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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. However,
01:01a bigger surprise awaits players while exploring Agil Lake in the east of the area. Just north of
01:07the ominously named Dragon Burnt Ruins in the centre of the lake, a large dragon swoops down
01:12out of nowhere and wipes out a group of enemies that are sitting at a bonfire. Without any time to
01:16register 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
01:30is a recipe for death. The game teaches players that sometimes it's better to just come back later,
01:36but 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 Naears is best known for its notorious final
01:49boss fight against Mike Tyson. Although Tyson didn't reappear in the 2009 Wii game of the same
01:55name along with the rest of the colourful roster of returning fighters, this title had a rather
01:59unexpected special guest to make up for it. After completing both the career and title defence modes,
02:04players will unlock Mac's Last Stand, a boss rush in which protagonist Mac must fight an endless
02:09onslaught of opponents until he loses three times, at which point the character retires and the
02:14player's save file will be disabled. Although players will predominantly face off against boxes
02:19from the title defence mode here, it is possible to go toe-to-toe against a secret fighter, that
02:24contender being none other than Donkey Kong. This classic Nintendo character is as strong as he looks.
02:30Able to knock players out in a single blow, Donkey Kong is easily one of the hardest bosses in the
02:35entire game. Given that all opponents in this mode are chosen at random, it's entirely
02:39possible to play this mode without meeting Kong in the ring. Those lucky enough to see him,
02:43though, are in for a delightful surprise and an incredibly tough fight.
02:478. 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 at the
03:07end of their spidery limbs, her long black hair draped over her face and ear-piercing shriek,
03:12everything 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 getting
03:27closer to the corpses, Laura will make her unannounced arrival by bursting from them in a heart-pounding
03:32jump-scare before players must then flee from her. As if this jump-scare wasn't harrowing enough,
03:37she makes a further two sudden arrivals in the game and features in the title's most nerve-wracking
03:42boss fight in which players must defeat her by luring her into an incinerator. Laura was so iconic that
03:47she even made a brief appearance in the sequel where she once again caught players by complete surprise.
03:537. Rick the Door Technician
03:55Star Wars Jedi Survivor One of the best aspects of
03:59Star Wars Jedi Survivor was how it made players feel like a powerful Jedi. This was partly thanks
04:04to its satisfying combat system which combined souls-like mechanics with stylish limb dismemberment
04:08to gleeful effect. Like the previous game, the combat shone the brightest within the selection of
04:13boss fights. Whether it was facing a ferocious rancor or locking lightsabers with the Sith,
04:18each boss encounter was a thrilling high point in this excellent sequel. But one boss that nobody
04:23expected to meet during their adventure was Rick the Door Technician. After fighting your way
04:27through a heavily defended hangar on the Imperial base of Kobo, players will encounter Rick in the
04:32next hallway where he valiantly challenges Kal. With his health bar appearing on screen,
04:36players will believe that they're in for one last epic fight. However, despite this trooper's
04:41courage, Rick is no more powerful than any of the hundreds of other standard enemies that players
04:45have faced at this point, and is defeated in one hit. The boss fight was a fantastic punchline
04:51designed to relieve the tension after surviving the tough hangar fight. Though Rick isn't the most
04:55challenging boss on this list, he's nevertheless become a firm fan favourite and one of the best
05:00surprise boss fights in gaming. 6. Stray Demon – Dark Souls
05:05Dark Souls doesn't waste any time throwing players in at the deep end. Before players even have a chance
05:10to get a proper weapon, they're ambushed by the Asylum Demon, the game's first boss. It was a shock that
05:15gave players a taste of what to expect from this notoriously difficult game, but this wasn't the only
05:20time that players were greeted by an out-of-nowhere boss fight. After defeating the Asylum Demon and
05:25arriving at Lordran, players can travel back to the Undead Asylum by climbing into Snugly the Crow's
05:30Nest. 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, walking into the
05:39centre of the room now causes the floor to collapse, and players will find themselves facing
05:43the Stray Demon. A much tougher version of the Asylum Demon, this boss hits harder and has a
05:48devastating area-of-effect attack that deals massive damage. Moreover, players will also
05:53take a chunk of damage from falling into the arena, which puts them at a disadvantage before
05:56the fight even begins. Only a game as devious as Dark Souls would have two surprise bosses in the
06:02same room. 5. Gene – 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 his
06:16lightsaber katana. It is bloody cool. With its over-the-top level of blood-gushing
06:21violence, collection of ridiculous characters, and bizarre plotline, this game is outrageously
