Disclaimer 1 : I am talking from a character’s point of view. I will not talk about « boss level », or things related to « boss something » like for example Mario’s 9 world/Star world that have very difficult levels designed to challenge your skills.
Disclaimer 2 : Since I am talking about bosses you should know that i am going to spoil some endings or other parts of the games because they are bound to bosses.
Hi there folks LittleChest here, and I’m going to talk about… well you read the title.
First things first I want to clarify what’s making a boss well a boss and then we will see some examples of their battles.
What is the boss for ? What is his purpose ?
There are so many games, so many genre, but one thing they nearly all have in common is the existence of some sort of bosses.
A boss can serve the story, he is there to put something new in the spotlights, like new mechanism, characters, story plots, etc…
There is five main types of bosses : the final boss who ends the game (hence the « final »), the optional boss to unlock more content, the mini boss, the tutorial boss, and finally regular bosses who doesn’t fit in the other categories.
Despite serving or not the story a boss is also here to block you if you are too weak, you lack intelligence or reflex, or even don’t understand how the battles work (inputs, tactics, basically how to play).
Of course if it is an optional boss, he can block you but you will not progress further in the main game if you beat it.
And a tutorial boss exist to welcome you and teach you to play, or to introduce new mechanisms like new types of attack (elemental attacks, physical, status,…) or special attack who uses points or a gauge for example.
A mini boss is just a stronger enemy and he doesn’t necessarily block you from something, BUT depending on the game a mini boss can also be a weaker version of a real boss.
Finally, a boss is a boss because it is also a challenge, he is here to emphasize your skills whether it is your level, your reflex, or your tactics.
What is a boss ?
A boss is either an important character or a variation of a normal enemy (this one can become a mini boss that is more common later in the game because you should be stronger) or even just a unique character that appears once. You can recognize a boss with his different soundtrack, fitting to the boss, sad, tourmented, epic, funny there’s so many theme ! And of course each boss is unique at least in a way, his surroundings, grunts, weaknesses, attacks, etc…
Don’t worry I’ve got some examples for you :
The famous Evil King Koopa Bowser
In my opinion this character is very interesting because of how various his appearances are, and thus he belongs to many types of bosses in the same time.
He is the recurrent final boss of the ”Super Mario Bros” series, but also an ally, a regular boss, and/or a tutorial boss in the ”Mario and luigi” game series for example.
Flowey the flower, in Undertale
Undertale… Undertale… a game which burst into the Indie Game market in September 2015 with a unique way to battle monsters, two iconic characters are the Skeletons Brothers, Sans the joker and the numbSKULL Papyrus, it’s the taller one ( I had to do a bad joke 😉 eheh ).
A bit less known unless you have played the game, Flowey, as well as being the final boss in the neutral ending (there are a neutral, a genocide and a pacific ending), is the very first encounter you have in this game.
She will teach you how to play by trying to kill you, she tells you that these little white particules are friendly and all and encourage you to touch them resulting in damage for you.
And then…
I think that is a clever way to teach something instead of saying what is what, inputs and everything, thus experiencing that in the very first minutes of the game, that condition your mind for your entire playthrough.
Punchinelo, Super Mario RPG
He is an obscure character, even among the fans few will recall him. He represents perfectly a unique character who appears once and then never again. Did you know it ? It is also the only time, within his battle, that micro bob-ombs appears.
Unique Monsters, Xenoblade Chronicles
As well as giving us a beautiful story, Xenoblade Chronicles provides us with a lot of bosses and I really mean A LOT. Indeed there’s monsters everywhere BUT another feature makes the game a little more hmm let’s say spicy, there is Unique Monsters aka mini boss everywhere too, FUN, and that makes more content too so, cool. There are normal monsters but with a nickname and some higher levels and stats unlike the rest of the zone, like a level 90 in the early game where other monster are level 4 or so.
Yes your eyes are ok, this game wants you to die often if you aren’t at least a bit cautious because they can attack you just by hearing your steps or seing you, or because you are bullying weaker monster near him well didn’t i told you that this caterpillar thing is dangerous ? Well you are dead and sent back to the town (or a save point).
“Cellar Bugworm” is his name
Another example in this game is Xord, a facia (a mechon, “…” ok you don’t know that too ? erm so, a giant robot with a face that resist the attack of the Monado, aka the legendary sword of the protagonist, Shulk, hope it is clearer now ), and that Xord is at first a boss and then is everywhere as if there were a factory producing them in mass. Oh there is ? Nevermind, that boss is no longer a boss later in the game just a common ennemi without the nickname of course buuuut the story needs him because he is tough at the beginning… and provides lore… and show Shulk’s new powers… Well he is doing pretty well his job as a boss in the end.
Here’s Xord
Well there you have it, I hope you enjoyed that article, maybe learned something in the process, see you next time folks !
Picture’s link in order :
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vgHwSAV0qQQ/maxresdefault.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/e9xlld_81vo/maxresdefault.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9Kevshx_uE4/hqdefault.jpg
https://matthewkirshenblatt.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/sans-and-papyrus.jpg?w=320
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_fc4fXbtF_Y/maxresdefault.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WRpfhMv4l7I/hqdefault.jpg
images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/25500000/Punchinello-super-mario-rpg-25598065-327-350.gif
https://xenoblade.fandom.com/wiki/File:Cellar_Bugworm.png
i1.ytimg.com/vi/mL5ftv6xAG0/maxresdefault.jpg
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/xenoblade/images/9/92/Xord-art.png/revision/latest?cb=20160516020822
LET'S PLAY ! 
The article is very well presented, which makes you want to read it as well as make you want to play with universes such as xenoblade or undertale or re-discover classics like the saga Mario and Luigi the mustached plumbers
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Thanks you very much ! I’m very happy to read that !
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Very nice, the bosses that you used to demonstrate concepts are good examples and are all very cute. What catagory would you put the bosses at the end of levels or areas in?
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Thanks for your comment ! And for your answer I’d put these bosses in the regular category, as long as they are here to end a level and not the game and aren’t avoidable. Because if they are that can just be mini bosses, optional ones or final ones.
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Nice article ! I really like your writing style, and it’s funny seeing your taste in games is very eclectic. You presented bosses you like, but are there bosses you were disappointed by ?
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Thanks ! Of course there are disappointing bosses, especially when you consider the difficulty or the music aspect. I like the games from the “Super Mario Bros” series but the bosses in it weren’t really difficult. I know this is a game for every age and that’s why it is fairly easy, the musics are fine too, nothing too spectacular from Nintendo but still, I’m a bit disappointed. The same goes with some Sonic games and Pokemon bosses aren’t difficult at all haha unless you are playing with some special rules ( *wink* Nuzlock *wink* ), that was just some examples there are other licences too.
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