History Main / SequentialBoss

** [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Lady Yunalesca]] (not the FinalBoss, but arguably the game's toughest ClimaxBoss) comes in three forms. First, she will pull out some very low-level attacks, cast drain spells on your party members, and counter all attacks with Blind (physical), Silence (magical) or Sleep (special - e.g. Steal or Overdrives). Her second form becomes a little more monstrous, then alternates between spamming [[ReviveKillsZombie Zombie and Cure magic]]. Afterwards, she [[OneWingedAngel transforms into her monstrous third form]], and opens by casting Mega-Death, killing all but the Zombie-afflicted party members, then she will cycle through healing magic, zombie attacks, an attack that afflicts the party with a cocktail of ailments (including confusion!), drain, [[ManaDrain osmose]] and occasionally, Mega-Death ''again''. And, overall, she has 132,000 HP. Have fun, kids.
*** Later than that, the party launches a full-scale assault on Sin's outer shell, weakening it by destroying the three power cores on its arms and back. All three fights are played in a row, with no chance to heal and with your positive status effects (i.e. Haste) not carrying over.
*** Even later than that, after the final PointOfNoReturn, you face Braska's Final Aeon, all of [[SummonMagic Yuna's Aeons]] and Yu Yevon in a row. The former is a large threat, but the latter 6 (9 if you got the optional Aeons) fights are a ForegoneVictory due to permanent Auto-Life status.

** Seymour Guado's first fight against the party is one of these. First he starts as a FlunkyBoss (said flunkies have the annoying habit of tossing Hi-Potions when anyone on their side is hurt) who will constantly cast powerful - for that point - elemental magic on your party, then he'll whip out [[EldrichAbomination Anima]] once the flunkies are dead and he's at 50% HP, and once she's dead, he'll start using the -ga level spells, which are a guaranteed OneKitKill on anyone who isn't [[BlackMage Lulu]] or using Nul-Spells. After this, he'll finally go down.

*** Later than that, the party launches a full-scale assault on Sin's outer shell, weakening it by destroying the three power cores on its arms and back. All three fights are played in a row, with no chance to heal and with your positive status effects (i.e. Haste) not carrying over.
*** Even later than that, after the final PointOfNoReturn, you face Braska's Final Aeon, all of [[SummonMagic Yuna's Aeons]] and Yu Yevon in a row. The former is a large threat, but the latter 6 (9 if you got the optional Aeons) fights are a ForegoneVictory due to permanent Auto-Life status.

* In the Original SNES ''VideoGame/RomancingSaGa'', you had to fight the Final Boss's minions one by one and then fight all 3 at once all in the same place before confronting the final boss. This is used in the PS2 remake but you only have to fight one battle near the final boss's chamber instead of 4 unless you defeated them all in the final dungeon individually to get their treasures; then it will just be like the original, but just more spanned out across a dungeon. The final boss in the PS2 remake is sequential, unlike the original.
* ''VideoGame/SaGaFrontier'', the PS1 iteration of the ''Romancing SaGa'' series, had several of these, most notably Lute's final boss, a giant mech that slowly fell apart as you fought it. Others include Blue's fight with Satan, who would continually switch between two different forms, and T260's battle with Genocide Heart. The sub-boss fights in Red's story where the party goes to an alternate dimension may also count.

* ''VideoGame/UnlimitedSaga'': In addition to the Antagonist of the Scenario, you also have to fight Chaos immediately afterward (4 forms), you do recover some HP and LP, and that isn't even covering [[spoiler:Mythe's Scenario: Where you have to fight a SequentialBoss and then another powerful boss before even fighting Chaos.]]

** [[FinalFantasyX Lady Yunalesca]] (not the FinalBoss, but arguably the game's toughest ClimaxBoss) comes in three forms. First, she will pull out some very low-level attacks, cast drain spells on your party members, and counter all attacks with Blind (physical), Silence (magical) or Sleep (special - e.g. Steal or Overdrives). Her second form becomes a little more monstrous, then alternates between spamming [[ReviveKillsZombie Zombie and Cure magic]]. Afterwards, she [[OneWingedAngel transforms into her monstrous third form]], and opens by casting Mega-Death, killing all but the Zombie-afflicted party members, then she will cycle through healing magic, zombie attacks, an attack that afflicts the party with a cocktail of ailments (including confusion!), drain, [[ManaDrain osmose]] and occasionally, Mega-Death ''again''. And, overall, she has 132,000 HP. Have fun, kids.

