History AwesomeBosses / Metroid

** An especially noteworthy Ridley encounter is in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'', where Meta Ridley is fought entirely in ''free-fall'' as you both try to kill each other before you hit the ground - or whatever's down there. Also, Ridley doesn't completely have the element of surprise, Samus gets a few shots off at him before he ''tackles'' her down into the shaft they fight in. The fight with Omega Ridley later in the game isn’t too bad either, but it doesn’t involve you ''falling to the center of the planet''.

** An especially noteworthy Ridley encounter is in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'', where Meta Ridley is fought entirely in ''free-fall'' as you both try to kill each other before you hit the ground - or whatever's down there. The fight with Omega Ridley later in the game isn’t too bad either, but it doesn’t involve you ''falling to the center of the planet''.

* Let's get this out of the way - Ridley in any ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' game ([[AnticlimaxBoss except]] [[VideoGame/Metroid1 the first]]).

** The elegantly-named Experiment No. Z-57 is a ''monster''. Its plasma beams and tentacle scythes will keep you on your toes the entire fight,and there's its creative "''VideoGame/FlappyBird''" attack where it uses fans to force Samus to jump through flames like it's the circus. The Experiment also has one of the coolest Melee Counter animations, where Samus ''rides it'' as it frantically scrambles across the lava dynamo in the background, making for one of the greatest spectacles in the game. The boss rewards creative players who can build up a Speed Boost during the "''Flappy Bird''" segment, granting a one-hit kill on the boss if they can hit its head with a tricky Shinespark.

* Also, [[EvilCounterpart Dark Samus.]] Period. ''Any'' fight with her is pretty much guaranteed to be ''absolutely epic'', what with her using your own powers against you (or in ''Prime 3'', the other hunters' as well), often [[ToxicPhlebotinum Phazon]]-enhanced, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnYAqv1jgzI this]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFOqGV-6bck music]] playing in the background. It doesn't hurt that it's a nice break from fifty-foot monstrosities that you have to crawl all over to defeat, feeling something more like a superpowered shootout. In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2'', after defeating the Emperor Ing after everything you've been through and all of its three forms and damage you've taken, you're treated to the familiar sight of the escape countdown. The problem? Just as you get out of the Temple, Dark Samus interrupts your escape and starts the true final boss fight. No healing beforehand allowed, and the timer is '''still counting down'''. Plus you get that awesome escape remix, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A1_ce2PxhA complete with emergency beeps so you won't forget the timer is still up.]]

** The Metroid Prime itself, especially on Hard Mode/Hypermode. It has two phases, the first being an armored form that not only requires you to use just about every weapon in your arsenal to beat it down, but also uses said weapons ''against you!'' Being on the receiving end of a charged Plasma Beam blast HURTS. What's worse, it's only vulnerable to one type of beam at a time. You have to constantly switch beams, dodge its incredibly damaging attacks and chase it deeper and deeper into the crater it resides in as it desperately tries to get away from you. You'll end up having to use nearly every weapon and even all your visors against this monstrosity of a MarathonBoss, and some attacks formerly thought useless have some use here! Then, just when you think it's over, turns out it has a second form which has you [[CurbStompBattle blasting the living crap out of it with your brand new Phazon beam]], complete with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42A3uigYXsQ this absolutely epic music.]]
* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'': In spite of their brutal difficulty, or perhaps BECAUSE of their difficulty, just about any of the boss fights in ''Echoes'' could fit this. They can be so controller-smashingly frustrating that victory is almost on par with beating a [[Creator/FromSoftware "Soulsborne"]] boss. Try finding someone who didn't cheer upon watching the Boost Guardian convulse and expire.

** The elegantly-named Experiment No. Z-57 is a ''monster''. Its plasma beams and tentacle scythes will keep you on your toes the entire fight, not to mention its creative "''VideoGame/FlappyBird''" attack where it uses fans to force Samus to jump through flames like it's the circus. The Experiment also has one of the coolest Melee Counter animations, where Samus ''rides it'' as it frantically scrambles across the lava dynamo in the background, making for one of the greatest spectacles in the game. The boss rewards creative players who can build up a Speed Boost during the "''Flappy Bird''" segment, granting a one-hit kill on the boss if they can hit its head with a tricky Shinespark.

