History AwesomeBosses / WorldOfWarcraft

** Even ''more'' awesome if you (somehow) got Atiesh[[note]]He's Medivh's father and that's Medivh's staff you're carrying. TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything.[[/note]] and had it equipped when you started the fight with him. Also, [[http://thebigbearbutt.com/2008/03/05/jon-of-the-bronze-kettle-this-song-is-just-for-you/ this]].

* In the Trial of the Crusader, Grand Warlock Wilfred Fizzlebang tries to summon a doomguard but instead summons JARAXXUS, EREDAR LORD OF THE BURNING LEGION. [[TheWorldsExpertOnGettingKilled He gets promptly blasted for his arrogance]] and the sheer awesomeness of this demon boss was too much to be contained within a single game - he is now also hamming it up in [[Videogame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft Hearthstone]] as well!

** The fight with Alysrazor is also pretty great. You get the chance to fly and fight her in the air and the music that plays during the fight is ''intense''!

* Yogg-Saron in Wrath of the Lich King takes this trope to a whole new level, featuring all the epicness of C'thun [[UpToEleven and then some]]. Among these additions is the Sanity mechanic; the player must take precautions to avoid losing Sanity throughout the encounter. If the player's Sanity runs out, the player will be mind controlled and see his/her entire party as servants of Yogg'saron.
** Yogg-Saron's voice, and in particular, Yogg-Saron's laughter are somewhat divisive. In Phase 3, as you DPS Yogg himself, Yogg-Saron casts Lunatic Gaze. All players must turn their backs to Yogg when this happens because staring at him during Lunatic Gaze is staring into the maw of madness itself and destroys your Sanity (reducing it by 4% ''every second'' you look at him). To add to this, during Lunatic Gaze, Yogg-Saron [[EvilLaugh laughs maniacally at your raid.]] This is either so awesome that it's actually terrifying or just {{Narm}} at its best/worst. The transition into Phase 2 features one of the best introduction emotes yet, complete with a case of VoiceOfTheLegion between Sara and Yogg-Saron with Yogg's voice slowly overtaking Sara's voice until it's all Yogg's voice in the final line.
--->"I am the lucid dream. The monster in your nightmares. The fiend of a thousand faces. Cower before my true form. BOW DOWN BEFORE THE GOD OF DEATH!"

** Arthas is also noteworthy because his emotes are some of the best ever, especially his Hard Enrage (which can multiply the already staggering amount of awesome if you have one of those infamous scenarios where the enrage hits ''mere inches away from the deathblow''). Combined with the great voice acting by Michael [=McConnohie=], it's simply one of the greatest lines ever uttered: "'''''FACE NOW YOUR TRAGIC END!!!!'''''"
*** Also, when he [[spoiler: insta-kills the entire raid and the usual "Release spirit" button that players get upon death appears, if you try to click it a notification will appear saying "Cannot release! Your soul belongs to the Lich King!".]]

* Murozond, from heroic End Time. He's a fairly standard dragon boss, what makes him so much fun? There's a big hourglass that has five charges, and the players must periodically use it, which resets the player's status back to the beginning of the fight, while leaving Murozond at the same health. This is mainly used to clear the stacks of the debuff he throws on you, but it has the added effect of resetting all cooldowns. Basically, for this fight, you can ignore the cooldowns on your best buffs and abilities and use them to your heart's content. What makes this fight so awesome is that you can spend the fight in perma-Metamorphosis as Demo, perma-Tree Form as a healing Druid, have 100% uptime on Heroism with a Shaman or Mage in the group, and so much more. You can just go all out and it's a blast.
** Even more insane is that, if timed correctly, some cooldowns will stack. Like a warlock having 2 or 3 Doomguards out at once.

* ''Legion'' has a number of unique boss fights even in the regular dungeons, including two fights against literal ''gods'' in Odyn and Helya.
** The final boss of the Wardens' Prison is [[spoiler: Cordana Felsong, the corrupted warden who assisted Gul'dan at the tail-end of ''Warlords'']], in which the players need to use the Light of Elune to inflict more damage to the boss and reveal the various minions that get summoned throughout the fight, which happens in almost total darkness.

