Top 10 most iconic bosses we'll never forget

Behind every great hero, is an even greater mastermind looking to do some fairly questionable things. Whether that be ruling the world, or just watching it burn, these guys and gals will do anything to succeed. That's most evident in that final confrontation - the ultimate battle between good and evil.

We're going to be counting down our Top 10 most iconic bosses - and we'll be looking at the most creative, most innovative battles, and simply the most iconic baddies the gaming world has ever produced.

10. The Master (Fallout)

For a post-apocolyptic wasteland filled with all manners of bizarre and brutish creatures to encounter, fight and runaway from, it's no doubt that the Fallout series has no end of creative combatants.

However for any old school fans of the series, there's one boss which will leave a lasting impression, and who's influence has been felt in every game since.

Introducing, The Master - a horrifically mutated biomass which is not quite human, not quite mutant, not quite machine.

He's got everything; a tragic backstory, a diabolical plan for world domination and his own cult who view him as a god. Oh, and an army of super-mutants controlled via a hive mind. It was

The Masters plan to mutate every living creature which resulted in the super mutants, and who's lineage is felt in every single game, with every title making a number of references to this - grotesque blob.

9. Archdemon (Dragon Age)

We all love a good fight against some big ol' scaled beast, right? However for a series called 'Dragon Age' - there aren't actually a whole lot of dragons. We're not disappointed by that - it means that the ones we do come across really stick out - none more so than the Archdemon.

Equal parts god, tainted abomination and fire-breathing leviathan, we're sure you can imagine that this guy (or gal) is going to put you through your paces, and be an important reference point for the entire series.

Lone heroics won't topple this monster, and it will require you to fight one of the most unique boss battles in gaming history - a fight the entire game so far has had an influence on.

All those factions you've sweet talked will happily lend a hand as you lead a fight which is half action, half real time strategy.

8. Final Colossus (Shadow of the Colossus)

He's a big boy, alright (Picture: Sony Computer Entertainment)

Let's face it - in terms of bosses - bigger is almost always better. To date we can't think of a series which has brought such monolithic battles to life quite like Shadow of the Colossus.

Throughout the game you'll fight against some titanic creations, which are just as intricate as they are awe-inspiring. This all leads up to one final battle; the ultimate test, the fight of fights, the big cheese; Malus.

Towering as high as Big Ben, and weighing in at - well we're not to sure but it's probably a lot, Malus is a formidable foe. Even simply scaling his vast body will be a puzzle in itself, resulting in the grandest boss in a game filled with one of remarkably epic battles.

7. Sephiroth (Final Fantasy)

Throughout gaming, we've faced off against our fair share of 'tragic edgelord' bosses - but they're all a pale comparison to Final Fantasy's Sephiroth.

With a god complex, messiah complex and Oedipus complex all rolled into one stylish package, and plenty of war-crimes and morally questionable actions under his belt, Sephiroth will certainly tick the boxes for those of you who enjoy a villain who's one big tightly wound ball of anxiety and insecurities.

In terms of the character itself, he's got a fantastic 'fall from grace' development arc which gives reasonable steps in his descent into madness. Well - maybe some of those steps were in fact leaps, but you get the idea.

From an idolised war veteran to the guy who burned down and butchered the residents of his home town - Sephiroth has shown he's a force to be reckoned with, and will be as iconic as he is well groomed in the eyes of any Final Fantasy fan.

We're also fairly sure he's the only boss on this list who's left handed. So that's interesting, but please don't fact check us.

6. Dracula (Castlevania)

Sure, Sephiroth has that whole 'complex and dark' thing going for him, and it suits him. But up next we've got the boss that's been taking that whole vibe to the next level for over 30 years in gaming, and is exactly the kind of malevolent overlord Sephiroth wished he could be - the Count de Ville himself - Dracula.

So how did the Lord of Darkness come to be? According to the games, it's a tale as old as time itself. The classic case of a tragic death of the wife, descent into insanity, being turned into a vampire, building a fortress of solitude, causing some beef with Vampire Slayers. Et cetera, et cetera.

Dracula's appearances through the series have been truly iconic, and with each resurrection he becomes more sinister, more formidable, and seemingly more unkillable. That is until the series' creators killed him off. Why Konami would do away with the most renowned Vampire of all time as their series main antagonist? Well, that's entirely up to them.

5. Cyberdemon (Doom series)

Throughout the years, Cyberdemon always looked badass (Picture: Bethesda, PixelVulture)

You can imagine that among the denizens in the depths of Hell, there's sure to be some pretty twisted, pretty terrifying beasts - and you'd be absolutely right. But none are more warped, weird and woeful as the Cyberdemon from the Doom series.

