Symphony of the Night Bosses That Still Feel Brutally Tough

Just to get it out of the way, I’m not some new devotee to the Castlevania series. I started playing on the NES, but the game that truly made me fall in love with the series was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Not only was it the first of the Igavanias, but it was a game that indelibly marked me.

While many of us play Symphony of the Night for the gorgeous artwork or the stunning musical score, the game also features some nasty bosses. With the proviso that I didn’t set out to focus on stat manipulation and other techniques, meaning the bosses were fought as originally intended.

The Castlevania and Metroid series are complementary opposites in a lot of ways, but which franchise is better and has stood the test of time?

In that context, these are some challenging encounters in this classic adventure. But because difficulty can be arbitrary, I’ve ranked them according to how difficult I found them to be when I first played the game. So let’s all return to Dracula’s castle and talk about some brutal Symphony of the Night bosses!

10

Slogra and Gaibon

Heckle and Jeckle

Since I can already hear the complaints that Slogra and Gaibon aren’t that tough, let me contextualize their inclusion here. This is the first real boss battle of the game, before Alucard has obtained any super-powerful abilities or found anything more than subpar armor and weapons. And so facing off against a bossy twofer is more than a little daunting.

Of the two, Slogra is probably more dangerous, able to really hurt Alucard with that vicious spear. Though it’s not safe to ignore Gaibon either, since the bat-winged demon flies around and launches fireballs to distract you. Worse, when either of them is sufficiently damaged, they ramp up their attacks and learn new ones.

It’s generally better to remove Slogra from the equation first, and then dodge like crazy as Gaibon lights up the screen. Just be careful they don’t get too many chances to team up, since having Slogra dropped on your head spear first by his companion really sucks.

9

Lesser Demon

Sneaky Summoner

Traversing the Library is a huge part of Symphony of the Night, and it takes some time before you get to see all of it. When you finally make it pretty far in, you’ll find yourself face-to-face with the Lesser Demon. If you’re prepared for him, he’s not super problematic. But that very first time, he’ll make your life hell.

Not only can the Lesser Demon fly around, shoot fireballs, and spit poisonous acid, but he can summon a bunch of minions. This includes Skeletons and Mudmen, as well as Ectoplasms. The latter are the most annoying, since if they hit Alucard, he’ll become cursed, unable to attack until it subsides, or you heal him.

Put simply, the first time I fought the Lesser Demon, I was poisoned, cursed, and demolished. The second time, though? I dealt with the winged demon brutally and laughed as he burst into flames.

8

Fake Heroes (Trevor, Sypha, and Grant)

Not Your Friends

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night owes a lot to the events of Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. So it shouldn’t be surprising that Trevor, Sypha, and Grant are referenced in the game. Though it was a bit surprising when undead doppelgängers slapped on their faces and attacked you all at once.

Of the three, the one that I disliked the most was Grant, since he can crawl on any surface and harass you with knives. But you can’t sleep on Trevor or Sypha either, since they’ll whip and magic you to death, respectively.

Venture beyond Castlevania to discover anime like Chainsaw Man, Goblin Slayer, and the Blood of Zeus.

The best bet for dealing with this terrifying trio is to take them out one at a time, while dodging effectively as the others try to interrupt you. It helps to go into this battle well stocked with potions, as well as armor that protects you from ice, fire, and lightning.

7

Minotaur and Werewolf

Gladiatorial Combat

You would think that fighting against three bosses at once is harder than two, but that’s not the case. Maybe it’s because the Minotaur and Werewolf duo aren’t twisted homunculi, maybe it’s just because they’re more bestial. But either way, fighting against these two in the Colosseum is rough.

One reason this is a tough challenge is that they make a remarkably good team, working together and even utilizing combination attacks to make things challenging. While the Minotaur does a lot more pure damage, the Werewolf is lightning fast, like a furry little ninja.

The one combination you’ll want to avoid is when the Minotaur rushes you with his horns, and the Werewolf helps with a downward punch to finish you. That said, it’s probably for the best that you learn all of their many attacks and how to completely avoid them. Otherwise, Alucard will come out of this arena battered and bloody.

