These 4 tough boss battles demolish players in Star Wars video games

Gamers love to play through Star Wars video games that take them to places they love from a galaxy far, far away. But the galaxy people know from the movies is filled with tons of dangerous enemies, some of which are the toughest and most infuriating foes around. Even the most hardened and experienced Jedi Knights would struggle with the overwhelming power these kinds of foes possess. Sometimes, not even the power of the Force is enough to save you from a difficult boss battle with outstanding odds in a Star Wars video game.

Trying to take on some of the most vicious and difficult boss fights that appear in Star Wars games is no easy task. While not impossible, boss battles can have enough twists and turns to make anyone feel like throwing their controller. But like Yoda has always said: do or do not, there is no try. And no matter how afraid you may be to challenge some of the hardest and most nerve-racking boss fights in Star Wars games, confronting fear is the destiny of every Jedi. Here are four of the toughest boss battles that can still demolish players in Star Wars video games.

Darth Malak (Knights of the Old Republic)

Hard hitting Sith Lord

For many fans, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a legendary game that is among the best games the franchise has ever released. But within the vast and diverse worlds you can explore and a variety of battles that can be tough to deal with. For some, it comes down to learning and knowing the combat system intimately in order to find the best strategies to overcome any battle you encounter. But It'll take a lot of pateince to deal with some of the game's tougher boss fights during the main story. The climatic fight against Darth Malak is a prime example of when your patience and knowledge are truly tested. And some are not always prepared for it.

The fight with Darth Malak at the end of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has players dealing with a combination of intense force powers and hard-hitting lightsaber strikes. Malak himself is a Sith Lord that can deal incredible amounts of punishment that will make you focus on healing more often than you might be used to. Unless you're able to get an early jump on getting good damage before he drains your health, you're going to be on the defensive for the majority of the duel. It won't be an easy fight, no matter how you approach it.

Abilities like Force Lightning are a frequent hazard to deal with, but Malak is no stranger to healing himself often. Just when you think you have dealt enough pain to the Sith Lord to gain control, Malak will give himself a big health boost and turn things around. This final battle can be a long one if you aren't adequately prepared with enough levels gained, powers unlocked, and healing items on hand for when things get real bad.

Gladiator Droid (Shadows of the Empire)

It just keeps coming back

The Nintendo 64 was a console that had one of the most important Star Wars games to ever release in the 90s. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is based on a multimedia event that told an Expanded Universe story set in-between two of the original trilogy films. And while the game has some great moments for Star Wars fans that followed the books and comics, it also has one of the most annoying and tough boss battles from any Star Wars video game. The stage where Dash Rendar goes to Prince Xizor's palace has him facing off against the Gladiator Droid in an arena at the very end of the stage. Dash needs to destroy the hostile droid using any means necessary before the heroes can pursue Xizor to his Skyhook battle station.

The Gladiator Droid starts the fight as a slow-moving foe that can be brought down with enough blaster shots and other weapons Dash can use. The droid has immunity to Dash's seeker missles that track enemies, but well-placed shots can be enough to defeat it. But just when you think it's over, the torso of the Gladiator Droid gets up and attacks you for a second phase, and a maze opens up from the ground. Once again, Dash needs to land enough shots to bring it down, only this time it's floating within a labyrinth, which can block your field of view. Using the jetpack Dash has on his back, you can get a clear shot of the Gladiator Droid if you manage to boost above the maze.

But then the head of the Gladiator Droid floats back up and continues to fight you, as a floating droid head within the maze. This third phase of the fight is the toughest, because not only is the droid's head a small target, but Dash becomes limited in movement without his jetpack functioning. This means you'll have to run through the maze and not get cornered by the Gladiator Droid's floating head that continuously fires shots at you. It's the most frustrating part of the battle, and the point where players fail the most. It's not an impossible battle to win, but it will definitely test your patience if you find yourself having to redo parts of the battle over and over again.

Taron Malicos (Jedi Fallen Order)

A vicious duel to the death

All the battles within Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order can be tough in their own right. The game is heavily inspired by the Dark Souls series with its exploration and combat, which frequently pits players against enemies that require careful timing and quick reflexes. But one fight in Jedi: Fallen Order can push players to their limit, no matter what difficulty setting they're on. The battle with Taron Malicos on Dathomir will force you to stay alert constantly, and react to devastating attacks from his lightsaber strikes.

Deflecting strikes and being reactive is the key to winning this battle, but staying ahead of which attacks Taron Malicos will throw at you can be nerve-racking. He will constantly mix up which attacks he uses, throw rocks at you using The Force, and unleash a combination of attacks that feel like they take forever to finish. Blocking attacks and draining his stamina will be helpful, but you need to strike hard and retreat fast enough before getting caught in a follow-up attack that drains your health. Failing during any part of the battle will force you back a little further away from the area where the duel takes place, so you'll have to trek back if you need to repeat the battle.

If you manage to get Malicos down halfway on his health bar, Merrin will offer some help during the second part of the battle. But that doesn't mean Taron Malicos will ease up with his attacks. He actually gets more vicious in the second portion of the fight, and can deal even more damage with each strike if you're not careful. Taking advantage of moments where Merrin distracts Malicos can be a good chance to punish him, but you'll still have to be defensive quickly afterward. This is arguably the hardest fight in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order because of how much you have to pay attention to the constant changing of incoming attacks.

Darth Vader (Jedi Survivor)

There is no escape

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor may be one of the best Star Wars games to come out recently, but it also has one of the hardest and emotionally taxing boss fights ever. Towards the end of the game, there is a boss encounter with the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, Darth Vader, on the planet Jedha. This fight has you taking control of Cere Junda, while Cal Kestis is out of commission, inside the hidden Jedi refuge that contains the last remaining parts of the Jedi Archive. Darth Vader arrives on the planet after the Empire drops ground troops to overtake the area, and challenges Cere Junda to a lightsaber duel. What follows is one of the most vicious and frustrating fights in any Star Wars game, even though it's not an impossible fight to win.

Darth Vader tells Cere that he has come for her, and that couldn't be more fitting of a statement. Vader's attacks are devastatingly powerful and can force you to remain defensive. Parrying his attacks can help drain stamina over time and open him up to damage, but it'll take a lot of patience. Every movement from Darth Vader in this fight is intimidating and can be fatal if you're not careful, including moments where he can instantly kill you. When you deal enough damage, the fight gets even harder with a second phase where Vader frequently uses attacks you cannot block or parry, making him more dangerous. Healing where it counts is important, but you'll have to quickly switch your attention back to Darth Vader, and he continues to come after you, even going as far as to use The Force to draw you closer if you get too far away.

The entire boss battle in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an endurance test as much as it is a reaction test. At some point during the battle, Vader can begin mixing up his attacks more quickly and have unblockable strikes as part of his attack chains. If you're not able to spot them quickly enough, he will kill you instantly. What makes the battle even more infuriating is how you'll have to start from the beginning each time you fail. Nothing in this fight is easy, and nothing will prepare you for just how much it will test your patience throughout. Darth Vader is no easy foe and cannot be defeated by rushing through this boss battle. You'll end up seeing the death screen often by doing so.

Facing the dark side

The many different Star Wars games that have come out over the years have tons of great moments and incredible experiences that fans love. They take us to parts of a galaxy far, far away that we love to explore and get immersed in, while also pitting us against some of the many villains we know and love. The battles against them can be tough, as is the nature of the dark side of The Force. Each of these boss battles are no easy task, and continue to devastate players to this day with their overwhelming odds. We love to play the Star Wars games they come from, but they're still some of the toughest and most frustrating battles in the galaxy.