History Main / ZeroEffortBoss

* It is impossible to lose (Aside from intentionally petrifying yourself) to [[spoiler:Yu Yevon]] in ''FinalFantasyX'', since your characters get permanent "Auto-Life" status, reviving them each time they are knocked out. And he comes shortly after the anticlimactic final fight with [[spoiler:Maester Seymour]], who'd been pretty goddamn tough in all his previous appearances, but who's a bit of a doodle by the time you've leveled up enough to explore the final zone.

The most common version is TheManBehindTheCurtain variety. You have slaughtered the BigBad's {{Mooks}}, infiltrated his EvilTowerOfOminousness, battled through his [[EliteMooks Elite Guard]], and barely survived the fight against his [[TheDragon Dragon]]. All that's left is the weak, unarmed, defenseless mastermind behind it all. A subversion of AuthorityEqualsAsskicking, usually TheDragon was intended to be the real FinalBoss, and this one-shot kill is meant to provide closure to the story. Or maybe it's just PlayedForLaughs that the Dark Lord Bloodentears is a fat slob who can barely lift a sword. Sometimes, there is an actual battle, but it's effectively won on the penultimate hit, requiring the player to finish off a vastly weakened enemy.

* The first boss of YoshisStory, Cloud N. Candy, is probably the easiest boss ever. While he CAN (theoretically) hurt you, you can restore your health by damaging him. You literally have to set the controller on the ground and not touch it if you want to lose.

* The first boss of YoshiStory, Cloud N. Candy, is probably the easiest boss ever. While he CAN (theoretically) hurt you, you can restore your health by damaging him. You literally have to set the controller on the ground and not touch it if you want to lose.

** ''He does not even fight back.'' He just kneels there and takes it. You've spent the whole game getting terrorized, shot at, and made to constantly run after people that are perpetually two steps ahead of you and impossible to catch. You've promised yourself you ''will'' find Fettel, you ''will'' kill him, and you'll do it ''slowly.'' And then you're cheated out of your CrowningMomentOfAwesome by a freaking interactive cutscene. Oh yeah, and the girl you were trying to save? Lying in a pool of her own blood right behind him. Aaargh.

* In FinalFantasyIV, Cecil's dark/Dark Knight/whatever side. Becoming a paladin is as simple as defending and not fighting back. 3 times.

* In FinalFantasyIV, Cecil's darkside/Dark Knight/whatever side. Becoming a paladin is as simple as defending and not fighting back.

* MetroidOtherM has [[spoiler: MB]], the cybernetic reincarnation of [[spoiler: Mother Brain]], is incredibly easy to beat built up to be quite threatening. Some players kill her ''by accident''.

An AnticlimaxBoss is easier than the plot implies, usually easier than all the other bosses you've fought until this point. A Zero Effort Boss is easier to fight than [[CrateExpectations the crates]] [[RewardingVandalism you destroyed]] for ammo. This is the ultimate intentional expression of an Anticlimax Boss, a boss who is literally not a challenge at all. Best case scenario, you actively have to try in order to lose. At its worst, you are incapable of losing even if you try.

The most common version is TheManBehindTheCurtain variety. You have slaughtered the BigBad's {{Mooks}}, infiltrated his EvilTowerOfOminousness, battled through his [[EliteMooks Elite Guard]] and barely survived the fight against his [[TheDragon Dragon]]. All that's left is the weak, unarmed, defenseless mastermind behind it all. A subversion of AuthorityEqualsAsskicking, usually TheDragon was intended to be the real FinalBoss, and this one-shot kill is meant to provide closure to the story. Or maybe it's just PlayedForLaughs that the Dark Lord Bloodentears is a fat slob who can barely lift a sword. Sometimes, there is an actual battle, but it's effectively won on the penultimate hit, requiring the player to finish off a vastly weakened enemy.

* [[spoiler:Augst]] from ''WildArms4'' drinks a potion that makes him super powerful. Unfortunately all he does is become a giant super powerful traffic barrier. The characters have to be really slow for him to get a hit in the first battle. The second battle isn't much better but at least he counters.

* [[spoiler: Augst]] from ''WildArms4'' drinks a potion that makes him super powerful. Unfortunately all he does is become a giant super powerful traffic barrier. The characters have to be really slow for him to get a hit in the first battle. The second battle isn't much better but at least he counters.

* ''MegaManStarForce 3''. After defeating the final boss, a cutscene follows, showing MegaMan's final form (The one shown on the game box), unlocked. After that, you refight the final boss, who now has an astonishing 8000 HP. This may be daunting, but his attacks can not kill you, even at 1 HP, and the battle doesn't end until you land the final move. (Also dependant on the game's version)

* The Floor 99 Boss of the Ancient Cave in ''{{Lufia}}2'' is impossible to lose to. He spends 2 rounds healing you, idles for one round, and then kills himself. The trick is to deal 10k HP damage before he kills himself, if you want his key. Of course, few would know that, due to the NintendoHard nature of the Ancient Cave....

* It is impossible to lose to [[spoiler:Yu Yevon]] in ''FinalFantasyX'', since your characters get permanent "Auto-Life" status, reviving them each time they are knocked out. And he comes shortly after the anticlimactic final fight with [[spoiler:Maester Seymour]], who'd been pretty goddamn tough in all his previous appearances, but who's a bit of a doodle by the time you've leveled up enough to explore the final zone.
** Actually you can lose by deliberately petrifying your own characters, but you still have to be actively trying to fail.

* More than one PuzzleBoss has had the trick that they're a Zero Effort Boss -- actually trying to fight will at best do nothing, and at worst is the only way to actually lose. The Mirror Prince from the original ''PrinceOfPersia'' is a famous example, as are the dancing skeletons from ''MonsterBash''.

* Six words: ''[[http://www.mazapan.se/games/BurnTheRope.php You Have to Burn the Rope]].''