5 Best Resident Evil Bosses With Multiple Phases, Ranked

Ever since Resident Evil first launched for the original PlayStation in 1996, it has become one of the most beloved and influential franchises in the entire industry, codifying the survival horror genre and introducing players to a host of iconic heroes and villains. And among those villains, Resident Evil has introduced some truly terrifying bosses for the heroes to conquer, but a few of them have required more than just a few shotgun blasts to eliminate for good.

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Video game bosses with multiple phases aren’t uncommon, and the Resident Evil franchise has done its part to contribute to this trope. Some of them have been monsters stalked the player over the course of the game, growing more and more powerful, while others have simply been normal humans that undergo a violent transformation in their second stage. These bosses have been ranked based on their designs and how well their multiple phases are used to challenge the player.

5

Jack Baker

The Deranged Patriarch Of The Baker Family

Through its first six entries, Capcom’s survival horror franchise put players behind the shoulders of its heroes, but with the release of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the series transitioned into a haunting first-person view. It was a smart move, as it allowed protagonist Ethan Winters’ harrowing struggle against the Baker family to feel even more frightening, which was especially true when he came up against its patriarch, the demented Jack.

Jack Baker torments Ethan throughout Biohazard, with each form requiring new strategies and skills to survive. As he stalks the player through the Baker farmhouse, each subsequent battle with him sees Jack slowly transform from a normal human into one of the most horrifying creatures ever seen in the series. From the initial conflict in the garage that requires the player to ram him with a car, all the way to the final battle with a fully formed Baker, this legendary Resident Evil antagonist is still one of the most incredible boss fights in the series.

4

Nemesis

STAAAARS!

From the moment Nemesis, the culmination of Umbrella’s horrific experiments, was dropped into Raccoon City to hunt down the remaining members of S.T.A.R.S., he was well on his way to becoming one of the franchise’s most incredible villains. As Jill Valentine begins her desperate escape from a crumbling Raccoon City during the events of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, the massive monster stalks and targets her during various battles across the doomed town.

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With each passing encounter, Nemesis begins to grow more aggressive and his appearance also starts to subtly change. The terrifying transformation from something more humanoid into a massive, nightmarish creature is a signature Resident Evil move, and would influence the rest of the series in some huge ways. Nemesis is still one of the most beloved entries in the series, and the multiple encounters with its titular monster is one of the key reasons why, as the climactic confrontation with his final form is one of the most iconic moments in the entire franchise.

3

Bitores Mendez

Terrifying Member Of Los Illuminados Is One Of The Franchise’s Most Memorable Encounters

After the destruction of Raccoon City at the end of Nemesis, the franchise would move away from the urban sprawls and into a small, isolated town somewhere in Spain for Resident Evil 4. Leon Kennedy had survived the traumatic end of Raccoon City, but would find himself in familiar territory as he came face to face with the Los Illuminados, a cult that featured one of the most fearsome bosses in Resident Evil history, with Bitores Mendez.

Leon first meets Mendez after rescuing Luis Sera, where the towering brute chokes him out and threatens to do more if he doesn’t stop interfering. It all comes to a head when Leon finally confronts Mendez for real in a slaughterhouse beset by flames, as their epic battle sees the Los Illuminados member reveal his true form. After dealing enough damage, the top half of Mendez’s body splits in half, increasing his speed and aggressiveness, forcing the player to change strategies and stop using the upstairs as a safe haven. It is a fight that requires patience and perseverance, as Mendez challenges the player to keep moving and stay vigilant.

2

Jack Krauser

Prepare For Your Death, Leon

Resident Evil turned a lot of heads when it transitioned to the next era of gaming, as it showed a massive leap from one console generation to the next, with RE4 launching as a GameCube exclusive in 2005. And one of the reasons for that was its commitment to its cast of over-the-top villains, chief among them being Jack Krauser, the ex-partner of Leon Kennedy during the events of Operation Javier that was featured in The Darkside Chronicles.

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Krauser first confronts Leon during a knife fight, as the two exchange some hostility and showcase their combat abilities, leading to their final battle on the island. While it initially unfolds like a fairly typical boss fight, with the player using Leon’s vast array of weapons and items, Krauser uses the open arena to his advantage and keeps the player on their toes. But as Krauser finds himself on the losing end, he begins to mutate and locks Leon in with C4 explosives set to detonate, adding a sense of urgency to the battle. It is a battle filled with surprises and shifting challenges, and is still one of the most tense fights in the entire franchise.

1

William Birkin

William Birkin’s Transformation Into G Requires Multiple Phases To Eliminate For Good

William Birkin has often been cited as one of the franchise’s most tragic characters, and for good reason, as this doomed scientist saw his work stolen and his family betrayed by Umbrella during the events of Resident Evil 2. That concept was heavily expanded upon in the incredible remake from 2018, as William Birkin has one of the most haunting and terrifying transformations in franchise history, as his tragic tale of betrayal works in tandem with each fight. First confronting Leon and Claire after their first meeting with Birkin’s daughter Sherry, the initial transformation has already begun, as the fallen scientist is already losing himself to the G-Virus. The man he was slowly begins to vanish, as Leon and Claire later confront him in the NEST lab, where Birkin’s humanity is all but gone.

The G-Virus has consumed him completely, turning him into a massive monster that the survivors must battle through multiple incarnations, culminating in one of the most incredible finales in franchise history. As any good monster does, the G monster simply does not quit, following the survivors all the way to the end, where William Birkin has become completely engulfed in the monster he created. This fabulous combination of drama and horror was just one of the reasons that the Resident Evil 2 remake succeeded, as battling the multiple incarnations of William Birkin has resulted in some of the best moments in the entire series.

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