6

Scylla

Nightmarish Chimera

At first glance, Syclla might look like a beautiful woman. But they say don’t judge a book by its cover, and this is one book you might not want to read. When you first encounter the boss, you only encounter a small part of it, a terrifying Scylla Wyrm. Then water will start rushing in, forcing Alucard to get to higher ground.

When he does, he finds himself facing the full fury of Scylla, comprised of tentacles, canine heads, and a dangerous woman in charge of it all. She’ll spit water at you, make the ceiling collapse, and even summon transforming bubbles to keep you guessing.

Like many of the bosses on this list, this one is pretty overwhelming at first, but becomes a bit more manageable once you learn how to avoid her attacks. Still, this is one watery siren whose call you’ll want to ignore.

5

The Creature

Franky Panky

Frankenstein’s Monster might not make perfect sense in Dracula’s Castle, but that in no way makes him any less of a problem. Especially since this incarnation of the boss, called The Creature, wields a gigantic hammer that can squish Alucard flat.

Worse, The Creature is incredibly fast and likes to roll around like some cobbled-together Sonic the Hedgehog. I’ve lost many a life trying to deal with this science project gone wrong, but if you’re careful and dodge effectively, you’ll survive.

Castlevania is a storied franchise, with some incredible games and some duds. This list breaks down the very best the series has to offer.

Just be thankful this version of the boss isn’t the one faced in Order of Ecclessia. That is one of the most ridiculously overpowered bosses I’ve faced in any of the Igavanias.

4

Death

Don’t Tempt the Reaper

In every incarnation of Castlevania, there’s a Death. He’s Dracula’s right-hand skeleton and a brutal Grim Reaper. So even though the one faced in Symphony of the Night isn’t perhaps the worst version in the series, he’s more than enough to send Alucard to the grave.

It probably doesn’t hurt that Alucard’s battle against Death feels personal, since at the very beginning of the game, he strips Alucard of all his weapons and powers. As for the battle itself, it’s split between two forms. The first one has Death teleport around, summoning scythes to harass you.

Then he removes all pretense of fighting fair and transforms into a horrifying skeletal, reptilian form. It’s the last thing you’ll want after dealing with the first form, but you’ll need to defeat it to finally put Death back in his coffin.

3

Olrox

From Regal to Bestial

When you finally make your way to Olrox, he appears to be a traditional vampire, regal, strutting, and sumptuous. He doesn’t put up much of a fight at first, proving more speedy than powerful, and doesn’t seem like he’ll cause much trouble.

The problem arises when you think Olrox is defeated, only for him to suddenly transform into a hulking, green nightmare. Not only does it have an amazing range, but it can also spew flames that will easily consume Alucard.

I have to say, this is a challenging battle, but the arena is stunning, and one of the most gorgeous rooms featured in Symphony of the Night, backlit by stained-glass windows. Better yet, we later got a much more robust imagining of the character in Castlevania: Nocturne.

2

Doppelgänger

Mirror Mirror

It might seem odd for the Doppelgänger to be so high on this list. But as any fan of the Mega Man or Zelda series can tell you, some of the most brutal battles are ones where you’re essentially fighting yourself. And that goes double for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Not only can this mirror image monster do everything Alucard can, but it can do it better. That means they’re fast, ruthless, and can easily overwhelm the young vampire. And that’s just the first time you face it, with the second in an icy lair proving even more frustrating.

We compiled a list of some of the best pixel art Metroidvanias out there, all from recent history. If you’re a fan, check these out!

We’ve covered some amazing and brutal bosses on this list, but we saved the most undeniably frustrating boss for last!

1

Galamoth

Towering Terror

I know I said at the outset that many of these bosses are only brutal if you don’t try to cheat your way through them. And while that’s fine for all the other entries, I had to make an exception for Galamoth. Because trying to fight fair against this gigantic boss is a recipe for failure.

The thing that makes this battle against a well-hidden boss even harder is that it’s in a relatively small arena, and Galamoth takes up most of it. He’s not playing nice either, and will bash you with his scepter, hurl electric orbs your way, and even kick you. And given his sheer size, every attack’s power is magnified as a result.

While there might be a more respectable way to defeat him, the only way I’ve ever been able to defeat Galamoth is by turning into poisonous mist, floating around his head, and waiting for him to die. A truly fantastic boss, and a great nod to the Kid Dracula games!