Bosses

"Bosses" is an all-encompassing word that is often used to describe any overpowered single enemies who must be killed to progress in game, and cannot be avoided, but most of the time Act Bosses are meant by bosses. Unique Monsters and Super Uniques are also often included.

Gameplay[]

A boss fight is usually set in a specific location, with limited space to kite them. Often it will be very hard, if not impossible, to use a Town Portal, so preparation is advised. In Diablo III, every boss fight takes place in an isolated chamber, and once it has started, there is no escape: the combat will not end until either side prevails. No mercy, no escape. Death or glory. Even to start a boss fight, all players in a group must click the "Yes" button. However, Rift Guardian bosses are spawned in usual locations, and it is possible (nobody said "easy") to escape the battle with them.

Bosses are characterized by their massive amounts of Life, many unique abilities they do not hesitate to use in combat (some of them capable of one-shot killing a hero, but usually boss skills are predictable and can be avoided), as well as increased damage. Many bosses are also assisted by hordes of minions, and may summon more at will.

Overall, boss fights are focused on player skill rather than raw damage per second and damage control, so players need to put all their effort into fight (unless, of course, they are way too overpowered for that boss and difficulty).

All bosses in Diablo II and Diablo Immortal count as Super Unique Monsters, and all bosses in Diablo I and Diablo III are Unique Monsters, indicated by the color of their names.

Helliquary bosses in Diablo Immortal and many bosses in Diablo III, have an Enrage Timer.

Diablo IV includes a stagger system for some monsters, including bosses. Players can induce control effects on bosses, and in doing so, this fills up their stagger bar. When it fills, the boss becomes staggered.^[1]

List of Bosses[]

Diablo I[]

Diablo II[]

Quest monsters like Zhar the Mad, Warlord of Blood, Countess, Blood Raven or the Summoner can be regarded as bosses.

Diablo Immortal[]

Diablo III[]

Skeleton King (King Leoric)
Queen Araneae
The Butcher (act boss)
Maghda
Zoltun Kulle
Belial (act boss)
Ghom
Siegebreaker Assault Beast
Cydaea
Azmodan (act boss)
Iskatu
Rakanoth
Izual
Diablo, the Prime Evil (act boss)
Urzael
Adria
Greed
Vidian
Malthael (act boss)
Uber Bosses, including Infernal Machine and Pandemonium Event
All Rift Guardians
All Keywardens (Odeg, Xah'Rith, Nekarat and Sokahr)

Diablo IV[]

Trivia[]

In Diablo III, a mode was experimented with where the player would control a boss, fighting against four enemy heroes.^[2]
The boss design process can vary. Sometimes the idea for a boss comes from a mechanic, other times from narrative. For Blizzard South's entries, the story team has a lot of say over the boss design process.^[3]

References[]

↑ 2019-11-13, BlizzCon 2019 Diablo IV Systems and Features Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2020-06-01
↑ 2022-05-16, Wyatt Cheng Twitter. Twitter, accessed on 2022-05-25
↑ 2024-08-22, Diablo Immortal | Summoning Hell's Legions | Helliquary Boss Documentary. YouTube, accessed on 2024-09-07

[1] 2019-11-13, BlizzCon 2019 Diablo IV Systems and Features Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2020-06-01

[2] 2022-05-16, Wyatt Cheng Twitter. Twitter, accessed on 2022-05-25

[3] 2024-08-22, Diablo Immortal | Summoning Hell's Legions | Helliquary Boss Documentary. YouTube, accessed on 2024-09-07

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