redirected from Main.SubBoss
alt title(s): Sub Boss; Mid Boss
A
Mini Boss (or
Sub Boss) is a distinct, generally unique, stronger-than-average monster that you encounter usually halfway to two-thirds through the level/dungeon/etc. It is noteworthy because it's tougher than any ordinary enemy (and isn't encountered under normal conditions like a
Giant Mook), yet it still isn't as strong as the actual
boss that awaits you at the end. In story terms, the
Mini Boss is often
The Dragon to the level boss.
Recurring antagonists, such as the
Goldfish Poop Gang and the
Quirky Miniboss Squad, are often mini-bosses.
If there is one, the reward for defeating the
Mini Boss is usually a map of the level, the featured item or weapon of the dungeon (as in the case of
The Legend Of Zelda games), or a
Plot Coupon, such as the Boss Key.
May
return as a regular enemy later in the game. Of course, normal bosses may become sub-bosses later as well.
Examples:
- The Legend Of Zelda games from Link's Awakening onward have at least one per dungeon.
- Ratchet And Clank.
- The Final Fantasy games have some.
- Kingdom Hearts has a few. The Shadow Sora miniboss fight in the Neverland level is infamous for being much, MUCH harder than the final boss for the level (Captain Hook).
- God Of War had a couple.
- Street Fighter Alpha 3 had you fight a character relevant to your own character's story halfway through the game; this has shown up in other fighting games and are often referred to as "story battles".
- God Hand loves these; every stage has at least one, and most have two or better.
- SaGa Frontier has quite a few.
- In Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Recurring Boss Vyers gets stuck with the nickname "Mid-Boss", although in fact he usually does appear as the final boss of a stage.
- Slightly subverted in Legend of Dragoon, in that the sub bosses are often as powerful, if not more than the normal bosses.
- Mega Man games. The Zero series has them as a mainstay of each level.
- Subverted in one stage of ZX Advent, when the main boss is at the beginning of one level and the midboss of that level is at the end.
- The Scrappy Level of Final Fantasy IV, the Sealed Cave, is in large part that way due to the Trapdoor minibosses. Yes, plural - almost every door is a Trapdoor.
- Kirby Superstar had a bunch of recurring ones. In the Boss Rush mode, they appear again in groups to make up for the lack of power compared to a normal boss. Some of them provide hard to come by abilities such as Cook.
- The series as a whole also has Kracko Jr., which is an easier version of Kracko, a boss (and is usually fought in the same level).
- The Darius series has Sub Bosses as tradition. Particularly notable are the Sub Bosses of Darius Gaiden; each sub-boss has a spherical orb, usually on the top of it; if you destroy just that part, you can collect the orb, causing the sub-boss to pull a Heel Face Turn and fight for you! Though, it slowly explodes over time and eventually dies. For those who play this game for score, clearing the game nets a huge bonus for each sub-boss captured.
- Star Fox 64 and Assault sometimes have a stronger enemy appear about halfway through the level, although you don't have to defeat them to progress. A straight example would be either Star Wolf or the Grunner on either Venom Route. Command also has some minibosses guarding motherships in the harder levels.
- The Ace Combat games usually have this in the form of either one-time-appearance enemies (such as post-mission update enemies) or the antagonist ace squadrons, such as Yellow Squadron and Strigon Team; the former becomes a Degraded Boss by 04's final mission though.
- The Touhou series tends to have about one sub boss per level. In some interesting cases, the sub boss is often the same person as the actual boss for the level. In a specific case, you fight one character -thrice-: twice in her stage, and once as a sub boss in the next stage.
