1998's Resident Evil 2 is one of the best sets of bosses in survival horror history. Like the original game, the Resident Evil 2 remake does a great job of building William through his g stage fights. Of the eight major boss fights in the game, G makes up five. It's a boss to repeat a lot, but each stage is a completely new encounter with its own gimmick and challenge.
The remake of the second game is a bit more debatable as to whether or not it stays true to the original's title in terms of boss fights. However, the combat is very good, and the bosses are so well designed that, in general, it's not hard to enjoy every single boss encounter.
Updated by Ben Jesse on March 24, 2026: After the release of Resident Evil Requiem, we've been thinking about some other Resident Evil games. As a result, we now feel differently about the bosses in RE2 Remake, so we've gone back to our ranking of them to make some adjustments.
8
Infected sewer alligator
The Gators of Raccoon City are made different
The infected gator lurking in the sewers of Raccoon City is a returning set piece in the 2019 remake, with updated graphics to make this giant T-virus beast even scarier. The boss fight is far from your traditional Resident Evil encounter, but is still designed as a very suspenseful, linear chase sequence in which Leon wades through sewage while an alligator snaps its jaws mere inches away.
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This is an easy mini-boss section if you keep a solid pace, don't stumble, and successfully dodge the alligator's wide mouth as it closes in on you. Eventually, the alligator will lock its jaws onto a flammable tank, which you will detonate with a weapon to blow the gator to pieces.
It's not really much of a fight. It's more of a set-piece, which hurts its overall appeal compared to the game's more dynamic bosses. The alligator itself is pretty scary, though, so the sequence will at least get your heart racing.
7
Mr. X
X Gon' give it to you
Mr. X is a terrifying boss for many reasons, including the fact that he cannot be killed. However, once again, he's not the typical boss you'll encounter in a Resident Evil game.
Mister X follows you through the halls and rooms of the Raccoon Police Department, a tall and menacing Tarant Bullet Sponge who significantly depletes your health when you collide with him. Your goal is to outrun him and get to the areas you need without taking serious damage, which is a tough challenge.
He's certainly intimidating, but as a boss, he loses appeal because he doesn't have a proper boss fight until he becomes a super tyrant, which is technically a different boss (more on him later). Any fights you have are instant, meaning there aren't many. It's just you shooting at a guy who can't be defeated.
6
G5
What is it in dead space?
Final bosses should be the highlight of any game, but the G5 doesn't really offer much as far as 'fights' go. It is all that is left for William to approach the hero and try to consume them.
This makes the G5 a surprising way to end the game, but it does make some sense, though, as you'll naturally run out of most of your ammo. By unloading on the G5 with Leon or Claire's little remaining ammo, you can stab the G5 after he reveals his eyeball. As long as you time it right, the G5 should go down in three to four swings.
Although weak from a combat point of view, it is still a strong set-piece. There's a great sense of urgency and desperation as you throw everything you have at the creature, hoping it's enough to stop them.
5
G2
William Birkin acquires a joint nemesis twin
Here's a quick, easy way to kill G2 as Leon: toss him a flash grenade, spray him with fire, toss another, spray him again. If you press the crane button right after you stun William and become available again, G2 will be knocked off the platform in one fell swoop, ending the fight and saving you a ton of ammo.
It's not methodologically easy for Claire, but it's still simple enough to do. There is no real reason to unload ammo, as two rounds will be enough to shut down the G2. Just dodge, be patient, and he'll go down easily.
So, the G2 version of the Birkin isn't the most challenging boss you'll encounter. That said, there's still a lot more to say about him and this fight. For starters, the opening sequence is full of tension, as he crashes through the ceiling while the room is engulfed in flames. Using the crane adds a nice element to the fight, as you have to use a bit of strategy to get him in the right place to hit.
4
G1
A rare case where the first form is scarier than the others
Running into William for the first time is as overwhelming as Leon or Claire. He comes out of nowhere and immediately jumps you, thrusting you into one of the game's most tense boss fights.
You'll often have to rely on your handgun to take out William's eyeballs, and having to use such a weak gun early in the game makes for a very memorable fight. It's worth noting, however, that Claire has an easier time overall as her grenade launcher is perfect for boss fights.
G1 is one of the best fights in the game. He slowly follows you around, and if you let him linger too long he silently hunts you down. It's truly terrifying, and the tight corridors of the boss arena make every turn a matter of good or caution.
3
G3
A G-Virus four-arm monstrosity with no vestige of Birkin
Although Claire can absolutely destroy G3 with her acid rounds, she tends to be one of the more challenging battles in the game. G3 William is the strongest near him. He can take damage, pot damage, and he will be Kill Leon or Claire if you let their guard down for even a second. Just keep a steady target and don't be too fixed for too long. He's aggressive, but he lets his guard down time and time again.
Leon, in particular, needs to make sure he hits William in the eye to actually drop him with ammo. It's also worth noting that Leon's first scenario is the only scenario where G3 marks the last time he fights William. Three other scenarios involve either G4 or G5, or, in the case of Claire's second scenario, both.
This combat has great simplicity, with no gimmicks or special weapons. In fact, the battlefield is also a wide open space, full of supplies. So, it feels like a fair one-on-one fight against a hulking beast. It makes it feel so epic.
2
Super Tyrant
At the end of the game, the sharply dressed Mr. X becomes a shirtless super dictator. This time there is no rush from him. You have to face her fair and square until Ada throws a rocket launcher at you… for a few minutes. If you manage your ammo well, you should have more than enough to survive until Ada helps out, but this could otherwise be a deadly fight.
You only need to survive a minute and a half, but Mr. X hits tough As a super dictator. Even with an R+G+B herb mix, he can take Leon from fine to dangerous with a single swipe. He is a boss where you must either dodge or heal enough to avoid attacks in his path. If there's one thing that holds this fight back, it's the fact that you don't really have to fight back.
mr. Having spent the entire game running from X, there's something incredibly cathartic about Leon facing off against him once and for all in both scenarios. The combat isn't very long, which hurts its appeal a bit. Still, the feeling that you could be wiped out at any second adds some welcome tension to the fights.
1
G4
Resident Evil 2's Bitores Mendez Liquor Hybrid Boss
Claire's final boss in her first run is as good as Resident Evil 2's bosses get. At this point in the game, the G3 has almost certainly drained all of Claire's acid rounds, leaving you to rely on other weapons.
Thankfully, there's a minigun around, but even all its ammo isn't enough to drop the G4. What's worse, William goes completely crazy as G4, climbing around, falling down, and lunging almost everywhere. At the end of the fight, he will drag himself to the ground, chasing Claire around the arena. At this stage, his convenient eyeball weak points are becoming harder and harder to hit.
The inclusion of the mini-gun enhances this combat as it is a very fun weapon to use. On top of that, dueling involves a good bit of challenge. Getting hits on his weak points and avoiding his attacks is not easy. Plus, the train car lift makes for a unique, dynamic battlefield where you can use the car as strategic cover.
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