Nintendo Super Mario is one of the most successful gaming franchises of all time, and the series wouldn’t be where it is today without compelling boss fights that match the franchise’s impressive level design and gameplay mechanics. Super Mario has taken some creative directions with its many boss fights, some of which are gargantuan versions of regular enemies while others are pure nightmare fuel and feel like they should be in darker games.

THE Super Mario The series has plenty of tough platforming challenges, but those obstacles often spill over into epic boss fights. There’s nothing wrong with having a boss that poses a significant challenge, but there are a few Super Mario battles that truly exhaust the player’s patience and require multiple attempts before victory is achieved.

Updated August 21, 2024 by Antonio Samson: Over the years, Mario has had to face a multitude of unique and interesting bosses. Although Super Mario is intended to be played by people of all ages, some of these boss fights can be frustrating and difficult. This article has been updated to include more boss fights and to meet CBR’s editorial and formatting standards.

15 Major Burrows’ dizzying rotation

A battle of speed and disorientation

Super Mario Galaxy is famous for its imaginative level design and gravity-defying mechanics, which extend to its boss encounters. Major Burrows is one such boss, an oversized Monty Mole digging through the small planetoid Mario must move. The fight starts out simple enough, with Mario having to pound the ground to force Major Burrows out of his tunnels. However, as the fight progresses, the difficulty increases considerably.

Major Burrows becomes enraged after each successful hit, increasing his speed and aggression. He begins to chase Mario frantically, leaving the player little time to react. The narrow, circular platforms and shifting gravity make it easy to lose track of Mario’s orientation, adding a layer of disorientation to the fight. The player must also avoid falling off the edges of the planetoid, which will result in instant defeat.

14 King Olly’s Crushing Challenge

A marathon of puzzles and strategy

THE Paper Mario The series has long been a fan favorite for its unique blend of RPG mechanics, humor, and inventive boss battles. The King of Origami presents King Olly as the main antagonistt, and its final boss fight is nothing short of a marathon. This multi-phase fight tests the player’s strategic thinking, puzzle-solving abilities, and resource management to their limits.

The fight against King Olly begins with a complex ring puzzle where Mario must rotate and slide rings to effectively align attacks and defenses. Each phase of the fight introduces new mechanics and obstacles, forcing players to adapt quickly. For example, King Olly can fold into various origami shapes, each with powerful attacks and weaknesses. The player must decipher the best strategies to counter each form, while managing their health, items, and special abilities.

13 The Relentless Wrath of King Bob-omb

A revamped opponent

The original Super Mario 64 was revolutionary for its time, and its boss fights, while simple by today’s standards, were iconic. Super Mario 64 DSThe developers have revisited these classic encounters, add new layers of challenge and complexity. King Bob-omb, one of the first bosses players face, gets a significant upgrade in this release, going from a tutorial-level boss to a truly tough opponent.

King Bob-omb’s attacks were limited to slow movements and simple grabs in the original game. However, in Super Mario 64 DShe becomes much more aggressive, throwing explosive minions at Mario and charging at increased speeds. The once spacious battlefield now feels much tighter, with the added challenge of evading these explosive minions while trying to catch King Bob-omb and throw him.

12 The Intimidating Invasion of the Broodal Family

A gauntlet of unique enemies

Super Mario Odyssey is known for its creativity and variety of challenges, especially in its boss fights. The Broodal family, who serve as Bowser’s wedding planners, are a recurring threat throughout the game, with each member presenting a unique set of challengesThe final showdown against the four members of the Broodal family is a true test of skill, endurance and adaptability.

Each Broodal has a distinct fighting style: Topper overwhelms them with quick attacks and multiple hats; Harriet bombards them with explosive projectiles; Rango uses his long limbs to create long-range attacks; and Spewart floods the battlefield with toxic sludge. Individually, these fights require precision and quick reflexes, but the final challenge against all four members is the one that really comes into its own.

11 The relentless assault of Boom Boom and Pom Pom

The growing aggression of the dynamic duo

Super Mario 3D Land features a dynamic boss duo, Boom Boom and Pom Pom, who appear multiple times throughout the game, with each encounter becoming progressively more difficult. Boom Boom, the big brute, uses brute force to try to crush Mario, while Pom Pom, his more agile partner, uses ninja-like attacks and clones herself to confuse the player.

At first, the battles against Boom Boom and Pom Pom are simple, with Mario needing to dodge their attacks and land hits when vulnerable. However, as the game progresses, the duo becomes more coordinated and aggressive. Boom Boom’s ground slams and spinning attacks create shockwaves that limit Mario’s movements, while Pom Pom’s shuriken throws and teleportation make it difficult to predict his next move.

10 The Three Fierce Little Pig Heads

A challenge inspired by fairy tales

Super Mario Land 2: 6 gold coins is remarkable Mario game for the original Game Boy, primarily known for its introduction of Wario as the final boss. Wario is a tough final boss fightbut there’s an equally aggravating obstacle at the end of the game, the intimidating Mario Zone.

The Three Little Pigs is a boss fight inspired by the traditional fairy tale, The three little pigs. This boss fight takes place in three stages, with Mario facing off against Buro, Bucho, and Bupon in turn. What makes this boss fight so brutal is that each of these pigs uses a different attack method and a new pattern and speed to memorize on the fly.

9 Bowser in the sky is a tough confrontation

The final battle is the ultimate test

Super Mario 64 The game has incredible level design, but most of the boss fights are on the easier side. The only real challenge is Mario’s constant battles with Bowser. Super Mario 64 features three Bowser boss fights, but the last one—Bowser in the Sky—is the most difficult of the bunch. Super Mario 64Mario’s previous Bowser boss fights must successfully launch Bowser into one of the five spiked spheres which surround the arena.

