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And then, there's '''That One Boss''', the boss that falls victim to poor playtesting. You're levelling up normally, plowing through every battle, until you reach this particular battle and suddenly meet a plethora of [[Game Over]] screens. Eventually, you [[Rage Quit]], or you go on the Internet looking for assistance. In the event that you stop by the game's message board, lo and behold, everyone else is having the exact same problem, with entire topics asking "how do I beat That One Boss?". Walkthroughs usually list the worst offenders as "[[You Monster!|the hardest boss in the game]]", and eventually, such a beast receives a reputation for being just that freaking hard.
And then, there's '''That One Boss''', the boss that falls victim to poor playtesting. You're levelling up normally, plowing through every battle, until you reach this particular battle and suddenly meet a plethora of [[Game Over]] screens. Eventually, you [[Rage Quit]], or you go on the Internet looking for assistance. In the event that you stop by the game's message board, lo and behold, everyone else is having the exact same problem, with entire topics asking "how do I beat That One Boss?". Walkthroughs usually list the worst offenders as "[[You Monster!|the hardest boss in the game]]", and eventually, such a beast receives a reputation for being just that freaking hard.


Certain types of boss are not usually included in this consideration right off the bat: The [[Final Boss]], [["Wake-Up Call" Boss]], and [[Bonus Boss]]. People expect the [[Final Boss]] to be tough ([[Anticlimax Boss|usually]]), and the [[Bonus Boss]] is usually included solely to be difficult. Players will prepare for the Bonus Boss by overleveling, but for maximum frustration, That One Boss needs only to [[Giant Space Flea From Nowhere|just show up out of nowhere, preferably having no place in the storyline beforehand.]]
Certain types of boss are not usually included in this consideration right off the bat: The [[Final Boss]], [["Wake-Up Call" Boss]], and [[Bonus Boss]]. People expect the [[Final Boss]] to be tough ([[Anticlimax Boss|usually]]), and the [[Bonus Boss]] is usually included solely to be difficult. However, it's still definitely possible for them to count if they're hard by their standards: sometimes a [[Final Boss]] presents a baffling difficulty spike in a game that has otherwise been smooth sailing since the beginning. A [["Wake-Up Call" Boss]] might not even be a "wake-up call", but a cheap kick in the balls that is more unfair than what's to come. And as the [[SNK Boss]] shows, some [[Bonus Boss|Bonus Bosses]] can take the intended difficulty of a game's ultimate challenge and make it outright insane.


They usually show up in RPGs, though they're not exclusive to them. Game designers will sometimes go out of their way to put them in, [[Beef Gate|serving as a bottleneck]] to make sure you spend a couple hours [[Level Grinding]] before you go on to the next area.
They usually show up in RPGs, though they're not exclusive to them. Game designers will sometimes go out of their way to put them in, [[Beef Gate|serving as a bottleneck]] to make sure you spend a couple hours [[Level Grinding]] before you go on to the next area.


Occasionally, the identity of That One Boss varies depending on an individual's playing style - bosses are often designed to have issues with one particular strategy, so one that requires another strategy can seriously hinder a gamer if they're not prepared to switch up their tactics. However, any easy tactics like [[Revive Kills Zombie]] disqualify a boss from being '''That One Boss'''... unless the 'revive' itself is [[Guide Dang It|impossible to find]].
Occasionally, the identity of That One Boss varies depending on an individual's playing style - bosses are often designed to have issues with one particular strategy, so one that requires another strategy can seriously hinder a gamer if they're not prepared to switch up their tactics. So while [[Revive Kills Zombie]] can disqualify a boss from being '''That One Boss''', players either [[Self-Imposed Challenge|unwilling]] or [[Guide Dang It|unable]] to use 'revive' can still have a hard time.


They are sometimes called the "brick wall boss", for obvious reasons.
They are sometimes called the "brick wall boss", for obvious reasons.


Compare [[Demonic Spiders]], which is more of a That One [[Random Encounter]], as well as the [[Boss in Mook Clothing]]. We'll leave it up to you to decide which is worse. See also [[That One Sidequest]] and [[That One Level]]. Contrast [[Anticlimax Boss]], where the boss is underpowered/easy for story reasons (or despite them), and [[Breather Boss]], where the boss is just pathetically easy unintentionally. For bosses that are not technically difficult, but are downright frustrating, see [[Goddamned Boss]]. For bosses that are deliberately impossible to beat, see [[Hopeless Boss Fight]]. If you're looking to read up on unfair bosses that the game seems to [[The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard|deliberately give every known advantage to,]] requiring you to either get by on [[Luck-Based Mission|luck]] or [[Fake Skill|cheap gameplay]], head on over to [[SNK Boss]].
Compare [[Demonic Spiders]], which is more of a That One [[Random Encounter]], as well as the [[Boss in Mook Clothing]]. We'll leave it up to you to decide which is worse. See also [[That One Sidequest]] and [[That One Level]]. Contrast [[Anticlimax Boss]], where the boss is underpowered/easy for story reasons (or despite them), and [[Breather Boss]], where the boss is just pathetically easy unintentionally. For bosses that are not technically difficult, but are downright frustrating, see [[Goddamned Boss]]. For bosses that are deliberately impossible to beat, see [[Hopeless Boss Fight]]. If you're looking to read up on unfair bosses that the game seems to [[The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard|deliberately give every known advantage to,]] requiring you to either get by on [[Luck-Based Mission|luck]] or [[Fake Skill|cheap gameplay]], head on over to [[SNK Boss]].

To sum it up. If the boss is difficult when you first get to him, but when you get enough skill (or understanding of the needed mechanics), it is easy on further playthroughs, it is merely a [["Wake-Up Call" Boss]]. If it requires a very unusual tactic to win, but dies easily to it, that is [[Revive Kills Zombie]]. It has to be much harder than expected for that point in the game, and remain that way every time you replay the game to qualify as '''That One Boss'''. In other words, this is the boss whose battle will haunt your nightmares every time you see his image or hear his name.

It is useful to note that, as its name implies, most videogames only have ''one'' '''That One Boss'''. If a game appears to have several candidates for the title—especially if ''every'' boss battle feels this way—you are probably looking at [[Boss Dissonance]] (of the Kirby variety), or a game that is just plain [[Nintendo Hard]].

'''NOTE:''' [[Final Boss]] and [["Wake-Up Call" Boss]] cannot be '''That One Boss''' without being overly hard by ''their'' standards. Please do not nonchalantly add them as examples. An [[Early Bird Boss]] will almost always qualify as '''That One Boss''' as well, but for reasons of the player's weakness rather than the boss's strength, so those bosses are better placed in the [[Early Bird Boss]] article. [[Bonus Boss]] is completely banned from this page, as they are optional and they have to be overpowered. There is no measure for them.


Because there are so many examples of this trope, they have been categorized by genre for your viewing convenience.
Because there are so many examples of this trope, they have been categorized by genre for your viewing convenience.
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