Summary
Everyone has that one video game boss that absolutely terrified them as kids. Perhaps it was the ambiance surrounding the character or the challenge of the level needed to get to the boss in the first place. Eventually, these bosses stop being scary, but by then, they’ve already left a lasting impression on your mind.
So, who are these bosses, and what games are they from? While many of them make their presence known from the get-go, some of them are hidden in the easiest of games to throw a player through a loop. Here are ten final bosses that seemed scarier as a kid.
10Wario
Super Mario Land 2: The Six Golden Coins
Mario Land 2 is one of theeasiest Mario games ever made. Enemies can be easily evaded from the bunny ears, allowing you to fly over them, and most bosses die in three hits. However, there is something terrifying about the final boss of the game, Wario.
This is one of Wario’s earliest appearances and the first time you see him, he walks back and forth across his castle in the distance as thunder strikes around him and organ music plays. The presentation knows how to build up Wario as the final enemy to face.
9Skull Kid/ Majora
The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Skull Kid is one of the first characters you meet in Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask. Already, he gives plenty of creepy vibes with a childish cackle and the ability to transform you into a Deku Scrub. Throughout the first cycle of days, Skull Kid also makes plenty of appearances, watching you from a distance as you explore Termina.
While Skull Kid’s story is more tragic than terrifying, that shriek he emits as he summons the Moon to crash down on the town is enough to give anyone nightmares. If you thought that was bad, wait till you see Majora Incarnate.
8Dark Link
Zelda 2: The Adventure Of Link
Dark Link first appears in Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link. The final boss of the game, he takes the form of the legendary hero and can even use most of his moves. This is already veering into somecreepypasta or analog horror territory.
As a child, it can be terrifying to see another version of yourself appear to fight you. However, in reality, the boss is actually quite easy if you exploit a glitch that leaves you untouchable. Simply keep to the corner of the screen, and you can beat Dark Link with no effort at all.
7Rudy The Clown
Wario Land 3
When Wario finds himself trapped inside a music box, the world’s god tasks him with collecting five music boxes to help restore balance. This is all a ruse, as the enemies you have been facing are the transformed villagers that used to live in the box.
The god you have been helping is actually a horrific clown creature known as Rudy. Rudy’s appearance alone is enough to make any child cry and even some adults. He is also the only boss who can kill Wario.
6Nightmare
Kirby Nightmare In Dreamland
Nightmare may not be as terrifying once you get to his second form. However, the first time you face him, one game mechanic will push first-time players to the brink. Nightmare takes the form of an orb and escapes from the Fountain of Dreams.
This starts a boss battle that takes to the skies. You won’t stay up there for long. With each passing second, Kirby and Nightmare get closer to the ground. Wait too long, and the screen will catch up and kill Kirby. This time-sensitive boss fight is enough to make the encounter both pressuring and scary.
5Blue
Pokemon Red And Blue
If you love to train your Pokemon, Blue is a cakewalk most of the time. While the twist has long since become a well-known part of the Pokemon Red and Blue storyline, encountering Blue at the end of the Elite 4 was absolutely terrifying as a kid.
Lance’s Pokemon are hard enough with dragons that can take a beating. While many kids sang victory after knocking out his last Pokemon, they were soon in fora rival battle jumpscare. For those not expecting the fight, you were probably already low on healing items, making it one scary final boss.
4Vortex Queen
Ecco The Dolphin
Ecco The Dolphin is one of those games that completely catches you by surprise with its tonal whiplash. It’s also the type of game that pushes players of all ages, even kids, to the limit. What may seem like a cozy dolphin game is secretlya story about an alien invasion.
The Vortex Queen is responsible for taking your pod, and she is terrifying. She emerges from the darkness with grotesque teeth and pitch-black eyes. It was scary as a kid, but it was much cooler once you could reflect on it.
3Flowey
Undertale
Flowey is the final boss in Undertale’s neutral route. You weren’t completely pacifist, but you weren’t downright evil, so you get the Flower instead of Sans or Asriel. Up until Flowey, the monsters of the underground aren’t really that monstrous.
Flowey, on the other hand, has a completely distinct art style, which is both 3D and 2D. With a cackling laugh, vinelike appendages, and a television face, Flowey looks scarier than he really is. His attack patterns can also strike fear into those who have never played it personally.
2The Brickster
Lego Island
The Brickster is a wise-cracking inmate found on Lego Island. He’s snarky, rude, and wants nothing more than to deconstruct the entire island. He stays behind bars until you construct the helicopter and deliver a pizza to his cell. The hectic music is a warning to any player getting too close.
The Brickster is ultimately harmless. However, the ending cutscene you get if you fail to recapture him is so devastating it can stop kids from ever approaching the Brickster again. The cut version of the bad ending is even more depressing.
1Giygas
Earthbound
Gigyas is a nightmare-inducing final boss in the Earthbound series. He can take many forms, usually stealing the shapes of others or taking over their minds. Giygas is also a boss who cannot be harmed directly by the player, and victory comes through other methods.
While Giygas can make anyone turn off their console, the very essence of Giygas is what makes the boss seem so unbeatable. However, the actual boss battle plays like many other bosses, the only difference being that you are subjected to horrifying imagery.