* From the 85 entrance raid Blackwing Descent, we have Magmaw. An absolutely '''enormous''' magma worm in a giant lava pool that's chained to the floor you're on ''just so you can fight him''. During the fight, he tries to ''swallow one of the tanks whole'', in which he needs to be healed like no tomorrow. The two melee characters ''jump'' onto the boss and ''chain his head to the ground'' [[AttackItsWeakPoint revealing its far softer head]] [[ForMassiveDamage that takes double damage from attacks.]]

* When it debuted, the battle against C'thun was a frantic fight where losing one raid member early could doom your chances at victory. It was one of the first times in the game's history where every single life counted. And yet, the fight was ludicrously entertaining to the point where people still return many expansions later to experience it again. The C'thun fight contains such memorable mechanics as a smaller eye beam that increases in damage as it jumps from player to player (and it can hit in the millions after enough jumps,) a massive eye beam that annihilates anyone in its path, and a mouth tentacle that swallows players and takes them to his stomach where they need to kill Flesh Tentacles to make the main body attackable. And as the icing on the cake, he creepily whispers to you throughout the dungeon.

* C'thun, at 60, was a frantic fight where losing one raid member early could mean you didn't quite have the juice to keep up with his attacks, one of the first times in the game's history that every single life counted. And yet, the fight was ludicrously entertaining, to the point that people still go back 3 years and twenty levels later to experience it again. Notice the C'thun fight contains such originalities as an Eyebeam that jumps from player to player increasing in damage for every jump (can hit in the millions after a few hits, if not more) and swallowing players, taking them to his Stomach where they need to kill Flesh Tentacles to make his main body attackable. Also, he whispers creepy stuff to you.
* Yogg-Saron in Wrath of the Lich King takes this to a whole new level, featuring all the epicness of C'thun and more (such as a Sanity Meter. If this runs out, the player will be mind controlled and see his entire party as servants of Yogg'saron).

* Arthas Menethil, the Lich King. Even leaving aside the fact that he's the current end-game boss, the fight itself is awesome. ''Six'' distinct phases, even if two are transition phases and the last [[spoiler:is just beating up Arthas while he's unable to fight back]]. Everyone in the raid has to be on the ball and paying attention, as he is constantly throwing out abilities that will cause a wipe if they're not managed properly, such as Necrotic Plague (a disease that ticks for 50K a time and jumps to another target while getting more powerful if it kills what it's currently on), Infest (a [=DoT=] that does more damage per tick until everyone in the raid is healed past 90% health) and Defile (damages anyone standing on it, plus it gets bigger every time it deals damage until it potentially fills the entire area). He also, at different points during the fight, summons Val'kyr Guardians (to pick up a random person, carry them to the edge of the area and... just drop them) and Vile Spirits (which come in swarms and blow up when they get close enough). Then, during the third non-transition phase, he uses an ability called Harvest Soul, which sucks one person into Frostmourne where they have to help [[spoiler:Arthas' father, Terenas II Menethil]] beat the Spirit Warden to escape. After all that, after he's reduced to 10% of his seventeen million starting health (actually he only has 17.4million in 10man regular, on 10man heroic he has 29.5million, on 25regular he has 63.1million and on 25man heroic he has ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN MILLION HEALTH!!!)... that's when the true awesome begins. [[spoiler:He then says, "You gnats actually hurt me! Perhaps I've toyed with you long enough, now taste the vengeance of the grave!" and unleashes the Fury of Frostmourne, doing one million damage to everyone in the raid. Next comes TheReveal that your progress through Icecrown Citadel, even quite possibly ''everything you'd done against the Scourge since your first arrival in Northrend'', had been part of a EvilPlan by the Lich King to draw in Azeroth's greatest champions. In short, he needs new generals, since his previous ones are now scattered in small pieces throughout Icecrown Citadel. Oh, look - here are the 10/25 people that did it! He starts to resurrect the raid with the intent of making you his new generals, and this is when Tirion Fordring simply ''awesomes'' his way out of the ice block he'd been in since the fight started and shatters Frostmourne. The souls that had been imprisoned within the blade are freed, and grab Arthas. Terenas Menethil then resurrects the raid, and it's simply a matter of finishing Arthas off.]] Roll cinematic. The feeling of satisfaction that you get the first time you kill the Lich King? ''Priceless''. Next stop: Icecrown Citadel Heroic modes!