*** Ridley is ThatOneBoss in ''Super Metroid Impossible'', which has you fighting him without Varia. This results in a fight where you have to avoid collision damage with Ridley, and makes defeating Ridley and obtaining Varia so satisfying.

** And now there's a new addition... [[spoiler:the final fight in ''Metroid: Samus Returns''. Yes you read that right. ''Ridley is the final boss in a ''Metroid'' game''. And it's every bit as epic as that entails.]] His intro cutscene shows he's come to try and take the baby metroid and likely try and use it to create clones of them yet again. However Samus has ''zero'' tolerance for this bullshit and proceeds to unloads ALL of her abilities onto him. The best part? He's still got pieces of his Meta-Ridley self à la ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' and he's ''still'' giving Samus a hard time. And just when it looks like he'll ''actually kill Samus'' the Baby comes in and starts eating off him and giving his energy to Samus. What follows is an ass kicking ''years'' in the making.
* Also, [[EvilCounterpart Dark Samus.]] Period. ''Any'' fight with her is pretty much guaranteed to be ''absolutely epic'', what with her using your own powers against you ([[spoiler:or in ''Prime 3'', the other hunters' as well]]), often [[ToxicPhlebotinum Phazon]]-enhanced, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnYAqv1jgzI this]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFOqGV-6bck music]] playing in the background. It doesn't hurt that it's a nice break from fifty-foot monstrosities that you have to crawl all over to defeat, feeling something more like a superpowered shootout. In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2'', after defeating the Emperor Ing after everything you've been through and all of its three forms and damage you've taken, you're treated to the familiar sight of the escape countdown. The problem? Just as you get out of the Temple, Dark Samus interrupts your escape and starts the true final boss fight. No healing beforehand allowed, and the timer is '''still counting down'''. Plus you get that awesome escape remix, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A1_ce2PxhA complete with emergency beeps so you won't forget the timer is still up.]]

** The final fight with Mother Brain. You think its over after defeating her first BrainInAJar form, until an enormous battle body suddenly sprouts from beneath her, and the crowning music of doom begins to play! After suffering a huge attack and being brought to your knees, [[spoiler:the young Metroid that you saved in the previous Gameboy installment which thinks Samus is its mother shows up, sucks a bunch of energy out of Mother Brain, and transfers it to you, saving your life and giving you the Hyper Beam. The Metroid gets blown up about five seconds afterwards - then, [[MamaBear Samus gets pissed]], and a CurbStompBattle ensues in your favor.]]

** The encounter with the Omega Pirate is a contender for the hardest boss in the game, but it's also amazing. One of the best parts is when you first enter his arena; he waits within a capsule at the end of a Phazon-lined cavern - making the player think "I have to fight ''that''?" - as you approach. He breaks out and the battle begins, a truly fearsome confrontation that will test your mobility, aim, and strategy as he summons waves of Beam Troopers and hammers you with Phazon attacks. One of the coolest moments is when he goes invisible in order to start healing, roaring what sounds like ''"FINISH HER!"'' before laughing as Samus fights off the Troopers. Plus, you get the [[spoiler:Phazon Suit]] afterwards, one of the coolest upgrades in the game. How do you get it? [[spoiler:The dude just melts on top of you!]]

* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'': All of the [[spoiler:corrupted hunters]] double as this and a [[spoiler:TearJerker]].
** The fight with [[spoiler:Ghor]] gets a lot of build-up, as you meet him earlier in [=SkyTown=] as he taunts and sabotages your efforts. Then, you get a transmission from your Gunship that it's under attack. You race back to the landing platform to find [[spoiler:Ghor, in full battle armor, beating the ever-loving shit out of your ship! Then he throws it at you and the fight begins]]. The subsequent battle is a very creative one, involving clever use of your bombs, Ice Missiles, and Boost Ball to take down your oversized opponent.
** [[spoiler:Gandrayda]]'s battle isn't too shabby either. After being assisted by what seems to be a stranded GF trooper, [[spoiler:he suddenly attacks you from behind, revealing him to be Gandrayda in disguise]]. In the battle that follows, she takes on the forms of previous enemies including [[spoiler: a Berserker Knight, a Pirate Aerotrooper, Rundas, Ghor, and even ''Samus herself'']]. Even when she's not using her shapeshifting powers, she is incredibly acrobatic and throws electric blades at you as she swirls around the arena.
** The battle with [[spoiler:Rundas]] is the most heart-wrenching of them all, occurring earlier in the game when your friendship with him is still fresh. During a scuffle with some Space Pirates, ice suddenly appears and kills them all, before [[spoiler:Rundas]] appears to stare you down. For a second, you wonder if he's still an ally, but he makes his intentions clear and the fight begins. He soars around the stage, hopping from pillar to pillar, shooting sheets of ice and swinging giant mauls as you frantically try to rip his armor off. The frantic nature of the battle is only heightened by the beautiful and terrifying soundtrack, possibly the best boss theme in the game. When it's over, [[spoiler:Rundas seems to momentarily come back to his senses, before he is suddenly impaled by his own icicles - whether it was Dark Samus' doing or self-termination is left vague]].

