13 Most Difficult Bosses In Resident Evil History, Ranked

In January 2021, gamers across the globe were extremely excited over Capcom’s announcement to release Resident Evil Village on various platforms on May 7, 2021. The news comes on the heels of the release of the Resident Evil 3 remake, which drew moderate reviews in comparison to its predecessor, the Resident Evil 2 remake.

Though controversial as a result of its short length, the Resident Evil 3 remake made the titular Nemesis out to be as antagonizing and intimidating as ever, adding to the series’ legacy as one of the most difficult final baddies to defeat in the two-decade-long franchise. But, is Nemesis the absolute toughest final boss of all?

Updated on June 2nd, 2021 by Tanner Fox: There have been a ton of awesome developments in the Resident Evil universe as of late. From the recent release of the acclaimed Resident Evil: Village to new rumors suggesting that Capcom has plans for several more RE titles in the near future, fans have plenty to be excited about. Of course, with Village introducing some important and heavy-hitting villains to the mix, it’s time to reconsider which Resident Evil baddie is the best of the best.

13 Jack Baker: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

The ever-imposing patriarch of the Baker household, Jack has been driven mad by a mold with which fans of the newer Resident Evil games have become well accustomed. He’s encountered several times throughout the RE 7 story, and his engagements continually grow in both difficulty and absurdity.

The battle against Jack that takes place after Ethan finally comes across Mia and Zoe is likely the most difficult in the entire game, with the skills of a marksman and the patience of a saint required to see it through to the end. However, arguably more difficult than that is the final encounter with Jack at the end of the End of Zoe DLC.

Armed with only his fists, Joe Baker must take down his brother in a one-on-one boxing match to end all boxing matches. It can take a few attempts to get used to Jack’s moves, and he’s nearly impossible to beat on higher difficulties.

12 Super Tyrant (Mr. X) – Resident Evil 2

While gaming experts may find him easy to defeat, at the time of the original game’s debut, Tyrant—A.K.A. Mr. X from Resident Evil 2—provided one of the scariest and most difficult final boss challenges.

Impervious to gunfire, the almost-indestructible Mr. X stalks players through several dark locales with relentless determination. The best way to defeat the boss is to avoid him at all costs, which is not easy given the confined spaces of the laboratory and police station. Even with a wise exit strategy, players must endure a battle of attrition to defeat Mr. X. It must be said, however, that the final confrontation between Mr. X in Leon doesn’t quite live up to the hype in the RE 2 remake.

11 Nosferatu: Resident Evil: Code Veronica

A mad scientist of sorts, Alexander Ashford used his unique knowledge of genetics to create a set of twins, whom he named Alfred and Alexia. Unfortunately, the two would eventually turn the tables on him, experimenting against their creator until he became a warped and twisted abomination known as Nosferatu.

Those who know precisely what to do will be able to take him out fairly quickly, but panicked players may have some issues with this monster, as he’s encountered on a helipad that offers absolutely no cover. He’s certainly not the most difficult boss, but he’s undoubtedly intimidating.

10 Derek Simmons: Resident Evil 6

Responsible for the annihilation of Raccoon City, fighting boss Derek Simmons in Resident Evil 6 is an arduous, half-hour-long endurance trial. Without the proper resources to go the distance, Simmons is one of the toughest bosses to beat.

Rather than firing a hail of bullets at the invincible mutated version of Simmons, the best thing to do is lead Simmons toward flammable barrels in the corner and fire at them until they explode. Simmons will revert to his human form, making him more vulnerable. If all else fails, shoot for Simmon’s large eyeball.

9 Jack Norman: Resident Evil Revelations

When the calm, cool, and charismatic Jack Norman morphs into the hulking monstrosity known as Ultimate Abyss, players soon face what’s undoubtedly the single most difficult boss encounter in Resident Evil Revelations.

After taking a dose of the T-Abyss virus, Norman transforms into a large deep-sea creature-like mutation with sharp fins extruding from its spine, using them to pulverize players into submission. Norman uses his left arm to pound his adversary into the ground or his right hand to grab them with a python-like death-grip.

8 Marguerite Baker: Resident Evil 7

One of the most overtly disgusting bosses in the series—and that’s really saying something—Resident Evil 7‘s Margeurite Baker likely still haunts the nightmares of those with entomophobia. Though ghastly when she’s first encountered in the Baker’s dilapidated second dwelling, she’s an outright nightmare when Ethan encounters her later on. Sporting elongated legs and carrying some sort of insect hive on her stomach, Marguerite’s design is legendarily horrendous.

