8 God Of War Games With The Most Boss Fights, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• Kratos has grown wiser over the years, but his rage still leads to catastrophic outcomes for enemies.
• Chains of Olympus offers great combat, Ascension has good intentions but poor execution, while Ghost of Sparta reveals secrets about Kratos’ family.
• God of War 3 boasts some of the best boss fights, while God of War 2 features epic battles, including the Colossus of Rhodes.

The God of War franchise has been around for almost two decades at the time of writing this article, presenting players with an outstanding plot that revolves around none other than the mighty Kratos. Throughout the years, Kratos has been responsible for killing some of the strongest Greek gods in existence, paving his way towards revenge with their blood.

In the more recent installments of the franchise, Kratos has been shown to be wiser and to approach situations with a lot more critical thinking. However, he still rages now and then, resulting in a catastrophic outcome for his enemies. Here are the best God of War games with the most boss fights.

8 God Of War: Chains Of Olympus

Boss Fight Count: 5

• Not many bosses, but the combat mechanics are good
• Players will visit the fictional versions of real-life Greek cities

Set between the events of God of War: Ascension and God of War, God of War: Chains of Olympus will have players visit the fictional versions of the cities of Attica and Marathon. This title features fun challenges and evil characters like Persephone, who plots to unleash hell on Earth to end her eternal life and torment as Hades’ hostage bride.

While other God of War titles have several more bosses than Chains of Olympus, it still presents players with a very entertaining experience.

7 God Of War: Ascension

Boss Fight Count: 6

• The developers tried to give combat variety, but the execution wasn’t great
• Decent number of bosses, but more would have been better

God of War: Ascension suffered from the good intentions of wanting to give players a different combat formula that was, sadly, not executed how it was supposed to. It’s not to say that the game is terrible, but it’s definitely not among the best titles in the franchise.

While the game features more boss fights than God of War: Chains of Olympus, the boss count is still a little underwhelming compared to other titles on the list, staying in the single digits and leaving players wanting more.

6 God Of War

Boss Fight Count: 7

• The one that started it all
• Kratos swears servitude to Ares

The original God of War is special for many reasons, one of them being that it was responsible for kicking off a massive franchise that is still going strong to this day. Released back in 2005, it presented players with Hack n’ Slash combat mechanics that shined when paired with the concept of Kratos seeking revenge on Ares and other gods of Olympus.

Being the first installment of the franchise, Santa Monica Studios was likely still testing out the IP, which is probably why they decided to keep the boss count rather short compared to the sequels. While swearing servitude to Ares wasn’t one of Kratos’ smartest decisions, players are glad that he did, as it opened a whole new universe for them to explore.

5 God Of War (2018)

Boss Fight Count: 7

• Many challenging mini-bosses
• An outstanding revival of the franchise

Although it could be argued that the God of War franchise did not need a revival, the 2018 reboot did breathe new life into this wonderful universe and presented players with a new version of Kratos once again as a family man. Featuring Norse mythology, a new weapon called the Leviathan Axe, and a most welcome callback to the series through the use of the Blades of Olympus, God of War (2018) is fun, fast-paced, and rich in narrative.

While the number of actual bosses is in the single digits, there are many mini-bosses, including trolls, ancient elementals, and more. Players who want to go the extra mile and enjoy a different experience while progressing through the story should try the various PC mods out there.

4 God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta

Boss Fight Count: 8

• Kratos learns that his brother Deimos is still alive
• Thanatos makes for an excellent main antagonist

God of War: Ghost of Sparta presents players with a very interesting take on Kratos’s family, revealing many secrets that fans had been wondering about for years. Haunted by his mortal past, Kratos decides to go to Atlantis, where he meets his mother, Callisto, who tells him that his brother, Deimos, is still alive in the Domain of Death.

However, rescuing his brother will not be easy, as Thanatos, the former God of Death, who functions as the main antagonist of this title, will do everything in his power to stop Kratos from succeeding in his task.

3 God Of War: Ragnarök

Boss Fight Count: 12

• Atreus and Kratos must stop Ragnarok
• Great improvements in many of the prequel’s aspects

God of War: Ragnarok is the latest installment of the franchise, introducing players to a teenage Atreus and an older Kratos. Taking inspiration from Ragnarök, the Norse version of the Apocalypse, this title will pit Kratos and Atreus against insurmountable odds to prevent the nine realms from being destroyed.

The game features great Amulet Enchantments, famous Norse mythology icons such as Odin and Heimdall, and great combat mechanics that build upon its predecessor’s. The boss count is greater than that of God of War (2018) and also features many mini-bosses that aren’t being taken into consideration in the boss count above.

2 God Of War 3

Boss Fight Count: 13

• Some of the best boss fights in the entire franchise
• Fights like Cronos’ are iconic and remain in players’ memories to date

God of War 3 is considered by many to be the greatest installment of the franchise, as it not only concluded the famous original trilogy but also gave players some of the most exciting and bloody boss fights to date.

Some of the best boss encounters in the game feature Kratos fighting against the mighty Hercules, the all-powerful Zeus, and the gargantuan Cronos. These encounters are not only extremely violent, but also epic in nature, playing with the spectator’s sense of scale and finding innovative ways for Kratos to dispose of his enemies. While playing God of War 3 nowadays reveals some harsh realities about it, such as a few incoherences in the story, it’s still a blast to complete.

1 God Of War 2

Boss Fight Count: 15

• Kratos must seek the Sisters of Fate
• Epic boss fights, including one against the Colossus of Rhodes

Although it’s not the strongest installment in its trilogy, God of War 2 still delivers a very enjoyable experience to fans of the franchise through great combat mechanics, amazing boss fights and an interesting plot that involves the Sisters of Fate.

Not only do players get to see Kratos die and come back to life in this title, but there are also epic encounters with massive enemies, such as the Colossus of Rhodes. This boss fight is not only memorable, but also presents a creative explanation of what happened to the real-life statue.