Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Summer Game Fest
  • New games for 2025
  • Upcoming Switch 2 games
  • Switch 2 stock
Recommended reading
Resident Evil Village
Games The 25 best video game villains you just love to hate
The Evil Queen in hag mode from Snow White
Movies The 33 greatest Disney villains
Super Mario RPG Remake
Super Mario Nintendo tracks Super Mario friendships on official web page that reveals Pauline is an outcast, Waluigi is controversial, and Mario canonically doesn't like you
Best Mario games
Super Mario The 15 best Mario games of all time
King K Rool
Donkey Kong Donkey Kong Bananza is the perfect time to bring back an AWOL villain, and I'm already uncovering conspiracies that say our favorite crocodile will turn up
Luigi running from ghosts in Luigi's Mansion
Games The 25 best GameCube games of all time
Princess Peach in Mario Kart World
Super Mario Mario Kart World roster: The complete Mario Kart World character list
  1. Games
  2. Action

Marios most memorable boss fights

Features
By Alex Roth, Henry Gilbert published 20 November 2013

A hero is only as good as their villains

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Mama mia!

Mama mia!

New consoles may come and go, but Mario has been a constant in gaming for more than 30 years. And while he may be one of the greatest heroes in gaming history, much like Batman, the squat plumber is truly defined by his villains. And after so many Mario stages have been punctuated by incredible boss fight, we figured it was past time to pull together our favorites.

In Marios well-chronicled history, hes fought enemies great and small, cold-blooded and fiery, otherworldly and robotic. Oh, and also Bowser approximately seven thousand times. What were the most interesting, knockdown, drag out battles Mario has been a part of? Take a look

Page 1 of 24
Page 1 of 24
Bowser

Bowser

As seen in: Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 successfully transitioned so many of the Mario franchises positives into three dimensions, and that includes an epic, Bowser-slathered finale. The King Koopa towered over Mario more than ever before in Super Mario 64, and the fight called upon the red-hatted hero to display an unheard of level of strength. To beat Bowser, Mario has to grab his tail and then spin the massive creature until Bowser can be tossed at a conveniently placed bomb. It was a clever way to incorporate the third dimension into the stage. Interestingly, Mario had beaten Bowser with a similar technique in a Japan-only animated film. Coincidence?

Page 2 of 24
Page 2 of 24
Wario

Wario

As seen in: Super Mario Land 2

Wario has gone on to be his own franchise leader, but when he first went after Mario he was simply is fatter, uglier doppelganger out to steal Marios life and possessions. When you finally face him at the end of Super Mario Land 2, he has the novel idea of using Marios moves and power-ups against him, throwing fireballs and hovering with SML2s distinct rabbit ears. But what we really loved about Wario was how he menaced Mario before we even played the game, like in this brilliant attack ad.

Page 3 of 24
Page 3 of 24
Major Burrows

Major Burrows

As seen in: Super Mario Galaxy

The underground has annoyed Mario for some time, whether its the pipe-filled sewers or enemies like Monty Mole. Master digger Major Burrows is the ultimate in underground enemies, an imposing mammal that you first find chasing after an unlucky Star Bunny. His Spiney Shell helmet and huge claws are pretty intimidating, especially when the Shell turns red with rage after a couple hits, but a couple ground pounds will send him on his way. Fun fact: Burrows is voiced by the games director.

Page 4 of 24
Page 4 of 24
Reznor

Reznor

As seen in: Super Mario World

The Bowser finale in World is fun, but wed rather highlight the mid-bosses we faced throughout the game. Fitting with Worlds dinosaur theme and named after the front man of Nine Inch Nails, these guys top Super Mario Bros 3s Boomer as our favorite mid-boss in the series. Sure, theyre easy to beat once you figure out that pattern, but how could anyone not cherish fire-spitting triceratops on a rickety Farris Wheel?

