Summary
Ever since its debut onthe PlayStation in 1996, theResident Evilfranchise has become known for a multitude of different things. From codifying the survival horror genre to forging a unique blend of fear and action,Resident Evilis truly one of the most innovative franchises on the market, and one of its most remarkable feats is its ability to create outstanding boss encounters.
From the iconic battle with Tyrant at the end of the original game, all the way to the climactic finale against Eveline inResident Evil 7, Capcom’s horror franchise has proven itself to be rather adept at crafting engaging boss encounters. These games have proven to beResident Evilat its best, with a varied roster of bosses, from human enemies to monstrous creations born out of wicked science.
Despite the franchise beginning to veer into a more heavy action focus, with little to no emphasis on the white-knuckle horror that defined the series,Resident Evil 6is still one of the most compelling entries that the series has to offer. Set across four campaigns with interweaving stories, this epic, globe-trotting adventure pits Leon and the other heroes against some of the most fearsome, terrifying bosses the franchise has ever seen.
Capcom’s shift from pure horror to more of a blockbuster approach works brilliantly, as the natural conclusion to the franchise at the time was escalating the stakes. As a result,the boss battles are afantastic mix of spectacle and classic Capcom design. Fights start somewhat low-key, in contained areas, but later encounters against a mutated Simmons take the game into larger arenas. Meanwhile, the fights against Carla Radames and Deborah Harper lean into the franchise’s long-running focus on human tragedy.
When the originalResident Evilwas remade for theNintendo GameCube in 2002, it wasn’t just a simple high-definition makeover. Remade from the ground up,Resident Evilfor the GameCube is faithfully restored and, in many ways, improved on the original. One of the ways it did so was with the boss battles, which were a highlight of the original, made even better in this updated version.
Plant 42 is even more horrifying than before, as this huge mass of vegetation is one of the game’s most frightening encounters, while a brand-new fight with a haunting Crimson Head adds some freshness to the game. Additionally, the new versions of a slithering nightmare named Yawn, a giant spider named Black Tiger, and the outstanding final battle with Tyrant, retain their charm and sense of utter dread.
Conceived as a way to introduce Sega fans to the series,Resident Evil Code:Veronicawasdeveloped for the Dreamcastand to this day, is still one of the franchise’s most fascinating entries. One of the reasons for that is its spectacular gallery of bosses, which runs the gamut from mutated humans to towering monsters.
In classicResident Evilfashion,Code:Veronicameshes bosses born out of tragedy with legitimate nightmares, as evidenced by Steve Burnside’s transformation from a lovesick young man with a crush on Claire Redfield into a monstrous creature.Code:Veronicais one of the last traditionalResident Evilgames before the franchise transitioned into fully 3D over-the-shoulder perspectives, a title featuring tank controls and fixed cameras in 3D environments. As a result, the boss encounters feel decidedly different from future games, with fights against Alexia Ashford and Tyrant becoming much more intimidating due to their limited point of view.
After taking a short break from the series following the sixth entry, Capcom opted to go for a sort of soft reboot for the next game and put all their effort intoResident Evil 7: Biohazard. All told,Biohazardfeatures four major bosses for a total of six fights, which is remarkably low for the franchise. When taken together, the totality of the game’s boss fights isn’t as large as previous entries, but that’s part of what makes them all so fantastic.
It’s the gaps between the bosses, the moments of tension and quiet dread, that lead so brilliantly into the next, that really makes everything come together. All the encounters withthe deranged Baker familyare harrowing moments of survival mixed with trauma, as Jack’s progression from a man into a monster is classicResident Evil. Meanwhile, the explosive finale against Eveline is one of the most memorable final bosses inResident Evilhistory, as it combines the huge spectacle with personal, intimate stakes.
To push the franchise into new, daring directions, Capcom and director Shinji Mikami createdResident Evil 4, taking the action out of the confines of Umbrella and intoa small, haunting villagein rural Spain. This action-packed, blockbuster thrill ride went on to become one of the most influential games of all time, and its terrific roster of bosses is just one of the many reasons why that is.
Each boss feels unique and varied, as fighting Del Lago in murky swamp waters is a far cry from toppling the humongous El Gigante. The encounter with the sinister Bitores Mendez inside a crumbling slaughterhouse is still one of the franchise’s most epic fights while defeating the demented Salazar and his mutated form feels incredibly satisfying. Add in the final fight with the monstrous final form of Osmund Saddler on top of a steel tower, as well as a bloody face-off with soldier-turned-monster Jack Krauser, and players have one of the most outstanding boss encounters in the series.
After numerous requests and petitions, Capcom finally gave fans what they wanted and put a full remake ofResident Evil 2into production. While it stayed fairly faithful to the original, it also instituted some changes for the better, and the boss battles were massively improved. Thanks to the advancements in technology made since thegame’s original release in 1998, Capcom was able to put extra special attention and care intoResident Evil 2’s iconic roster of bosses.
William Birkin’s sinister transformation from a desperate scientist into a horrific monster is one of the key figures, as his tragic downfall is punctuated by some incredible encounters with both Claire and Leon throughout the game. Thanks to the game’s split campaign, where players can choose either Claire or Leon, some bosses remain exclusive to one character. Leon has some nasty confrontations with a vile sewer alligator and Super Tyrant, while Claire goes toe-to-toe with one of the final forms of William Birkin in the NEST lab.
