The Resident Evil franchise revolutionized the survival horror genre in 1996 when the first entry in the series hit stores. The franchise has since had a plethora of releases on numerous different consoles, including critically acclaimed titles such as Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 4, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
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Resident Evil has become an iconic horror franchise in not only gaming but in the entire entertainment industry as a whole. Along with the series' trend to offer excellent level design, enjoyable gameplay mechanics, and hard-to-solve puzzles, Resident Evil is also known for its memorable and often difficult boss encounters, featuring some of the most powerful bosses in gaming history.
Updated on July 21, 2021, by Jack Pursey: Challenging boss fights have always been a staple of the gaming industry, though sadly, many games today are deciding against implementing tough bosses – either by removing them completely or having bosses that are underwhelmingly simple to beat. This is a great shame, as the satisfaction of finally defeating a punishingly difficult boss is always a fantastic feeling. Thankfully, there are still some franchises like Resident Evil that are continuing the trend of topping levels off with a tricky boss fight. So, to shine a spotlight on some more of Resident Evil's most intimidating foes, we've expanded this list by a further five entries.
10 Mother Miranda
Mother Miranda is proof that the Resident Evil series is showing no signs of simplifying its boss fights, as the powerful enemy is part of the franchise's latest main series entry, Resident Evil: Village.
The build to the Mother Miranda boss fight is fantastic, as she is mentioned throughout the game in terms of endearment, fear, and respect. This does an excellent job of planting the idea in the player's mind that she'll be the game's toughest challenge, and the fight itself doesn't disappoint.
9 Queen Leech
The Resident Evil series has had so many bosses that are mutated forms of humans that it's almost a cliché at this point. Still, the common occurrence has provided some memorable fights over the years, with the battle against Queen Leech being one of the best.
Queen Leech is a boss in 2002's Resident Evil 0 and 2007's Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles,providing a tough challenge in both games. Mutated bosses were still a relatively fresh concept in Resident Evil 0, making Queen Leech's transformation terrifying at the time.
8 U-3
Resident Evil 4 is still considered by many to be one of the best horror games of all time. The game switched camera perspectives and gameplay styles, offering a more action-orientated experience. This risky change paid off, as Resident Evil 4 remains one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time, with an eye-watering Metascore of 96.
Although the game leans more towards action than horror, there are still some terrifying encounters. One such encounter is U-3, a powerful boss that takes an entire arsenal to kill. The boss itself isn't all that players need to worry about, as half of the fight takes place on a series of platforms that are dropping after a set time, significantly ramping up the intensity of the fight.
7 Verdugo
From one Resident Evil 4 boss to another, Verdugo is one of two Bio Organic Weapons that serve as a right-hand man to Ramon Salazar. The Verdugo in question is the red-cloaked Verdugo that Leon encounters in the sewer.
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Like the aforementioned U-3, the arena where Leon fights the red-cloaked Verdugo ramps up the challenge. The fight takes place in tight, narrow spaces, forcing players to temporarily freeze the boss in hopes of surviving. Verdugo is so powerful that many players won't kill it and will instead escape in the elevator as soon as it's ready.
6 Marguerite Baker
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard signified a return to form for the Resident Evil franchise after the last two main series games had struggled to impress. Like Resident Evil 4, the game changed its perspective and playstyle, providing an unsettlingly immersive first-person perspective and a larger emphasis on horror.
Prior to when RE7 is set, Marguerite Baker and her husband Jack Baker took in a child named Eveline, who they found washed ashore. This seemingly good deed turned out to be a fatal error, as Eveline infected Marguerite with the mold. This mold turned her into a nightmarish creature that will provide players with a brutal boss fight.
5 The Nemesis
Yeah, it doesn't get much more powerful than the Nemesis. The Nemesis T-Type was the primary antagonist of Resident Evil 3, as it was deployed to eliminate STARS members who could expose Umbrella's illicit activities.
The Nemesis was a literally unstoppable villain, and Jill was forced to run every time she encountered it. It eventually ballooned into a massive, tentacled creature, and it takes a literal nuclear explosion to bring it down.
4 Mr. X/T-00
Mr. X was a precursor to the Nemesis. It was airlifted into Raccoon City to retrieve the G-virus sample, and this meant that both Claire and Leon had to do battle with the unstoppable foe. Much like the Nemesis, Mr. X is quite literally unstoppable, and you are forced to run every time you encounter it.
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By the end of the game, it transforms into its Super Tyrant form, and it's only defeated once it receives a rocket launcher directly to the face. Both it and the Nemesis are the Terminators of the Resident Evil franchise.
3 T-078
The T-078 is an even more powerful version of the Tyrant, and it makes a rather frustrating appearance in Code Veronica. You experience the unstoppable T-078 on Rockfort Island, as it was sent to kill both Claire and Steve Burnside.
Its Super Tyrant form on the airplane is especially challenging, and unlike the other two powerful villains so far mentioned, it likely doesn't even die! Claire is forced to send a cargo crate careening into it, which sends the T-078 toppling from the plane. While that's the last we see of it, we doubt that the fall actually killed it.
2 Mendez
While Mendez wasn't the primary antagonist of Resident Evil 4, he was arguably the most threatening. For one thing, he is very tall and incredibly strong. He is even able to pick Leon up by his neck and could have strangled him if he wanted to. He can also bend metal.
When Leon attempts to kill him with an exploding petrol barrel, he only mutates into a stronger and more grotesque version of himself, complete with talons, extra limbs, and an elongated torso. Severing him in half doesn't even do anything. He puts up a fantastic fight, that's for sure.
1 Jack Baker
Jack Baker is like the human form of the Tyrants – quite literally unstoppable and able to morph into grotesque versions of itself. He survives being burned alive in a car and a suicidal shot to his head.
Once those wounds heal, his upper body is literally blown apart, leaving behind a pair of walking legs. Following that, he mutated into a massive monstrosity with multiple limbs and eyeballs, and it was finally Ethan's serum that put an end to his protracted and seemingly endless life.
NEXT: Hardest Resident Evil Trophies & Achievements To Get, Ranked
