The best Metal Gear Solid bosses are the ones that leave a lasting impression with fights that are both thematically rich and mechanically engaging. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater truly stands out in the series for its boss encounters, not just because of the scale of the personalities you’re up against (and yes, we mean that quite literally), but also because of the unique mechanics each battle brings to the table.
With the arrival of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, bringing renewed attention to the classic, it’s the perfect time to revisit what makes each of the original game’s bosses so memorable. We’ll be breaking down what sets them apart and sharing a few thoughts on each one along the way. Expect some spoilers—we’ll keep them as light as possible, but consider this your warning.
Volgin does a pretty solid Pikachu impression during his boss fight, and while that might sound entertaining in theory, the reality can be a bit frustrating. His ability to electrocute you while dual-wielding guns and taunt you into a fistfight starts off as a fun twist, but it often devolves into running in circles and waiting for brief windows to strike. It’s a cool idea that ends up feeling more like a bit of a slog.
While still a cool fight, the Shagohod battle doesn’t quite hit the same high notes as many of the others in the game. The added mechanics from the vehicle you’re in do help keep it feeling fresh, but it lacks the distinct personality that defines most of Snake Eater’s boss encounters. That said, it’s still a lot of fun—especially when the second phase kicks in, with Snake on foot and having to figure out the best way to take down Volgin. It’s a solid fight, just not the most memorable one.
As the first of the game’s themed supervillain-style bosses, The Pain definitely makes a strong impression. The guy literally coats himself in a swarm of bees and sends them flying after you. While you can dodge a lot of his attacks just by diving into the water – making the fight feel a bit like a reverse game of whack-a-mole – the overall atmosphere is spot on. The whole encounter is weird, intense, and totally on-brand for Snake Eater.
Ocelot gets a classic cutscene introduction, twirling his revolvers with the kind of flair that practically begs for an interrupting headshot. Sadly, you can’t cut him off early, but the fight still gives you plenty of chances to exploit his bravado and habit of standing out in the open for too long. It’s got strong Wild West shootout energy, and given how central Ocelot is to the rest of the story, it’s hard not to have a good time with it.
The Sorrow is a strikingly cool concept that’s executed quite well, even if it’s not a particularly challenging fight. You slowly make your way through a waist-high river, haunted by the ghosts of everyone you’ve killed along the way. More of a haunting set piece than a traditional battle, this fight lingers in your memory and delivers a deeply poignant moment in the game.
This guy’s got a huge tongue and a seriously weird vibe. He’s like the kid in school who wrote poetry about creeping darkness and hissed whenever the lights came on. The fight captures that edgy oddness perfectly, with him leaping into trees and trying to ambush you at every turn. It creates a constant tension that suits his name well, but once you figure out how powerful thermal goggles are, the battle mostly becomes a rinse-and-repeat affair.
The Fury is the game’s resident fire enthusiast, as tradition demands, and the fight takes place amid a chaotic maze of pillars and long sightlines. Much of the battle revolves around timing your shots from a distance, which works most of the time, until he fully embraces his fury. At that point, he starts flipping around wildly, leaving fiery trails in his wake, and the fight shifts into a much more intense gear. This adds a kind of timer to the battle, cranking up the tension and stress in all the right ways.
The End is a magnificent battle that blends survival elements with a tense shootout. Once you take a shot at him, he moves surprisingly fast, and his goal is to drain your stamina with his tranquillizer shots. This forces you to hunt animals during the fight to keep your stamina up. Of course, there’s always the cheeky option of just waiting a week in real time – he’ll eventually die of old age if you’re patient enough.
The ultimate showdown can only be The Boss. Every moment in the game leads up to this fight, and you have to put everything you’ve learned to use just to survive – because she’s undeniably more skilled than you. Unlike many other battles in the game, here you’re not the hunter; you’re the hunted. It’s incredibly challenging, making it the perfect climax both for the game and for our list.
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