Ranking all of Hades' boss fights (based on how bad they pissed me, personally, off)

The Hades games are both a lot of fun. I prefer the first, but the character design, boss encounters, combat, and roguelite loop remains extremely solid in the sequel. For those unfamiliar with the series, both games star a child of Hades, the God from Greek legend, each of whom have a seemingly impossible goal. The player has to guide them through a route of three regions and a finale gauntlet, each of which is capped off by a boss encounter. Each boss also has a secret hard mode that can be unlocked later in the game for some added spice.

I’m not too proud to admit that some of these boss fights made me pretty mad. I don’t mean the kind of gamer rage where I tossed controllers or anything, but I did invent some new and confusing cusses. I have to tip my hat to Supergiant; I actually really like it when developers slip something irritating into their games. It adds a certain texture. 

I remember playing Elden Ring and delightedly stumbling upon a conspicuously placed chest. When I approached, I was shocked when a bird with an explosive barrel swooped in and instantly murdered me. That’s the good shit, right there. Besides, it makes an eventual victory all the sweeter. So there’s no hard feelings here, Supergiant Games, even though I’m about to say some very rude things about your characters.

Here’s how I define each tier of this perfectly curated list:

D: Delightful - Fighting these bosses is either an enjoyable time or an interesting challenge. These fights actively lift my mood.

C: Chill - I’m having a good time, I’m chuckling sensibly at the boss’ pre-fight dialogue and enjoying the challenge of each encounter, regardless of the results. Just some good ol’ fashioned gaming.

B: Bothered - There are one or two things that slightly make me exhale air out of my nose. I do not have a smile on my face as I fight this particular boss.

A: Absolutely furious - Oh, that’s cool. No, that’s totally fair, I don’t even care that the boss can just pull that bullshit. I might take a couple extra laps around home base before I head back out.

S: Seething - There’s something about this boss that I genuinely dislike and every run I have a small moment of dread knowing I’ve gotta deal with that particular problem again.

Okay, so, why did I order the bosses such? I’m so glad you asked, because I am going to tell you about each tier and why they really ground my gears whether you like it or not.