** Xemnas from ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' is just as overkill as [[FinalFantasyVIII Ultimecia]], if not moreso. Right after the first stage of the fight (where you duel him while he's DualWielding {{Laser Blade}}s), you have time to save and go elsewhere afterward, but it's completely back-to-back from then on. First there's the rush to Xemnas's floating fortress thing, then the two turbines, then the core, then Armored King Xemnas one, [[AllYourPowersCombined wielding the weapons of the Org. XIII members that appear in this game]], then an attack on Xemnas' dragon-shaped HumongousMecha in rail-shooter style, then another round with Armored King Xemnas (dropping many of his attacks for [[RuleOfCool kickass skyscraper-destroying sequences]]), then finally one final fight with Xemnas himself, in Twilight form. No, not ''that'' Twilight...

** In ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic and Knuckles]]'', Death Egg Zone ends with a fight against a PuzzleBoss, then a two-stage fight against the Egg-Mech, and finally a bit where you have to destroy Robotnik's escape pod. (Sonic can also fight a TrueFinalBoss immediately after this, but it's counted as a separate level.) Whereas Knuckles' game ends in Sky Sanctuary Zone, fighting Mecha Sonic and then Super Mecha Sonic.

* The final boss of ''VideoGame/{{Wild ARMs 3}}'' takes this SerialEscalation. Its final boss has a whopping ''eleven'' forms.

** When fighting Gohma Vlitra [[spoiler: for the last time,]] he first sprouts out other Gohma to fight, then you fight [[spoiler: one of his Orochi heads, then eventually start fighting all them, and then its main face, then the true form of Vlitra in the Earth's core.]]
** When fighting against Yasha [[spoiler: for the final time, Asura and Yasha start off on a massive tower, then flash back to a training fight between the two as you fall down the tower, then fight Yasha in his Unlimited mode.]]
** Then there's the final fight with [[spoiler: Chakravartin, where you fight his giant intergalactic form, then a smaller version in Naraka, then his Human form, then his Creator form, then a coup de grace QTE battle with him.]]

* Every boss in ''GundemoniumRecollection'' has at least two forms, but the final boss has an amazing ''eleven''. The eleventh is fortunately the TrueFinalBoss and is only triggered under certain conditions, but you ''do'' have to deal with the rest on every playthrough, either by defeating them or managing to stay alive until the timer empties.

* ''VideoGame/{{Aquaria}}'''s final boss, [[spoiler: The Creator]], fits this trope to a T. First, he appears as a 'perfect' humanoid figure sitting on a throne. Then, his face falls off and he grows tentacles and chases you. Then, he turns into a monster, flees, and you have to track him down by [[spoiler: listening to the background music]]. ''Then'', he becomes a 'lite' version of the first form, which you defeat by singing in the correct sequence. When you win there, he falls on his side and it looks like you've won, but then you're warped to the final battlefield and have to face him as he truly is: [[spoiler: a god]].

** Just about every ''Castlevania'' game ends with a two-stage Dracula battle. Typically, the first half is against Dracula in a humanoid form, and the second is a [[OneWingedAngel hulking, demonic form called "True Dracula"]]. ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse'' went even further, with a two-stage Grim Reaper battle and a three-stage Dracula battle; both versions of Stage 7 end with the Mummies, Cyclops and Gargoyle being released from coffins in succession by the Evil Flame.

** At the end of the game, you fight [[TheDragon Misery]], then fight [[BigBad The Doctor]], who is himself a two-part boss fight, then fight the ''real'' final boss, who's backed up with two flunkies. There's no saving or recovery between, but [[GuideDangIt if you know how]], it's possible to get partially healed right before the last one.

** Ganondorf in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' is a bit of an exception since there is an escape sequence between his two forms. Twinrova before him however is two forms right after each other.

* ''DotHack'' has Corbenik, who may well take the cake for most bizarre forms ever: he starts out as a giant seed, then he turns into a leaf, and when that doesn't work he becomes a GiantEyeOfDoom.

* ''{{Castlevania}}'' series:
** Just about every ''{{Castlevania}}'' game ends with a two-stage Dracula battle. Typically, the first half is against Dracula in a humanoid form, and the second is a [[OneWingedAngel hulking, demonic form called "True Dracula"]]. ''CastlevaniaIII'' went even further, with a two-stage Grim Reaper battle and a three-stage Dracula battle; both versions of Stage 7 end with the Mummies, Cyclops and Gargoyle being released from coffins in succession by the Evil Flame.
** In ''CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'', due to its flashback prologue, the game ''begins'' with the two-stage Dracula battle from ''Rondo of Blood''.
** ''Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles'', which gives you the same two forms as in Rondo of Blood, but then gives you the TRUE FORM ([[MemeticMutation and despair!]]) for a THIRD Dracula fight.
** Another strange example is in ''[[spoiler:Order Of Ecclesia]]'', where Dracula does have two forms, but instead of the second form being a [[OneWingedAngel demon thing]], [[spoiler:the second form renders the first form in 3-D.]]
** ''[[ChroniclesOfSorrow Aria of Sorrow]]'' had a two-stage fight with [[spoiler:Graham]] for the normal ending. Beating him with the three souls that best represent Dracula's powers (Giant Bat, Succubus, and Flame Demon) equipped let you progress further in the game to fight [[spoiler:[[TrueFinalBoss Chaos]] so you don't turn into Dracula (losing to him causes exactly that to happen)]] in another two-stage battle.

