5. Red (“Pokemon Silver”)
Finally finishing my second attempt at becoming a Pokemon master after finishing “Pokemon Red,” I was making my way through Mt. Silver wanting to see what was waiting for me at the top. There, alone at the top of the misty mountain was a trainer that I knew well; he and I had spent hundreds of hours together training and perfecting our techniques. Red sat atop the mountain waiting to challenge the next league champion. The battle was long and difficult, having the most powerful team in the game, but finally defeating him was so rewarding because it was proving to ourselves that we had become even greater than we thought we were.
4. Bahamut (“Final Fantasy”)
One of the series’ most iconic monsters, Bahamut, has appeared in nearly every single game to date in some shape or form and even appeared in the “Final Fantasy” movie. In “Final Fantasy III,” Bahamut taunts the player early in the game by being more powerful than the player and is a constant reminder that there is a challenge waiting to be conquered when gamers are strong enough to face him. After finishing the game and sprinkled with a bit of EXP grinding, the player can face the creature in Bahamut’s Lair and fight the dragon. The party is rewarded with a summon to use the powerful dragon against their foes and watch as this creature obliterates all in a glorious burning flame.
3. Dark Link (“Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time”)
As Link’s doppelganger, Dark Link is like his good counterpart in every single way, down to tactics, weapons and health. Found as a mini-boss near the end of the infamous Water Temple, Link must dwell the evils inside him and cleanse the evil from his body. The battle is epic, taking place in a horizontal, watery plane as the battle of wills unravels. After whacking, smashing, thrashing and stabbing, Dark Link falls and Link emerges the champion, defeating the darkness inside and prepares himself to save Zelda and Hyrule from the clutches of his nemesis Ganondorf.
2. Anubis (“Zone of the Enders”)
The player will fight Anubis in several locations throughout the game, but the most icon duel between Jehuty and Anubis is when the two Orbital Frames are in transit to the planet mars and are fighting in space moving at speeds faster than light. Anubis was a presence that drove the player to improve their skills because at every turn the player thought they were becoming more powerful; Anubis would appear and essentially defeat the player. His presence motivates the player to become stronger and plow through the game. The battle is an epic and feels like a clash between gods, constantly clashing weapons and ideals until the player finally defeats Anubis. But in classic video game culture, this was not his final form…
1. Kanrethad Ebonlocke (“World of Warcraft”)
This is the most frustrating, difficult and challenging boss I have ever fought against in any game ever. It took me 72 attempts, three days and a lot of frustration to kill this guy. Waiting atop the Black Temple in the Outlands, Kanrethad, a master warlock, has been corrupted by fel magic and has turned himself into a demon that is ready to destroy the planet. It is up to the player to stop this monster alone. This is my top boss because it punishes the player and forces him/her to master their play style. If the 30,000,000 hit points do not intimidate you, then playing perfectly for nearly half an hour will. One mistake will instantly kill you, it is strict but fair and is the most brilliantly designed encounter in any game I have ever play and will likely ever play. This boss is not for the feint of heart and will challenge your very will. Once defeated, the player is rewarded with an aesthetic change, the ability to change the color of their fire from red to fel green. A symbol that proves that you have the power to defeat one of the most powerful creatures in the game alone…