U-3 – Resident Evil 4
“Tense” is perhaps the best word when it comes to describing this Resident Evil 4 boss fight. Set in an underground labyrinth, former Racoon City Police Officer Leon Kennedy is tasked with not only fighting this horrific monster but will be timed during the process. Instead of a usual boss arena, U-3 decided to take up residence in a bunch of suspended shipping containers precariously hung over a bottomless pit.
While U-3 isn’t a complete bullet sponge like El Gigante, this creature’s ability to vanish and appear pretty much anywhere is incredibly dangerous. Since you have to press a variety of different buttons and escape from different platforms, U-3 can be troublesome. This is a boss that is meant to test your ability to run and gun, however this can be problematic since he can completely block your path at times. Yet, this just makes every turn of the corner thrilling as you will never know when this guy is coming for you.
Albert Wesker – Resident Evil 5
Wesker is one of the most famous Resident Evil bosses. However, players really didn’t get a chance to bring the pain to him until the fifth installment. Wesker’s boss fight is rather involved and is strung across multiple chapters each with their own pace and style. One of the first engagements is a 2v2 against him and a mind-controlled Jill Valentine which requires users to micro-manage their inventory.
Following this are two slower paced fights that culminate in you battling Wesker in a f$%#ing volcano. Resident Evil 5 may not have been the best game in the series, but the various battles with Wesker almost make up for the game’s terrible A.I… almost.
Yawn – Resident Evil
One of the most common types of bosses players will encounter in this horror franchise is the mutated animal, so having a T-Virus infected snake is no surprise. Yawn is encountered twice during your exploration of the Spencer Mansion and is quite a terrifying sight to behold. Given this reptile can deal an extreme amount of damage, this makes killing him quickly a priority. However, Yawn will slink away once enough health is lost and then show up in the library where you can finally skin this reptile for good.
Despite having a limited move set, Yawn’s sheer size is the most intimidating factor about it. Given players didn’t know what to expect from this series yet, being confined to a tiny attic with a massive boss was sure to send many a chill down player’s spines. This is a boss whose simplicity doesn’t hinder the enjoyment of the fight.
Nemesis T-Type – Resident Evil 3
One of the most famous horror bosses of all time, Nemesis is nothing more than a walking, grunting, stalking, rocket toting manifestation of horror. Following the player throughout the majority of Resident Evil 3, Nemesis prefers to attack when at the most inconvenient times. This makes him a challenging foe as users will often be low on resources during his encounters, forcing them to run for their life. Even though his final fight at the end isn’t terribly difficult, knowing that he could always be just around the corner was a horrific thought.
Scagdead – Resident Evil: Revelations
Scagdead (aka the Communication’s Officer) is a unique boss in that there is still some humanity remaining in this mutated abomination. Unlike the Tyrant, zombies, or really any infected in the Resident Evil games, players are forced to hear the tortured soul’s struggle with his changes. This adds a deeper layer to this encounter, allowing for users to briefly reflect on humanity and the horror that this mutagen is causing the passengers of the Queen Zenobia.
As for the gameplay mechanics themselves, Scagdead is a rather tricky foe as he can kill the player in one hit. This makes avoiding him critical and requires users to have a good knowledge of the arena’s layout so they can avoid being cornered. It’s an intense fight that never feels unbalanced in favor of the A.I. even when Scagdead summons help.
Del Lago – Resident Evil 4
Del Lago is the first major boss encounter in Resident Evil 4 and boy is it one hell of a fight. Taking a page out of Captain Ahab’s book, Leon is tasked with harpooning this massive salamander as many times as possible. Despite not being able to use any purchased gear, trying to spear Del Lago is an exhilarating experience. There’s also a massive sense of panic that this monster produces once it knocks the player out of a boat and forces you to swim to safety. Even though this battle revolves around a fairly straight forward mechanic, it’s the unique battle location and enemy that makes it stand out over the others.
Alexia Ashford – Resident Evil: Code Veronica
This is one of those bosses that beautifully molds together story and gameplay together in order to create the perfect being. Alexia is one of two children that were born to Dr. Alexander Ashford that were created for a top secret project. When she was 12, Alexia injected her father with the t-Veronica Virus, turning him into the hideous mutant known as Nosferatu. She then studied the changes of this virus in him so a more perfect sample could be created and then subsequently injected into herself. Eventually, she would expose herself with the mutagen, only after this she entered cryosleep so the infection would spread slower allowing her body to become more tolerant of the virus. 15 years later, Alexia was released by her brother and was in complete control of her new powers which she used to take over the world.
When it comes to villains, Alexia has a far more interesting backstory than most baddies in this game, which only enhances the experience of fighting off her three different forms. Each transformation offers her unique powers and is an interesting visual hybrid of insects and plants. By far her most troublesome mutation is when she sprouts wings and flies around the arena, making Alexia very difficult to track sometimes. Even though Alexia might not be the biggest or the baddest foe in the Resident Evil series, her fascinating backstory and constant change up makes her quite a unique fight.
Ivan Twins – Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
The tyrants are considered some of the deadliest enemies in all of the Resident Evil universe… so why not fight two at once? The Ivan Twins can be found in the light rail shooter spin-off The Umbrella Chronicles and are by far the most challenging bosses in this game. Instead of following the usual regiment of shooting an enemy until they stagger so you can reload, the Twins attack one after the other giving users very little time to breathe. This makes the Ivan Twins incredibly challenging, especially since each one can deal a massive amount of damage.
One of the cooler aspects of this battle is that the player takes control of Wesker, meaning that this battle is a high-flying fight thanks to every participant having heightened agility and strength. Despite having the odds against you, the Ivan Twins never truly feel unfair and are a standout boss in a solid spin-off title.
T-002 (Tyrant) – Resident Evil
There are imitators and then there are originators, the T-OO2 is found in the secret lab under the Spencer Mansion. The first appearance of this legendary horror monster is when it breaks free from a medical tank and chases after the player. From here the Tyrant can either be killed or avoided until the very end where you get to decimate him with a rocket launcher. It’s a unique fight and for the time the T-002 was a very terrifying enemy. He could deal an insane amount of damage per swipe and his intimidating size made him a very tough foe to contend with. However, nothing is more satisfying than blowing him up with a bazooka after being stalked and hunted for the latter half of the game.
Krauser – Resident Evil 4
In a time when Quick Time Events (QTEs) were still in their infancy, the battle with Jack Krauser was a unique experience that has yet to be matched in terms of pacing. This duel takes place over two parts, with the first one being a fast and furious QTE section that requires precise timing and focus. Given the prompts are never the same, this makes the engagement incredibly tense and can lead to players experiencing a quick death. Yet, the cinematic quality and wonderful choreography makes this fight appear more like an elegant dance than a brutal battle.
Once it moves to the second phase and Krauser unleashes his mutation the battle moves to a more traditional, run, shoot, dodge direction. Krauser’s fight strikes an important balance between QTE sections and actual player controlled fights that elevated it beyond the other bosses in Resident Evil 4. Plus, we have to give props to any person who can rock a beret like him.
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There are a lot of bosses in this legendary horror series, however these are the 10 that have always stood out the most. While this series has suffered some pretty terrible bosses, these monsters more than make up for their lack of quality. Just make sure to bring an extra change of clothes, it’s going to get bloody.
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