The best second phases of gaming boss fights

Key recommendations

• Multi-phase boss fights are increasingly popular, adding layers of challenge.
• Dark Souls 3's Demon Prince, Elden Ring's Rykard, and Elden Ring's Godfrey have outstanding secondary phases.
• From Ludwig in Bloodborne to Ganon in Breath of the Wild, boss fights with unexpected twists keep players on their toes.

Video games often have to find new ways to challenge the player, and one way they've done this since the beginning is with a good old boss fight. Whether it's just a bigger or re-skinned version of enemies you've already fought, or the classic JRPG tradition of fighting the god himself, there are plenty of ways developers can throw a boss at you .

As if that wasn't hard enough, more and more games have jumped on the bandwagon of having you fight a boss with multiple phases. Gruesome mutants, self-repairing robots, and once again, god himself fall into this category. But only the best bosses with a second phase can hit hard enough to earn a title on this list.

10 Demon Prince – Dark Souls 3

Not just any demon

The Dark Souls series is all about its deadly bosses, some of which have power levels far greater than your own respected character. But, few bosses have come close to fighting the Demon Prince in Dark Souls 3.

Part of the Ringed City DLC, Prince of Demons is actually the second phase of a battle that pits you against Demon From Below and Demon In Pain. Whatever you killed last is then transformed into this fiery, winged icon of evil. A dramatic moment in any game, of course.

9 Rykard – Elden Ring

It devours even the gods

He may not be the boss you think of most when the Elden Ring appears, but Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy definitely earns his place for his strange and restless phase. One that people still quote today.

Fighting a giant snake in an underground volcano full of corpses is already pretty over the top, but halfway through the fight there's the infamous Elden Ring scene. Rykard himself is part snake, with strange arms and a sword made of tentacles. Indeed, a second phase that will leave you puzzled and scared at the same time.

8 Saren – Mass effect

A Reaper doll?

Turian member Specter has gone rogue. He was the first major boss in the Mass Effect series, aside from the menacing Reapers of course. Fighting another special agent in the galaxy was not meant to be an easy fight, but few thought what phase two would bring them into this fight.

Just when you think the fight is over, the Reaper and geth forces have another thing to say, turning Saren into a metal zombie eager to finish his fight with you. It was a moment that really solidified how much the Reapers were willing to use other beings in their fight against the galaxy.

7 Laxasia (P's Lies)

Armor is to your advantage

Lies Of P has its fair share of good lore and deadly bosses to fight that make it a well received Soulslike. Such a deadly boss takes the game to electrifying new heights.

It's easy to see why Laxasia The Complete's spiked armored figure is Manus' sword-wielding right hand. But after dodging her attacks and dealing some damage, the fight takes a turn. You know you're not in for a good time when the boss gets stronger by removing his armor.

6 Guardian Ape – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

No monkey business here

Fighting a giant, sword-wielding ape feels pretty par for the course in Sekiro and most other soul games, but this was one boss fight that took almost everyone by surprise. The first phase is pretty wild, with the monkey moving around the ravine quite erratically.

But, the real surprise is after you decapitate the creature. As you start to walk away, the monster's corpse begins to writhe, only for it to grab its own severed head and renew its attack with even more wild attacks. A boss that fights even after being decapitated definitely deserves a spot on this list.

5 Godfrey – Elden Ring

He doesn't need weapons

With its wild arrangement of bosses and the sheer amount of players Elden Ring brings to the ranks of souls, Elden Ring has more than a few fantastic two-stage fights like Godfrey, the first Elder Lord.

The first part of the fight is pretty tough, with Godfrey's giant ax swinging and his impressive speed for a large character. The second is something else entirely, as he slays his spectral lion companion Sarosh, unleashing his fury and taking you on empty-handed.

4 Ganon – The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Not your grandfather's Ganon

The Legend Of Zelda games have been around for decades. With as many changes as they've made since the first games, one thing they've never shied away from is throwing a boss at Link to test his skills.

Ganon being the usual villain in question. However, Breath Of The Wild took the classic Ganon fight to new heights. After being thoroughly beaten, Ganon makes a rather dramatic change, transforming into Calamity Ganon, with a multitude of weapon-wielding arms and creepy glowing eyes. Which looks more like something out of a horror game than a Zelda one.

3 Karl Heisenberg – Resident Evil Village

Not Groovy

Resident evil: Village has at times taken a rather odd approach to the Resident Evil series, which are a group of games that aren't above being over the top, especially when it comes to bosses. In this game of evil dolls and Dracula-like castles, it takes a lot for an enemy to stand out.

Heisenberg does just that. The fact that he can move metal objects with his mind is something that makes him quite difficult to fight, but once injured, he fuses with various military supplies to become a large metal monster. It's a pretty big change, and one that honestly fits the overall Resident Evil themes quite well.

2 Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough – Dark Souls

Two knights are better than one

As if one boss fight wasn't enough, some games have started adding two bosses to fight at the same time. Dark Souls was one of the first to pull this off, and it drew a lot of ire as well.

The fight against Ornstein and Smough was tough from the start, with both knights having their own unique moveset to oversee. Once one of them is killed, the other reacts accordingly by becoming tougher and redoubled its efforts. Just in case you thought you were going to get off easy.

1 Ludwig – Bloodborne

No riding around

There have been few games that have taken the concept of boss fights to the levels that Bloodborne has. A choice for fans of the Soulborne series and beyond. Fans have different opinions about their favorite bosses.

But when it comes to phase two bosses, Ludwig definitely earns his spot on this list. Fighting the rotting equine monster that Ludwig once was is tough enough, but a scene mid-fight makes him take on a semblance of who he once was. Wielding his moonlight sword, his whole demeanor changes and you realize how much of a fight you have on your hands.