JRPGs are known for featuring everything from world-bending plots to incredible super moves that are absolutely dazzling to behold. The sheer level of spectacle and polish present in JRPGs make them a ton of fun to play through, withthe combat being engaging no matter what. However, there are times when the challenge of these encounters can become a bit too stressful, especially when it comes to the many optional bosses that these games tend to have.
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In fact, some people find it infinitely frustrating to try and take down powerful superbosses when there is no real incentive to do so apart from bragging rights. The game can be completed regardless by fighting a boss that is more balanced and more fun to fight. Meanwhile,the following optional boss fights in JRPGscan either be unfair or extremely boring to fight and simply aren’t worth the time and effort players need to invest to conquer these foes.
8Galdera (Octopath Traveler)
Galdera is easilyone of the most important bosses in the entire game, with its existence tying into the stories of all eight protagonists. So, it’s rather odd that this figure is actually a hidden superboss instead of one of the main figures in the game.
The entire party needs to be decked out to even stand a chance against Galdera. This deity hits like a truck in both forms and is loaded with HP, and the battle is so long that most players won’t be faulted for giving up in the middle despite making good progress.
7Yiazmat (Final Fantasy 12)
Yiazmat isone of the most grueling boss battles in JRPG history. The boss can take so long to beat that players can just take a break mid-fight before getting back into the action once again!
The boss has more than 50 million hitpoints, making it an absolute pain to fight. Most players won’t be faulted for respecting their own time and going back to the game’s main story or trying out more legitimate hunts instead.
6Lavenza (Persona 5)
ThePersonaseries is known for its extremely difficult superboss encounters, andthe latest title is no exception to this golden rule.Persona 5has a pretty tough encounter with the twins Caroline & Justine, whilePersona 5 Royaladds another tough encounter against Lavenza.
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Both fights are pretty challenging, but the Lavenza fight can certainly make players tear their hair out if they make a single mistake. Setting up resistances and slowly whittling down Lavenza’s HP is paramount to ensure that players can take her out after a lengthy battle, and some people will understandably not be interested in taking up such a challenge… especially when they need to go through the entire game in New Game+ to even unlock this battle!
5Emerald Weapon (Final Fantasy 7)
TheFinal Fantasyseries is no stranger to its fair share of imposing superbosses, especially when it comes to its most popular entry.Final Fantasy 7features two of the most infamous optional bosses in gaming history — Ruby Weapon and Emerald Weapon.
The latter is easily the most challenging boss of the game, coming with an attack that punishes players for equipping too much materia and a timer that puts even more pressure on players to take out this boss without wasting a single beat. The entire game is relatively a cakewalk when compared to this superboss, and it’s easy to see why people might not be interested in tackling this threat at all!
4Demi-fiend (Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga)
The Demi-fiend is one of the most iconic characters in JRPG history, and the thirdSMTgame isn’t the only place where he’s made an appearance. However, the other appearance isn’t something that is really worth being proud of.
The Demi-fiend appears as a superboss inShin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Sagaand players can only encounter this foe in New Game+. If that wasn’t annoying enough as is, the encounter itself is a downright nightmare that will test a player’s mastery of this title to its very limits.
3Ozma (Final Fantasy 9)
Ozma is a challenging superboss inFinal Fantasy 9,one of the best games in the series. While the battle against the other optional boss Hades is still somewhat manageable, the same can’t be said for Ozma.
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Players need to do the Chocobo Hot & Cold sidequest to even find this boss, and they should also do the friendly monsters sidequest to weaken this foe. Both these sidequests are pretty boring to accomplish as is, and being rewarded with a boss that will punish the player extensively doesn’t sound all that great either.
2Lingering Will (Kingdom Hearts 2)
The real-time action combat present inKingdom Heartswas a breath of fresh air back when it was released. However, most people argue that the second game makes people rue this combat system when they have to fight Lingering Will, the game’s hardest boss.
This optional encounter will make player sweat as they try and beat this boss down without Sora losing his life. It’s a nerve-wracking encounter that is so stressful that some people might not even find this fight worth checking out in the first place!
1Penance (Final Fantasy 10)
Final Fantasy 10features some of the hardest superbosses in the series, with the Dark Aeons being pretty annoying to fight in their own right. However, none of them hold a candle to the sheer menace of Penance.
Penance is the hardest encounter in the game, mandating a grind that willturnFinal Fantasy 10into an absolute slog. Unless players are determined to beat this boss down, they’re better off just ignoring it entirely.
