Summary
Some of the greatest video games of all time have DLCs that let you continue playing the game with new enemies, bosses, and areas to explore. Often times, the DLCs aren’t as big as the base game but can be chock-full of content for you to enjoy.
When it comes to bosses, a lot of players love the challenge and depending on who you’re fighting, it can be either really fun or frustrating. Some of the biggest challenges in gaming are exclusive to DLCs and these bosses will have you banging your head on the wall with each failed attempt.
Cupeadis one of the most beloved games of all time and received a DLC five years after its release. The wait was worth it though,as it introduced bosses that set a new standard for difficulty. Chef Saltbaker is one of these bosses with a kitchen-themed nightmare moveset that can be difficult to dodge.
The fight has multiple phases, and he’ll attack you non-stop in each phase. Your dodging skills will be put to the test, and the final phase is a bullet-hell spectacle that demands extreme precision and pattern recognition with only the best of the best ultimately surviving.
Detlaff is a higher vampire and the main villain of the Blood and Wine expansion ofThe Witcher 3, and his fight is harder than anything in the game thus far. He’s a higher vampire and is considered a force of nature and, lore-wise, Geralt has no chance against him, since only a higher vampire can kill another higher vampire.
His first phase is challenging, but his true power is unleashed in his second form, where he sprouts wings and unleashes even more hard to dodge moves. You’ll need every potion and buff you can muster to make this fight easy on yourself.
InGod of War Ragnarök’sfree DLC, Valhalla,Kratos faces off against the Norse God of War himself, Tyr, multiple times, with the final encounter reaching new heights in difficulty. He has multiple weapons and can shift between them quickly, which can confuse players and allow him to do some damage.
You have to manage your health and spartan rage carefully before entering this fight as well, so the battle doesn’t feel one-sided. At half health, he can spawn minions that can swarm you, making the fight even more frustrating.
Sister Friede is the final boss in the Ashes of Ariandel DLC fromDark Souls 3, and though she initially felt like a friendly NPC with no stake in your quest, she ends up being one of the most difficult challenges in Dark Souls history. After multiple warnings, if you still insist on burning the painted world, she’ll get up from her chair and pull out her scythe.
The real challenge is in the second phase where you fight her in a duo boss fight with Father Ariandel, unleashing a chaotic flurry of attacks and setting everything on fire. And just when you think you’re done, and the worst is behind you, she gets up a third time as Blackflame Frieda.
Darkeater Midir is a fan-favorite dragon and was the greatest of the dragon bosses in Soulsborne games right up until Elden Ring was released. Midir’s attacks are a combination of physical attacks like claw sweeps, a firebreath, and a laser beam that can melt your health bar in seconds.
Midir’s sheer size and power can be overwhelming, but learning his attack patterns and finding the right openings is key to victory. Surprisingly, it’s the hardest boss fight in the game and the DLC, but it feels more than fair.
Leviathan, the colossal water serpent Eikon inFinal Fantasy 16, is the final boss in The Rising Tide DLC.This boss is perhaps one of the most difficult Eikons in the game, especially at a higher difficulty.
The starting phases are a game of patience, and require you to find a decent opening to deal damage while dodging Leviathan’s devastating attacks. When it starts charging up its energy you have to deal a lot of damage fast, otherwise you’ll die instantly. Besides being a difficult boss, it’s also a visually spectacular boss fight and a fun one if you figure out the formula.
Absolute Radiance, the true final boss ofHollow Knight’sGodmaster DLC,is the ultimate test of your skills in this game. As a more powerful version of Radiance, Absolute Radiance does the same attacks, but the speed at which these attacks come is much more unforgiving.
The battle demands the ability to adapt, as you have milliseconds to react and dodge in an unrecognizable bullet hell of an arena. As you progress in the fight, it gets increasingly difficult and to survive till the end is a feat on its own.
The Orphan of Kos, a grotesque and unsettling creature fromBloodborne’sOld Hunters DLC, is widely regarded as one of the most challenging bosses in the game. Its erratic movements and aggressive attacks are nothing to scoff at, and can even catch seasoned players by surprise.
The key is to manage your stamina and blood vials while capitalizing on the brief windows of opportunity to deal damage. The unsettling cries add to the intensity of the encounter,and truly capture the lovecraftian theme of the game in the best way possible.
Yozora is a hidden bossin theKingdom HeartsIII Re Mind DLC, and is widely regarded as the hardest boss in the Kingdom Hearts series as a whole. His moveset is incredibly dynamic, which means you must constantly adapt to his shifting tactics.
The battle is further intensified by Yozora’s ability to teleport in unpredictable ways and his lifesteal ability, which can be incredibly frustrating to deal with. Defeating him requires you to fail multiple times, so you learn from each encounter, and you’ll fail a lot before making that winning attempt.
Promised Consort Radahn, the Red Lion General ofElden Ring, is a colossal demigod who makes an epic return in the DLC, finally fighting in his prime. Radahn bombards you with gravity magic attacks, can summon meteor showers, and has some close-range combos that are tough to read and can end your life in a second.
But his first phase is only the beginning, with Miquella joining his side and adding so much more variation to his moveset. With explosions everywhere, you have to pick and choose the attacks you’re able to dodge and use alternate strategies, like using the Deflecting Hardtear for its close-range attacks.It’s a bossfight that is by far the hardest in Elden Ring, even with maxed out stats.
