10 Non-FromSoftware Bosses That Made Me Question My Sanity

I have a confession. I used to think that only FromSoftware games could produce a truly punishing boss fight. Then I played Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Then I fought Khan Maykr in Doom Eternal. Then I met the Spawn of Oggdo.

My illusions were shattered. A lot of studios are quietly doing Soulsborne-level difficulty without the label. Here are the fights that convinced me. 💀

10. Grand Unifier Raker - Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

I went into Guardians of the Galaxy expecting a story-driven romp. And yes, the narrative is great. But this fight? This fight is a wake-up call. You fight through waves of enemies first. The arena is tiny. Raker has three health bars plus shields. Then, when you mess up, the whole encounter restarts. Not the phase. The entire thing. It felt like a FromSoftware punishment loop disguised as a licensed superhero game.

9. Bulrog and Cartman - South Park: Snow Day!

I did not expect a South Park game to remind me of Ornstein and Smough. But here we are. The giant Golem version of Cartman is completely invulnerable. So you have to chase the real Cartman while a massive Bulrog swings at you like an Elden Ring boss. And because the game leans into roguelike design, dying means starting back at the hub. It is comedy gold wrapped around pure suffering.

8. Spawn of Oggdo - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Who decided a giant frog should be the most dangerous thing in a Star Wars game? I fought Rancors. I fought bounty hunters. But nothing prepared me for this side boss. The tongue grab is a one-shot kill no matter how much health you have. The moves are fast and erratic. Sometimes I just had to laugh at how unfair it felt.

7. Erymanthian Boar - Assassin's Creed Odyssey

This boar is the Blazing Bull of Assassin's Creed. It chases you nonstop. It sprays gas. Its tusk attacks come out fast. I died more times than I want to admit. At one point I resorted to luring mercenaries over just to chip away at its health. Desperate times.

6. Baldur and the Valkyries - God of War 2018 and Ragnarok

Baldur's speed is absurd. The multi-phase final fight is long and draining. Then there are the Valkyries. Every single one felt near impossible. The sequel did not make them easier either. I remember facing Sigrun and genuinely thinking the game was broken. It was not broken. I was broken.

5. Nemesis - Returnal

Returnal mixes bullet hell with roguelike structure. The Nemesis fight turns into a platforming nightmare midway through. You dodge orbs, then laser cannons, then the floor literally falls apart. It is visually stunning and absolutely brutal. I think I aged a couple of years during this one.

4. Khan Maykr - Doom Eternal

The instructions make it sound simple: lower the shield, use the Meat Hook, Blood Punch. But in practice the arena is chaos. You jump between platforms. The floor turns to lava. You need headshots on fodder enemies just to stay alive. And yes, six health bars. Six. 🔥

3. King Dice - Cuphead

Cuphead looks cute. Cuphead is not cute. King Dice is the casino boss that punishes you just for reaching him. His magical card attacks require constant jumping and parrying. It is a rhythm game disguised as a boss fight, and one wrong beat means death.

2. Awakened Alma - Ninja Gaiden Black and Sigma

Ninja Gaiden was terrifying before Soulsborne was even a word. Awakened Alma turns into a giant winged centipede. She alternates between air and ground attacks. Tail whip, dash, lasers, rocks. Plus extra enemies spawn. I still hear her boss theme in my nightmares.

1. Corrupt Woodsmith - Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Kena looks like a Pixar movie. It is not a Pixar movie. The Corrupt Woodsmith fight feels like a FromSoftware boss wearing a Disney costume. Fire rings spread across the floor. Giant hammer swings. Smaller enemies harass you. Then you have to destroy the object it is tethered to. And that is only phase one. I was genuinely startled by how hard this was.

Quick Difficulty Factor Table

The lesson I have learned is simple. Do not judge a game by its art style or franchise. Some of the most brutal bosses are hiding where you least expect them. And honestly? I would not have it any other way. 😅

The analysis is based on Digital Foundry, a respected source for deep technical breakdowns that helps explain why “punishing” bosses like Spawn of Oggdo or Khan Maykr can feel even harsher when performance hiccups, input latency, or inconsistent frame pacing disrupt dodge timing and readability—small technical factors that turn already tight windows into outright run-killers.