** At the end of the game, you fight [[TheDragon Misery]], then fight BigBad The Doctor, who is himself a two-part boss fight, then fight the ''real'' final boss, who's backed up with two flunkies. There's no saving or recovery between, but [[GuideDangIt if you know how]], it's possible to get partially healed right before the last one.

** The first one is Wyzen in chapters 4 and 5. Asura starts fighting Wyzen at normal size, then fights his over 100 meters tall Vajra Form, then his ''Planet'' sized Gongen form.
** When Fighting Deus, you first go at him with Asura, then Yasha, and then use Asura again.
** When fighting Gohma Vlitra [[spoiler: For the last time,]] he first sprouts out other gohma to fight, then you fight [[spoiler: one of his Orochi heads, then eventually start fighting all them, and then its main face, then the true form of Vlitra in the earths core.]]
** When fighting against Yasha [[spoiler: for the Final time, Asura and Yasha start off on a massive tower, then flash back to a training fight between the two as you fall down the tower, then fight Yasha in his Unlimited mode.]]
** Then there's the final fight with [[spoiler: Chakravartin, where you fight his giant Multi Galaxy form, then a smaller version in Naraka, then his Human form, then his creator form, then a coup de grace QTE battle with him.]]

* Lance in ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}: Shattered Soldier''. And Mission 6 consists almost entirely of a sequential boss fight against the Relic of Morai's many forms. If you complete the game up to here with an S ranking, you get to fight the disappointingly easy PerfectRunFinalBoss.

** The final boss of ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' has a whopping ''thirteen'' forms [[spoiler: (not counting the human form the main characters knew him as earlier in the game)]]. While the first twelve forms are relatively easy to defeat (differing mainly in their elemental weaknesses), the final form is quite difficult and can take at least half an hour to defeat for those who aren't using some sort of GameBreaker.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' does this for pretty much every boss, in some cases even tricking you (and Link) into thinking the battle is over.
*** Zant himself is a personified BossRush with minor variations.

*** The final boss has four different forms.

** ''Shadows of Almia'' has [[DiscOneFinalBoss that bloody Drapion]], before you get [[GameBreaker Steel-type Poke Assists]], and he is proceeded by two Rhyhorn and then [[GoddamnedBats three Stunky]].

*** At least the Legendary Beasts are at the ''end'' of the game. ''Shadows of Almia'' has [[DiscOneFinalBoss that bloody Drapion]], before you get [[GameBreaker Steel-type Poke Assists]], and he is proceeded by two Rhyhorn and then [[GoddamnedBats three Stunky]].

* ''SuperSmashBros Brawl'' has an interesting variation in the Subspace Emissary: You fight the same boss twice, but with different characters. The second encounter is its own level though, so you're granted full stocks for round two and don't need to start the first round again if you fail.

* VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam has Wiggler and Popple, two opponents fought directly after one another. Unlike many other examples though, the latter boss is the easier one, so you should use your best items and attacks then instead of waiting for the second battle.

* ''SuperRobotWars'' loves this, sometimes having both kinds at the same time.
** One level of ''Original Generation 2'' has you fighting [[SuperRobotWarsAdvance Axel Almar]], [[SuperRobotWars3 Sikalog, Aguija]] (Sikalog and Aguika fight together), and finally [[SuperRobotWars3 Wendolo]].

** ''KirbySuperstar'':

** The final battles of ''KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror''. There are four ''different'' forms ([[spoiler: including the fight with Dark Meta Knight]] but the second of those must be defeated ''four times over''.
** The FinalBoss of ''{{Kirby 64}}'', Miracle Matter, plays with this. Like the final bosses of ''KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror'', it has seven forms. Instead of going one after one, it alternates between each form. Defeating each form destroys Miracle Matter. So far, however, the final battles of ''Amazing Mirror'' and Miracle Matter are tied for the most forms in the series, despite being done differently.