06:26insane in the best way possible. After achieving the number 2 spot, the time comes for Travis to
06:31take his place as the highest ranked assassin by defeating Darkstar. However, before he has a
06:36chance to lock swords with the final boss, they're suddenly killed by a woman named Jean, who is the
06:41real final boss. Not only is this the first time that Jean is mentioned, but it's revealed that she is
06:45actually Travis' half-sister and the one responsible for killing his parents. Moving fast and hitting
06:50even harder, defeating Jean will put players' skills to the test in what is easily the hardest
06:55fight in the game. While an out-of-nowhere boss fight usually makes for a rather anti-climactic
06:59finale, the unabashed silliness of this encounter is all part of what gives No More Heroes its rather
07:04roguish charms. 4. Guardian Ape – Shadows Die Twice
07:09Although Shadows Die Twice put a refreshing spin on the Soulsborne formula by giving players a grappling
07:15hook alongside putting an emphasis on stealth and deflecting attacks, this game was still full of
07:20From Software's notoriously difficult boss fights. And one of these fiendish foes is the Guardian Ape,
07:25who will serve as the final boss at the end of the Sunken Valley Passage. A gigantic primate,
07:30this boss hits with devastating force and moves with great speed. After learning their attacks,
07:35though, players will soon succeed in taking this boss down, decapitating it with the sword that is
07:39embedded in their neck. With the words, Shinobi Execution displayed on screen, players will feel
07:44victorious in their accomplishment. But this feeling is short-lived. In a cruel trick from the
07:50developers, this boss has a surprise second phase. Picking up both its severed head and sword,
07:55the Guardian Ape is even more difficult than before. Not only does it have an arsenal of powerful sword
08:00attacks, but its head now emits a blood-curdling scream that inflicts a massive amount of terror damage.
08:05Reaching its climax when severing a grotesque centipede that the titular shinobi pulls from
08:10inside the ape's body, this is an exhilarating fight that players won't soon forget.
08:153. FORMER. CONTROL The oldest house in Remedy's sensational
08:20control is bursting with all sorts of strange and powerful artefacts the protagonist Jesse encounters
08:25while exploring the Labyrinthian building. An anchor, an antique mirror, a rubber duck, and even a
08:30thermos from Alan Wake, there are dozens of wonderfully weird things to find while playing this underrated
08:35masterpiece. But one of the most unusual items that players can discover is a fridge. Located
08:41within the containment sector, it's revealed that someone must be constantly watching this
08:45unassuming appliance to prevent it from deviating. It's unclear what the fridge is capable of or how
08:50it managed to turn the agent on fridge duty into a gory pulp when players weren't looking, but things
08:55are not looking good. Normally, all it takes for Jesse to subdue an altered item is to touch it,
09:00but interacting with the fridge, however, sends players into an otherworldly dimension where they must
09:04battle an entity known as FORMER. Dealing high damage and able to destroy chunks of the arena's
09:09floor, this is one of the hardest fights in the game, fitting of its placement within the game's
09:13first DLC pack, The Foundation. An utterly unpredictable turn of events, the FORMER is just
09:18one of many, many 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 players' feet with its
09:40extensive list of betrayals, those who played Yakuza 5 were still taken aback when Masato appeared at
09:46the end of the game as the final boss. Alongside being a former ally, what really makes this double
09:51cross especially shocking to the players is that they were told that Aizawa had been killed earlier
09:55on in the game. Moreover, it's also revealed that Aizawa is the son of the antagonist and revered
10:00Yakuza leader Kurosawa, and aims to take the power for himself. After a lengthy exposition dump where
10:06he tells Kiryu everything, Aizawa rips off his shirt and the pair engage in a brutal and extended
10:11fist fight. 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 slick
10:22action and bombshell revelation, this boss fight encapsulates everything about what makes the
10:26Yakuza 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 unforeseen
10:50turn of events, the game's true ending is contained within the final four episodes which were released
10:55as DLC. While hiding the finale behind a paywall was a controversial move from developers Capcom,
11:01those who picked up this expansion were in for a treat, as the plot went in a wild new direction.
11:06In a twist that nobody could have predicted, the final real boss was Chakravatin, the creator of the
11:12universe. It's revealed that he was the golden spider who appears throughout the game and was pulling the
11:16strings behind the scenes the entire time. Lasting a whopping 45 minutes, this boss fight against
11:22him is so epic, it's as epic as the game gets. There are huge story revelations, eye-widening
11:27visuals and over-the-top QTE events that make the rest of this game look tame in comparison.
11:33Boss fights really do not get any grander than this.
11:36two
11:36Five
11:36four
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