00:00You have disrespected the gods for the last time, Kratos!
00:05Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we're looking at bosses from God of War that went much harder than we were
00:12expecting.
00:13We're not saying these bosses are hard, though some of them are.
00:16What gets them recognition is their impressive tactics, undeniable charisma, and being used as jaw-dropping set pieces.
00:35But before we get into it, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring
00:41the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:45The Hydra, God of War
00:55It's hard to remember our expectations heading into the first game in the series, but it's safe to say we
01:01weren't expecting the opening boss to be so massive.
01:04The original game begins with Kratos taking on the Hydra at the request of Poseidon.
01:09He must deal with several smaller heads, attacking various ships, before taking on the main one.
01:15It feels like in any other game before this, a boss of this size would have been saved for later.
01:21But the Hydra kicks things off in spectacular fashion.
01:24Not only is it a strong set piece that sets the tone for the rest of the game, but it
01:29set a precedent going forward that God of War would open with larger-than-life clashes.
01:43Charon
01:44Charon
01:45Charon
01:46Charon
01:46Chains of Olympus
01:55Charon
02:02Charon
02:03Charon
02:05passage in Chains of Olympus on account of him still being alive, the two duke it out.
02:10What makes this fight so memorable is that Kratos loses, and Charon tosses him off his
02:15ship without a second thought.
02:17When Kratos returns for round two later, well, Charon still goes hard.
02:22He teleports, uses a long-range scythe, and heals himself using special pillars until
02:28Kratos destroys them.
02:29Although he's a mere servant of the gods, Charon ends up providing the most unforgettable
02:34encounter in the game.
02:47Sigrun, God of War, 2018
02:59You could argue that, given she's the queen of all Valkyries, it's befitting of her position
03:04that Sigrun goes hard.
03:06Still, having fallen victim to her unblockable grabs and face stomps too many times to count,
03:12I can attest that she didn't need to flex on us that much.
03:16Sigrun uses a combination of attacks and abilities seen in other Valkyrie fights that lead up to
03:21her.
03:21Which is to say, she knows a whole lot of ways to kill you.
03:25Despite some familiarity, she more than sets herself apart.
03:29In the years since her debut, she's gained a worthy reputation for being an absolute pain
03:35to face, as well as a standout moment of the game.
03:46Colossus of Rhodes, God of War 2
03:55Next up in the category of gigantic opening bosses is the Colossus of Rhodes from God of War 2.
04:02Brought to life by Zeus with Kratos' own stolen power, this massive statue provides
04:07one hell of an opening encounter.
04:10It goes a step beyond what made the Hydra so impressive in the first game.
04:14It's once again a multi-phase battle, with Kratos cutting into various parts of the statue
04:19and using different parts of the city to his advantage.
04:23But at a certain point, the fight also takes Kratos inside the behemoth,
04:27where he must defend against enemies and rip the statue apart bit by bit.
04:32The success of the first game meant a bigger, bolder sequel,
04:36and this was an incredible way to showcase what was to come.
04:45Do you see, Gods of Olympus?
05:01Ascension doesn't get nearly as much love as most other entries in the series.
05:05That being said, the first boss is undeniably impressive.
05:10For breaking a blood oath with Zeus, Aegean the Giant was tortured before having his body
05:15turned into an enormous prison, which is where Kratos begins the game.
05:20As he enacts his opening escape, the prison itself unleashes an onslaught,
05:25courtesy of some of the worst parasites you can imagine.
05:28The scope of this boss is unlike nearly anything else the series has to offer.
05:32It's a remarkable use of space and setting, with the bug-like boss slithering about,
05:38and the structures shaking with every movement.
05:41The pure, awesome reaches its peak when parasites burst from Aegean's face,
05:46creating one seriously disturbing set of chompers.
06:09The murderer of Gaia enters my tomb, Kronos!
06:17I know it was you, God of War 3.
06:20You killed her, Spartan! Who else could?
06:25We've talked about a few gigantic foes throughout the series,
06:28and so Kronos the Titan finds himself in good company.
06:32Just like the rest of the set pieces disguised as enemies, Kronos produces the utmost spectacle.