Page 5 of 24
Page 5 of 24
Tower Power Pokey

Tower Power Pokey

As seen in: Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Paper Mario: Sticker Star, the most recent flat adventure for the mustachioed one, had the intriguing (and occasionally frustrating) approach to boss battles that made them all a puzzle that could be solved with a single, super effective sticker. The technique worked splendidly against Tower Power Pokey, a huge cactus perched atop a massive pyramid. You could slowly chip away at his health using normal attacks, but observant players will notice the background of his stage resembles a baseball stadium. Hopefully you have the baseball bat in your sticker collection, because there are few greater joys in Sticker Star than knocking every piece of Tower Power Pokey right out of the park--er, pyramid.

Page 6 of 24
Page 6 of 24
Phanto

Phanto

As seen in: Super Mario Bros 2

After beating Bowser so many times with the same trick in Super Mario Bros, SMB2 was shockingly varied by comparison. Birdo, Mouser and Wart are all exceptional, but Phanto is the SMB2 rogue seared into our memories. The creepy, ever-present mask is continually on your heels as long as youre carrying the key you took from his treasury. The haunting death stare of this evil faade scarred many children in the late 80s.

Page 7 of 24
Page 7 of 24
Megaleg

Megaleg

As seen in: Super Mario Galaxy 2

You may notice a lack of Bowser Jr.s annoying face on this list, mainly because most of his battles seem intentionally unfun. Hes supposed to piss you off, and he does it well in Super Mario Galaxy 2, though Juniors Megaleg contraption is the most enjoyable to actually play against. The drill (one of Marios many items in Galaxy 2) is used best against Megaleg in a stage where players have to run to the opposite side of a planetoid to then drill up into the robots weak point. It was a 2D-style puzzle in a 3D game that further showcased the incredible variety Galaxy had to offer.

Page 8 of 24
Page 8 of 24
Axem Rangers

Axem Rangers

As seen in: Super Mario RPG

Super Mario RPG was made to introduce role-playing games to new audiences all over the world via the inviting Mushroom Kingdom. Of course, because it was made by Final Fantasy developer Squaresoft, there were a ton of new enemies in the mix, including the Ax Em Rangers. Clearly inspired by the same Japanese action shows as the Power Rangers, the Ax Em gang appeared just as that show was at peak popularity in the US. This team of colorful bad guys were some of the toughest in the game, and finally beating the crap out of them was satisfying, particularly if you were sick of the overexposed Mighty Morphin gang.

Page 9 of 24
Page 9 of 24
Mecha Bowser

Mecha Bowser

As seen in: Super Mario Sunshine

Mario spends the opening of Super Mario Sunshine chasing after an evil impostor thats framed the plumber for multiple crimes. When Mario finally corners the bandit in an amusement park, the little jerk calls upon a massive robot, bigger than just about anything Marios ever seen to that point. The spectacle of Mecha Bowser is enough to get it on this list, but the real strength is the roller coaster/shooter gimmick of the fight. Mario rides the coaster in a single car, shooting water at the huge beast while the camera spins around the twisty track, making for one of the most visually impressive Mario battles ever.

Page 10 of 24
Page 10 of 24
Raphael the Raven

Raphael the Raven

As seen in: Yoshis Island

Yoshis first solo adventure has so many outstanding bosses that its hard to limit ourselves, though our favorite was never in doubt. In a stage that foreshadows the core concept of Super Mario Galaxy, Yoshi challenges Raphael on a small, circular moon. To win you must quickly get to the other side and ground pound the giant bird on the other side. We love Raph because hes as cute as he is imposing, and the 16-bit horizon in the stages background remains one of the most beautiful panoramas the SNES ever featured.

