History Main / CowardlyBoss

* Not really a boss (like many other things on this page), but a really strong enemy. The Amazee Dayzee in the ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' games will run away as soon as it can. Made worse by the fact that it's super rare, and in the first game, it's the only thing that will give you exp at high levels (aside from Dry Bones, but those only yield Star Points if you [[KillItWithFire burn them to ashes]].) In Super Paper Mario, it'll even jump into bottomless pits to escape you.

* Most boss monsters in the ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' series will either run, dig, swim, or fly to another area after you've damaged them enough, and to finish the job you'll have to find them again. Marking them with a paintball, paint shot or paint-coated arrow will save you a lot of time figuring out exactly where they flee to. World removes the need for paint, but also makes some monsters run ''really'' far away during their hunts. It can be painful to do decent damage to a Rathalos in the Ancient Forest in the dense forest floor for it to suddenly fly all the way up to its next at the top of the stage, then have it return to the same area as soon as you catch up.

* Most boss monsters in the ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' series will either run, dig, swim, or fly to another area after you've damaged them enough, and to finish the job you'll have to find them again. Marking them with a paintball, paint shot or paint-coated arrow will save you a lot of time figuring out exactly where they flee to.

* The first battle with a Red Cape in ''Devil Summoner: RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy'' is this. In fact, it'll keep running away, until you block its path with a car.

* The second part of the boss fight with the giant possessed tree in ''DrawnToLife'' consists entirely of trying to track down a small, shadowy lizard thing that leaps erratically between the platforms of the area so you can shoot him. He dies in three hits and doesn't even try to attack; however, he is exceptionally annoying to keep track of, and there are bunches of shadowy tentacles scattered about the area that lash out at you if you get too close.

%%* Ultimate Weapon in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''.
* Deathgaze (also known as [=DoomGaze=] in the SNES version) in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' and his cameo in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears''.

* The Jumbo Cactar in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII''. This rather annoying boss has a ton of HP and can kill a character in one shot regardless of stats. After a certain point, it thinks about running away. If it does, you have to do the whole fight from the beginning.

* The worm boss at the beginning of ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}: Zero Mission'', if you don't defeat it within a short amount of time.

* The ''[[LegoAdaptationGame Lego Star Wars/Indiana Jones/Batman]]'' games feature lots of examples of this. Expect to do some mild platforming or puzzle solving in between each hit on a boss.

%%* Not exactly a boss, but the ??? (yes, that's its name) from ''DungeonSiege 2''.

A boss that the party fights, that then randomly runs after taking a certain amount of damage, forcing you to have to hunt that boss down and fight them again. Thankfully, most followers of this trope will retain the damage they took in the previous fight.

The biggest difference between this type of Boss and a GetBackHereBoss is that the CowardlyBoss actually does stop and fight you at some points of the BossBattle, which is most often the best (or maybe only) opening you have to deplete its health. A GetBackHereBoss doesn't do this if it can help it, and you have to chase it constantly, usually fighting it on the fly.

Compare the RecurringBoss, who [[VillainExitStageLeft runs as a matter]] [[GameplayAndStorySegregation of the storyline]]. See also GetBackHereBoss.

* Koji Shindo in ''Yakuza 2'' (''VideoGame/RyuGaGotoku 2'') uses a katana in order to fight you, but runs after taking set amounts of damage. You eventually corner him in a Japanese courtyard, where Yayoi throws you a sword for the BladeLock duel to the finish.

* The Stonecore, one of the new 5-man instances in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Cataclysm'', has a gnome that is this and a BaitAndSwitchBoss. You find him at the beginning of the instance with a group of mooks, and when he takes some damage he flees to another group of mooks further in. Repeat twice more, and he finally takes a stand with a huge crowd of mooks and begins charging his ultimate spell of doom... when a gigantic gyreworm smashes through the cavern wall, wiping out the gnome and his backup in one fell swoop.

