchy violence, this is one of the most memorable
10:16boss fights in the game, ending the fifth title in the series on an unforgettable high note. From its
10:22slick action and bombshell revelation, this boss fight encapsulates everything about what makes the
10:27Yakuza series so great. 1. Chakravatin – Azura's Wrath
10:32In the bombastic anime-inspired outing that is Azura's Wrath, players take on the role of the
10:36eponymous demigod as he sets out to defeat those responsible for kidnapping his daughter
10:40and imprisoning him. By the time that Azura has beaten the final of the seven perpetrators and
10:45rescued their daughter, players are led to believe that the hero's story is over. However, in an
10:50unforeseen turn of events, the game's true ending is contained within the final four episodes which
10:55were released as DLC. While hiding the finale behind a paywall was a controversial move from
11:00developers Capcom, those who picked up this expansion were in for a treat, as the plot went
11:04in a wild new direction. In a twist that nobody could have predicted, the final real boss was
11:10Chakravatin, the creator of the universe. It's revealed that he was the golden spider who appears
11:15throughout the game and was pulling the strings behind the scenes the entire time. Lasting a whopping
11:1945 minutes, this boss fight against him is so epic. It's as epic as the game gets. There are huge story
11:26revelations, eye-widening visuals and over-the-top QTE events that make the rest of this game look tame
11:32in comparison. Boss fights really do not get any grander than this.
Recommended
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