* Yogg-Saron in Wrath of the Lich King takes this to a whole new level, featuring all the epicness of C'thun and more (such as a Sanity Meter. If this runs out, the player will be mind controlled and see his entire party as servants of Yogg'saron.)
** Yogg-Saron's voice acting is a big case of YMMV, and in particular, Yogg-Saron's laughter. In Phase 3, as you DPS Yogg himself, Yogg-Saron casts Lunatic Gaze. All players must turn their backs to Yogg when this happens because staring at him during Lunatic Gaze is staring into the maw of madness itself and destroys your Sanity (reducing it by 4% ''every second'' you look at him). To add to this, during Lunatic Gaze, Yogg-Saron [[EvilLaugh laughs maniacally at your raid.]] This is either so awesome that it's actually terrifying or just {{Narm}} at its best/worst. The transition into Phase 2 features one of the best introduction emotes yet, complete with a case of VoiceOfTheLegion between Sara and Yogg-Saron with Yogg's voice slowly overtaking Sara's voice until it's all Yogg's voice in the final line.

* While certainly a case of YMMV due to the unpopularity of the Firelands, Heroic Ragnaros deserves a mention here. The standard fight is little more than a scale-up of the original Molten Core version of this boss, with some added twists for each phase. What really makes this fight awesome is the fourth phase that only occurs during the Heroic encounter. Instead of disappearing back into his lava pool with the words [[CatchPhrase "Too]] [[FamousLastWords soon..."]] when you defeat him in phase 3, Ragnaros gets lassoed by Malfurion Stormrage, Hamuul Runetotem, and even [[PhysicalGod Cenarius]] himself and dragged back out for a final showdown! In this phase Ragnaros gets all new abilities that jump the [[HolyShitQuotient HSQ]] to a new level, and [[ArsonMurderandJaywalking reveals his legs for the first time]] as he chases you across his platform. Also, if you managed to beat him before Mists of Pandaria was released, you were guaranteed to receive a special mount that used the exact same model as Alysrazor. Awesome!
** Malfurion: [[PreAsskickingOneLiner "No, fiend! Your time is NOW!"]]

* While certainly a case of YMMV due to the unpopularity of the Firelands, Heroic Ragnaros deserves a mention here. The standard fight is little more than a scale-up of the original Molten Core version of this boss, with some added twists for each phase. What really makes this fight awesome is the fourth phase that only occurs during the Heroic encounter. Instead of disappearing back into his lava pool with the words [[CatchPhrase Too soon...]] when you defeat him in phase 3, Ragnaros gets lassoed by Malfurion Stormrage, Hamuul Runetotem, and even [[PhysicalGod Cenarius]] himself and dragged back out for the final showdown! In this phase Ragnaros gets all new abilities that jump the [[HolyShitQuotient HSQ]] to a new level, and [[ArsonMurderandJaywalking reveals his legs for the first time]] as he chases you across his platform. Also, if you managed to beat him before Mists of Pandaria was released, you were guaranteed to receive a special mount that used the exact same model as Alysrazor.

** Arthas is also noteworthy because his emotes are some of the best ever, especially his Hard Enrage (which can multiply the already staggering amount of awesome if you have one of those infamous scenarios where the enrage hits ''mere inches away from the deathblow''). Combined with the great voice acting by Michael [=McConnohie=], it's simply one of the greatest lines ever uttered. *ahem* '''''FACE NOW YOUR TRAGIC END!!!!'''''

** Arthas is also noteworthy because his emotes are some of the best ever, especially his Hard Enrage (which can multiply the already staggering amount of awesome if you have one of those infamous scenarios where the enrage hits ''mere inches away from the deathblow''). Combined with the great voice acting by Michael McConnohie, it's simply one of the greatest lines ever uttered. *ahem* '''''FACE NOW YOUR TRAGIC END!!!!'''''

* In the Trial of the Crusader, Grand Warlock Wilfred Fizzlebang tries to summon a doomguard but instead summons ''JARAXXUS, EREDAR LORD OF THE BURNING LEGION.'' [[TheWorldsExpertOnGettingKilled He gets promptly blasted for his arrogance]] and the sheer awesomeness of this demon boss was too much to be contained within a single game - he is now also hamming it up in [[Videogame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft Hearthstone]] as well!