To put it simply, and to quote the Manual of Doom 2; 'A missile-launching Skycraper with goat legs. 'Nuff said'. But for those of you that have had the ill-fortune to run into the behemoth during your travels - you know that simple description doesn't do the Cyberdemon justice.

Having made an appearance in every Doom game so far, and hailed as one of the most difficult encounters during your romp to hell and back, this monstrous foe represents the series to a tee - equal parts cybernetic weapon of war as it is bloodthirsty, terror of the depths. Even if you've yet to try a game in the series, watching someone fight one of these brutes is the perfect way to show what you're going to be in for when you adopt the mantle of the Doom Slayer.

4. Diablo (Diablo series)

Did we elude to the Cyberdemon being the most formidable and iconic boss Hell has to offer? Let's redact that for a second and talk about what's really the most recognisable resident of the fiery abyss.

Let's look at Al'Diabolos the Lord of Terror; or simply 'Diablo' if you're on a first name basis.

Now where do we begin with Diablo? His penchant for possessing humans? His unsatisfiable urge to bring terror to every crack and crevice in the universe? That annoying lightening breath thing he does which has been the bane of many an adventurer?

What you have to consider with Diablo is that he is evil in its purest forms. To get all lore-ey on you for a moment - Diablo was born from one of the heads of the absolute incarnation of evil.

He's just bad to the bone - but he isn't satisfied with that. His primary aim is to combine himself with all the evil in the universe and become the rid the world of - well - everything.

It's kind of like how power rangers combine to make one big monster fighting mech - just not as kid friendly.

3. Ganon (Legend of Zelda)

(Photo: Nintendo)

There really does seem to be a trend with iconic bosses resurrecting as they choose to come back and wreak havoc upon the land so far, with the likes of Diablo and Dracula - and up next we've got a similar story.

For just as long as there is a Zelda game, there will be Ganon, as all their fates are intertwined in one sprawling web of destiny.

Just for those of you who are unfamiliar with Ganon - and hey, we aren't judging - Ganon is essentially driven by his longing to harness the power of the Triforce, and rule the kingdom of Hyrule.

Now we could go on and on and dissect his motives, and piece together his backstory, but we're going to step away from that for a second and just look at what he means as a 'boss'.

Throughout the series, Ganon is nearly always your very last encounter. And as Link adapts, so does Ganon, leading to a huge range of different fights, and a very different tactic each time.

All Zelda fans will have their very favourite Ganon fight, from the simplicity of the older games, to the sheer immensity in Breath of the Wild. The fights are instantly recognisable, and a quintessential final hurdle for each and every Link to overcome.

2. Bowser

So long King Bowser (Photo: Nintendo)

A lot of these bosses will pop up time and time again throughout their game series, and may even warrant a few appearances in a spinoff or two, but none have had quite as many credits to their name as Mario's second oldest adversary - Bowser.

As far as recognisable bosses, Bowser certainly takes the crown. We're going to tell you this now - he even beats our number one spot in that regard.

Any gamer in the world will see this half Koopa, half ox - yes that was what he was designed around, you can go ahead and look that up - and they'll immediately jump to some formidable fights against this princess pinching piece of work.

Over the years Bowser has shown up time and time again, to carry out his diabolical plan - which is almost always identical - only to have his hopes dashed by everyone's favourite Italian plumber. Oh, and Luigi.

Even though the premise is always in the same vein, it still works, and we still love it. A fine example of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.

The popularity for Bowser was taken far and beyond the role of 'final boss', and he's made appearances doing - well - everything. He's a tennis player, he's a footballer, he's a motorsport enthusiast, a pinball player, a golfer, swimmer, runner, and absolutely everything in-between.

By far the most recognisable face on the list, and also the most multi-talented.

1. Soulsborne

So we've talked about how the games themselves are the ultimate 'final boss' for any hardened gamer, yet there are so many brilliant examples of fights which made us look back at everything on this list and think 'well that wasn't that difficult at all!'.

Whether it's the gruesomely unsettling visage of the gaping dragon, the monstrously malformed Ludwig the Accursed or the tag team wombo combo of Ornstein and Smough that made many a gamer's sanity wane.

Along with those we've the brutally unforgiving Artorious the Abysswalker and his sword wielding hell-hound Sif, the epic battle against the Nameless King and his pet dragon, and the downright misery inducing clash against the Orphan of Kos. The bosses come in all shapes and sizes, all levels of power and utilise all manners of tactics to grind players into a bloody pulp. Every player will have

Needless to say, all of these nefarious ne'er do wells will certainly leave a mark; be it physically, emotionally or mentally.

And whilst we may dread another run in with some of the more formidable sorts; we'll always relish the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with some of the most epic and enduring bosses in gaming history.