Page 11 of 24
Page 11 of 24
Giant Donkey Kong

Giant Donkey Kong

As seen in: Donkey Kong (Game Boy)

Many of Marios best battles have been David vs Goliath type size mismatches that stack the odds against the diminutive plumber. Take the final battle in the stellar 1994 reimagining of the arcade classic Donkey Kong. Somehow DK got a hold of some Super Mushrooms and now is trying to flatten Mario with his fists. Unlike most Mario titles, 94s Donkey Kong featured one hit kills, so make one mistake and youre dumped right back to the beginning of the multitier brawl, making for an especially intense finale.

Page 12 of 24
Page 12 of 24
Fawful

Fawful

As seen in: Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

We arent going to feature too many baddies from Marios RPGs, but this one cant be ignored. Fawful is a small package of ludicrousness that is as entertaining as he is evil. While masterminding his vengeance on the Mushroom Kingdom, he shouts such unforgettable quotes, like You inhaled like a hungry syrup pig at the free pancake buffet, Bowser keeps appearing like an ugly rabbitkeeps appearing like an ugly rabbit from the hat of a magician who stinks," and his continual exclamations of I have FURY! Most of these entries are honored due to the gameplay, but we love Fawful for the preamble.

Page 13 of 24
Page 13 of 24
Bowser in 3D

Bowser in 3D

As seen in: Super Mario 3D Land

So many Mario games have concluded with an appearance by Bowser that to make a King Koopa war notable these days you have to do something truly ambitious, which is exactly what 3D Land pulled off. In the most bombastic, multilayered Bowser fight of all time, the giant reptile is seemingly inescapable no matter where Mario runs to. Bowser shoots fireballs, whips his tail, and even throws massive barrels in an ingenious reference to Donkey Kong. This Bowser fight was so elaborate and intricately laid out that its hard to imagine it could ever be topped, though we know the hardworking Mario developers will try.

Page 14 of 24
Page 14 of 24
Lemmy Koopa

Lemmy Koopa

As seen in: Super Mario Bros 3

After Super Mario Bros 2, Mario was ready to take on Bowser again, but first he had to get through his seven children. Each of the Koopalings was unique in their own way, but Lemmys collection of bouncing balls offered the most interesting challenge. Lemmy effortlessly stands on top of one ball while filling up the room with three matching spheres, challenging you to find a path between all of them to jump on his head three times. Perhaps Bowser isnt supposed to pick a favorite kid, but we know ours.

Page 15 of 24
Page 15 of 24
Phantamanta

Phantamanta

As seen in: Super Mario Sunshine

The source of the electric goop plaguing Sirena Beach, the Phantamanta is just what his name sounds like: a phantom manta ray. As with most problems in Super Mario Sunshine, the only solution is a steady blast of water from Marios F.L.U.D.D. cannon. However, once youve got this electric apparition good and drenched, he starts to multiply. With dozens of little rays winding about, youll have to watch your step and avoid landing in a shocking puddle of goo. The Phantamanta is a unique challenge for a Mario boss; this isnt a series known for putting the player in crowd-control situations. Using Marios spinning spray attack and wide blasts of water are what will win the day.

Page 16 of 24
Page 16 of 24
Giant Bowser

Giant Bowser

As seen in: New Super Mario Bros Wii

The New Super Mario entry for the Wii was a cute adventure, but it very rarely impressed us, at least not until the very end. After another ho-hum sortie of dropping Bowser in the lava, the Koopa King explodes out of the pit bigger than ever before and starts pursuing us. The massive creature is smashing platforms left and right with little sign of stopping, giving Mario and his friends an exhilarating chase all the way to the end of the stage. We just wish the rest of the game had been as inspired.

Page 17 of 24
Page 17 of 24
King Kaliente

King Kaliente

As seen in: Super Mario Galaxy

King Kaliente is one spicy calamari! He runs the show on Bowser Jr.s Lava Reactor, and tying up his tentacles requires all manner of multi-tasking. First off, youre standing on grated platforms; keeping still too long means ending up with the worlds worst hot foot. So keep running, and keep your eye on the Kings projectile output. Hell launch clusters of fireballs which you need to avoid, but when he launches a lone cooled object, go ahead and hit it back. Keep an eye out though, just one smack isnt good enough for this prince among squids, hell deflect your initial attack right back. Hit it one more time and youll see it wind around and smack him right in the dome. So satisfying!

