Boss fights are a hallmark of gaming. Whether it is a mini-boss or the final boss, these often provide some of the most climactic encounters. Some games even go completely into this, such as the soulslike genre. These clashes test your skills and deliver a satisfying ending point to the story. Players usually expect these to be battles of endurance, where hours spent in a game finally pay off. However, not every final confrontation needs to end with a battle. In fact, some games allow you to defeat the final boss without ever throwing a punch, swinging a sword, or pulling a trigger.
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These often provide unique methods of achieving an ending and prove that games are more than just combat simulators. They’re interactive stories where the path forward can be defined by any action. The games below offer three memorable ways to overcome the final boss without fighting, one of which even allows you to save everyone.
3) Mass Effect
Mass Effect spends the game’s length setting players up for an explosive finale and final confrontation with Saren Arterius, a Turian Spectre. Throughout the narrative, Commander Shepard gathers allies leading up to the final showdown with Saren. However, firepower isn’t the only option for winning here.
Mass Effect tasks the players with constantly making choices. This shifts players toward Paragon or Renegade status. This has significance for how Shepard is perceived in the world, especially when it comes time to face Saren at the end of the game.
Rather than face Saren in a firefight, players can convince him that there is a way to stop the Sovereign. There are requirements to convince Saren via speech; otherwise, the final battle unfolds. But this twist ending has remained with players for years. Saren’s actions and final words, “Goodbye, Shepard. Thank you,” are one of the most shocking endings that don’t require combat.
2) The Witcher 2
The Witcher series, especially The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, is known for allowing players to affect the narrative through their choices. But this aspect is heavily present in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, as players can avoid fighting the game’s final boss right at the end. The game sets up Letho, a fellow Witcher, as the main antagonist. It builds up to a confrontation between Geralt and Letho, but players can take another route.
Just before the battle begins, Geralt and Letho speak, allowing Geralt to unravel the truth behind Letho’s actions. Doing so prevents the fight between the Witchers and effectively ends the game. Even though Geralt is not generally known for talking, this action allows the game to end without bloodshed, going against the Butcher of Blaviken nickname.
But there’s an additional bonus to this twist. By not fighting Letho, he remains alive and will appear in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Not only can players meet up with the Witcher, but Letho will join you during the Battle of Kaer Morhen if you aid him during the Ghosts of the Past quest. This is an incredible twist on what was already a surprise ending and takes a bloodless victory to new heights.
1) Undertale
Not only did Undertale subvert expectations, but it also completely dismantled them. Toby Fox’s indie game looks like a quirky retro-inspired RPG, but the first encounter shows this isn’t the case. Its combat system is one of the most unique in gaming, especially considering the Mercy system. Instead of fighting, players could talk, compliment, or show compassion. This allowed them to resolve any fight in the game without harming their foe. Even the final boss.
However, this is only available in the True Pacifist run. Instead of a grueling final boss battle, which it is if you choose violence, players chose to spare Flowey, who has transformed into Asriel Dreemurr. The catch? You can only achieve this resolution if you consistently choose non-violent options and spare every enemy. It’s the perfect moral ending for those who show compassion.
This result is one of the most emotional finales in gaming. It inverts not just the final boss fight, but combat altogether, showing how impactful the player’s choices can be. While many boss fights are memorable for the action, Undertale shows it is just as memorable to sheathe your sword, listen, and talk it out.
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