She’s also one of the most difficult enemies in RE 7. This boss battle will prove to be quite the resource drain, and even savvy players may find themselves down to nothing save for Ethan’s pocket knife when it’s all said and done.

7 Albert Wesker: Resident Evil 5

While fighting Albert Wesker through a series of endless levels in Resident Evil 5 doesn’t seem that difficult, the challenge increases tenfold in the final lava level.

When facing the giant mutated version of the shady virologist amid a sea of molten magma, there is no possibility of reloading ammo if it runs out. Moreover, to defeat Wesker, players must hit a tiny bullseye that’s exposed when he lifts his multi-bladed wing and exacts long-range attacks. Multiple attempts will be needed to defeat Wesker.

6 Verdugo: Resident Evil 4

Spanish for “executioner,” Verdugo is one of the most visually terrifying and physically imposing bosses to defeat in the entire series. The quote-unquote “right hand” of RE 4 protagonist Ramon Salazar, he’s a force to be reckoned with, and most players will opt to dodge, hide, and eventually escape from him rather than face him head-on.

What makes Verdugo such a challenge is finding the perfect way to kill the quick and agile monster. Rather than waste time and energy pumping Verdugo full of lead, the best way to dispatch the baddie is to activate the liquid nitrogen canisters and freeze him before blowing him to smithereens. Again, taking him out is optional, but the rewards for doing so make the fight well worth it.

5 Queen Leech: Resident Evil Zero

In a harrowing combination that calls to mind the insectile Uroboros and Yawn of early RE canon, Queen Leech ups the difficulty level when facing the brutal boss in Resident Evil Zero.

What makes Queen Leech such a formidable foe is the grueling three-stage battle it takes to defeat the monstrosity. With an ever-dwindling ammo supply, the almost-futile battle makes players want to sacrifice Billy or Rebecca rather than face the third level of Queen Leech’s bloodsucking brutality. The key is learning that Queen Leech is most vulnerable to sunlight.

4 U-3: Resident Evil 4

Often hailed as one of the most feral, ferocious, and fiendish bosses in the entire franchise, U-3 from Resident Evil 4 was the hardest boss to defeat until further entries were released. Fighting him today is still no walk in the park.

U-3 is a winged chimerical beast with a combo of human, insectile, and reptilian DNA. With six appendages and a giant Plaga sprouting from its back, U-3 scales walls with hyper-aggression and forces his enemy to fight in tight quarters while remaining impervious to physical harm. It’s also encountered in a maze-like cage that hangs above an abyss, further adding to the engagement’s already potent amount of tension.

3 Tyrant-078: Resident Evil: Code Veronica

Unless players know precisely how to defeat the Terminator-like Tyrant-078 model in Resident Evil: Code Veronica, the fight will waste endless time in a loop of futility.

The upgraded Tyrant model cannot be killed with any of the high-powered weaponry found in the game. Rather, players must avoid the giant claw-blade that will end their run in a split second, activate the cargo pile in the corner of the room, and fire it at him until it launches him out of the aircraft.

2 Mother Miranda: Resident Evil: Village

The origin behind the events which take place in both Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 7, Mother Miranda spent decades developing the Megamycete in an effort to revive her deceased daughter. Perpetually unsuccessful, she believes that Ethan Winter’s daughter Rose could be the final piece of the puzzle. However, Ethan isn’t too keen on letting Rose fall victim to Miranda’s experiments.

The final battle in Resident Evil Village, Miranda pulls no punches, offering up an almost aggravatingly long duel that will sap players of their ammo, health, and, after some time, patience. Certain high-powered weapons can make short work of her, but, on an initial playthrough, she’s anything but a pushover.

1 Nemesis: RE3 Remake

The single toughest boss in the Resident Evil canon is none other than Nemesis, upgraded to near undefeatable status in the newest version of the franchise, RE3.

With ultra-aggression, physical superiority, and relentless attack modes, Nemesis is as invincible a foe as the franchise has ever seen. In RE3, the hulking, mutated visage of Nemesis’ final form takes the baddie to a whole new level of intimidation and trepidation. The skyscraper-sized blob full of slimy tentacles makes one final harrowing attack by lunging through the walls to confront Jill Valentine.