** The [[spoiler:Queen Metroid]] encounter in Room MW, which definitely delivers as far as 3D boss translations go. Special mention goes to the climax, where you [[spoiler:''blow it up from the inside out with a Power Bomb while your health ticks away like there's no tomorrow.'']]. There's a bit of overlap with ThatOneBoss. While fighting it, you've also got a growing swarm of Metroids during the fight [[spoiler:while you put mommy down]]. This is the first and only time in the entire game where you run into the bastards, and they get killed just as you would expect; freeze 'em, and blast 'em with missiles. Doesn't seem too bad, but keep in mind there's a lot of them, and you have to switch to first person to fire missiles. So let's review: You've got to freeze one, stop and leave yourself vulnerable to the other three or four, aim at the one you froze, and hope to blast it with enough missiles before one of its buddies takes a bite. And if one DOES take a bite, it will drain your health FAST and you probably won't get yourself free before the frozen one thaws. [[spoiler:''All the while avoiding their rampaging mother.'']] It does get better as you wear down their numbers, but dealing with them is far from easy. Still, all this makes it so satisfying to watch the actual boss get vaporized.
** The secret fight with [[spoiler:Phantoon]] is a welcome treat. He's a ''lot'' bigger than you might remember him, taking up nearly the entire screen with his size. He hits you with an insane onslaught of fireballs, tentacles, and creepy hands that will have you mashing the D-pad to [=SenseMove=] more than you thought you ever could. All the [=SenseMove=] opportunities get your Charge Beam up insanely fast, letting you hit [[spoiler:Phantoon]] back just as hard as he's hitting you. The Lethal Strike used to finish the battle is also epic, as Samus [[spoiler:rides Phantoon's gross eyeball stem and launches the finishing blow directly into his pupil]].

** It's widely agreed that Diggernaut is the coolest boss in the game, and not just because of its cool design. You encounter it several times before the boss fight, a classic ''Metroid'' staple to up the tension. When you finally fight it, you're thrust into a brutal war that's a lot more intense than the battles you've had so far with the wildlife of [=SR388=]. Diggernaut does tons of damage, so every move matters - fortunately, you can get creative with the Spider Ball to avoid many of its attacks. It can be a long and grueling battle, but it's worth it for the way Samus [[spoiler: [[OffhandBackhand effortlessly deals the final blow]]]].

** ...and that would be the final battle with Raven Beak, who can be aptly described as the Chozo equivalent to [[VideoGame/FreedomPlanet Arktivus Brevon]], down to how badly he'll make you work for your win. After owning Samus at the start of the game, [[spoiler:having a Robot Chozo Soldier cut down Quiet Robe in front of her, spending the rest of the game deceiving her via impersonating ADAM, and mocking his 'daughter' when they meet face-to-face at the end]], you're treated to a three-phase boss fight with no OneWingedAngel garbage - just you and the evil bird soldier in a battle to the death. At first he's mocking you like before, [[spoiler:throwing out dark spheres and shrouding the arena with harmful radiation when he's not [[BringIt taunting her]] with a BadassArmfold stance, all while under Lightning Armor,]] but as the battle wears on he takes flight, [[spoiler:mixing charging kicks with Hyper Beams and Beam Bursts,]] and when he finally lands again he adds in [[spoiler:miniature suns, Phase Drifts and Shinesparks]] to keep you on your toes at all times. All while taking every opportunity to punch your shit in whenever he feels like it. [[FinalExamBoss You're going to need every trick at your disposal to come out on top]], and the very notion of going easy on you would make every fiber of his being puke at once, which makes bringing him down quite the adrenaline rush in the end. [[spoiler:Sadly, this makes his actual [[ClippedWingAngel involuntary transformation via X parasite]] strangely anticlimactic.]]

