Like a Boss

While most of the characters on this list have “last boss” potential, Sagat actually filled that position before he was demoted to sub-boss. The trademark scar he wears across his chest is actually the result of the loss he suffered in the first Street Fighter game. It’s impossible to look at him without being reminded of his defeat, but the scar also reminds us that he was a champion. The renowned Muay Thai expert is one of the most powerful Street Fighter characters and his rivalry with Ryu helps tie the series together. Sagat seeks vengeance in the name of pride, but he makes no effort to conceal his chest wound and is honorable enough to accept his failings. Although he’s been overshadowed by other Street Fighter bosses like M. Bison and Akuma, Sagat could still believably be painted as the strongest fighter in the world.

Imposing monsters are the bread and butter of the Resident Evil franchise. Early entries in the series were typically set in confined places, however, so there was a practical limit to how large the monsters could be. This changed with Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil 3 spent the entire game building up a monster named Nemesis, but El Gigante towered over him despite being a mere sub-boss in Resident Evil 4. The giant gained his immense size through exposure to a parasite, and his strength was apparently acquired to compensate for the loss of higher reasoning. El Gigante didn’t have the same fanfare as Nemesis, but he made a lasting impression by tossing people around like rag dolls, stomping villagers into dust, and ripping trees out of the ground! Few sub-bosses have made the impact that El Gigante did.

It’s easy to view the past through rose-tinted glasses, but my opinion of Dr. Wily’s Mecha Dragon is not driven by nostalgia. Although I grew up with the NES, I didn’t actually play through Mega Man 2 until Mega Man Anniversary Collection was released in 2004. As the rest of the gaming world was becoming acquainted with Half-Life 2 and San Andreas, I was falling in love with a 15-year-old game. I wasn’t expecting to be wowed by an 8-bit game in 2004, but my jaw dropped when the Mecha Dragon appeared on the screen and I couldn’t even believe what I was seeing. The dragon has been used sparingly since its first appearance in Mega Man 2, but it did return as a boss in Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters. In that outing, the Mecha Dragon spawns eggs that hatch smaller versions of itself. How adorable!

I absolutely adore Dedede, but it’s fair to say that the self-proclaimed King of Dream Land is relatively one-dimensional. Most of Dedede’s decisions are informed by gluttony or mischief, but Meta Knight is an enigma. The mysterious caped swordsman is unpredictable, and Kirby never knows if he is a friend or foe. Although he carries himself with honor, Meta Knight will quickly teleport away if he loses his mask. He takes great care in concealing his identity, and this makes his relationship to Kirby all the more intriguing. Meta Knight’s popularity is based largely on his rivalry with Kirby, but he has developed a following outside of the Kirby games and was added to the Smash Bros. roster before King Dedede was. On a related note, he was so overpowered in Super Smash Bros. Brawl that he was banned from tournament play!

Birdo’s gender is a topic of intense speculation, but her appearance on this list is based on merit rather than controversy. Birdo was a recurring stage boss in Super Mario Bros. 2, but the bizarre egg-spitting creature has since overshadowed her colleagues. Wart has been neglected since his carcass was hauled off at the end of the game, and other villains like Tryclyde, Fryguy, and Mouser have been forgotten altogether. Birdo, in contrast, has been prominently featured in dozens of games. She’s raced alongside her friends in Mario Kart, she’s showcased her athleticism in various sports games, and she’s even made cameos in a handful of crossover titles. It’s easy to see why Birdo gets so much attention. She was one of the most creative mid-bosses of her era, and there’s something about her design that just screams confidence.

Double Dragon introduced us to a number of interesting characters right off the hop – including a machine gun-toting gang leader and a whip-wielding dominatrix – but none had more of an impact than the bald strongman known as Abobo. He first appeared mid-way into the opening mission when he broke through a brick wall like the Kool-Aid man! There was a perfectly good door a few yards away, but Abobo clearly understood the importance of making a good first impression. Weapons played a big role in Double Dragon, so the fact that Abobo relied solely on his superhuman strength spoke volumes. Abobo was relatively easy to dispatch, but his starring role in the celebrated fan-made browser game, Abobo’s Big Adventure, has helped secure his place as one of the most emblematic henchmen of the 8-bit era.

Dracula isn’t just one of the most iconic villains in gaming; he’s also one of the most recognizable figures in literature, film, and fiction in general. It would be all-but-impossible to overshadow the famous vampire, but Death’s role as Dracula’s right-hand man is one of prestige. In many Castlevania games, the grim reaper serves as the last roadblock between players and the dark lord himself. (In Portrait of Ruin, Death actually fights alongside Dracula.) In some cases, he puts up a better fight than his master does! Death also deserves credit for taking the initiative when Dracula’s castle is invaded. In Symphony of the Night, it’s Death who meets Dracula’s bratty son at the gates of the castle and takes his toys away. Dracula, for his part, mostly sits alone in his tower and waits for vampire killers to show up.

Big Daddies act as bodyguards for young girls known as Little Sisters who patrol the underwater city of Rapture looking for a substance called ADAM that can be used as a canvas for genetic modification. The hulking behemoths look like unstoppable masses of metal in their armored diving suits, and the weaponry they use makes them even more terrifying. Big Daddies can be easily identified by their heavy drills, but they’ve also been known to use rivet guns, rocket launchers, and proximity mines. They will only attack if the Little Sisters are endangered, but confrontations are likely since players need ADAM to gain strength. Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite is popular among cosplayers and the queen of SFM, but Big Daddies are still the face of the series. Ken Levine has described the interactions with Big Daddies as the cornerstone of Bioshock.

Mother Brain has been the last boss in multiple Metroid adventures, but Ridley is Samus Aran’s true arch-nemesis. Despite looking like an animalistic beast, Ridley acts as a General for the Space Pirates and is known for his intelligence. Whether he’s stealing parasitic Metroids, leading attacks on space colonies, or murdering Samus’ parents, it’s a safe bet that Ridley’s doing something completely reprehensible. A worthy adversary if ever there was one, Ridley hangs around in pits of lava, spits indestructible fireballs, and incorporates his powerful wings into various attacks. He’s quite resilient, too. After facing defeat, Ridley is revived with genetic engineering and cybernetic technologies to become “Meta Ridley.” This new form grants him a number of new abilities and greatly enhances his strength and mobility.

Shang Tsung was a memorable villain, but he didn’t offer a lot in the name of originality. He borrowed his look from Lo Pan (Big Trouble in Little China) and stole his moves from other Mortal Kombat kharacters. Goro – who challenges players before their fight with Shang Tsung – stands out for a couple of reasons. Not only is he considerably larger than anyone else in the game, but he’s the only one who was truly an original creation. The other fighters are digitized representations of live actors, but Goro’s real-world counterpart was a clay sculpture. Someone with Goro’s physique couldn’t exist in real life, and that’s what made the four-armed warrior seem so special. A member of a half-dragon warrior race called the Shokan, Goro was apparently the champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament for 500 years before he finally met his match.