Key things
- Facing each other in final boss battles is common in video games, which makes for an exciting climax.
- Examples include “Black Myth: Wukong,” “Metal Gear Solid,” and “Dark Souls 3,” where players confront versions of themselves.
- The battles reflect internal struggles, moral dilemmas and emotional journeys and provide a unique and often bittersweet conclusion.
Whether moral conflicts or internal battles, final boss battles pitting players against each other are far from uncommon. From the moment the cutscene ends and the player is confronted with himself, as the music grows and grows more and more grandiose – this experience may be all too familiar to avid gamers – but when done right, it's a thrilling climax to any journey.
While it's a trope that's often underappreciated, it's always important to think about the occasions when it's not only been done right, but served as the perfect end to the trip. Whether it's a battle against a physical manifestation of oneself, or a moral dilemma where someone finds themselves fighting their character's own instincts, there are several opportunities for players to come face-to-face with themselves as the final boss.
This article contains major spoilers for all the titles discussed.
1 Black Myth: Wukong
Complete the cycle
After their journey to the West, players may not be surprised to find that their latest enemy is none other than himself The victorious fighting Buddha himself, Sun Wukong. Not only that, but The Destined One, who serves as The protagonist of the game is the last relic needed to make Sun Wukong whole again.
It is characteristically an incredibly fierce opponent that uses all of the player character's tricks against them and forces them to constantly change their playstyle. No tricks that worked on previous Yaoguais will be enough to defeat them The Monkey King alone. The moment is beautifully acted like the previous long boat journey confronts The Destined One with Wukong's past, including his flaws and the Mount Huaguo-sized weight on his shoulders. However, the player must complete the cycle and take on the mantle themselves. It's the bittersweet culmination of a long journey.
Evil clone
Konami the critically acclaimed spy story is no stranger to complex stories and plot twists. When Solid Snake was called out of retirement to infiltrate a remote militia base, he never expected to uncover a conspiracy involving genetic manipulation and evil cloning. However, that's exactly what he got.
At the climax of an exclamation point-filled stealth adventure, Solid Snake is confronted with the fact that he and his evil apparition – Liquid Snake – are both clones of Big Boss. There are few better ways to end a game than with a dramatic boss fight between two genetically enhanced twins.
3 Dark Souls 3
The soul of Cinder
Undertaking this all-too-familiar journey of hardship to connect with the First Flame and prevent the world from falling into eternal darkness sounds pretty good. Dark souls veterans. Somewhere after that thousand deaths, players will finally face the Soul of Cinder and realize that the final boss of Dark Souls 3 is an amalgamation of all the previous souls that have merged with fire.
This includes the protagonist of the first Dark souls and the fighting style of The Soul of Cinder clearly reflects not only some of the previous bosses of the series, but also the players themselves. The resulting clash is a grandiose finale worthy of its conclusion Dark souls trilogy.
4 Mediterranean Shadow Of War: Blade Of Galadriel
Talion's Nazgul flaws
After being separated from Celebrimbor and losing his own version of The One Ring, the Middle Earth the main character of the series Talion he had no choice but to put on one of the damaged men's rings. He subsequently opened himself up to the dark influence of the Dark Lord Sauron, who granted him all sorts of Ring Wraith-based abilities to protect Minas Ithil.
Set shortly after the events of the main game, The Blade of Galadriel expansion pack sees players take control of Eltariel after she teams up with Celebrimbor on her quest to Middle-earth following the fall of The Witch King. All of this leads to a confrontation between her and Talion, who is now corrupted by one of the rings of power and on the verge of succumbing completely to Sauron's corruption. It's a heartbreaking development in Shadow of War's story to witness the protagonist become what he set out to defeat. It's more like laying an ally to rest than defeating the final boss.
5 Shadow Of The Colossus
Consumed with grief
After defeating 16 colossi, the protagonist Wander appears that they had been manipulated into releasing Dorminan ancient evil that subsequently possesses Wander, taking control of their bodies and turning them into a large and dark beast.
After a large void opens, it will try to suck the player inside. It is impossible to escape despite any efforts of the player. It's a tragic climax that forces the player to confront their own unconsciously unjust actions, allowing them to either keep fighting desperately, cling to life and defy the abyss, or give in and end Wander's story.
6 NieR: Automata
It was bound to happen
Having 26 different endings often leads players to end up fighting themselves through a process of elimination. One of the many conclusions to Platinum GamesThe hack-and-slash robot sees the player fight against one of the game's deuteragonists in a highly emotionally charged segment.
It's a tough fight, from various sword slashes across the face to full use of time against A2. It's safe to say that this fast-paced fight requires a lot of preparation, both physical and mental.
7 Devil May Cry 3
Might Controls Everything
Vergil's first “real” outing as a primary antagonist in the series quickly made him a beloved iconic game character. The motivational twin of the franchise's protagonist, Dante, is a complete mirror image of his sibling.
For every fight between the two in the game, Vergil takes what the player has learned and completely uses it against them. in addition to his signature Yamato katana techniques. In the Special Edition, players also have the option to play the game as Vergil. While this has little direct impact on the story and mostly acts as a game changer, it does mean that the player will encounter Dante many times and experience the joy of seeing a spiked rebellion fly straight at them.
8 Mass Effect 3
Citadel Expansion
This expansion full of paranoia on BioWare the iconic space RPG series is a perfect example of why gamers should always consider a potential evil clone when making their own build ridiculously overpowered.
Created by Cerberus as a suitable replacement, this delusional clone's sole purpose is to depose Shepard and completely take over their identities.. Combined with the games already elaborate morality systemit's the perfect identity crisis that culminates in the final boss fight a sinister clone of the player's own Shepard – who will use the player's exact skills and weapons against them in a fierce brawl.