Page 18 of 24
Page 18 of 24
Rawk Hawk

Rawk Hawk

As seen in: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Mario has faced his share of imposing enemies, but few have displayed the kind of confidence that pro wrestler Rawk Hawk possesses. He looks like a golden god, and the champion also has the demeanor of a self-important deity thats still strangely likable. Mario has to beat Rawk Hawk to get the Crystal Star-adorned championship belt, and like a typical wrestling bad guy, Hawk tries every way possible to cheat to win. After Mario inevitably triumphs, Rawk Hawk is humbled in defeat, but is still the hard rocking superstar that we wish would make a return in a future Paper Mario game.

Page 19 of 24
Page 19 of 24
Sluggy the Unshaven

Sluggy the Unshaven

As seen in: Yoshis Island

When Yoshis Island first came out many of its ads centered on the built-in Super FX 2 chip, a technological advance that would make YI a modern marvel of a platformer. One of SFX2s major advancements was new ways to stretch and manipulate on-screen sprites, Sluggy being a prime example. Unlike faster, deadlier enemies, Sluggys a slow, gelatinous blob that slowly but surely pushes you off the stage unless you can reach its heart with enough well-aimed egg throws. It showed that even a see-through slug can be deadly with the right design expertise.

Page 20 of 24
Page 20 of 24
King Boo

King Boo

As seen in: Luigis Mansion

Technically this is really Luigis boss fight, not Marios, but its such an underrated gem it deserves a mention. At the end of Luigis Mansion the green one is preparing to face the final boss to free Mario from his prison, and is thrown violently into a battle with Bowser. It was quite a shock to see the fiery lizard after catching ghosts the entire game, and following the first hit Bowser had another shock up his sleeve. His head flies off revealing King Boo inside, with Bowsers floating head spitting fire at you while you try to suck up the King. Its one of the most macabre boss battles a Mario game has ever seen.

Page 21 of 24
Page 21 of 24
Gobblegut

Gobblegut

As seen in: Super Mario Galaxy 2

The Galaxy games had such a grand sense of scale, placing one tiny man on huge planetoids among the stars. Of all the beasts we fought in those games, Gobblegut gave us the greatest sense of cosmic balance. A monstrous dragon styled after Chinese mythology, Gobblegut traces the sky before he moves in for the kill, drilling straight through the planet youre standing on. Hes so impressively massive, and moves with such surprising grace, we sometimes forgot to fight back.

Page 22 of 24
Page 22 of 24
Whomp King

Whomp King

As seen in: Super Mario 64

A villain with true pathos is a rare thing in video game drama, but the Whomp King is ready to get heavy on you. We build your houses, your castles. We pave your roads, and still you walk all over us. This king is tired of seeing the people of the Mushroom Kingdom walk all over his subjects, and hes ready to strike a blow for his blocky brethren. Unfortunately, the king has always been better at rhetoric than military strategy, and he forgot to remove that bandage on his back that reveals his weak spot rather readily. Oh well, the king is still no push over. Youll have to stay fast on your feet and fake him out so he lands flat on his face, not on your head. Then just give him the old ground pound until hes gravel.

Page 23 of 24
Page 23 of 24
What did we miss?

What did we miss?

With a history as storied as Mario's, we're bound to have missed some great boss fights, so let us know in the comments what other baddies deserve recognition.

Want more celebration of Mario stranger moments? Check out our rankings of the best Mario games, or the Top 7... Most disturbing things about the Mushroom Kingdom.

