The Surprising Choice 19% Of People Picked As The Best Boss Battle Of All Time
Boss battles are often a highlight of video games and are often remembered as the best moments in video games altogether. A survey by SVG asked participants to choose their favorite boss battle in gaming out of five selections, and the responses were mostly evenly split.
For starters, 19% of the survey's 2,400 participants said they thought Batman: Arkham Asylum's series of Scarecrow boss battles were the best boss battles in gaming. In the 2009 hit, these sequences involved Batman exploring his psyche as he traversed infinite hallways, found his deceased parents, and had to stealthily avoid a giant Scarecrow in a terrifying hellscape. These were only part of what made the game such a hit back in the day and have helped it sustain its reputation as a highlight of the superhero genre.
34% chose "Other" for the best boss battle. Commenters mentioned The Sword Saint from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Mr. Freeze from Batman: Arkham City, and The End from Metal Gear Solid 3. Others mentioned Mr. X from 2019's Resident Evil 2 and Micah from Red Dead Redemption 2.
The favorites don't end there
Metal Gear Solid's memorable Psycho Mantis boss sequence was selected by 22% of participants as the best boss battle, outdoing even Arkham Asylum's Scarecrow battle. Easily one of gaming's most iconic boss fights, Psycho Mantis messed with players' minds in bizarre ways, breaking the fourth wall multiple times.
13% of participants chose Ornstein and Smough from Dark Souls as gaming's best boss battle. The boss fight was notoriously difficult due to the very nature of the battle. In the battle, the player is forced to contend with two oversized guardians of the desolate city of Anor Londo, with both wielding totally different combat styles. To add to the pain, upon defeating one, a second phase begins in which the undefeated foe absorbs the power of their fallen ally and continues to attack the player mercilessly.
Finally, 13% of voters chose Master Hand from Super Smash Bros. as the best boss battle. As the climactic moment of the game's Classic Mode in which the player must fight Master Hand, an ominous floating hand equipped with a variety of abilities, the boss fight is certainly one of the fighting genre's most memorable boss battles.