** ...and that would be the final battle with Raven Beak, who can be aptly described as the Chozo equivalent to [[VideoGame/FreedomPlanet Arktivus Brevon]], down to how badly he'll make you work for your win. After owning Samus at the start of the game, [[spoiler:having a Robot Chozo Soldier cut down Quiet Robe in front of her, spending the rest of the game fucking with her via impersonating ADAM, and mocking his 'daughter' when they meet face-to-face at the end]], you're treated to a three-phase boss fight with no OneWingedAngel garbage - just you and the evil bird soldier in a battle to the death. At first he's mocking you like before, [[spoiler:throwing out dark spheres and shrouding the arena with harmful radiation when he's not [[BringIt taunting her with a]] BadassArmfold stance, all while under Lightning Armor,]] but as the battle wears on he takes flight, [[spoiler:mixing charging kicks with Hyper Beams and Beam Bursts,]] and when he finally lands again he adds in [[spoiler:miniature suns, Phase Drifts and Shinesparks]] to keep you on your toes at all times. All while taking every opportunity to punch your shit in whenever he feels like it. [[FinalExamBoss You're going to need every trick at your disposal to come out on top]], and the very notion of going easy on you would make every fiber of his being puke at once, which makes bringing him down quite the adrenaline rush in the end. [[spoiler:Sadly, this makes his actual [[ClippedWingAngel involuntary transformation via X parasite]] strangely anticlimactic.]]

** For the first time since ''Zero Mission'', Kraid is back, and while he's worse for wear, he still puts up as much of a fight out of sheer fucking rage. What starts as flinging nails and roaring at you becomes more hectic once his left arm breaks free and he smashes the platform, bringing out the belly spikes and pustule discharges as well as taking swipes at you when you're up top with his face. If you have any doubt after Corpius that the bosses were going to be lightweights, this should put them to rest, and yet there's still one that tops this fight...

* Let's get this out of the way - Ridley in any ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' game.

** It's widely agreed that Diggernaut is the coolest boss in the game, and not just because of its cool design. You encounter it several times before the boss fight, a classic ''Metroid'' staple to up the tension. When you finally fight it, you're thrust into a brutal war that's a lot more intense than the battles you've had so far with the wildlife of [=SR388=]. Diggernaut does tons of damage, so every move matters - fortunately, you can get creative with the recently-acquired Spider Ball to avoid many of its attacks. It can be a long and grueling battle, but it's worth it for the way Samus [[spoiler: [[OffhandBackhand effortlessly deals the final blow]]]].

* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'':

** In spite of their brutal difficulty, or perhaps BECAUSE of their difficulty, just about any of the boss fights in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2'' could fit this. They can be so controller-smashingly frustrating that beating any of them is almost on par with beating a ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls''/''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' boss. Try finding someone who didn't cheer upon watching the Boost Guardian convulsing and expiring.

** The fight with [[spoiler:Ghor]] gets a lot of build-up, as you meet him earlier in [=SkyTown=] as he taunts and sabotages your efforts. Then, you get a transmission from your Gunship that it's under attack. You race back to the landing platform to find [[spoiler:Ghor, in full battle armor, beating the ever-loving shit out of your whip! Then he throws it at you and the fight begins]]. The subsequent battle is a very creative one, involving clever use of your bombs, Ice Missiles, and Boost Ball to take down your oversized opponent.

** Kraid's encounter in ''Super Metroid''. The first time he explodes, you think you've beaten him, then ''BAM!'' the real Kraid appears; where the fake Kraid is barely taller than Samus, the real Kraid is ''two screens tall'', making for an epic confrontation that spans nearly four screens all seamlessly connected to each other while you shoot at him above a pit of spikes. ''And he's only the third boss!'' If you had played and beaten the first ''Metroid'' game, this becomes even more effective. The original Kraid from ''Metroid'' was much smaller, not much bigger than your own sprite. So those smaller Kraids you encounter on the way would have seemed about the right size. The true Kraid must have been a big surprise to Metroid vets.