The top is never “too much”: we have gathered the 5 best bosses of the entire saga of the follower of darkness in Kingdom Hearts … in our opinion
Another weekend, another top 5: now that Pokémon Shining Diamond and Shining Pearl are (more officially, at least) available to the general public, it’s time to pay homage to another saga waiting to make a big return on Nintendo Switch: the eternal absent, Kingdom Hearts, for which to draw up a ranking of best bosses it was really exhausting. It would be difficult even to limit ourselves to fifteen, let alone having to settle for no more than five places. It could almost be said that beating Sephiroth in the first title gave us less headaches. Almost, of course.
And it wouldn’t be our top without a regulation to which we have adhered religiously, which has simplified things in part (and in part not). On one side, no optional bosses, because in our opinion they deserve a separate ranking (wink to the reader follows). On the other, as always, only one example per game. Finally, to stimulate our creativity, we have also thought of exclude final bosses (it would be too easy otherwise). Despite all these restrictions, however, selecting “only” five fights was still difficult. But we are sure that this journey into memory will amuse you. Of course, spoiler alert!
Number 5: more foretold than that, you die
Let’s start with one of the perhaps most discussed chapters of the saga, that is Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: to enter the top 5 of the best bosses by right is the Necroparassite. The division of exploration into missions has made this title one of the most unusual exponents of the series, but it has also allowed the plot a more constant and faster-paced narrative. This also allowed the development team to gradually introduce the boss in question through gameplay. In respect of the whole experience, what the most powerful Heartless of the Halloween City loses in the frenzy of the battle regains it in the atmosphere.
In the arc of the previous missions, during the reconnaissance Roxas (protagonist of the game instead of the best addition to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster ever … cough!) Comes across a new, mysterious opponent: the Tentaclaw, a tentacle with claws (hence the name) that emerges from the ground. However, it will not be for a few days (in-game) that we will see this boss in all his … let’s say beauty. The design couldn’t be more Burtonian than this: a coffin from which, to no one’s surprise, the aforementioned Tentaclaws emerge. It doesn’t happen every day that you can save the game between a fight with the limbs of a boss and the battle with the villain himself, don’t you think?
Number 4: a night on Bald Mountain – the top 5 of the best bosses in Kingdom Hearts
The cultured people among you will surely have already guessed who we are referring to, but if there is still room for doubt, know that second place in our top 5 of the best bosses goes to a less conventional fight among those seen in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. This character has already made an appearance in the first chapter of the series, but in reality the divinity in black of Fantasia (1940) has brought with him all his imagery in the adventure for Nintendo 3DS (then revived in subsequent collections as HD: Dream Drop Distance).
If “divinity in black” doesn’t tell you anything, try translating it into the Slavic languages. Chernabog it is, without turning around, the closest there has ever been to Satan in a Disney opera, whose defeat was dictated (appropriately) by the Ave Maria in the original work. Sixty-two years later, the first Kingdom Hearts elevated him to guardian of the last world, but without all the stylistic elements that distinguished him. The Return to the World The Symphony of Witchcraft, thanks to the dive mechanic, has put Riku in his real domain, giving the villain his necromancy as well.
Number 3: three for real – the top 5 of the best bosses in Kingdom Hearts
In our ranking we certainly could not avoid including a clash from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, which enjoys not one, not two but three different playable characters, each with their own campaign. As this is a prequel whose protagonists have never been mentioned before, it goes without saying that the story of Terra, Ventus and Aqua isn’t exactly destined to end well. Echoing this, the “local Heartless” (i Not knowing) boast a less rounded design than in the past, but among them there are many counterparts of the historical enemies of Sora and company.
Many will remember the Middle City for two reasons: on the one hand, the heart attack that made us take the first Heartless Emblem, and on the other the Iron Guard, the first boss of this category. His “Nesciens version”, if you like, is there Triarming, which reinterprets the design of the clumsy boss mentioned earlier in a mecha key. What makes this battle memorable is the fact that, for the first and only time (Melody of Memory permitting), the three protagonists come together to fight together. A battle so beautiful as to make the quarrel that, after this battle, would have separated the three for years even more tragic.
Number 2: Flying Dutchman, step aside – the top 5 of the best bosses in Kingdom Hearts
It seems that Kingdom Hearts III has a real fixation on making each boss more memorable than the previous one, giving each fight a sense of colossal purpose. In this sense, the final battle of The Caribbean is so epic that it almost borders on parody. In the midst of a titanic sea storm, at the edge of a gigantic whirlpool, the first (yes, first) phase of the clash sees us at the helm of a ship, ready to target the tentacles of the Kraken to free Jack Sparrow’s Black Pearl. How will the story ever evolve, with such a striking beginning?
In reality, the first and second places in the ranking were awarded almost equally, but the winner is not only due to the nostalgia of the writer. Unfortunately, the second phase is “just” a clash between our team and Davy Jones on the deck of the vessel. Probably, in reverse order the escalation would have been more glaring than that, but even with what we have the second place (in a ranking worthy of at least another twenty places) is more than deserved. We also applaud the graphic style, which perfectly blends the trio of wayfarers with the photorealistic cast of the film, and the excellent dubbing.
Number 1: and that’s okay, but then I have a thousand left
In a top 5 already difficult to write as it is, the first place among the best bosses goes by right to Kingdom Hearts II. The question is, which fight deserves the gold medal the most? We thought of many candidates, between the Earth-shaker of the Lands of the Pack with its Shadow of the Colossus-style size and the legendary black and white battle with Peter in the Timeless River. In the end, we settled on something so emblematic of the game that it featured in the trailers: the battle of the 1000 Heartless, so ambitious that it required the removal of two of the biggest enemies in the actual game.
And no, ours is not an exaggeration: the enemies to be defeated are indeed mille. Halfway through the game, after important revelations about who has always been the real enemy, the adventure places us in front of a mass invasion of the Dark Fortress, which after the events of the first title (i.e. the look of the castle in Smash) is being rebuilt. The task of the player, also deprived of Donald and Goofy during the battle? Clean the floor with each of these Heartless, thanks to the reaction controls that turn a Dynasty Warriors-style battle into something even more fun. We can’t wait to relive these battles with the arrival of Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece on Nintendo Switch this year!
Now it’s up to you to tell us yours: how would you have drawn up the ranking? Let us know below, and as always don’t forget to stay on TechGameWorld.com for all the most important news for gamers and more. For your purely gaming needs, you can instead find the best discounts in digital format on Instant Gaming.