* The Mannoroth fight in heroic Well of Eternity. You're fighting alongside Illidan and Tyrande, which is totally badass, and you can pull some crazy high dps near the end of the fight. Once you're overrun by demons, Illidan transforms the players into demons themselves, doing a massively strong Immolation Aura and letting you burn down the rest of Mannoroth's massive hp with little problem. It's a very easy fight, but the sheer epicness of fighting such a powerful boss (both hp and story-wise) makes up for it.
* The Spine of Deathwing fight in the dragon soul raid. You are riding Deathwing - yes, the enormous dragon that ''broke the world'' - and you have to literally ''tear him apart'' by first nuking him with his own blood followed by cutting his own blazing tendons apart. And he's no idiot - he knows you're on top of him, and the second your party members go on one side, Deathwing starts to flip over, and you have to hang on to his magma-bleeding wounds for dear life.

* The entirety of Siege of Orgrimmar can fall under this category since there is hardly a standard fight in there. Take the first boss. Giant water emlemental that you have to not only kill parts of him when he splits, but also HEAL some of them.

* "I am not some simple jester! I AM NIELAS ARAN!" This guy has what may be the best voice acting in the game. A terrified, savage and also dead mage that's totally freaked out while trying to kill you, plus making fun of mages when his mana gets too low? Awesome. Best boss ever even though he was ThatOneBoss to the massive potential raid damage and crucial interrupt timers. He even made [[ScrappyLevel Karazhan]] cool.

* ''WorldOfWarcraft'' has had several epic bosses, but one that stands out is Vaelastrasz. Yes, he was ThatOneBoss to the point of shattering guilds without apology or remorse. Yes, those were the most balls-to-the-wall three minutes of your entire raiding career, even from the perspective of having done it all, from 40-man Naxx to Sunwell to Malygos. Intense does not ''begin'' to describe it.

* Lest one forgets the main reason of Siege of Orgrimmar; Garrosh himself. Not going to go into too much detail, but that phase 3 makes phase 2 look like a waste of time.

** Even ''more'' awesome if you (somehow) got Atiesh[[hottip:*:He's Medivh's father and that's Medivh's staff you're carrying. TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything.]] and had it equipped when you started the fight with him. Also, [[http://thebigbearbutt.com/2008/03/05/jon-of-the-bronze-kettle-this-song-is-just-for-you/ this]].

*** Also, when he [[spoiler: insta-kills the entire raid and the usual "Release spirit" button that players get upon death appears, if you try to click it a notification will appear saying "Cannot release! Your soul belongs to the Lich King!".

** Yogg-Saron's voice acting is a big case of YMMV, and in particular, Yogg-Saron's laughter. In Phase 3, as you DPS Yogg himself, Yogg-Saron casts Lunatic Gaze. All players must turn their backs to Yogg when this happens because staring at him during Lunatic Gaze is staring into the maw of madness itself and destroys your Sanity (reducing it by 4% ''every second'' you look at him). To add to this, during Lunatic Gaze, Yogg-Saron [[EvilLaugh laughs maniacally at your raid.]] This is either so awesome that it's actually [[NightmareFuel terrifying]] or just {{Narm}} at its best/worst. The transition into Phase 2 features one of the best introduction emotes yet, complete with a case of VoiceOfTheLegion between Sara and Yogg-Saron with Yogg's voice slowly overtaking Sara's voice until it's all Yogg's voice in the final line.

* The Spine of Deathwing fight in the dragon soul raid, You are riding Deathwing, let me repeat that '''YOU ARE RIDING THE HUGANTIC DRAGON THAT BROKE THE WORLD''' and you have to literally ''Tear him apart'' by first '''NUKING''' him with '''HIS OWN BLOOD''' followed by the cutting '''HIS OWN BLAZING TENDONS APART'''. Did i mention he's no idiot and knows your on him? the second you all go on one side, Deathwing starts to flip over, and you have to '''HANG ON TO HIS MAGMA-BLEEDING WOUNDS''' for dear life. It's literally that awesome.