Meanwhile, Bowser creates shockwaves, breathes fire, and gradually destroys the battle arena. It’s already a challenge to survive these many attacks, but it can be even more difficult to successfully hit one of the spiked spheres.

8 The Menacing Encounter with the Shadow Queen

A dark and punishing finale

Nintendo Paper Mario The series has come a long way since its origins on the Nintendo 64. The GameCube Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door features the evil Shadow Queen as his ultimate evil; in the game’s final fight, She owns Princess Peach. The Shadow Queen is a surprisingly punishing boss fight that is easy to fail without the right combat stats.

Players who do not properly manage their health, flower points, and badge power will find the Shadow Queen nearly impossible to defeat. The same goes for players who do not rely on Vivian as their Paper Mario partner. On top of everything else, the Shadow Queen is a long-winded fight that becomes increasingly difficult each time it is tackled.

7 The Electrifying Duel of Phantamanta

A shocking battle for survival

Super Mario Sunshine It was a big swing, and it’s one of the hardest Super Mario 100% games. Hotel Delfino features a straightforward but difficult boss fight with Phantamanta, a massive ghost manta ray that leaves a trail of electrical substance in its wake. Phantamanta splits under direct hits from Mario’s FLUDD device and the challenge becomes to negotiate around multiple mantas that further pollute the playing field.

Being electrocuted by electrical substance is one of the most frustrating ways to take damage. Super Mario SunshineSome tough boss fights are at least a fun challenge, but there’s no joy to be had against Phantamanta.

6 The Battle of the Stone-Fisted Bouldergeist

A Ghostly Challenge on Daredevil Comet

Super Mario Galaxy offers more difficult versions of its already tough boss fights when it comes to its Daredevil Comet versions, where Mario must be victorious without taking a single hit of damage. Super Mario Galaxy‘s Bouldergeist is a complex challenge from the start, but its Daredevil Comet version is on a whole other level.

This resilient rock ghost reveals his true form after being successfully hit by three Boo Bombs. Chaining these projectiles together is no easy feat, especially when dodging the myriad of boulders, spikes, and gargantuan rock fists that attack Mario.

5 Cackletta’s Perilous Soul Challenge

A grueling final fight with low health

THE Mario and Luigi The franchise has become a more ambitious alternative to the Paper Mario games. The final boss of the Game Boy Advance Mario and Luigi: the saga of superstars is one of the most difficult fights in the entire franchise. This final fight begins with Cackletta Drain Mario and Luigi to 1 HP and launch a huge attack on them that is fatal if the player does not heal immediately.

In Cackletta’s Soul, Mario and Luigi destroy Cackletta’s arms and head to expose her heart. The challenge here is that Cackletta’s Soul heals itself gradually, so the player must repeat this repetitive process of removing the boss’s limbs so that the real target is available for attack.

4 Gobblegut’s Fiery Gauntlet

A passionate reinterpretation of a classic Boss

THE Super Mario Galaxy games find inventive ways to return to previous boss fights, but in a more difficult context. In theory, Super Mario Galaxy 2The Fiery Gobblegut isn’t that different from the regular Gobblegut, but the addition of fire turns a tedious task into a truly difficult boss fight.

Mario needs Eliminate Fiery Gobblegut’s six bulging weak points while simultaneously dodging the lava pools and fire rains that dominate the fight. Mario doesn’t have much room to maneuver his way through all of this, so each lava pool is seriously felt. Fiery Gobblegut also attacks at a progressively more relentless speed, which doesn’t help at all either.

3 Culex’s Elemental Terror

An optional combat nightmare

Super Mario RPG was a joint effort between Squaresoft and Nintendo that comfortably combined the worlds and mechanics of Super Mario And Final Fantasy. Smithy is Super Mario RPGThe final boss is a serious challenge, but the game’s hardest fight is thankfully completely optional.

Culex is an additional boss fight that will earn Mario’s team the Quartz Charm if they succeed, but such a victory is easier said than done. Culex’s HP is over 4000but he is also aided by four Elemental Crystals, each with a comparable health, which help him unleash a wide range of special attacks that will quickly wipe out Mario’s party without the right defense.

2 The fearsome confrontation between Bowser and X

An extreme endurance test

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Story includes one of the most difficult Bowser boss fights in Mario game history. Bowser X is an optional boss that serves as the final obstacle after Mario and Luigi have defeated all the other upgraded X bosses. Nothing about this boss fight is easy, whether it’s Bowser X’s Scandalous Health: Over 7,000 Points or the fact that the player must defeat him in 35 turns.

Bowser X’s extreme HP allows him to take heavy damage, but he can also deal multiple attacks that will defeat the player in one hit. Bowser X also eats one of the player’s partners and does not return them for five turns, making him considerably easier to lose.

1 The Chaotic Clash of Meowser

A frantic battle of speed and precision

Super Mario 3D WorldThe Cat Suit power-up is one of the game’s main selling points, and even Bowser gets in on the chaos. The fight against Meowser becomes a difficult endurance exercise where the screen automatically scrolls forward and eliminates Mario and his companions if they are not fast enough. Bowser launches devastating attacks as soon as he is nearby, but he also spawns malicious copies of himself to confuse the player.

Using a Catsuit makes scaling the environment a little easier, but it’s still a challenge. Super Mario 3D World allows for four-player mayhem, but this Meowser battle actually becomes more difficult if the player has a full team, as the platforms to traverse are limited.