History Main / DualBoss

Dual Bosses may be [[PaletteSwap identical]] or [[RedOniBlueOni complementary]]: Popular combinations include a MightyGlacier paired with a FragileSpeedster, a Warrior with a SquishyWizard, or similar combination of opposites. Character-wise, they are often twins, siblings, lovers, or just partners or identical constructs/vehicles.

Defeating one boss often causes the other to [[TurnsRed Turn Red]] to maintain pressure on the player: the trope for these cases is KillOneOthersGetStronger. Otherwise, the battle becomes significantly easier once the player has taken one of them out. Some more vindictive bosses may have the ability to [[GeminiDestructionLaw revive each other if the player doesn't kill the second boss fast enough]]. Although if you're really lucky, [[{{Synchronization}} they may even]] [[SharedLifeMeter share one health bar]], halving the effort required.

** Emperor Fossil and Queen Fossil in ''Darius Twin''. Emperor shoots large singular beams while Queen shoots spreads of smaller laser bursts. [[TurnsRed Destroying one causes the other to go berserk]]: If Emperor is the first to die, Queen will shoot more numerous bolts, and if vice versa, Emperor's beams get larger and faster.

* Emperor Fossil and Queen Fossil in ''VideoGame/{{Darius}} Twin''.

* ''VideoGame/UltraToukonDensetsu'' has three Red Kings serving as Triple Bosses, who charges all over tyhe damn place when they [[TurnsRed turned red]].

* The third level of ''Gungage'' features two giant dog-like creatures, one red and one blue, attacking you at the same time. Their attacks include fire breathing, charge attacks which temporarily stunt you, and summoning fire below you. On top of that, you have to fight on a raised platform, so if you do not watch out you can fall off the edge.

** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesKuroNoKiseki Trails of Black]]'': Walter Direwolf will fight alongside Cao in Chapter 4, and if the player doesn't take the Ouroboros route for Chapter 5, he'll team up with Lucrezia.

** Whisker and Johnny in ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}} Adventure''[[note]] However, there is a mission that played said Dual Boss, but although it played like normal, you must only defeat Johnny, because if you defeat Captain Whisker, you will fail the mission[[/note]].

** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin's'' dual-protagonist mechanic lends itself to a couple of DualBoss[=es=]:

* In ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis II'', you fight [[TheDragon Wild Dog]] and [[BigBad Ernesto Diaz]] at the same time, though the battle ends with Wild Dog being defeated and you later fight Diaz in the final battle. Then in ''Time Crisis 3'', Wild Dog and his younger partner Wild Fang fight you together.

* ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal 4'' includes a boss fight against Super Slamm and Super Auger.

* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' has multiple Tanks attack you after the rescue vehicle arrives. Survival Mode can also see two (or [[OhCrap more]] Tanks at once, as does the finale of Swamp Fever in 2.

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series:

** Whisker and Johnny in ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}} Adventure''. [[note]] However, there is a mission that played said Dual Boss, but although it played like normal, you must only defeat Johnny, because if you defeat Captain Whisker, you will fail the mission.[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal4'' includes a boss fight against Super Slamm and Super Auger.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterEye'' have a [[JapaneseBeetleBrothers rhino beetle and stag beetle]] monster duo in the waterfall level. They initially attacks one at a time, firstly with the rhino beetle forcing you to flee into a cavern before the stag beetle tries roughing you up with it's pincers, but as you escape to the open you're then cornered by both monsters simultaneously and have to fight them together.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'': The last boss (Twinmold, the giant worms) before Majora, found in Stone Tower Temple. Due to their gigantic size, using the Giant's Mask is recommended (though not required). In the 3DS remake, the mask is required, but can only be used when one of the worms is defeated.

* ''VideoGame/NinjaCommando'' have dual or triple {{MiniBoss}}es as enemies. You fight two Sumo wrestlers in Edo-period Japan, gets assailed by a trio of [[{{Mummy}} mummies}} in Egypt, and Warring States China have three musclebound mercs each holding a {{BFS}} that you must defeat before facing Lu Bu.

** In the City of Tears, you have to fight the Watcher Knights to get to the lair of Lurien the Watcher. There are six of them, but you fortunately only have to face two at a time.

->''"Folks they always complain.''\\
'''Bout how their bosses are pains,''\\
''but I can't sympathize''\\
''because before my eyes''\\
''are TWO BOSSES! It drives me insane!"''

** ''VideoGame/FatalFrameIICrimsonButterfly'' has the Kiryu Twins, Akane and the Azami doll. They fight similarly, except that the doll Azami cannot be damaged and attacking her provokes Akane to attack. Akane is also the only one who has a Fatal Frame moment.
** ''VideoGame/FatalFrameIVMaskOfTheLunarEclipse'' has you fight Kageri Sendou alongside her doll Watashi. Kageri acts like a regular ghost, but Watashi [[ZombieGait limbs around like a zombie]] and continuously comes after the player. It also cannot be defeated and vanishes when Kageri is defeated.
** ''VideoGame/FatalFrameVMaidenOfBlackWater'' has the Matchmaker and Tadasuma (called the Marriage Celebrant and Funeral Celebrant in English) both confronting you in the penultimate battle, before you go facing [[BigBad Ouse]]. Both are fast-moving and fire slow but homing projectile attacks.