Page 24 of 24
Page 24 of 24
CATEGORIES
Wii-u Nintendo Platforms
PRODUCTS
New Super Luigi U Super Mario Galaxy New Super Mario Bros Wii Super Mario Galaxy 2 Paper Mario: Sticker Star Super Mario All-Stars Super Mario 3D Land New Super Mario Bros 2 New Super Mario Bros. U Super Mario 3D World Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Super Mario Bros 2
Henry Gilbert
Henry Gilbert
Social Links Navigation

Henry Gilbert is a former GamesRadar+ Editor, having spent seven years at the site helping to navigate our readers through the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. Henry is now following another passion of his besides video games, working as the producer and podcast cohost of the popular Talking Simpsons and What a Cartoon podcasts. 

A version of this article was posted on this site in August 2012.

You may like
  • Resident Evil Village The 25 best video game villains you just love to hate
  • The Evil Queen in hag mode from Snow White The 33 greatest Disney villains
  • Super Mario RPG Remake Nintendo tracks Super Mario friendships on official web page that reveals Pauline is an outcast, Waluigi is controversial, and Mario canonically doesn't like you
See more Nintendo Features
Read more
Resident Evil Village
The 25 best video game villains you just love to hate
The Evil Queen in hag mode from Snow White
The 33 greatest Disney villains
Super Mario RPG Remake
Nintendo tracks Super Mario friendships on official web page that reveals Pauline is an outcast, Waluigi is controversial, and Mario canonically doesn't like you
Best Mario games
The 15 best Mario games of all time
King K Rool
Donkey Kong Bananza is the perfect time to bring back an AWOL villain, and I'm already uncovering conspiracies that say our favorite crocodile will turn up
Luigi running from ghosts in Luigi's Mansion
The 25 best GameCube games of all time
Latest in Action
Link is in a barrel in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker on Nintendo Switch 2
Twink Link is being freed: Nintendo apparently backtracks, says you are allowed to call yourself Twink Link as it works to unban a Switch 2 it "flagged by accident"
Protagonist Jordan in a screenshot from the reveal trailer for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann is leaving HBO's The Last of Us season 3 to turn his "complete focus" to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and the studio's "future projects"
Death Stranding 2 PS5 screenshot
Death Stranding 2 has a "completely hidden mechanic" that lets you fire lethal rounds, meaning voidouts are now inevitable
a robot being shot with a gatling gun but still approaching menacingly
Rockstar remembers Red Dead Online exists and puts out a new update trailer for the first time in 4 years, leaving fans hopeful it's not dead after all: "Are we back?"
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Nintendo Switch 2 could revolutionize Zelda technology: Tears of the Kingdom tinkerers confirm lasers are way deadlier now – "We always knew 60 fps would be insane, but I didn't expect it to be this insane"
Death Stranding 2 Sam touching Lou and Fragile
Hideo Kojima says he "kind of hates" the AI assistant in his phone, which is why Death Stranding 2's message is that people shouldn't just rely on technology
Latest in Features
María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer
James Gunn's Superman may be setting up The Authority movie with its enigmatic villain The Engineer
Sam sits in a bike looking across at a city in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
70 hours in, Death Stranding 2 is one of few open world games that justifies having such a huge map
Nintendo Switch 2
I can't use the Switch 2's handheld mode, so I'm hoping a Lite is on the horizon
Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Mister Miracle as the Justice Gang in Superman
The Justice Gang explained - The non-Justice League in James Gunn's Superman may be influenced by team of classic DC supervillains
Team Fortress 2 characters looking at a map
I have 464 games on my Steam wishlist, 23 games in my Steam Summer Sale shopping cart, and I can feel my already overstuffed library giving me the side-eye
Heavy Metal Death Can demo screenshot
I got a nicotine rush and set zombies on fire in this PS1-style survival horror demo, and it's basically Resident Evil on a submarine
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. A T-rex in Jurassic World Rebirth
    1
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  2. 2
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  3. 3
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  4. 4
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  5. 5
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...