* The Hulking Lungfish in ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' is fought in four sections; in between those sections, it runs away from you, pulling its underwater air-bubble along with it. Raz [[SuperDrowningSkills isn't such a strong swimmer]], so you have to chase her while [[AdvancingWallOfDoom staying within the bubble.]] [[ThatOneBoss Guess which part of the boss is more difficult?]]

* The Overset Possessor in ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon'' is this and a FlunkyBoss. The arena is on a huge clock, and the Boss hides inside, sending a bunch of Mooks after you; defeating them causes the hand to move, and a new set of Mooks to appear. However, the Overset Possessor himself comes out after you defeat the ones at the four o'clock, eight o'clock, and midnight positions, and he's vulnerable then; like all the Possessors he has to be hit with the Poltergust three times to defeat.

* ''Wrestling/{{WWE}} [=SmackDown=] vs. Raw 2009'''s Road to [=WrestleMania=] mode actually has one of these -- in Chris Jericho's story mode, he is being harassed by a masked man who will repeatedly escape by some way or another; every time Jericho has the chance to get his hands on him he escapes. Depending on what choice you make at a crucial point, you either [[spoiler:eventually attack him and reveal him as Randy Orton]] or [[spoiler:never fight him.]]

* Omen Deng in ''AlphaProtocol''. First he leads you on a chase/shoot-out through an intricate construction scaffolding, disappearing every time he takes a certain amount of damage (and leaving behind {{Mooks}} armed with assault rifles). When you finally get him alone, his M.O. is to hide behind a pillar, take some shots at you from cover, run off and disappear, run back to you and beat the snot out of you in melee, then run off and disappear again. Rinse and repeat until one of you is dead.

* ''Franchise/Pokemon'':

* Ultimate Weapon in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''.

* The Legendary Dogs/Cats/[[FanWank Gerbils]] in ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'', Latios/Latias in ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'', and Mesprit and Cresselia in ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'', unless you have a Pokemon that knows a move like Mean Look or the ability Arena Trap to prevent it. And even then, the beasts tend to just use Roar on you.

* Darth Malak in ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' does this -- ''twice''.
** Then there's the final boss fight, when every time you do a certain amount of damage to him, he runs off and sucks a Jedi captive's life energy out, completely healing himself. You can't attack him while he's running, but you ''can'' either kill the Jedi, allowing them to become one with the Force (they're basically dead anyway,) or suck their life out yourself.
* Not exactly a boss, but the ??? (yes, that's its name) from ''DungeonSiege 2''.
* The Greenbottle Fly in ''BreathOfFireII'' is a minor example: you only fight him twice, but in between, he leads you on a chase through two boss fights and a minefield of enemies.

* Earlier, in ''SuperMarioRPG'', each showdown with Croco sends you on a wild chase after him. The first time, you have to catch him by surprise thrice. The second time he's better-prepared, and sets traps for you before scurrying off.

* In ''NeoQuest II'', Ramtor, in the first chapter, who runs away like a coward after a bit of beating up. The Faerie Thief takes this to a whole new level later on in Faerieland, in which she actually flees ''twice''.

* Boba Fett behaves this way in [[ThatOneLevel one level]] of ''JediAcademy''. He'll harass you periodically as you try to accomplish the mission, and can't be defeated for good until you've accomplished all other objectives. Luckily, the level is skippable.

[[AC:{{Roleplay}}]]
* The title character of ''Roleplay/DestroyTheGodmodder'' is this through and through. Most of the time, he runs away from a whole lot, but occasionally wreaks havoc on the good guys.

* In Area 7 of ''VideoGame/{{RefleX}}'', ZODIAC Virgo duels with you for a few minutes, then flies away. It then reappears and [[spoiler:[[HeadsIWinTailsYouLose kills you dead]], [[SubvertedTrope only for your ship to resurrect itself]]]], prompting Virgo to retreat again and try to escape until you catch up and destroy its engines, at which point it stands its ground and fight you to the death.