These DLC bosses completely outshine any in the base game

Boss encounters are always a fun and memorable moment in any game, especially one that focuses so much on combat, that makes you commit their entire attack pattern to memory, as you'll be locked in fierce battle with them for hours until you take them down. And that's just the base version of the game, as expansions always offer more powerful enemies.

You can always count on the likes of FromSoftware to offer rage-inducing bosses, aside from their surprisingly easy ones, which only excel in their expansion. And this is not exclusive to them, as many other great titles have introduced their best encounters through DLC and expansions, if you are a fan of the series they are a must fight!

Sea Maker

Doom Eternal: Ancient Gods – Part One

While fighting a Maurader for what seems like a million times in the base version of Doom Eternal can get pretty stale, it actually has some pretty solid encounters, but overall feels a bit underwhelming. That is, until we got the Ancient Gods – Part One expansion, which gave us a blood-pumping and fun encounter against the Samur Maker (aka Seraphim).

Your battle against the Seraphim is epic from start to finish, taking you through multiple stages, each one becoming more complex and hectic than the last, putting your movement and shooting skills to the test, and pushing your limits. This boss encounter is easily one of the best in the game, and it proves to you if you are worthy to pilot the Doom Slayer!

Fume Night

Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Old Iron King

Let's face facts: Dark Souls 2 only has a handful of good bosses in its base version, so clearing that bar isn't hard. Still, they squared off perfectly with Fume Knight in the crown of the old Iron King expansion, providing some of the best encounters in the series, let alone the game.

Fume Knight feels like a proper Soulsborn boss, something that every boss in the base game lacks. His design, attack pattern, and arena all come together perfectly, providing incredibly epic and rewarding combat. We love everything about this meet!

Knight Artorias, the Abysswalker

Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss

Speaking of full Soulsborn expansion bosses, we wouldn't dare leave Knight Artorias, the Abysswalker, off this list, as he's one of the most iconic fights in the entire series, even surpassing the likes of Ornstein and Smaug from the base game, which is saying something, even that encounter is picture-perfect.

The first Dark Souls has some banger boss encounters, and the rest of the Abyss expansion has Artoria as well. Still, there's something so visual and powerful about the Artorias encounter that makes it clear everything in the game. Vidya, Akhara, Music and meeting itself is something special. They went into this encounter, and it shows!

Demi-Find

Shin Megami Tensei 5: Return of the True Demon

On a bit of a technicality, the demi-fiend boss encounter was added to Shin Megami Tensei 5 via a quest DLC titled Return of the True Demon rather than a full-on expansion like the other entries. Still, because it wasn't part of the base version of the game, it counts, and it's a doozie of a fight, and deserves its place on the list.

Demi-Fiend is the most challenging encounter in the game overall, even when pitting him against bosses found in the Vengeance expansion. The entire encounter is tense, forcing you to use everything at your disposal. One mistake and you could be toast. We wish the game had more encounters like this!

Marchiona, puppet of death

Lies of P: Overture

Fresh off the press, we have Marchionna, Puppet of Death, from the new Overture expansion that Lies of P received earlier this year. If you think the base game has some remarkable battles, you'd be right, but you've never seen anything like it. This fight is everything you want in a P boss fight and then some.

Not only will you be fighting against Marchionna herself, but you'll also be tasked with taking on the Queen's arche puppet, one of her creations, which will mess you up more than you can count on in your first few attempts. Everything about this fight hits the mark, it not only outshines all rivals before it, but surpasses it confidently!

Sister Friday

Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Arendelle

Dark Souls 3 is a solid experience from start to finish, but it feels oddly easy at times, with most bosses not offering much of a challenge unless you go off the beaten path and fight a nameless king. And, FromSoftware heard our cries loud and clear, unleashing Sister Fried upon us in the game's first expansion, Ashes of Ariendel.

With three stages, a stunning field of fire and ice, and a mesmerizing attack of attacks, Sister Friede is one of the best encounters of the software's imagination. From the fake-out victory, regenerating his entire health bar multiple times, and Father Arriandale joining the battle, these are easily some of the most hyped-up moments!

Ludwig, Holy Blade

Bloodborne: The Ancient Hunter

Want another FromSoftware expansion boss fight? We hope you answered 'yes', because there's no way you'd leave Ludwig, Holy Blade off this list, as he's one of the most cinematic and emotional boss fights they've ever created, serving as our favorite in Bloodborne, thanks to the excellent Old Hunters expansion.

Is Ludwig the most challenging fight in the game? Absolutely not. But he's the best overall, because the story does a great job of setting him up in the base game, then seeing him in this situation in the expansion, and seeing that stunning and devastating cutscene for the first time will embed it in your mind forever. It also helps that the fight itself is ten out of ten, because they never miss!

Weiss

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade

A bit of a curveball for you, we have a secret boss encounter from Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, which has an extended interview with Yuffie. Weiss is the boss in question, who is as deep a cut as it gets, as they were the primary antagonists of Dirge of Cerberus, Vincent's standalone game that was probably long forgotten by the public.

But thanks to Chadley's Combat Simulator, you can fight Weiss on hard mode for one of the most intense and highly challenging encounters the game has to offer. Is it as emotional as the encounters from the base game? no However, with the slightly improved combat that Intergrade brings to the table, and how you have to play almost perfectly to beat him, it's one of the most satisfying and demanding in the game!

Promise Consort Radahn

Alden Ring: Shadow of Erdtree

Mhmm, you guessed it, another FromSoftware Soulsborne expansion boss has arrived, bringing the promised Consort Radahn into the mix, serving as the final boss in the shadow of Elden Ring's Erdtree expansion. Again, they never miss, and this encounter is the most brutal and downright evil boss fight in their library. Yes, even surpassing Sekiro's Isshin fight.

It's visually striking, saturated in lore, and has two stages that will more than test your patience and limits. Shadow of the Erdtree is undoubtedly the most demanding thing Software has made since Sekiro, and this meeting feels very much for it. This should be revenge for making them nerf the OG Radahn, right?

Hades

Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers

Finally, we have one of the best expansions of all time in Shadowbringers, from the critically acclaimed MMORPG, which has a free trial, and includes- *ahem* Anyway, where were we? Oh, yes, the Hades encounter from Final Fantasy 14's Shadowbringers expansion. On a more serious note, this encounter will leave you blindfolded by the end of it.

Shadowbringers does a great job of building everything up and giving you the most cathartic and emotionally devastating payoffs you'd ever expect from an MMORPG. Emet-Selch is one of the best antagonists in all of gaming, and your fight against him after he transforms into Hades overshadows everything from the base game and its forward expansions!