06:38As we climb around the boss's body, we're treated to some remarkable violence,
06:43with Kratos cutting into Kronos and ripping off his fingernail.
06:46But more than anything, what impresses us is how viciously this boss goes down.
06:51Like the Colossus, the fight eventually takes Kratos inside,
06:55where he cuts himself free with the Blade of Olympus.
06:58He then drives a giant spike through Kronos' chin,
07:02and drives his sword through Kronos' forehead.
07:05It's just as brutal as it all sounds.
07:08Maybe Kratos went a bit overboard with this one.
07:21Ares, God of War
07:23Every bit as weak as the day you beg me to save your life.
07:28I am not the same man you found that day.
07:31Like Sigrun, you could argue that the fight against Ares needed to go hard,
07:36since he's the final boss of the original game.
07:38But there's a reason he's still remembered by fans all these years later.
07:43He goes above and beyond.
07:44The fight begins with Kratos growing to match Ares' intimidating stature,
07:49though Ares has a variety of ranged attacks that make him a challenge.
07:52The second phase is where things get personal,
07:55as Ares attacks Kratos' trauma, transporting him inside his damaged mind
08:00to defend his fallen family from evil copies of himself.
08:03Finally, the third phase gives Kratos a huge sword, forcing him to play defensively
08:09and use slow swinging attacks to strike at the right moment.
08:13It's a battle of endurance, and one that ends the first game on a phenomenal note.
08:18That night, I was trying to make you a great warrior.
08:27You succeed.
08:29The Stranger, God of War, 2018
08:32I thought you'd be bigger.
08:36You're definitely the one.
08:39Long way from home, aren't you?
08:42Although not exactly the first boss in the game,
08:45Kratos' first encounter with Baldur is where the story truly begins.
08:50And so, it doesn't disappoint.
08:53Coerced into fighting when he doesn't want to,
08:55Kratos and the player are surprised to find this Stranger packs quite a punch.
09:00Even though the fight occurs early on, it does a great job making you feel like you can't win,
09:06in a thematic sense.
09:07The destruction caused as both combatants lay into each other is grand and awe-inspiring.
09:13But as the Stranger continually heals, shrugging off the death that Kratos tries to bring him,
09:19it becomes clear that we've become part of something much bigger than we know.
09:23And when the fight finally comes to an end, it's hard not to sigh with relief.
09:28I'd hope that you, of everyone I faced, would finally make me feel something that you can't.
09:38Thor, God of War, Ragnarok
09:41Don't take all day.
09:51About time.
09:58Teased in the 2018 game, we expected the fight against Thor to go hard.
10:03Just not this hard.
10:05Like the fight with Baldur, this battle is the second in the game, but marks a turning point
10:10into the overall plot.
10:12The fight is utterly bombastic, sending the two gods barreling through the frozen Lake of Nine,
10:18and even destroying the Statue of Tyr.
10:21There are a lot of cool moments, though two standouts are when Thor kills Kratos just to bring him back,
10:27and when Mjolnir and the Leviathan Axe form a frozen lightning bolt in the middle of the battlefield.
10:32Everything about this fight drops your jaw, and gets your heart racing with excitement.
10:39There he is.
10:45There's the God of War.
10:48Poseidon, God of War III
10:55The first fight in the Greek climax remains one of the best in God of War history.
11:01As Kratos rides on Gaia's back, scaling Mount Olympus, Poseidon meets them in ferocious battle,
11:07encasing himself inside a Leviathan made of ocean and stone.
11:11Even knowing how the first two games began, a boss of this magnitude is still astounding.
11:17Poseidon unleashes watery tendrils to burrow into the Titan,
11:21while electrifying his giant trident in order to deal with Kratos.
11:25The scale, spectacle, and brutality that comes when Kratos finally gets his hands on Poseidon,
11:31this is classic God of War firing on all cylinders.
11:36The game's opening didn't need to go this hard, but we are extremely glad that it did.
11:42The death of Olympus means the death of us all.
11:45Then prepare for your death, Poseidon.
11:49Which God of War boss impressed you with their stunning feats of strength?
11:53Let us know in the comments.
11:55And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays for more great gaming videos every day.
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